The future of Everyday Retail.
Convergence is the story.
Technology, consumer behavior, new models, and sustainability are reshaping the daily commerce that touches every household.
The convergence thesis
The future of Everyday Retail is being driven by a convergence of technology, consumer behavior, new models, and sustainability. Each of those forces alone has reshaped pockets of the industry. The combination is reshaping the whole stack.
We invest in the technology and infrastructure that move Everyday Retail forward — point-of-sale, ad-tech, supply-chain visibility, frontline coordination, decision-intelligence — not the consumer brands and products that ride on top. The companies that win this layer set the operating economics for everyone else.
We back founders building durable infrastructure, with patient capital, deep operator relationships, and a network of retail and consumer industry leaders that compounds over time.
Our directional vision.
- Overview
Where shoppers and retail are heading
Consumer 2050 is our directional view of where shoppers and retail are heading: what customers will expect, how goods will move, what a store costs to run, how people pay, and how much of the work AI takes on. Each conviction names a shift already under way that we test against today's evidence.
It tells us what to look for in each of our six investment areas. When we meet a company, we ask two questions: does this move a retailer toward that future, and can a retailer start with it in a few stores and grow it across the business?
Consumer 2050 rests on five convictions. Each one describes a shift already visible in stores today, and together they tell us where retail technology matters most.
- 01
Shoppers are splitting into many markets
The households a store serves are getting older and more diverse, and each generation brings its own idea of value. An assortment tuned to an average household fits fewer shoppers each year. Retailers already run more formats and pack sizes on top of the same supply chain, and the ones that do it well win the segments others miss.
What we look for- Assortment and pricing tools that plan store by store
- Customer data platforms that show who actually shops each location
- Planning software that lets one supply chain serve many formats
- 02
AI and sensors run more of the store
Cameras and shelf sensors now see what sits on the shelf and when stock runs low. Checkout, replenishment and personalized offers are merging into one loop that runs in the background of the trip. Payment becomes part of that loop, often with no visible step at all.
What we look for- Computer vision for shelves, checkout and loss prevention
- AI forecasting whose recommendations planners review and approve
- Payment and identity tools that take steps out of checkout
- 03
Proof of origin becomes part of the product
Shoppers and regulators increasingly ask where a product came from and how it was made. Regulatory timelines shift, but the direction holds: retailers need product data that travels with the item from source to shelf. Traceability that once backed a marketing claim now serves sourcing and waste reduction.
What we look for- Product-data platforms that follow an item from supplier to shelf
- Waste-reduction tools for fresh food and surplus
- Returns and reuse logistics
- 04
Store and screen become one surface
Shoppers move between app, store and doorstep inside a single purchase, and expect the same price and stock everywhere. The store doubles as a fulfillment point. How fast and how cheaply an order reaches the shopper decides who keeps the customer.
What we look for- Unified commerce platforms with real-time inventory across channels
- Store-based fulfillment, pickup and last-mile delivery
- Tools that make a return as easy as the purchase
- 05
Volatility is the operating condition
Tariffs, weather and swings in demand reach the shelf faster and more often. Retailers now plan for disruption as a standing condition. The retailers that can re-source and re-price within days turn that speed into margin.
What we look for- Supply-chain visibility and multi-origin sourcing tools
- Scenario-planning tools that respond to cost shocks
- Freight, customs and trade-compliance software
Where we invest
Six pillars of the Everyday Retail stack. Each pillar names a layer of infrastructure that touches the rest. We look for founders building durable platforms within and across these layers.
Explore the six pillars