On this episode of MarketScale's Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez dove into what the move into a post-pandemic summer could mean for retailers in the United States and beyond.

"Well, we are officially in June, and we are getting close to the official start of summer. Stores are opening. People are coming out. Mask mandates are evolving, and we're seeing continued evidence that consumers had pent-up demand. They are ready to spend.

Now, it's really about leaning into the right experiences when it comes to retail. What are consumers going to prioritize? Are they going to continue their omnichannel behaviors, expecting flexible fulfillment, and expecting these seamless and streamlined transactions, whether they're shopping online or offline?

"Now, it's really about leaning into the right experiences when it comes to retail. What are consumers going to prioritize?" - Melissa Gonzalez

We're also seeing them come out and invest in categories that really were avoided during work from home, such as apparel, shoes and footwear. So, it's great to see that evolution, but it's going to be interesting to see how this all evolves, especially as we start to see concepts open up, vacations start to pick up, a rise in travel as a whole, and entertainment really start to get prioritized again when it comes to spend.

So, join us in future episodes as we continue to explore and investigate the evolving trends of consumers, the interaction they're going to have with retail technology and your in-store environments, and how you can continue to edit and elevate those experiences to really meet your customers where they expect to be met."