Retail Insights
Stay updated on retail’s latest news, insights & trends with a focus on disruptive innovation. Powered by RLC Global Forum’s powerful, global community.
Luggage has emerged as one of the clearest commercial indicators of the experience economy; the broad shift in consumer spending toward travel and lived experiences. As international tourism hit a new post-pandemic record of 1.52bn arrivals in 2025, the global luggage market has grown in step, projected to reach $61.5bn by 2030. Here’s why.
The mall-as-landlord model is obsolete. Three integration models are replacing it — and the operators building them are redefining luxury retail and the luxury destination for the next generation.
The NextGen Retail Challenge, led by RLC Global Forum, concluded with a final showcase, marking the culmination of Saudi Arabia’s first industry-led initiative dedicated to retail talent development. Uniting academia and industry, the program transformed innovative ideas into market-ready solutions.
A defining evening in Riyadh as RLC Global Forum recognized the leaders who have shaped the global retail and consumer landscape.
International fashion retailer Primark is accelerating its expansion in the Middle East with Alshaya Group, confirming five new stores set to open across the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar in 2026.
From AI-powered merchandising to retail real estate reinvention, the 2026 RLC Global Forum in Riyadh brought global leaders together to shape the future of retail in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
At the 2026 RLC Global Forum in Riyadh, His Excellency Ammar Nagadi, Vice Minister of Economy and Planning, delivered the opening keynote, framing the Forum’s strategic focus, as global and regional leaders convened at a defining moment for the sector.
Ulta Beauty is officially entering the UAE market with the launch of its first store at Mall of the Emirates, marking a major step in its expansion in the Middle East, through its partnership with Alshaya Group.
A new collaboration between the Fashion Commission and RLC Global Forum reinforces Riyadh’s role as a platform for high-level dialogue across fashion, investment, policy, and long-term economic development.
As Makkah’s retail landscape evolves under Vision 2030, Al Huda Park, developed by Hamat, offers a clear example of how destination retail is being reimagined to serve residents, visitors, and long-term urban growth.
The NextGen Retail Challenge is empowering Saudi Arabia’s next-generation retail economy through innovation, talent development, and national collaboration.
Inaugurated under the patronage of the Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region and graced by the Governor of Jeddah, Souq7 has opened its doors as Saudi Arabia’s largest open-air retail and tourism destination.
How is global holiday shopping shaping up this year? A look at Hong Kong, Germany, and the UK reveals sharply different consumer moods and spending patterns.
Westfield Dammam, the first Cenomi Centers asset to carry the Westfield brand, marks a major milestone for Saudi Arabia’s retail landscape. Formerly Nakheel Dammam Mall, the center strengthens Cenomi’s partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and introduces an enhanced customer experience with new retail, F&B, and entertainment options.
The certainties that once underpinned global retail are eroding. In their place stands a polycrisis economy, where geopolitics and consumer anxiety set the tempo for global commerce, forcing retailers to rethink how they plan, price, source, and compete.