2022 Predictions

Retail’s Greatest Minds Predict!!

Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

With much effort (no lie), the fab Wayfind team has scoured the globe and asked some of the best financial and retail minds we know to give us a sec on 2022. This is one of our favorite things to do, even though it can take months to get a hold of these geniuses… but voila! Here they are, so, enjoy!

(ps: The names have been altered to nick names so as to protect their identity from those ever-cancelling social rascals – also, to let them feel more comfy about their secrets, we inserted clues so you can guess their identity and bomb their Insta accts anyway.)

JOZ (you know, the shark)

• Competition for talent will continue to be strong
• The groundhog will see his shadow

Jimbo (high roller)

• Continued worker shortage ignites stagflation
• Germany wins the world cup
• Jeff Bezos personally invites me on a Blue Origin space flight

Dimples (movie star)

• Hiring will continue to be challenging
• Inflation will continue to climb
• Shipping/logistical issues will slowly begin to improve by mid-year

Hodgy (think: cheesesteak)

• Continued inflation could cause downturn in retail hard goods
• Fast fashion (as bad as it is) will compound further pressure on High St. brands (ie: Macy’s)
• Sustainability / regeneration etc. will continue to be a focus for the big boys (even if it’s just PR) but could & should lead to a period of existing facility overhauls & new build

Stan-o-matic (half machine, half human)

• Retailers, employer clinics, and new primary care “chains” begin an expansion to reinvent primary care and take share from traditional practices
• Consumer pent up needs for healthcare overwhelm the system, leading to further frustration with wait times and delays

JoJo (like the hyper smart monkey)

• Retail will undergo a revolution and finally right-size stores based on the consumers who shop each market

The Great Wazoo (le brain)

• Everything’s meta: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/02/nike-is-quietly-preparing-for-the-metaverse-.html
• Bitcoin becomes legit: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/10/21/walmart-has-quietly-begun-hosting-bitcoin-atms/

Shlager (El Jeffe)

• Supply Chain
  • Critical component availability will be more acute than it is now
  • Increased financial incentive to build domestic manufacturing capacity
  • Lag in deployment of domestic production exacerbates supply chain issues
• Employment
  • Pressure increases on the employer to find qualified employees to fulfill demands
  • Automation grows to offset the employment shortages
  • Collective bargaining leverage increases
• Economy
  • Inflationary pressures will continue to grow based on all the above.
• Digital
  • Metaverse economy is unstoppable. Huge opportunity with significant societal overhead
  • US banking system adopts/regulates bitcoin
• Office/workplace
  • Hybrid is it, end of conversation
  • Massive real estate reset in this property type accelerates
• Socioeconomic
  • Continued gutting out of the middle in everything

Gumby (not Pokey)

• WFH, Covid, and tech dominance will continue, just to a lesser degree
• Retail sales, especially at physical (stores) will level off, exacerbating the demise of the weak and the power of the mighty
• used / re-sale / vintage / rental will become a major initiative for retailers
• the great “crypto-currency is real!” explosion and gold rush
• restaurants will be back with a vengeance
• Americans finally catch up on livestreaming retail

Heinzy (spicy tomato)

• USA will excel in the Winter Olympics, but come in second in the medal count behind China
• Unemployment will continue to drop, as individuals realize they must go back to work (because they are broke)
• Shortages in the supply chain will begin to ease
• Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl
• People will stop talking about COVID every day, and resume their normal lives
• Stock market will set new record highs

Sunny (glass half full)

• Going into 2022, we continue to see a bullish trend on business which will encourage robust investment on growth and development
• Disruptions impacting the short-term business needs are being planned/ accounted for and we see client’s preparing for an early start to their development cycle
• Our clients have spent time introspecting, challenged traditional store development norms, and are ready to engage our end-to-end service offerings which will help innovate and manage scale
• We are excited to partner with our clients to solve their business needs and make a difference

Bates (motel)

• Electric Cars – These are picking up a lot steam… If Tesla and Rivian can keep production up, I think we see an additional double digit approval in ’22 of people that would switch from petro to electric
• Vacations – I think people are going work really hard to get away from home this spring and summer with confidence around safety up, and still having expendable income
• Resignations – This will continue through Q1 as pent up professional anxiety will drive the workforce to explore what a new job holds for them, and if it increases their workday satisfaction and contributes to their future career goals

Bert (bespoke country bumpkin)

• With nearly two years of pandemic behind us, and the embracing of a mixed WFH / hybrid work environment, we have adapted to more embedded agility within our business. In 2022, WD will continue rely on a more Agile approach to how we lead, manage, and execute – challenging traditional work hierarchy paradigms by providing a much higher level of trust, responsibility, and accountability to our associates
• Syracuse University basketball – aka Team Boeheim(s), led by brothers Buddy and Jimmy, will set a new on-campus attendance record in close win against Duke in the Carrier Dome!