Retailers have a puzzling time ahead

I really like the Lempert Report about new issues in retail but I do wish he would enable his videos to be embedded. To watch this edition click her. 

This edition has two stories. Firstly, what is happening to the shopping habits of Millennials? I keep saying this - the impact of the recession on multi-generational food buying is a subject that should be studied.

The other story is Deloitte's new report The Next Evolution: Store 3.0

Deloitte's seems to think that the story of the future is going to be all about technology. Mmmm. I am not so sure. Seems to me that you three (or more) forces.

Sure, technology could do lots and lots for the retail environment - trouble is stores need the systems and vision to make it happen.

The most tech savvy shoppers of the future might include a lot of those without the disposable income

A lot of the high disposable shoppers will not be that tech savvy

A lot of the shoppers of the future will more interested in being able to read the labels and seeing the signs than checking the price and availability with a QR code.

So mix all of these things together and you have the puzzle that retailers need to solve. Dick Stroud