About
How we did this project
We wanted to understand the challenges and possible outcomes of the different signals, trends, megatrends on a concrete and researchable level. What will the next ten years look like, and what challenges might be ahead of us?
As a tech company that provides solutions for future worlds, we also wanted to understand the driving forces operating on the technology level and the relationship between the tech and the future customer.
In November 2020, we started crowdsourcing ideas on what retail might look like in 2030. Over four weeks, we engaged hundreds of experts in-house and collected signals from the countries we operate in. We used the hundred ideas generated as a prism through which to create a more comprehensive analysis of the world, so we could look at what the political, economic, societal, technical, legal and environmental drivers of change are. We identified approximately 23 trends for how the world and retail might change.
Based on the trends, we explored four alternative directions of what the future might look like. The building blocks for the four directions were co-created in a workshop with experts from Futurice, Aalto University School of Business, Kesko, Valio, Olvi and Berner. The material was discussed and developed further by Futurice and external experts. For example, we collaborated with Kaivo Partners on the domain of food. The Future table was formed in collaboration with 50 experts from collaborators and facilitated by Futurice.
Based on the future building blocks, the future table, our in-house design, tech and business experts co-wrote four different stories of futures to come. The future started to unfold in four characters, and four prototypes of the future were created around them. During summer 2021, we built this website. This is where you, our dear reader, come into the picture.
We hope you enjoy exploring the world of retail inside out – from societal phenomenons, such as the rise of single households and the power of Generation Z, to the recycling of products by brands and consumers. The next ten years will be a time of massive changes coming both within the industry and driven by external forces.
Remember that the future does not happen; we actively build it with our actions today.
Yours truly - Futurice team
Main collaborators
Aalto University School of Business
The Aalto University School of Business is Finland's leading business school and one of the top business schools in Europe. It was the first business school in the Nordic countries to receive the most important international quality accreditations of the field: AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. This makes it one of the best business schools in the world.
Berner
Berner is a Finnish family company established in 1883 with business units and subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway and the Baltics. Berner’s diverse product portfolio is managed through Consumer goods, Leisure goods, Berner Industries, Pro, Machines and Agriculturtrade business units. The main customers are the private sector, the public sector and consumers. Our production units are located in Heinävesi, Finland, where we manufacture products of e.g. XZ. LV, Herbina, Heti, Korrek and Lasol brands. Turnover of Berner Group amounted to meur 324.3 in 2020. We are committed to the constant development of our sustainability #protectingtomorrow.
Futurice
Futurice helps forward-thinking organisations develop resilience and take control of their futures by bringing together strategy, design, engineering and data. We help clients put data to work, rethink customer experiences, or design entirely new business models. We unleash a culture of innovation and create digital products and services that make companies and societies future capable. We work across industries – from mobility to energy, retail to finance, health and media to construction and much more. We collaborate closely with our clients – on-site and remotely. Our team comprises over 650 experts, and we have offices in Berlin, Helsinki, London, Munich, Stuttgart, Stockholm and Tampere.
Kesko
Kesko is a Finnish trading sector pioneer. They operate in the grocery trade, the building and technical trade and the car trade. Kesko’s divisions and chains act in close cooperation with retailer entrepreneurs and other partners.
Olvi
Olvi is a Finnish beverage company, which wants to offer beverage enjoyment for its consumers. Olvi has already produced beverages since 1878 in Iisalmi. Currently the company operates locally in Finland, Belarus and the Baltic states.
Valio
Valio, offering the taste of Nordic nature since 1905, is a brand leader in Finland and a major player in the international dairy ingredients market. Valio’s product development follows in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winner A. I. Virtanen, and the company holds over 300 patents in 50 countries.
