The forecasting agency WGSN has presented its main predictions for the retail sector in 2028. The agency is not predicting any radical changes, but rather gradual transformations in consumer habits, which are already noticeable today.
Three themes structure WGSN’s vision: the ordinary integration of artificial intelligence, a return to the sensory as a marker of value, and concrete adaptation to a world impacted by climate change.
AI, an everyday tool
WGSN’s first observation is that by 2028, artificial intelligence will no longer be perceived as an exceptional innovation, but as a functional building block of everyday life. The agency believes that AI will be “neither a miracle nor a threat”, but one tool among many, integrated into other professional practices.
“AI will become an ordinary component. True intelligence will consist of using it to enhance human capabilities and experiences, rather than replace them.”
For brands, it can be used to automate tasks and increase efficiency, while enhancing what is uniquely human. Creativity, customer relations, a sense of service, and the quality of connections will become key differentiators for consumers.
Return to sensoriality
The second trend highlighted is a return to the sensory. In an environment saturated with screens and digital stimuli, WGSN observes a form of “emotional fatigue”.
“In an ultra-connected world, the real game changers could be those that reconnect us to our senses: what we see, …
