The top June 2021 retail innovations put a focus on speedy deliveries, spotlighting small businesses and independent creators, as well as next-gen store designs that consider the needs of post-pandemic life and beyond.
While it's become fairly standard for some delivery services to turnaround orders in a matter of a few hours, some new partnerships are making it possible for people to get convenience store items, grocery goods and other essentials in 30 minutes, as seen in the Instacart Priority Delivery service launching in the North American market.
Retailers are also experimenting with on-demand modular marketplaces, augmented reality product discovery and fitting room experiences, as well as autonomous stores powered by 5G technology and computer vision technology to support safe and seamless shopping.
Top 45 Retail Trends in June
From Immersive AR Try-Ons to Ultra-Fast Grocery Deliveries:
Laura McQuarrie — Jun 19, 2021 — Business
45
5G-Powered Autonomous Stores
AiFi and Verizon Created a Next-Gen Convenience Store
44
On-Demand Modular Marketplaces
The Locket is Stocked with a Mix of Snacks, Meals and Brand Goods
43
Industrial Plywood Shoe Displays
Vans New Seoul Store Pays Homage to a Modern Art Exhibition
42
Immersive AR Try-Ons
Snapchat is Introducing Try-On Experiences with Fashion Partners
41
Vibrant Inclusive Fashion Collaborations
Target's Designer Dress Collection is Flowy and Floral
40
Outdoor Digital Signage Technologies
Samsung and Tim Hortons Elevate Digital Drive-Thru Displays
39
Sustainable Personalized Polo Services
Ralph Lauren's Made-to-Order Polo Program Reduces Waste
38
Designer Rainwear Collections
Canada Goose Partnered with Y/Project on a Unisex Rainwear Capsule
37
Small Business Shop Windows
Westfield's Side Hustle Heroes Initiative Spotlights New Businesses
36
Co-Branded Eco Cleaning Products
Grove Collaborative and Target Launch Sustainable Series
35
Swiping Try-on Apps
Zyler Offers a Simple and Realistic Clothing Try-on Experience
34
In-Store NFT Experiences
Sweet & Happy Jack Launched an NFT Series on Mental Health Awareness
33
Small Business-Finding Apps
The Amaze App Helps Locals Discover New Businesses in Their Area
32
Virtual Fitting Room Acquisitions
Walmart Acquires the Zeekit Virtual Fitting Room Software
31
Kid-Friendly E-Commerce Platforms
CAMP's Present Shop Lets Kids Safely Shop for Gifts Online
30
Viral Jewelry Storefronts
The Color of Tiffany is Taking a Backseat to Promote Yellow Diamonds
29
Circular Performance Apparel Initiatives
Arc'teryx Launches Circularity Initiative -- ReBird
28
Fast Casual Pancake Spots
IHOP Is Opening a New Fast Casual Concept, flip’d by IHOP
27
Library-Inspired Tablet Pop-Ups
reMarkable's A Better Place to Think Pop-Up Inspires Calm & Focus
26
Digital Local Fashion Stores
Amazon's Local Label Hub Spotlights Small Businesses
25
Circular Furniture Retailers
MADE Teams with Geev for a Furniture Giveaway Initiative
24
Office Retail Reorganizations
Office Depot Will Split into a Retailer and a B2B Business
23
Plant-Based Membership Plans
PlantX Recently Launched the New PlantXpress Membership Plan
22
BBQ-Ready Summer Seltzers
Vista Bay Hard Seltzers are Designed with Food Pairings in Mind
21
Mobile-Based POS Solutions
PayTabs Touch is a Cost-Effective and Contactless POS System for MENA
20
Brand Ambassador Agreements
Dick's Sporting Goods Has New Ambassadors for Private Label Products
19
Accessible Eco Produce Distribution
Hilton Hotels Recently Signed an Agreement with FreshOnTable
18
Plastic Elimination Retail Initiatives
Tesco Announced a New Reduced Plastic Packaging Initiative
17
Brick-and-Mortar Crypto Banks
India Opens 14 In-Person Crypto Currency Banks
16
Ultra-Fast Grocery Delivery Services
Instacart Priority Delivery will Offer Items in 30-Minutes
15
Retail Business Acquisitions
Gap is Selling Its Intermix Business to a Private Equity Firm
14
Soft Plastic Recycling Programs
Aldi is Trialling Soft Plastics Collection in the UK
13
Fashion Retail Acquisitions
South Moon Under Was Purchased by Ames Watson a Private Equity Firm
12
American Whiskey Expansions
Irish Brand Kirker Greer Spirits Picked Up Bowsaw American Whiskey
11
Sustainable Electronic Retail Designations
Best Buy Received Its First Zero Waste Certification
10
Same Day Retail Deliveries
Walgreens Launched Its New Two-Hour Delivery Service Across the U.S.
