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
Hands-Free Footwear Stores
Kizik Announced the Debut of a First-of-Its-Kind Store at CES 2023
Next-Gen Sneaker Stores
Foot Locker's Store of the Future Concept is Bolder and Easier to Shop
AR Retail Kiosks
BIG Digital and DeepAR Bring Mobile & Desktop Try-Ons to Store Settings
Pop-Up Reverse Supermarkets
The Give Back Express Invites Shoppers to Buy and Donate Goods
AI-Generated Fashion Campaigns
Casablanca Spring/Summer 2023 Conveys a Hopeful Future
Unified Grocery Shopping Platforms
Instacart Debuts New All-in-One 'Connected Stores' Platform
Contemporary Engaging Stores
New Balance Opens Unique Retail Concept Store on in Boston
Digital Fashion Labels
Digital Fashion by Printemps is a 40-Piece Virtual Collection
Virtual Beauty Storefronts
The Clinique Lab is a Next-Gen Digital Retail Concept
Discount Retailer Mobile Apps
Family Dollar Debuted a New Mobile Shopping App for Customers
Convenience Store Metaverses
7-Eleven is Unveiling an Immersive Virtual World at CES 2023
Engaging Shelf Displays
Netvisual is Elevating In-Store Advertising with its Shelf Edge Displays
Ultra-Accessible Kiosks
'The 46' Kiosk is the Most Accessible in the Micro Market Industry
AI-Powered Shopping Apps
Shoptrue Curates Personalized Fashion Picks with Artificial Intelligence
On-Demand Fashion Production
Shein Moves Away From its Fast Fashion Roots with New Manufacturing
In-Store Beauty Sampling Kiosks
Ulta Beauty and SOS are Partnering to Promote Product Discovery
Interactive In-Store Ads
Visibubble Brings Mobile Messaging Capabilities to Store Shelves
Multi-Brand Virtual Malls
Bloomingdale’s Virtual Experience Spotlights Beloved Brands
AI-Powered Virtual Closets
Stylitics' Products Support Next-Gen Personalized Shopping
Biomaterial Retail Interiors
Molly May Ratcliffe Researches How Biomaterials Can Be Better Used
Digital Celeb Shopping Experiences
This Walmart Digital Shopping Experience Has Customized Carts
Digital-Oriented Restaurant Redesigns
Wendy's Rolls Out New Design Concept, 'Global Next Gen'
Circular Shopping Experiences
The Stock Market by Selfridges is a Sustainable Shopping Experience
AR Retailer Haircare Experiences
Walmart Beauty Virtual Try-On Now Includes Hair Color Products
AI-Augmented Retail Checkouts
This Checkout Solution Helps Prevent Theft and Scanning Errors
Co-Browsing Shopping Platforms
buywith's Next Gen Co-Browsing Patent Helps Customers Shop Together
GenAI Virtual Shoppers
Cindy by Imaginuity Boots Online and In-Store Foot Traffic
Text-to-Shop Retail Services
Walmart Text to Shop Makes it Easier Than Ever to Shop
AR Shopping Malls
American Express' Door to Shop Small Highlights 10 Small Businesses
Virtual Mall Metaverses
Metamall Uplevels the Modern Shopping Experience
Computer-Vision Self-Service Kiosks
Toshiba's Vision Kiosk Identifies Items Without Barcodes
Sustainable Fashion Stores
Cos Unveils Two Stores in Stockholm and Mexico City
E-Commerce Beauty Packaging
Aptar Beauty + Home's Redesigned Packaging is "E-Commerce Capable"
Digital Grocery Screens
Kroger Launches the New Digital Smart Screens Across 500 Store Locations
Self-Service Commerce Kiosks
Cantaloupe Go Brings Buy-and-Go Expereinces to Customers
AI-Enhanced Grocery Apps
Instacart Unveiled a Suite of AI Features Coming to its Mobile App
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
Future-Proof POS Systems
Metcalfe's Market is Expanding Toshiba Self Checkout System 7 Solutions
AI-Powered Retail Tools
Walmart is Introducing a New Series of AI Tools for Customer Experience
E-retailer Fashion Pop-ups
The SHEIN Pop-up Shop Experience Opens March 23 at the Eaton Centre
Y2K Shopping Pop-Ups
Klarna's House of Y2K Explores the Evolution of Shopping Since the 2000s
Attention-Grabbing Retail Displays
Auo's Smart Shelf Displays Enhance the Customer Experience
Mixed-Reality Shopping Apps
StockX Launched an Immersive Way to Shop with the Apple Vision Pro
AI-Powered Marketing Tools
This E-Commerce Tool Uses Customer Data to Project Reward Impacts
Digitized Retail Shelf Labels
Lidl GB is Rolling Out Electronic Shelf Labels to All Its Stores
Shelf-Mounted Robots
Deming Allows Retail Managers See Shelves & Get Real-Time Data Remotely
Recurring Grocery Delivery Features
Amazon Recurring Reservations Enhances Shopper Convenience
Automated Retail Stores
