Dear [First Name],

With three decades of deep-rooted experience in the retail industry and five years dedicated to professional futures studies, our guest writer, Peter Thommen, brings a unique perspective to the intersection of commerce and foresight. He applies the rigor of Strategic Foresight to identify the real forces shaping our global markets.

In this insightful piece, he moves beyond the noise of the hype cycle to examine the "Uncertainties" that will define 2026. From geopolitical shifts and the true trajectory of AI to the integrity of our information landscape. Peter explores how retail leaders can turn volatility into a competitive advantage. Rather than waiting for the future to happen, he invites you to use these uncertainties as a framework for building a more resilient, profitable strategy.

Between Certainty and Chaos: Three Uncertainties Shaping Retail in 2026

I have no doubt: Retail is the most fascinating industry that is. After 30 years in retail and five years working professionally with the future, I feel this more strongly than ever. Retail has it all: traditional brick-and-mortar, technology adoption at the edge of innovation, emotions, branding and communication and shopping centres are the pinnacle of retail combining B2B with B2C and asset management. There is not business like Retail business.

At the beginning of a new year, it makes sense to open the fan and look ahead. Not to predict, but to understand what may influence the industry in the years to come, starting with 2026. 
READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

3 Key Takeaways To Hold Onto
  1. Donald Trump – prosperity and peace or chaos?
    Will he manage to bring peace and economic growth, or will he dismantle Western democracies into what new geopolitical order?    
  2. AI – will the hype continue or will a deployment-gap emerge and a bubble burst?
    Will AI live up to expectations, or will we see a significant correction like the dot-com-collapse in 2000-2002? And AI get a “normal” development as the internet did?
  3. Media and Information - can we still tell truth from fiction?
    AI tools do not check facts. How will leaders distinguish truth from fake?  And what will trustworthy leadership look like when the truth itself is under pressure?

Kind Regards,

Boštjan Belčič

Marketing

Ljubljana I Slovenija I EU

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