Retail as Unusual: Retailing in a time of extreme uncertainty

Things are far from usual in the world right now. We have suffered two years of restrictions, closures, and shortages because of a global health crisis. A war in Europe has caused supply chain disruptions and energy price shocks. The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has hindered cross-border movement of capital (both human and physical) in Europe. And we are witnessing an increased frequency of climate-related catastrophes.

This macro-environmental turbulence has been described as a perfect storm or a herd of black swans. Many are wondering when we will return to business as usual. Some argue that business as usual no longer exists and the macro-environmental turbulence described above (as well as many others not detailed) mean that retailers will need to consider how to operate in a world where “business as unusual” is the new normal.

In this report, the authors of each chapter analyse the future of retail from a “business as unusual” perspective. The most relevant and disruptive macro-environmental challenges and a variety of tools is used to make predictions about the consequences for retail organisations in the near future. The retail branches analysed range from grocery to gas stations. Each analysis has relevant suggestions for how retail organisations can deal with a specific macro-environmental challenge.