Top Retail Trends in 2022

The retail industry is rethinking the shopping experience in 2022, redefining not only how we shop and sell, but the incredible advantages independent retailers have right now. The cutting-edge retail trends below are guiding each step of the way.

The boutique on your town’s main drag, the shoppable post that appears in your Instagram feed, and the marketing email sending you to an online store may all come from the same retailer. And that retailer may be fundamentally different than they were last year.

To help retailers identify and lean into those strengths and strategies, Square teamed up with Wakefield Research and surveyed 1,000 consumers and 500 retail owners and managers about the retail industry trends that capture where they’re headed in 2022. What we found was eye-opening — the who, what, where, and why behind our shopping experience is going through a metamorphosis. There is an opportunity for retailers to make a name for themselves and beat out competitors through omnichannel technology and automated tools.

We analyzed the survey results, insights from the Square retail team, and interviews with creative store owners leading the charge to identify the top retail trends for businesses to explore this year. All data cited below comes from the survey results. For a more in-depth look at these 2022 retail industry trends, download the full Future of Retail report.

The 8 biggest trends for the retail industry

Selling online is non-negotiable
Omnichannel tools are creating more meaningful shopping experiences
Automated technology is helping retailers manage the labor shortage
Same-day delivery is giving retailers a clear advantage
Social commerce is one of the biggest digital trends in the retail industry
Interactive retail experiences are bridging the gap between the online and offline parts of a store
The borders between retail and other industries continue to blur
Community investments from retailers may be here to stay