With consumers increasingly interested in brand personalization, engaging them directly in the development process creates loyalty and engagement. Target's Studio Connect app connects with an exclusive group of engaged customers to consult with them on upcoming designs.

Australians continue to face long wait times when they order from abroad, contrasting the immediacy that services like Amazon have conditioned shoppers to expect. By enlisting ordinary citizens to deliver packages as they go about their day, Passel hopes to help ease the pain points of e-commerce.

Australian shoppers would like retail shopping experiences to be more personalised but think that retailers’ use of tech is falling short of achieving this. They do not believe that more AI or VR would have much of a positive impact, instead preferring a more visible and streamlined space to shop in.

The internet has been the great emancipator of consumers. They’ve gained the ability to talk directly to the companies serving them, but these days they're routinely pestered for feedback after every brand interaction. Could the unleashed ‘feedback frenzy’ actually be devaluing customer opinion?