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RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Retailers are adapting their operations to respond 4. Social shopping: Social commerce is rapidly
to this – convenience store chains continue to growing in importance across Asia. Brand
rapidly expand their networks, stores are using communication via social media platforms is
space in new ways, retailers are developing smaller commonplace, influencing shopper behavior and
and more unique stores, and online delivery times providing smartphone users with easy ways to
are being cut. shop online. New innovations will continue to
emerge in 2019, as retailers and suppliers deliver
2. Partnerships shaping the future of online: Over targeted marketing and new ways to make online
the past few years, major partnerships have helped shopping more social.
share expertise and accelerate online growth
across Asia. These partnerships come in many 5. Technology transformation: Asian consumers
forms, with retailers, suppliers and technology are exceptionally open to new technology. In 2019
businesses increasingly looking to blur the we will be keeping a close eye on digital and
boundary between the offline and online worlds. In technological innovations in Asia, particularly
2019, IGD expects to see more partnerships those helping retailers to differentiate their offer,
emerge, existing ones develop further and the raise service levels, develop stores that are set up
influence of Asia’s largest online players to spread for an online future, and deliver more efficient
across the region. operations in the face of rising costs.

3. Health and freshness at the heart: Increasing Technology is clearly the game changer in the retail
levels of affluence, improved education, targeted industry in Asia, defining not only how brands interact
government campaigns and historical food safety with shoppers, but enabling them to reduce costs and
scares mean that Asian shoppers are increasingly improve efficiency. ◊
aware of the importance of healthy living, fresh By MediaBUZZ
food, nutrition and product sourcing. Retailers are
responding by highlighting healthy ranges and
freshness using innovative concepts, layouts and
technologies.

MediaBUZZ Pte Ltd - Independant ePublisher for Asia