Future Shop Podcast with WSL
Our podcast focuses on how shoppers are transforming retail and what you need to do about it. Retail strategist and shopping futurist Wendy Liebmann shares her passionate, unvarnished shopper-centric view of where retail is headed. She interviews experts in retail, marketing, insights, design, education, and more. She and the WSL team regularly share excerpts from WSL’s latest proprietary shopper research about what’s coming next. The Future Shop Podcast is a no-holds-barred view of what shoppers want, what you need to deliver, who’s getting it right, and who’s getting it wrong. And why. In this fast and furious view, you will begin to understand how to anticipate the future that’s emerging right under your nose. WSL Strategic Retail is a leader in shopper insights and retail strategy. It helps clients around the world anticipate change in order to grow in the near and longer-term. It is recognized for its ground-breaking How America Shops® and How the World Shops research. Visit us at: www.wslstrategicretail.com
Future Shop Podcast with WSL
EP107: Beyond the Screen: Why Humanity is Retail’s Secret Weapon in 2026 with Wendy Liebmann and Guests
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As we transition into 2026, the retail landscape is being reshaped by two powerful, seemingly opposite forces: the rapid ascent of autonomous AI and a growing hunger for authentic human connection. In this special year-in-review, Wendy Liebmann reflects on a transformative period of “perpetual chaos,” where shoppers are seizing control of their journeys amid economic and global uncertainty. From the rise of “agentic commerce” to the rebranding of pharmacies as “temples of care,” this episode explores how the most successful brands are throwing out old silos to meet the shopper where they live, breathe, and seek wellness.
Highlights:
- The Agentic Shift: How autonomous AI agents are moving beyond simple search to actively defining new shopper experiences and pricing strategies.
- Retail in Chaos: Insights into how shoppers are “treading water” or “drowning” and the ways they are taking back control of their spending.
- The “Vibe” Factor: Why Gen Z’s path to purchase relies on sensory environments and physical touch as a counterbalance to screen time.
- Temples of Care: A look at how giants like Walmart and niche European designers are transforming healthcare into accessible community hubs.
- Breaking the Last Frontier: Why women’s sexual health and menopause are finally disrupting traditional wellness categories.
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