Forward with MADE Trends

OUR CLIENT:

MADEtrends specializes in trend forecasting and market positioning foresight for the fashion and retail market.

OUR CHALLENGE:

To explore the future possibilities for a reality where technology and retail intersect seamlessly, with a focus on creating an experience that benefits the consumer and retailer equitably.

Team Forward had the pleasure of meeting with Autumn and Jackie from MADE Trends to discuss the challenge further.

Our questions:

• Defining the challenge

  • Are we to focus on the use of technology in brick and mortar stores or technology and retail in general?

• What should be our focus in terms of demographics and location?

  • Which retail system should we analyze primarily according to you?

  • More global or local markets?

  • Which retail sector is the project referring to?

  • Gen Z?

• How do you describe the retail experience now?

  • Which do you think are the irreplaceable elements of the shopping experience in store?

• Since publishing the report, have there been other changes you’ve seen since?

What we understand:

• Gen Z and Millennials are our main focus in terms of research as they are the future of retail and its consumers. However, we should embody all generations so that a strategy could work for the mass market.

• Our goal is to create a more seamless retail experience that doesn’t require as many hurdles. How can we eliminate steps in the process? Or how can we make it less confusing?

• Because younger generations are more fluid in tech, they know how to bypass some of the hurdles to jump over less.

• MADE Trends is based in the US and mainly deals with clients in North America. We need to pay attention to what’s going on over there while also observing what’s happening in Europe as the market may be pretty similar.

• Although what works there, wouldn’t necessarily mean it would work for western markets, we should also study Asia for references.

What’s next?

We were encouraged to go out there, go crazy and not be too influenced by the reports they had already written.

• Mindfully observe retail spaces, whether it’s during our own experiences or from our surroundings

• Identify signals and patterns even outside fashion retail to possibly open up new ideas

• Understand the behaviors of shoppers, particularly that of Gen Z, and how they might have changed since the pandemic

• Look for more references on how tech has been used in retail and how people have responded to them

Although we are excited about our challenge, it is still a challenge and there’s still a lot more to learn.