This collection of February 2021 retail trends identify some of the most futuristic ways that we'll see the shopping experience change in both the short-term and the long-term. The overarching theme for the short-term is the continued shift towards offering alternative ways for consumers to get their essentials and maintain their safety amidst the ongoing pandemic. However, this appears to be permeating into the long-term with initiatives like smart shopping carts that will guide shoppers around a store to quickly pick up essentials and get out in a timely manner.
These February 2021 retail trends also highlight how brands are paying more attention to rewarding consumer loyalty and offering them personalized rewards that can be redeemed either in-store or online for enhanced convenience.
Top 30 Retail Trends in February
From Self-Checkout Shopping Carts to Modular Self-Service Kiosks:
Michael Hemsworth — Feb 28, 2021 — Business
30
Self-Navigating Shopping Carts
The Conceptual 'Mobi' Smart Shopping Cart Easily Navigate Aisles
29
Self-Checkout Shopping Carts
Kroger's KroGo Smart Shopping Cart Provides a Seamless Experience
28
Meat-Free Butcher Counters
The Asda 'Veelicious' Vegan Butcher Counter Addresses Consumer Demand
27
Convenience Store Accommodations
7-Eleven and Airbnb are Opening a New Luxury Store to the Public
26
Contactless Shopping Experiences
Hudson Will Use Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology at Its Stores
25
AI Beauty Recommendations
Kiehl’s Enables Consumers to Discover Uniquely Matched Products
24
Luxury E-Commerce Partnerships
A New Gucci Tmall Store Alongside Alibaba Targets Chinese Consumers
23
Social Media Shopping Experiences
Youtube Tests New Feature to Buy Products Shown on Video
22
Modular Self-Service Kiosks
DN Series EASY Enhances Efficiency and Keeps Costs Low
21
Body Shape Analytics
3DLOOK Unlocks a New Layer of Body Data for Apparel Manufacturing
20
Small Creative Business Platforms
Great Hill Partners Aim to Acquire NotOnTheHighStreet Platform
19
Resort-Created Convenience Stores
Deli-Xoxo is a Convenience Store from the Five-Star Casa Dorada
18
Innovative Digital Factories
Alibaba Group Debuted Its Xunxi Digital Factory in September, 2020
17
Movie-Themed Smoothie Shops
Groovy Smoovies Shares a Fun and Family-Friendly Experience
16
Contactless Perfume Samplers
SCENTER Safely Updates In-Store Experiences with Fragrance
15
Temperature-Controlled Delivery Boxes
The Walmart HomeValet Service is Being Updated
14
Omnichannel Airport Retailers
Auckland Airport's The Mall Platform is Boosting Post-COVID Sales
13
Luxury Chinese Mall Complexes
Wuhan’s Second K11 Art Mall Taps into Luxury Market Potential
12
Immediate Cash Reward Programs
Shoprite's Xtra Savings Program Provides Benefits to Shoppers
11
Pandemic Loyalty Contests
SPAR's Shop, Save & Win Campaign Rewarded Winners in South Africa
10
Festive Grocer Rewards
Asda's Christmas Savings Club Let Shoppers Earn Big This Past Holiday
9
Refillable Skincare Fountains
The Life Plankton Elixir Blue Fountain is an In-Store Solution
8
Essential Goods Loyalty Programs
The Bonga For Good Initiative Was Launched in Response to COVID
7
Festive Loyalty Card Promotions
Sainsbury's Launched it Nectar Double Up Event This Past Christmas
6
Goal-Oriented Grocery Rewards
myLidl Rewards Features Monthly Games to Save Shoppers on Costs
5
Throwback QSR Promotions
The McDonald's Throwback Thursday Promotion is Available on the App
4
Health-Focused Retailer Menus
The goPuff Better For You Product Menu is Available for Delivery
3
Streamlined Return Solutions
Happy Returns and FedEx Make it Easier for Consumers to Return Items
2
Efficient Return Strategic Partnerships
Amazon Debuts New Return System for Whole Foods Market
1
Low-Cost Family Meal Deals
This New Nisa Family Meal Deals Promotion is Priced at Just £5
Related Ideas
Spatial AI Shopping Technologies
VusionGroup EdgeSense AI Immerses Shoppers
Automated Retail Concepts
VenHub Smart Stores Use Ai & Robotics to Redefine a Shopping Experience
Creative Retail Competitions
