77 BUSINESS nations of Canada, Mexico and the UK. The best retailers will continue to lean into this seasonality with smaller, lowercost items that match the mood of their shoppers and can be quickly reordered if demand spikes. Retailers big and small will have been studying next year’s calendar to understand how they make the most of key dates but national chains need to plan many months ahead. Independent retailers can be far more agile by testing quirky seasonal products in real time and riding the wave of new trends as they break. INDIE RETAILERS WILL BE LOOKING TO ENGAGE ALL FIVE SENSES Beautiful displays will always matter but I’m starting to see something deeper as shops intentionally appeal to all five senses. After all, retail is emotional, and sight is only one part of the story. Shoppers want to feel something when they walk into a store, and that sense of welcome, warmth or excitement is shaped by elements they may not consciously notice. A particular scent, playlist, textures and even the temperature of the shop. It often begins with one simple question: how do I want my customers to feel when they come in and when they leave? Independent retailers are perfectly placed to embrace this. They can rotate scents seasonally, curate playlists that anchor their brand personality, and design displays that invite customers to slow down and explore. The barrier to entry is low, but the opportunity is high. Research shows that a third of our memory of a brand experience comes from smell alone, making fragrance potentially more powerful at influencing behaviour than loyalty cards, adverts or even discounts. SHOPPERS WILL SEEK OUT NOSTALGIA, COMFORT AND MORE LITTLE TREATS Nostalgia remains one of the most powerful forces in retail. It’s something Elf on the Shelf’s creator has spoken about in driving 2025’s Christmas shopping trends, we saw it in the surge of Oasis-inspired products following the band’s reunion tour this year, and we’re likely to see it again with the Spice Girls’ 30th anniversary in 2026. Alongside this, ‘kidults’ now account for up to a third of toy sales according to some experts. Adults are buying playful, comforting products for themselves because they are tiny reminders of simpler, more comforting, times. This sits alongside the rise of ‘little treats’. Our research last year showed people now spend an average of £20 a week on spontaneous treats for themselves and loved ones. These products are small in cost but big in emotional value, and offer joy for those having to delay larger purchases. Independent retailers already excel here. They know how to curate smaller, affordable items that customers cannot resist, whether it’s a nostalgic mug, a novelty candle, a playful pair of socks, or a tiny gift that feels personal, and I expect we’ll see much more of it in 2026. AI WILL CHANGE HOW CUSTOMERS FIND PRODUCTS, WHICH MAKES THE HUMAN TOUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how customers discover products. Instead of looking for specific items themselves online, people are getting help from chatbots like ChatGPT on what and where to buy. This shift means retailers will need to think less about traditional SEO and more about ‘AEO’ and how their shop and products are being interpreted and discovered by AI. Indie retailers do not need to become technical experts but they do need to be clear in how they describe their businesses, what they sell, and what makes them distinctive. At the same time, the rise of AI is making the human elements of retail that robots cannot replicate more important than ever. Customers can instantly sense when something feels automated and are being increasingly turned off by ‘AI slop’. I believe more people will seek out warmth, personality, and the emotional connection as a result, and these are things that independent shops already offer in abundance. The independents who thrive will be the ones who let AI handle the background tasks that save time, while keeping their creativity, voice and identity front and centre.
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