9
30-Minute Convenience Store Deliveries
7-Eleven & Instacart Expanded on Their Partnership
8
Clothing Retailer Acquisitions
Eddie Bauer Was Purchased by Sparc Group for an Undisclosed Sum
7
Retail Eyewear Collaborations
Gap Entered into an Eyewear Deal with De Rigo Launching in 2022
6
Canadian Marketplace Expansions
The Bay's Marketplace Appeals to a Wider Base of Online Shoppers
5
Zipper-Themed Virtual Showrooms
YKK Digitally Recreated Its Showroom in Londom
4
Paper Retail Acquisitions
Paper Source is Likely to Be Sold to Elliot Investment Management
3
Beauty Brand Courier App Deliveries
Esteé Lauder's Products Will Be Available Through Uber Eats
2
Grocery Pick-Up Rideshare Features
Uber Users Can Now Pick Up Grocery Orders During Their Ride
1
Clothing Sub-Brand Acquisitions
Ralph Lauren Sold Its Club Monaco Brand to a Firm Named Regent
Related Ideas
Newsstand-Style Pop-Up Series
Uber Eats x ALDI Celebrated Their Partnership with 'The Daily Feed'
Spatial AI Shopping Technologies
VusionGroup EdgeSense AI Immerses Shoppers
Automated Retail Concepts
VenHub Smart Stores Use Ai & Robotics to Redefine a Shopping Experience
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
AI Grocery Assistants
Albertsons Debuts Conversational Tool For Faster Grocery Trips
Creative Retail Competitions
Bricks & Minifigs Launches LEGO Clock Design Contest
Experiential Convenience Stores
FamilyMart Announced IP-Centered Store Experiences in Japan
Shoppable TV Ads
Samsung and Amazon Enable Remote-Based Shopping Directly on TV
Hyper-Personalized AI Shopping Tech
OTB Group Embraces Hyper-Personalization with Google Cloud
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
Luxury Eyewear Pop-Ups
Prada Opens an Immersive Eyewear Boutique at The Grove
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
On-Demand Style Deliveries
Urban Outfitters and DoorDash Partnered Ahead of Graduation Season
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Prestige Beauty Storefronts
Ulta Unveiled Its Times Square Experiential Store
Autonomous Smart Store Installations
VenHub Global and Circa Introduced the VenHub Smart Store
AI-Powered Inventory Systems
Iceland Launches invent.ai Platform
Virtual Footwear Try-Ons
Google's AI-Powered Try-On Tech Helps with Online Shoe Shopping
Summer-Ready Fashion Pop-Ups
SHEIN is Hosting a Four-Day Toronto Summer Trends Pop-Up
AI Merchant Onboarding Tools
DoorDash Launches Its AI Merchant Tools
Generative AI Retail Strategies
Kroger & Google Cloud Enhance Growth and Personalization
Gen Z Concept Stores
UO Insiders Insights Informed the UO x Glendale Store Experience
Expansive eCommerce Events
The Amazon Prime Day Promotion Will Offer New Deals Every Five Minutes
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
Clinical K-Beauty Pop-Ups
Rejuran Debuts Science-Led Skincare Through a Sephora LA Activation
Sensory Retail Experiences
Claire’s Launches ASMR-Inspired Stores for Gen Alpha Shoppers
Rapid Grocery Pickups
Amazon Tests One Hour Rush Pickup Across Owned Stores
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 Grocery Store Tools
Afresh Implements Its AI-Driven Inventory Management Platform
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
Beauty Retail Delivery Partnerships
Ulta Beauty Has Added 1500 Stores to the Uber Eats Marketplace
AI-Powered Digital Retail Solutions
Vusion Continues Its Partnerships with JYSK
Shelf-Scanning Robot Services
ShelfOptix Helps Retailers Access Insights with a Subscription
AI-Powered Shopping Features
John Lewis Launches a TikTok Shop Trial
DTC Physical Retail Expansions
Povison Opens Its First Permanent Store in Los Angeles