Bricks & Minifigs Launches LEGO Clock Design Contest
Seasonal Shopping Occasions
Sephora Canada Spotlights Must-Haves for the Sephora Savings Event
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
Next-Gen Autonomous Retail Robots
Simbe Robotics Has Launched the Tally 4.0 Retail Robot
Experiential Convenience Stores
FamilyMart Announced IP-Centered Store Experiences in Japan
Shoppable TV Ads
Samsung and Amazon Enable Remote-Based Shopping Directly on TV
Curated Store Concepts
A New Target Soho Store Opens in New York with Design-First Looks
AI-Driven Shoppable Catwalks
Topshop and THG Studios are Hosting a Next-Gen Fashion Experience
Community-Driven Shopping Experiences
A TikTok Shop Pop-Up is Coming to Westfield Stratford
Design-Forward Concept Stores
Target SoHo is Immersive, Experiential and Shoppable
AI Chat Shopping Systems
Shopify Brings Retail to ChatGPT
Faux Food Pop-Ups
MoMA Design Store Unveils an Immersive 'MoMA Mart' Pop-Up for NYC
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Autonomous Smart Store Installations
VenHub Global and Circa Introduced the VenHub Smart Store
Romantic Retailer Basket Campaigns
The Asda Red Baskets are Arriving for Valentine's Day
Fandom Culture Retail Experiences
EB Games x Vibrant Marketing Launch an 'EB Trends' Store Concept
Live Social Shopping Expansions
QVC® Announces New Brands That Will Join Its Roster in 2026
Generative AI Retail Strategies
Kroger & Google Cloud Enhance Growth and Personalization
Experiential K-Beauty Retail
Yepoda Opens an Immersive Flagship Store in Seoul
Gen Z Concept Stores
UO Insiders Insights Informed the UO x Glendale Store Experience
Prestige Beauty Storefronts
Ulta Unveiled Its Times Square Experiential Store
Rewards-Based Beauty Devices
Sephora Expanded its Rewards Catalog With High Tech Skincare Tools
AI-First Shopping Experiences
Walmart and OpenAI are Partnering to Simplify Purchases
Immersive Video Shopping Experiences
ASOS Live Blends Creator-Led Content with Real-Time Shopping
Entertainment-Powered Retail Experiences
AT&T Brings Toy Story 5 to Interactive Store Activations
Connected Grocer Shopping Carts
The New Amazon Dash Cart is Arriving at Whole Foods Market
Experiential Brand Stores
New Era Creates Interactive Retail Space With Custom Cap Design
AI-Powered Shopping Carts
Instacart and Weis Markets Partnered to Launch Caper Carts
AI Retail Forecasts
Experts Outline how AI will Reshape Commerce By 2026
Creator-Led Beauty Retail
rhode Expands Across Sephora Europe After Strong Viral Demand
AI Shopping Integrations
Sephora’s ChatGPT App Enables AI-Powered Product Discovery
Curated Newspaper Storefronts
Shreeji Unveiled 'The Village News' as an Offline Summer Ritual
Content-Driven Flagship Retail
GARAGE Builds an Immersive Flagship in New York's Flatiron District
AI-Powered Shopping Features
John Lewis Launches a TikTok Shop Trial
DTC Physical Retail Expansions
Povison Opens Its First Permanent Store in Los Angeles
Autonomous Inventory Robots
B&R Stores Introduced Its Shelf-Scanning Robot
Mobile Beauty Pop-Ups
Henkel’s göt2b Debuts a Citywide Mobile Beauty Experience
Accessible Beauty Consultations
Walmart’s Beauty Experts Offer Personalized In-Store Guidance
AI-Powered Personalized Shopping Features
Instacart AI Solutions are Optimized for Grocers
Comprehensive Fast Food Reports
Yum! Brands, Inc. Explores Food Trends Influencing the Industry
AI Retail Experiences
RELEX Solutions Uses AI to Elevate In-Store Customer Journeys
Omnichannel Grocer Experiences
Instacart and Allegiance Retail Services Expand Their Partnership
Pick-Your-Own Bouquet Billboards
5,000 Tesco Mother’s Day Tulips Formed an Interactive Display
Shoppable Discovery Commerce
SmartCommerce and Ahold Delhaize USA Connect Content to Carts
AI-Driven Retail Supply Chains
Dollar Tree Uses AI and Cloud Systems to Improve Inventory
AI-Powered Shopping Features
Target is Making Seasonal Gifting Easier, Personalized and More Fun
Agentic Commerce Platforms
Google Introduced an AI-Powered Universal Cart for Smarter Shopping
Urban Food Hubs