Muffato Launches Brazil’s First Automated Store Without Physical Checkouts
Leisure Activity Grocery Stores
The FreshTake Concept Grocery Store Blends Experiences
AI Beauty Shopping Apps
Trendio's Video Shopping App Shares Personally Curated Content
Healthy Eating Grocery Initiatives
Instacart Introduces New 'Instacart Health' Project
Inventory-Scanning Retail Robots
Sam’s Club Confirms the Launch of Inventory-Scanning Robots
Curated Online Shopping Events
Walmart+ is Offering an Online-Only Shopping Event for Members
Gen Alpha-Targeted Ice Cream Trucks
Unilever Taps Robomart to Launch 'The Ice Cream Shop'
Phygital Fashion Retail Experiences
Macy's mstylelab Digital Shopping Platform is Immersive
Curated Grocery Delivery Lists
Instacart Carts Offer Themed Shopping Lists Packed with Items
Live Commerce Holiday Windows
TalkShopLive's WindowShopping Merges Physical & Digital Experiences
Eco Tech Accessory Pop-Ups
The CASETiFY Style Lab Highlights the Work of Gen Z Fashion Students
Simplistic Spring-Ready Minimal Fashion
Uniqlo U Introduces its Latest Collection for SS23
Reusable Bag Retailer Programs
Closed Loop Partners is Managing a Reusable Bag Pilot for Retailers
AI-Powered Supermarkets
Green Picks Market Autonomous Grocery Store is Frictionless
Boomer-Focused Grocery Services
Baby Boomers Continue to Dominate in Online Shopping Post-COVID
Self-Ordering Table Systems
GoTab Launches the Self-Ordering Kiosks for Table Service Businesses
Product Exploration Retailer Tools
These New Instacart Discovery Tools Connect Brands to Retailers
Instant Retail Savings Platforms
formi by Patron Points Offers Universal Savings for Shoppers
Paper-Free Retail Receipts
The Diebold Nixdorf Vynamic Digital Receipt is Sustainable
Loneliness-Combatting Grocery Shopping Experiences
Oma's Soep Debuted a Shopping Basket Initiative
Shoppable Luxury Fashion Films
Tom Ford Allows Consumers to Seamlessly Shop Its Spring 2024 RTW
Virtual Appliance Showrooms
Samsung's Shoppable Instagram Profiles Replace Department Stores
AI Clothing Try-Ons
Google's AI Shopping Feature Shows How Apparel Looks on Real Models
Reloadable Contactless Keychains
Zara is Replacing Single-Use Gift Cards with Keychains
Streamlined Shoppable Video Ads
Instacart Launches New Shoppable Video Ads in 'Ads Manager'
Experiential Online Marketplaces
REVERSIBLE Launches the Omni-Channel Retail Aggregation Service
Revamped Private Label Ranges
The Target up&up Collection Has Been Expanded and Updated
Omnichannel Grocery Technologies
Instacart Launches the New Omnichannel Solutions for Grocers
Digital Delivery Service Storefronts
Instacart Storefront Lets Retailers Customize the Interface
AI-Generated Shopping Campaigns
Sandton City's Latest Campaign Integrates Smart Technology
Life-Size In-Store Countdowns
Toys R Us Asia and Craig & Karl Created an Advent Calendar for All
Minimal Fall-Centric Luxe Fashion
Theory Presents its Fall 2022 Collection of Simplistic Looks
Beauty-Focused Shopping Apps
The 'Trendio' Live Shopping App Offers Access to Beauty Content
Smart Shopping Cart Initiatives
These Cust2Mate Smart Carts are Arriving at Morton Williams
Shoppable Luxury Fashion Films
Louis Vuitton Delivers Resort 2024 with an Interactive Experience
Cashier-Free Grocery Chains
Automated Grocer 'Aisle 24' Opens a New Location in Toronto
Wasteful Fashion Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective Reminded People to Shop Mindfully on Black Friday
Low-Waste Shopping Solutions
ASDA, Avery Berkel & Hanshow are Enhancing Sustainability in the UK
AI-Powered Retail Try-Ons
Walmart is Adding an AI-Based Try-On Technology for Online Consumers
Automated Retail Receipt Checkers
Sam’s Club Receipt Verification Was Announced at CES 2024
Customized Convenience Retailer Apps
Family Express is Introducing a Personalized App Experience
Social Shopping Features
YouTube Introduces a New 'Shopping Collections' Feature for Creators
Virtual Beauty-Focused Stores
Laura Mercier Debuts the Virtual ‘World of Beauty’ Store
Senior-Friendly Shopping Days
Walgreens Seniors Day Supports Safe & Supportive Shopping
Innovative SCO Kiosks
Austrian Brand Shopreme Debuts a New Self-Checkout Kiosk for Retailers
Retail Food Preparation Stations
Urban Eat Debuts a Smart Retail Solution for its Food-to-Go Range
Short-Form Foodie Feeds
