Retail is moving faster than ever, shaped by shifting expectations, new technologies, and a global landscape where creativity, compliance and customer relevance now sit side-by-side. At APS, we’re asked the same question time and time again: what’s next?

Our latest Horizon Scan: The Retail Edge in 2026 brings together global insight and on-the-ground expertise from our strategists across the UK, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Compiled by our in‑house brand strategists, it distils the trends that will matter most over the next 18 months and what retailers can do to stay ahead.

This report goes beyond predictions. It gives retailers a clear view of the forces shaping behaviour, sustainability, technology and growth, helping them turn complexity into opportunity.

Three Forces That Will Define the Next 18 Months

Across every region we analysed, three universal forces are converging:

Efficiency
Retail is entering an era of operational agility from modular production to AI‑supported decision-making. As the report notes, it’s not just about cutting costs, but “bringing AI and automation into the core of the business to increase speed, reduce waste and elevate customer experience.”

Proof
Sustainability and compliance have shifted from differentiators to baseline expectations. As our Head of Sustainability, Andrew Young, puts it:
“It’s no longer enough to say something is ‘eco’. You need data, provenance, and certifications. Green-screening tools are critical to vet materials, suppliers and methods.”

Experience
Whether in London, Dubai or New York, customers want to be entertained, informed and emotionally engaged. “Brick-and-mortar isn’t dead — it’s where brand love is built and retained,” says APS Director George Smart. Winning retailers will make physical environments destinations.

The Horizon Scan unpacks the drivers that will influence retail behaviour, including:

Emotional Connection Is Back in the UK

Cost-of-living pressures have reshaped loyalty and expectations. Finn Lawton, APS Senior Strategist, highlights that shoppers are becoming, “more selective, more intentional, and more focused on value‑driven experiences.” Gamification, proof‑led sustainability and AI‑assisted personalisation are set to dominate.

The US Is Moving from Pilots to Permanence

AI, automation and nearshoring are no longer experiments, they’re becoming operational norms. With 80% of US retailers already using AI for stock and pricing decisions, 2026 will be defined by turning innovation into infrastructure.

Europe Is Blending Creativity with Compliance

Retail media, templated creative production and deep regulation will reshape marketing delivery. Immersive, brand‑led environments and sustainable production are becoming non‑negotiable.

The Middle East Is Retail as Theatre

Luxury, scale and status-led experiences are creating environments designed to wow, where AI avatars, multi‑sensory activations and Net Zero procurement sit side-by-side.

Africa and Asia Are Redefining Retail Agility

Mobile-first journeys, community‑powered loyalty, social commerce and rapid digital adoption are enabling retailers to leapfrog legacy infrastructures.

Retail isn’t short of noise, but it is short of clarity.

This Horizon Scan aims to give you,

• A global-to-local view of the trends that genuinely matter
• Practical actions for shaping compliant, creative, experience-led retail
• Insight from APS strategists embedded in retail markets worldwide
• Evidence-backed perspectives to support more confident, future-ready decision‑making

If you want to understand what the next 18 months mean for your brand and how to turn emerging trends into meaningful momentum, share your details below and our team will be in touch with you shortly.

Many of the trends explored in The Retail Edge were brought to life at EuroShop 2026, where retailers, brands and technology partners showcased how experience, sustainability and innovation are already being applied in-store. Our EuroShop report dives deeper into what we saw on the ground — and what it signals for the future of retail execution.

The retail banking landscape is transforming faster than ever, driven by digital innovation, AI advancements, and shifting customer expectations. Our latest Horizon Scan. The Beyond for Retail Banking explores the most critical trends and actionable opportunities, including:

Could hyper-personalised solutions, such as financial coaching and tailored reward systems help build even deeper customer connections? Or maybe redefining physical spaces into multi-functioning ones will add more value to your customers? And how do you address the tension between digital-first strategies and the need for meaningful human interactions?

Packed with insights from our brand strategists, this report provides the tools you need to stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s reimagine the future of retail banking, together.

The APS Strategy and Innovation team have taken a deep dive into the key problems, opportunities and trends reshaping the US nonprofit sector. From current economic disruptions like the cost of living crisis and the noise around a potentially turbulent election year to heightened competition and generational shifts, we have analysed the forces at play to give you the chance to seize the opportunities for growth and innovation.

57% of Generation Z believes that giving financially has a greater impact than contributing skills or resources

Adapting and advancing in line with new generations is key for nonprofits to tackle. Traditional methods of communication such as broadcast messages, flyers and magazine ads, have proven inefficient in engaging with Gen Z and Millennials, so moving with digital transformation is vital, yet just 33% of nonprofits offer Apple Pay and 24% Google Pay, potentially alienating a large proportion of donors. Segmentation and targeted marketing has never been more important, and that’s why we’ve also created a bonus report focusing on generational analysis.

Inside the report we cover immersive and entertaining experiences to make your brand irresistibly shareable, the captivation of crowdfunding campaigns and its digital accessibility, the impact of the cost of living crisis, advertising noise, digital trends and more so you can unlock the pockets of potential our strategists have outlined.

Download your copy, plus our bonus report on Gen Examination, by completing the form below.

The Horizon – The Future of Financial Services

How easy it is for consumers to connect to financial services, will determine how successful those financial services businesses are in the future.

In this Horizon Scan, we highlight how financial services will connect consumers, power products, brands and connected ecosystems, be the enablers of income generation for consumers, and remain relevant to consumers through purpose.

We have sought and collated insights from some of the world’s foremost financial thought-leaders in order to bring you this concise view of the future of financial services. Looking at the following topics;

• Human Centred – A human-centred innovation strategy ensures relevant digital products and services can be delivered to your customers consistently, sustainably and at a steady pace
• The C-Word – When looking back at Covid, we’ll see it as a great reset. A point where leaders pivoted and rebooted their strategy to capitalise on innovation and set a new course for the next decade
• (In)Visible Power – Financial services brands will need build connected products that can be inserted into other brands marketplaces
• Latchkey Loyalty – consumers are demanding more flexible products and the seamless ability to move from brand to brand
• Powering Invisible Ecosystems – Banks are moving away from being a repository for money to a platform for income empowerment and generation
• Be-connected – take products to consumers, don’t wait for them to come to you
• Humanising Digital – blend digital and physical channels to create human experiences
• The new oil – Financial services organisations will start to unleash insight and elevate custodianship of consumer data and engender trust as a result
• Customer Obsession – For the most successful changemakers, everything they do starts and ends with its customers
• Purposeful Ideas – Consumers and employees prefer firms that align with their environmental and social values, and that have purpose

If you’d like to see the full report or find out how we can assist your organisation in rapidly innovating your service and product propositions please fill out your details and we’ll send you over a copy.