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Westfield has unveiled a vision for the shopping centre of the future, with a series of images giving shoppers an idea of what they can look forward to in 2028.
Westfield’s Destination 2028 concept has been created based on insights from a panel of experts including a futurologist, fashion technology innovator, retail specialist and experimental physiologists.
Westfield described the shopping centre of 2028 "as a hyper-connected micro-city, driven by social interaction and creating its own community". It said new technologies will be fused with back-to-basics including gardens and "classroom retail", where people watch and learn from their favourite retailers.
Here is what it will look like.
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Greenery will be prevelant inside and outside of malls. Allotments and farms will give visitors the chance to pick their own produce for their meal, while a network of waterways will offer not only an alternative route around the centre but access to watersports — an example of a vast programme of recreational activities available for visitors. Delivery drones will buzz overhead.
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As part of the intense focus on experience, stores will also become a showcase for classroom retail, with the makers and process behind any product taking centre stage, such as craftspeople creating a masterpiece in front of a watching crowd. Reading rooms will give shoppers access to every book ever written.
On the technology side, eye scanners will bring up information on entry about a visitor’s previous purchases and recommend personalised fast-lanes around the centre.
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With leisure and entertainment becoming ever more important in attracting the next generation of visitors, stage areas will host a series of showpiece interactive activities and events.
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Food halls are already becoming de rigeur in shopping malls alongside multiple restaurants and bars.
Further innovation on the tech side will include smart loos that can detect hydration levels and nutritional needs, alerting visitors to top-up their vitamin C or rehydrate.
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Westfield said its Destination 2028 concept also reflects the rise of the sharing economy, with rental-retail expected to become the norm for post-millennials who will be able to rent everything from clothes to exercise gear. More pop-up, temporary retail and coworking spaces will also emerge, according to the panel of experts.
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