405. The cultural forces shaping tomorrow’s consumer
From Retail Gets Real by National Retail Federation
February 10, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 405
About this episode
Cassandra Napoli discusses the cultural and technological changes shaping the future of consumer behavior and retail strategies.
Cassandra Napoli, head of marketing, events and culture forecasting at WGSN, returns to Retail Gets Real to explore what is changing in culture, technology and consumer behavior. Recorded live from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York City, she discusses the evolving nature of human connection and what retailers can do to future-proof their businesses in a world shaped by uncertainty, fragmented identities and competing demands for attention. (00:00:00) When disruption reshapes the future overnight (00:04:25) How uncertainty is shaping the next consumer generation (00:07:35) Loneliness, community and the return of shared experiences (00:12:07) Why niche communities and creators are redefining influence (00:16:29) Where AI helps and where it hurts the retail experience (00:18:41) Why the next big disruption is going offline (00:23:49) How culture, entertainment and moments are driving what’s next (00:29:03) Rapid fire insights on media, habits and attention The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. Resources: • Become an NRF member and join the…
People in this episode
Host: National Retail Federation
Guest: Cassandra Napoli
Topics covered
- consumer behavior
- cultural forces
- technology impact
- human connection
- retail strategies
- community influence
Keywords
- consumer generation
- loneliness
- community
- AI in retail
- niche communities
- shared experiences
- disruption
- attention demands
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: WGSN
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