FuturistU > Business > New Business Models > Module 2 / 4

New Business Models and Many-to-Many

Instructor: Mary Van Puymbroeck
Future of Business
Download the Future of Business Trend Report
Shifting priorities have made consumers increasingly willing to sacrifice ownership for community and convenience by way of the peer-to-peer economy. With fast fashion on the out and online thrifting on the rise, what is driving this change from the perspective of the consumer? This module explores the concept of access as the new ownership through the lens of our Megatrend Many-to-Many.

Big-brand skepticism caused a rise in P2P so that we're not buying from corporations anymore -- we are buying from actual people. Today, it’s all about the glamorization of small businesses. How can your organization lean into and leverage these shifting preferences?
Related Trend Report: Future of Business
Workshop Questions:
1. What resources could your organization share with other businesses today?
2. What would your brand need to do to focus more on access than ownership?
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Featured Insights

Fancy Food Hall
Chef-driven food halls signal a new form of fast-casual dining
Trend - The food hall concept is quickly adapting to contemporary times by appealing to the elevated consumer experience. This is done through the introduction of high-end interior design and chef-curated meal offerings.
Workshop Question - Where within the food hall business model could your company find inspiration?
3.7
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Megatrends
Revamped Consignment
The concept of second-hand designer shops is reinvented for modern consumers
Implications - Considering the Millennial's propensity for eco-consciousness and luxury goods, consignment shopping is a natural fit for their interests. As a result, this style of retail is being revisited and revamped. From digital drop-off consignment to designer-controlled consignment, tweaks to this space show an evolution that takes the Millennial appeal even further.
Workshop Question - What is one movement within your industry that you could own, and how?
4.6
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Megatrends

Insights by Trend Hunter AI

Flagship Theatrics
Stores become destinations for interaction, leisure, and validation

Trend - Retailers are borrowing cues from hospitality, entertainment, and gallery-style merchandising to make large-format locations feel curated, interactive, and socially usable. Through this cross-industry inspiration, physical spaces are emerging as layered environments where shopping sits alongside lounging, sampling, or content creation.

Workshop Question - How could your brand use physical space to reduce uncertainty and build confidence before purchase?
8.3
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Megatrends
Edible Occasions
Brands make dining and desserts social hubs mixing fun, culture, and community

Trend - Brands are increasingly utilizing food pairings as a method of elevating an event, retail space, or other gathering. These brands are not simply offering food as a means of getting people in the door, but are using specific food pairings to tell a story, connect with customers and attendees, and create cultural moments through the combination of branding and taste-based interests.

Workshop Question - How could your brand turn a product or service into a gathering people would attend for the experience alone?
6.3
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Megatrends
Participatory Retail
Stores are becoming hands-on learning environments for shoppers

Trend - The brick-and-mortar retail environment is being redesigned around hands-on participation add-ons rather than solely display-led browsing. Stores are organizing workshops, DIY stations, community events, and other types of activations that align with their branding, industry, and product offerings. This shift gives shoppers a reason to physically show up in stores, beyond their need for a purchase.

Workshop Question - How could your brand turn product discovery into a guided activity that helps customers learn, test, or create something for themselves?
7.2
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Megatrends
Conscious Continuity
Fashion retail is shifting toward traceable and circular ownership
Trend - Fashion and textile brands are merging product traceability with circular retail models—allowing consumers to track sourcing, materials, or ownership histories while participating in conscious ecosystems; systems in which extend product lifecycles to reduce textile waste and overproduction.
Workshop Question - How could your brand create more sustainable experiences that encourage longer product lifecycles and deeper consumer trust?
5.9
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Megatrends
Retail Moodboard
New apps let users create fashion moodboards, share looks, and shop together
Trend - New retail apps combine moodboard creation with social feeds, shared collections, shoppable tags and streamlined checkout so users discover styles, collaborate on looks, and buy directly from boards. These apps provide tailored recommendations based on each user's preferences.
Workshop Question - How can we incorporate collaborative, visual discovery elements to enhance user engagement and streamline the purchasing process?
7.9
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Megatrends
Restaurant Retail
Dining establishments extend brand loyalty through consumer packaged goods
Trend - Restaurant brands are increasingly launching consumer packaged goods to capture revenue beyond their physical locations. From Momofuku's bestselling chili crunch at Whole Foods to Chick-fil-A's signature sauces in grocery aisles, dining establishments are translating their most popular menu items into retail products.
Workshop Question - How could your brand create products that extend customer relationships beyond traditional touchpoints?
4.6
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Megatrends
Employee-Free Retailer
Brick and mortar stores are turning to AI to mitigate labor costs
Trend - Retailers and grocers are testing fully automated locations to lower costs. By saving on the many complications associated with labor, these retailers are able to offer reduced prices for the benefit of the consumer. These often begin as solo test locations before expanding based on demand.
Workshop Question - How could your brand alter its operations to reduce costs of its products or services for consumers?
6
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Culinary Connection
Cookbook stores increasingly operate as community hubs for food enthusiasts
Trend - Cookbook stores now operate as community-centric “third spaces” to help consumers bond over the culinary arts through events like cooking classes and book signings. This speaks to a deepening interest in food as more than sustenance; it is now a means of social engagement and personal expression.
Workshop Question - How can your brand inspire collaboration in unexpected or unconventional spaces?
4
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Fashion Cafe
Luxury fashion labels are opening in-store cafes to foster in-person connection
Trend - Luxury fashion labels across Europe and Asia are opening dedicated restaurants and cafes. These are designed to transform the boutiques from simple shopping ventures, to full-blown experiences. The experiential retail helps build consumer connections to one another and the brand.
Workshop Question - How can your brand integrate unique experiential elements to foster deeper connections with consumers?
5.2
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