M&S Expands City Stores with Bakery, Coffee, Sushi, and Fresh Food
Smart Retail Technology Expansions
A2Z Cust2Mate Secures Advertising Agreements with Major Brands
Customer-Led Loyalty Programs
The Iconic Unveils a Loyalty Program Built on Community Insight
AI-Enabled Personalized Retail Experiences
Honeywell Implements an AI-Driven Retail System
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
AI-Native POS Systems
Tote.ai Supports Fuel and Convenience Stores
Social-First Retail Commerce
Shoezone expands TikTok Shop through creator-led shopping
Connected Supermarket Platforms
Carrefour and Vusion Loot to the Future of Supermarket Retail
AI-Powered Retail Platforms
Target Introduced a Mobile App Rebuild with AI Coding Companions
Collab Retail Formats
Bed Bath & Beyond And The Container Store Open Its First Co-Branded Location
AI Checkout Kiosks
Retailers Embrace AI Vision To Speed Self-Checkout Lines
Mobile Retail Terminals
Toshiba Launches the TCx M7 for Flexible In-Store Checkout
Autonomous Retail Merchandising Platforms
Retail Express Uses AI to Automate Pricing and Discounts
Compact Urban Grocery Retail
Whole Foods Expanded Daily Shop Stores into Three U.S. Cities
Novel Multi-Brand Retail Experiences
Lightspeed Commerce Debuts Multi-Brand Shopping and Ordering
Experience-Enhancing POS Retail Apps
MomentScience Reveals MomentApps
back-to-school retail campaigns
Target rolls out its back-to-school & back-to-college campaigns
Connected Grocer Order Fridges
Kroger Smart Fridges Will Support Contactless Grocery Pickup
Weeklong Retailer Deal Events
Walmart Deals Will Offer Discounts on Thousands of Items This Month
Shoppable Reel Features
Meta Expands Reels with Product Tagging on Instagram and Facebook
In-Store Return Kiosks
Save Mart And Amazon Simplify Box Free In Store Returns
Retail Tech Revamps
Claire's Invests in Modern POS and Data Integration
Wellness Shop-in-Shops
Wellness by Ulta Beauty Shares Immersive, Informative Experiences
Nationwide Digital Grocery Experiences
ALDI U.S. Partners with Instacart’s Storefront Pro
Shoppable Microdramas
Crocs and SuperOrdinary Turn TikTok Storytelling Into Shopping Experiences
Digital Twin Retail Technologies
Hanshow and Microsoft Explore the Store Digital Twin Technology
Curated Resale Storefronts
eBay's The NYC Edit Storefront Shares Tastemaker Selections
Retail-Style Hotel Commerce
Aven Hospitality Embeds E-Commerce Features into Hotel Journeys
Autonomous Grocery Platforms
AI-powered systems automate inventory, pricing, and store operations
Fashion-Beauty Convergence
Première Vision and Cosmetic Valley Unite Fashion and Beauty Brands
Boutique Grocery Designs
The Meadow Lane Store Introduces a Refined Retail Concept in Tribeca
Rewarding Retailer Subscription Services
Ocado Retail Smart Pass Rewards Has Exclusive Offers
Shelf-Less Retail Stores
Goody Goody Liquor Uses Robots and QR Codes to Replace Shelving
Sports Lifestyle Retail
Nordstrom Blends World Cup Fashion with Immersive Pop-Ups
3d-Printed Retail Suitcases
The 3d Printed Suitcase Reframes Retail as Human-Centred Experience
Social-First Beauty Retailers
Sally Beauty Joins TikTok Shop
AI-Powered Discovery Commerce
Shopen AI Personalizes Product Discovery and Deal Finding
Expanded Wellness Retail Assortments
Target Added 30% More Wellness Products to Its Shelves
Retail Design Landmarks
D14.2 Concept Store in Oslo Rethinks the Shopping Experience
Tech-Advanced Smart Retail Solutions
ZKONG Showcases Its Smart Retail Solutions in Düsseldorf
Agentic Beauty Shopping
Ulta Beauty Integrates Gemini AI for Seamless Product Discovery
Mobile Luxury Boutiques
Mytheresa Tours the Hamptons with a Curated Mobile Boutique
Automated Beverage Dispensing Systems
TendedBar is Working on Rolling Out Its Countertop Unit
In-Store Creator Commerce
Mac Cosmetics Turns Retail Employees into Live-Streaming Creators
Shopping-Friendly Ad Formats
Equativ Shoppable Ads Allow Consumers to Seamlessly Make Purchases
Grocery Store Accessibility Models
Tesco Enhances Its Self-Service Checkout Experience
Streamlined Payment Integrations
