For the first time ever, CES held a High-Tech Retailing Summit. The summit and overall show (which had a "smart" something for everything), reinforced the demand for experience and instant access. Consumers want everything at their "fingertips" and to experience it right then and there. Traditional retailers are moving towards "slimmed down," non-traditional formats - experiential, smaller, personal formats such as showrooms & exhibits - as large department stores and the like don't meet this new reality of "less is more." Retail shops are also getting "smarter" and integrating different levels of interactive, smart tech in-store, from digitization and automation to AR and VR, connecting to "everything" else not physically in-store - limitless product variations, personalizations, etc. JGA's Creative Director Miho Koshido-Downey and Marketing Manager Tara Liong share exclusive insights from CES 2018.

"Super Bowl fans got a super-size, interactive experience with a big, bold JGA retail design project for client Sleep Number." The popup, a giant, 12-ft-tall football helmet+interactive 360 smart bed experience, was part of the 10-day Super Bowl Live festival in downtown Minneapolis. Needless to say, it got quite the attention, including even country singer Brad Paisley checking it out.

- JGA -designed Testa Barra Kitchen & Cocktails delights diners - Traub releases 2018 report identifying brands defining new era of retail - Sandals Resorts debuts new retail brand by JGA

The store of the future is here. Brands around the world are investing millions of dollars in rebuilding entire retail platforms, reconsidering the role physical store plays in the wider customer journey. This raises the question, though, what will the role of shops be in the future?

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