The Year of Grounded Innovation

Because everyone makes predictions, Velstar has set a theme to serve as a sign-post for the year. We bring you:

The Year of Grounded Innovation: A year of consolidation and mixing forward-thinking with practical, customerfocused solutions.

3. Sustainability and Ethics:

Incremental Progress for Lasting Impact

Practical steps toward sustainability: Focus on reducing waste and exploring local sourcing. Environmental concerns remain a consumer priority, but must be balanced with economic constraints.

Transparency and ethical practices: Certifications like BCorp can help brands communicate values effectively, appealing to those prioritising ethical conduct.

4. Competitive Differentiation: Staying True to Fundamentals

Back to basics:

Product-market fit remains essential. As economic uncertainty grows, retailers should reassess offerings, pricing, and audiences to ensure alignment with consumer needs.

Standing out in saturated markets: Smaller brands should focus on quality over price, leveraging their agility to create niche offerings that platforms like Amazon cannot.

Authenticity over tokenism: Embed authenticity into your brand rather than use it as a superficial marketing tactic. Building long-term loyalty requires commitment.

5. Globalisation and

Localisation:

Thinking Big, Acting Local

Efficient cross-border solutions: Platforms like Shopify simplify international sales, but still require cultural sensitivity and high-quality translation to resonate with local audiences.

Hyper-local Engagement: Building trust with local audiences requires direct engagement - through community events, partnerships, or localised content marketing strategies.

6.

Resilience and Adaptability: Preparing for the Next Crisis

Learning from COVID-19, and international logistics crises:

The pandemic and issues with the Panama and Suez canals showed supply chain disruptions are inevitable. Moving away from just-in-time inventory can mitigate future risks. Brands that source and manufacture locally will have a competitive edge.

Investing in people and processes: The resilience of a business depends on its workforce. Training and empowering employees ensures brands can navigate uncertainty with agility and expertise.

Succeeding in commerce in 2025

A theme of Grounded Innovation invites brands to embrace a balanced approach - driving innovation while remaining realistic about constraints. Focusing on consumer needs, operational efficiency, and incremental progress, can help navigate coming challenges and lay the groundwork for future success.