Page 20 - Retail World March 2021

INDUSTRY INSIGHT While the promise of future urban design seems exciting (autonomous fleets, flying cars maybe?) the greatest area of concern for our future hyper-connected world will be privacy, both online and offline. Can brands and consumers ultimately work together to monetise and benefit from sharing people’s data? The years ahead will still be characterised by many uncertainties, but what Mintel is certain of is that consumers will continue to adapt as they face new circumstances, so it will be those brands that keep up to date with these emerging and evolving consumer trends, and innovate in tandem with those changes, that will stay relevant and thrive long after the pandemic is over. About Melanie Nambiar Based in Kuala Lumpur, Melanie is a Trends Analyst covering the South-East Asian region. She is a sociology graduate, and having worked in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Brunei, she is passionate about culture and human behaviour across different societies. Through her work at Mintel, she investigates how intriguing innovations and thought-provoking regulations impact consumer behaviour in the region and vice versa. About Mintel Mintel is the expert in what consumers want and why. As the world’s leading market intelligence agency, our analysis of consumers, markets, product innovation and competitive landscapes provides a unique perspective on global and local economies. Since 1972, our predictive analytics and expert recommendations have enabled our clients to make better business decisions faster. Our purpose is to help businesses and people grow. To find out how we do that, visit mintel.com. FROM PAGE 17 brands have the opportunity to lead and create inclusive tech-based solutions to gain increased consumer adoption and favour. People are also still finding it difficult to actualise the separation of home and work life, so in 2021, pre-emptive solutions that use (or don’t use) technology to promote mental wellbeing will be welcome. In the coming years, technology will become more ingrained in our daily lives, and consumers will become more anxious about their competition with technology. As technology takes over more roles in the future, businesses will have to make a conscious choice between balancing the promise of technology and prioritising the unique things that only human interactions can deliver. 18 RETAIL WORLD MAR, 2021