The porcupines in the shop The shop as a social space A shop is not a neutral place. Anyone who enters it becomes part of a social framework - whether it be consciously or unconsciously. The furnishings, the sounds, the presenc... Retail Society Aug 20, 2025
The meeting place for the future of retail since 1951 Rüschlikon, autumn 1951: Trade experts from all over the world sit together in a hotel room with a view of Lake Zurich. They discuss new shop formats and exchange ideas and methods for promoting succe... Retail Society Aug 14, 2025
When geopolitics hits the shopping cart – how trade disputes are changing retail Chinese retailers target Europe The USA is seeking to reduce dependencies, regain industrial capacity and curb China's economic power. Industrial policy, export controls and tariffs are being used as ... Retail Society Aug 6, 2025
Proximity as a success factor in retail A lack of fun and meaning in shopping Going shopping is dead, as it is no longer a pleasure – something we have already revealed in our eponymous GDI study "Going Shopping is Dead". The majority of pe... Retail Jul 10, 2025
Successful convenience solutions – local and digital Food delivery services from local stores or fresh food to go - Snappy Shopper from the UK and Valora both offer customers maximum convenience. They achieve this by ensuring proximity to them. Snappy S... Retail Society Jun 23, 2025
‘Donut effect’ – the new centre of consumption lies in the peripheral suburbs The ‘donut effect’ represents a tangible shift in consumer behaviour: people are increasingly shopping outside of city centres in residential districts and peripheral suburbs. Commercial activities ar... Retail Society May 22, 2025
From Kimchi to K-Beauty: Korean culture goes global K-culture and the Korean Wave: What exactly is Hallyu, and what does it include? Jieun Kiaer: The Oxford English Dictionary defines Hallyu — the Korean Wave — as the rise in global interest in South K... Food Health Retail Society May 15, 2025
Nicholas Christakis: 'AI could significantly restrict human collaboration' Friends, work colleagues, spouses and neighbours - we are all part of social networks. We are connected in an almost undecipherable network by countless people in our immediate and remote environments... Retail Technology Apr 22, 2025
GDI must-reads 2024 As the year draws to a close, we've put together a carefully chosen selection of books that particularly impressed our researchers and staff. From social upheaval and technological challenges to perso... Retail Society Sustainability Technology Dec 14, 2024
“We deploy AI to address various target groups in a standardised way” The audience agreed that the live recording of the ‘Retail Reality Show’ podcast was not just entertaining, but also provided some fascinating insights into the specific application of AI. The GDI’s I... Retail Technology Oct 24, 2024
Old furniture, fresh impetus ‘Der Schweizerische Hausigentümer’: Vintage furniture is very much in vogue. What social and ecological factors have contributed to this trend? Gianluca Scheidegger : The trend towards vintage furnitu... Retail Sustainability Oct 21, 2024
Daron Acemoglu's vision for the future of human-centred AI This week, the renowned economist, together with Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson, received the highest honour in his field – the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Looking back, his presentation at... Retail Technology Oct 17, 2024