Trend Updates

Experiences instead of shopping: city centres are undergoing a fundamental change, with far-reaching consequences for the cityscape and retail. In an interview ahead of this year’s Retail Summit, David Bosshart, CEO of the GDI, addresses the question of what still characterises retail in the city – and how retail characterises the city.

In our modern world, does food come first and then morality? And what does this mean for society? How does the flood of information influence our consumer behaviour? How is this related to the growing number of global protests? Last week, ten international speakers discussed these and other questions at the GDI. Here are the most important insights at a glance.

Our appetite for fish remains constant. At the same time, stocks worldwide are depleted – a problem that could soon be resolved in a test tube, according to GDI researcher Christine Schäfer.

Pokémon Go or Google Glasses - people in the same room are experiencing different realities, thanks to Augmented Reality. Additional information enriches their environment. What happens next? The GDI study "Digital Corporate Publishing" explores this question.

Prime location at a low price: every retailer’s dream. Since 2004, this has been occurring regularly in Paris. Behind the idea is planning office, "Semaest". Small shops are intended to breathe life into "dead" quarters. Does this unusual project work?

Who is allowed to use our data? And how? This question is becoming more frequent in a digital world increasingly characterized by platforms. In a study, GDI researchers show the possibilities and consequences of data use.

Biologist Paul Myers has one objective: he wants to change our relationship to food. He says traditional production methods are no longer sustainable in an increasingly urban society. Myers' alternative lies in the middle of the city, under the soil.

Trust is the basis of every relationship. Glenn Manoff, CCO of Trustpilot, knows the value of trust between traders and customers even in difficult times. He reveals his insights on the GDI Trend Day.

The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, in collaboration with ETH Zurich, organised a panel discussion on "The End of Consumption" at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Here are the key statements from the panel.

Smartphone replaces spatula: "Prepared food" is booming. We want to get our food quickly and easily. Delivery and similar distribution still cost considerably more than home-cooked food. But that will change soon, writes researcher Christine Schäfer in a GDI study.