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 Shoppable Runways
Topshop and THG Studios Hosted a Front Row AI Experience
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
Compact IKEA Retail Spaces
IKEA Launches Smaller Stores Focused on Quick Visits and Essentials
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
Social Commerce Integrations
Ulta Beauty Launches a Creator-Driven TikTok Shop
Shoppable Discovery Commerce
SmartCommerce and Ahold Delhaize USA Connect Content to Carts
AI-Driven Wholesale Platforms
Hypedrop Validates, Designs and Develops Products in Six Weeks
AI-Assisted Retailer Websites
Lightspeed Showroom Gives Brick-and-Mortar Stores an Online Presence
Virtual Try-On Tools
Clothing Virtual Try On Shows Realistic Outfits For Online & Retail Shopping
Same-Day Personal Care Deliveries
Instacart Joins Forces with Lush Cosmetics on Same-Day Delivery
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-Powered Shopping Tools
Target Partners with ChatGPT to Highlight New AI Shopping Capabilities
Next-Gen Consumer Goods Technologies
Unilever and Google Cloud Partner to Produce Strong Products
AI-Enabled Personalized Retail Experiences
Honeywell Implements an AI-Driven Retail System
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
Experiential Grocery Campaigns
No Name launches a multi-city grocery goss campaign
Entertainment-Powered Retail Experiences
AT&T Brings Toy Story 5 to Interactive Store Activations
Integrated Grocery-Shopping Apps
Airbnb is Testing an Integration with Instacart for Customers
Co-Branded Shopper App Partnerships
Grubhub and Instacart Partnered to Offer a Wider Selection
Social-First Retail Commerce
Shoezone expands TikTok Shop through creator-led shopping
Urban Food Hubs
M&S Expands City Stores with Bakery, Coffee, Sushi, and Fresh Food
AI-Powered Retail Platforms
Target Introduced a Mobile App Rebuild with AI Coding Companions
AI Checkout Kiosks
Retailers Embrace AI Vision To Speed Self-Checkout Lines
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
Content-First Shopping Experiences
Gopuff and SpaceXAI Launched Go, a Personal Shopping Genius
Creator-Led Beauty Commerce
Amazon India Combines Creator Content and Beauty Shopping
In-Store Return Kiosks
Save Mart And Amazon Simplify Box Free In Store Returns
Ai-Powered Freshness-Monitoring Grocery Platforms
Afresh Expands Its Service Coverage
Retail Tech Revamps
Claire's Invests in Modern POS and Data Integration
Nationwide Digital Grocery Experiences
ALDI U.S. Partners with Instacart’s Storefront Pro
Shoppable Microdramas
Crocs and SuperOrdinary Turn TikTok Storytelling Into Shopping Experiences
Emotional Delivery Campaigns
Shipt’s 'No Order Is Ordinary' Campaign Emphasizes Connection
Digital Twin Retail Technologies
Hanshow and Microsoft Explore the Store Digital Twin Technology
AI-Optimized Service Features
Grab Introduced an AI-Centric Profit Plan to Drive Growth
AI Post-Purchase Platforms
FedEx Tracking Plus and Returns Plus Streamline Branded Experiences
AI-Powered Shopping Ecosystems
Wayfair Partnered With Google on AI Commerce Infrastructure
Curated Resale Storefronts
eBay's The NYC Edit Storefront Shares Tastemaker Selections
Autonomous Grocery Platforms
AI-powered systems automate inventory, pricing, and store operations
Locker Delivery Retail
Very Expands Parcel Collection Through InPost's Nationwide Locker Network
Online Grocery Delivery Partnerships
ASDA and Ocado Partnered to Streamline Grocery Delivery
AI-Powered Sampling Experiences
Swish is Revolutionizing How Consumers Try New Products
Vision AI Restaurants
Berry AI and Culver’s Expand Real-Time QSR Analytics Nationwide
