Why has it become vital for fashion labels to embrace diversity? What do people expect of supermarkets when it comes to packaging? How can brands build a sense of loyalty among fickle and demanding customers? And why is the delivery step so important to joyful retail journeys?

The department store brand has introduced 140 personal shoppers to its stores. At its newest branch in west London’s Westfield shopping mall, six personal shoppers now account for 20% of the store’s womenswear sales, proving the human touch can help encourage a languishing retail sector in the UK.

With their offer of designer brands at better-than-high-street prices, outlet shopping centres remain popular with bargain-hunters despite the rise of e-commerce. But are they for everyone? Canvas8 spoke to 20 Britons to understand why they choose to visit (or avoid) these retail destinations.

Standard Cognition’s ‘Standard Market’ is a grocery chain that replaces human shop clerks with cameras powered by AI. The store enlists tech to cut running costs and create a seamless (and nearly staffless) shopping experience, while maintaining a sense of human familiarity.