365 Retail Markets Incorporates VisionLink to Its Smart Stores
Conversational Visual Shopping
Amazon Lens Live Matches Products Through Real-Time Scanning
Digital Shelf Label Systems
Walmart Introduces the New Digital Shelf Labels Nationwide
Spatial Commerce Platforms
Curie Shop Brings Interactive Product Exploration To Sneaker Shopping
Personal Shopping Carts
The Marketday Cart is Designed to Organize Groceries and Personal Items
Hybrid Beauty Discovery
Ulta Beauty Finds Gen Alpha Blends AI Tools with In-Store Shopping
Simplified AI Shopping Tools
Target Focuses on Holiday Shoppers with its New AI-Powered Tools
Christmasy Customer-Rewarding Retailer Campaigns
The One Stop 2025 Christmas Campaign Gives Back
Gallery-Like Retail Floors
Tutto Bene Redesigns Globus Basel Fashion and Private Shopping Floors
Nostalgia-Powered Retail
Zellers Revives a Canadian Favorite With New Ontario Stores
Valentine's Day-Ready Grocery Deals
Natural Grocers Debuts Valentine's Hot Deals
In-Store Retail Media Networks
Raley's Expands Shopper Advertising Through Grocery TV
AI Grocery Ordering
Grocery Outlet Deploys Afresh Across More Than 500 Stores
Cost-Effective Confectionery Items
World of Sweets Highlights Key Easter Trends Amid Rising Costs
Retail Beverage Experiences
The Paper Store Uses Custom Drink Stations to Boost Engagement
Festival-Inspired Resale Marketplaces
The Reloved Market Pop-Up Shares In-Demand Seasonal Styles
Omnichannel Seasonal Support Campaigns
Bestway Wholesale Launches 'Buzz About the Sweetest Deals'
Managed Retail Connectivity Services
Internet Retailing Introduced ConsumerX Managed Connectivity
Ad-Friendly Vertical Video Feeds
Instacart Debuts the Immersive Feed Feature on Its Platform
Community Hub Convenience Stores
Co-op turns local stores into delivery and service hubs
AI-Native Store Research
Vusion and Qualcomm Released the AI-Native Store™ White Paper
Future-Facing Food Retailer Ranges
The Ocado Future of Food Edit Aisle Spotlights Modern Varieties
Customization-Forward Valentine's Day Gifts
Sugarwish Highlights Customizable Gift Preferences
Ultra-Fast Retailer Deliveries
Walmart 30‑Minute‑or‑Less Delivery Maximizes Access to Essentials
Global Brand Refresh Systems
'Face the Future' Announces Rebrand With ShopTalk Studio
Digital Shelf Edge Labels
James Hall & Co. Rolls Out the SOLUM Electronic Shelf Edge Labels
Shelf Digitization Strategies
Coresight Research and Simbe highlight retail shelf digitization
Elevated Casual Fashion
RetailMeNot Spotlights Capri Pants as a Versatile Summer Staple
Self-Service Collectibles Retail Kiosks
YuMe Toys Has Introduced the YuMe Smart Machine
Speedy Seasonal Retailer Deliveries
Boots On-Demand Deliveries are Available from 500 Locations
Transparency Driven Shoppers
Akeneo's 'PX Pulse' Highlights Demand For Clearer Product Details
Digital-First Furniture Stores
Article Debuted Its Direct-To-Consumer Furniture Stores in the U.S.
Valentine's Day Dining Research
OpenTable Compiles Data on Valentine's Day Dining Trends
Marketplace Showrooms
StockX Combines Shopping, Seller Services and Community Events in New York
Strategic Reward-Focused Retail Campaigns
WeShop Launches 'Shopping Starts Here' Campaign
Data-Led Brand Creation
AS Watson Builds Brands Using Shopper Insights and Loyalty Data
Retail Membership Ecosystems
Walmart+ Combines Delivery, Shipping, and Streaming Benefits
Campus Convenience Hubs
Co-op Expands Self-Service Stores Across Russell Group Universities
Real-Time Grocery Personalization Platforms
Birdzi’s Journey Tool Delivers Automated Behavior-Base
Integrated Retail Execution Services
JLL Streamlines Retail Development Services
Retail Conversation Marketing Campaigns
Tesco Launches 'Need Anything From Tesco' Platform
Modular Assisted Checkout Systems
Scotmid Co-op Deploys the New 4POS Assisted Checkout
iPad Vision Self-Checkout Systems
VisioLab Launches Its AI-Powered iPad Checkout Interface
Agentic Local Stock Finders
Google AI Mode Calls Stores To Locate Items
AI-Driven Supply Chain Features
Acumatica Unveils an AI Studio and Shop Floor Kiosk for the2026 R1