Boutique Grocery Designs
The Meadow Lane Store Introduces a Refined Retail Concept in Tribeca
Shelf-Less Retail Stores
Goody Goody Liquor Uses Robots and QR Codes to Replace Shelving
Weeklong Retailer Deal Events
Walmart Deals Will Offer Discounts on Thousands of Items This Month
Social-First Beauty Retailers
Sally Beauty Joins TikTok Shop
Drive-Thru Markets
Goods Offers Instant Grocery Pickup from an Underground Delivery System
Expanded Wellness Retail Assortments
Target Added 30% More Wellness Products to Its Shelves
AI-Native Beauty Commerce
L'Oréal Brings Virtual Try-Ons and Product Discovery into ChatGPT
Agentic Beauty Shopping
Ulta Beauty Integrates Gemini AI for Seamless Product Discovery
In-Store Creator Commerce
Mac Cosmetics Turns Retail Employees into Live-Streaming Creators
Convenience-Focused Grocery Network Partnerships
Kroger and Uber Expand Their Existing Partnership
Grocery Store Accessibility Models
Tesco Enhances Its Self-Service Checkout Experience
AI-Powered Try-On Shopping Features
The 'Doppl' App Now Features a Discovery Feed
Intelligent Retail Infrastructure
Supermicro Spotlights Its Intelligent In-Store Retail Solutions
Automated Micro-Grocery Retail Tech
GrocerIQ Holdings is Working on a Physical AI Technology
Streamlined Payment Integrations
365 Retail Markets Incorporates VisionLink to Its Smart Stores
Retail Drone Delivery Networks
Walmart Expands Drone Delivery Across Five U.S. States
AI Ordering Assistants
Alexa+ Introduces Conversational Food Ordering
Elevated Casual Fashion
RetailMeNot Spotlights Capri Pants as a Versatile Summer Staple
Retail Beverage Experiences
The Paper Store Uses Custom Drink Stations to Boost Engagement
AI Grocery Ordering
Grocery Outlet Deploys Afresh Across More Than 500 Stores
AI Store Assistants
xPilot Helps Retailers Make Proactive Moves with Digital Twin Technology
Expanded Visual Search Features
Amazon Unveiled Its Visual Search Capabilities in Shopping App
Simplified AI Shopping Tools
Target Focuses on Holiday Shoppers with its New AI-Powered Tools
AI-Powered Retail Analysts
Bluecore's Marketing Agent is Poised to Revolutionize Retail
AI Retail Infrastructure Platforms
Huawei Expands Intelligent Retail Systems Across Europe
Executive Innovation Insight Services
Retail Innovation Council And dunnhumby Launch 'RIX'
Retail AI Assistants
Retail AI Council Develops AI Tailored to Industry-Specific Needs
Managed Retail Connectivity Services
Internet Retailing Introduced ConsumerX Managed Connectivity
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
Retail-Style Hotel Commerce
Aven Hospitality Embeds E-Commerce Features into Hotel Journeys
Future-Facing Food Retailer Ranges
The Ocado Future of Food Edit Aisle Spotlights Modern Varieties
Ultra-Fast Retailer Deliveries
Walmart 30‑Minute‑or‑Less Delivery Maximizes Access to Essentials
AI-Powered Superapps
Grab Introduces AI Features That Simplify Decisions and Automate Daily Tasks
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.
Experience-Focused Retail Carts
Target Redesigned Shopping Carts for Comfort and Convenience
Real-Time Grocery Personalization Platforms
Birdzi’s Journey Tool Delivers Automated Behavior-Base
On-Demand Skiwear Rentals
By Rotation And Uber Enable Rapid Ski Outfit Delivery
Retail Membership Ecosystems
Walmart+ Combines Delivery, Shipping, and Streaming Benefits
Autonomous Retail Experiment Stores
Andon Labs Launches the AI-Led Andon Market
Rapid Grocery Delivery Expansions
Amazon Introduced Two-Hour Grocery Delivery for Cub Stores
Discovery-Led Beauty Zones
Watsons Launches BeautyVerse And Jubilee Wellness Corners
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