Uber Eats is Testing Out a New Vertical Feed Like TikTok and Instagram
Simplified Loyalty Programs
CVS Pharmacy Adds Two More Membership Tiers to its Reward Program
Self-Guided Cannabis Retail Experiences
BLAZE ECOM Revolutionizes In-Store Cannabis Retail
Expanded D2C Deliveries
Kroger Debuts Two New Spoke Factories to Improve White Glove Deliveries
Connected Vending Freezers
The Selfly Freezer Offers Access to a Variety of Frozen Fare
Loss Prevention AI Checkouts
Vynamic Smart Vision Shrink Reduction Addresses Self-Checkout Issues
Digital Retailer Strategy Updates
This Walmart eCommerce Update Refreshes the Website and App
Text-Based Shopping Features
Walmart Unveils a New Shopping by Text Feature for Mobile Shoppers
Virtual Convenience Stores
The Instacart-Powered ALDI Express Offers 30-Minute Deliveries
Alcohol Cashback Programs
Swiftly's Alcohol Cashback Program Redefines the Rebate Process
AI-Powered Retail Payments
Focalpay's New AI Features Streamline Retail and E-Commerce Operations
Personal Shopping Assistants
Klarna Debuts a More Personalized Shopping Feature Dubbed Ask Klarna
AI-Powered Inventory Tech
Google Cloud is Introducing AI-Powered Inventory Tracking Technology
Retail Technology Acquisitions
Walmart is Acquiring Volt Systems to Enhance Customer Experiences
Efficiency-Driven Digital Ad Solutions
ShopLiftr is Revolutionizing Digital Advertising
Personalized Grocery Billboard Campaigns
Tesco Ireland Gets a New Live-Prompt Campaign
Offline Shopping Campaigns
'Shop Offline' Helps People Rediscover the Joy of Real-World Shopping
Ice Cream-Only Retail Expansions
Unilever’s The Ice Cream Shop is Now Available Through Instacart
Taiwan-Based AI Shopping Carts
Innolux Debuts a Smart Shopping Cart at FamiSuper Stores
Same-Day Grocer Delivery Benefits
Instacart and SNAP Will Offer Same-Day Delivery for Recipients
AI-Powered Search Features
Shop Premium Outlets Enhances its Online Shopping with AI-Powered Tools
Micro Self-Service Checkout Kiosks
The 365 Retail Markets MM6 Mini Kiosk is Versatile
Virtual Convenience Store Concepts
Aldi Launches a Virtual Convenience Store Called Aldi Express
App-Powered Checkout Stores
MAPCO Opened its First Checkout-Free Convenience Store
Updated Fresh Food Lines
One Stop Refreshes its Product Range to Offer Healthier and Fresher Items
Order-Queuing Shopper Delivery Features
This New Instacart Shopper Feature Offers More Control
Seasonally Shaped Springtime Treats
The Mars Wrigley 2023 Easter Range is Expansive
Compact Automated Retail Checkouts
The OneView Self-Checkout Offers Advanced Features
Convenient Palm Payment Expansions
Amazon One Payments are Coming to Whole Foods Markets
Halloween-Inspired Retail Capsules
Target Debuts a New Private-Label Halloween Capsule for October
Temp-Controlled Smart Containers
Tower Cold Chain Debuts New Upgrades to its ‘Smart’ Containers
Retailer-Backed Holiday Experiences
J. Crew Launches a New AI-Powered Holiday Experience
Minimally Designed Store Openings
London Opens its Door at the New Self-Portrait Store in Chelsea
Specialty Seasonal Grocer Products
The Aldi Finds Seasonal Products Will Arrive in the New Year
Christmasy Convenience Retailer Promotions
The 7-Eleven Holiday Deals are Here for 2023
Revamped Grocery Loyalty Apps
Tesco Unveils the New and Improved Digital Clubcard and Grocery App
Inclusive Try-On Programs
Perfect Corp. Connects Beauty Brands with Digital Beauty Innovation
E-Commerce Optimizing Platforms
Lily AI Use Algorithms to Help Retailers Improve Their Webstores
Same-Day Holiday Deliveries
Amazon Releases a New Same Day Shopping Filter for Valentine’s Day
Convenient Order Pickup Services
Card Factory Launches a Click & Collect Service for Its Customers
Festive Value-Minded Retail Campaigns
The Spar BIG Deal of Christmas Campaign Launches This Month
Enhanced Shopping Results
Google Updates its Search Engine to Better Aid Holiday Shopping
Low-Cost Cosmetic Retailer Expansions
Dollar General is Rolling Out a New Beauty Layout
Smart Shopping Assistants
Bolt Shopper Assistant Supports Convenient, Personalized Experiences
Month-Long Holiday Shopping Promotions
Walmart 'Black Friday Deals for Days' is Back This November
Dollar Store Cash-Back Programs
Dollar General and Ibotta Partnered to Offer Rewards to Shoppers
Comprehensive Checkout Tools
TreviPay Launches an All-in-One Checkout Solution to Reduce Friction