December 27, 2020

As the year draws to a close, the Coresight Research team would like to thank you for your continued readership and support throughout 2020. The year was difficult for many, and we hope that our research has helped guide you through the period of crisis. We will continue to do so in 2021, including through our consumer tracker, sector coverage, thematic reports and Innovator research.

During the year, we launched weekly consumer surveys and new data products, introduced the 10.10 Shopping Festival and relaunched the Coresight 100—our list of the 100 companies to watch in retail. We reshaped our research, tearing up schedules in response to the crisis, and published scores of fast-turnaround, forward-looking reports on the Covid-19 pandemic. We quickly switched our events program to the digital series of webinars. We continued to provide unrivaled coverage of major events in the retail calendar, such as Singles’ Day, and the holiday season. We launched our Coresight Connect digital program exclusively for clients, and we connected retailers and brands with our growing global Innovator database and Coresight Research mentors. In 2021, Coresight Research will launch new report series and provide even more regular sector coverage, reflecting the rapid pace of change in the retail sector against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, we are making major investments in our data offering and will roll out new data products in 2021. We will also offer enhanced research and data on store closures. Furthermore, we will be focusing our thematic coverage and analyst specialisms around hot topics in retail and technology, including:

• The renewal of our longstanding hourglass model of retail
• Consumers’ new ways of living and spending
• Consumers’ sustained enthusiasm for wellbeing and wellness
• The consumerization of health care
• The reshaping of the store and mall landscape
• Bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions, and SPACs in retail
• Next-gen commerce: digitally enhancing experiential retail
• Livestreaming in retail
• New models in retail, from DTC to subscriptions
• Strengthened cross-border momentum and the Chinese tourist
• New Retail
• Sustainability moving front and center
• Inclusivity, incorporating adaptive fashion
• Evolving shopper engagement, including through loyalty programs, gamification and personalization
• Payments: removing friction
• Evolving the last mile
• Sourcing in an uncertain world

Above all, we will aim to offer you a guide to the future of retail amid a still-uncertain context. We look forward to deepening our relationship with you in 2021. Thanks again for your continued readership and engagement, and Happy Holidays!