That horrible R-word

However, our constant wish was not just to have a wide range of cheap goods and services, but also high-quality products and that they should be available close to home. Retail investors who were aware of these needs responded by providing consumers with increasingly customised retail facilities. But that was then, and – as we all now know – everything eventually changed (and then changed again, and a couple of times after that).

In the wake of the pandemic, e-commerce, aided by the latest tech, shot up from being a niche market to one of huge proportions – and for a time it looked like it could even supplant traditional retail. Then came the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, due to which construction costs have soared to levels higher than anyone could possibly have been prepared for, while there have also been shortages of building materials. And now, as the prospect of a recession looms over us, the question that needs to be asked is: what does the future have in store for the retail sector? In this supplement we will try to answer precisely that question – with a little help from our invited experts.