Retail is transforming - not least with increased digitalisation - and it has been tough for many Swedish companies in the retail sector. This autumn, the Future Retail Lab pilot project was launched in Umeå. Now, they are launching a collaboration with the Swedish Commerce Federation to develop and expand the project nationally: the Future Retail Lab by Sweden. The collaboration is a powerful effort to develop the future of retail and strengthen new entrepreneurs who challenge traditional business models and habits.

The Future Retail Lab consists of two parts - Get Ready and Accelerate, a national meeting place with workshops and accelerator programmes respectively.

- Consumer needs and behaviour are changing and this requires the industry to think differently. It takes courage and strength to break the old patterns. Those who apply to our accelerator need to be able to think big, be prepared to test and develop ideas and new business models," says Marlene Johansson.

The initiative spans three years and is financed by the Swedish Retail Federation Foundation with the hope that more stakeholders will gradually be linked to the project through the participation of the Swedish Retail Federation.

- The rapid development of e-commerce is a challenge; in a relatively short time a new competitive landscape has emerged. Our view is that many of the smaller retailers need to challenge their traditional business model. That is why the Confederation of Swedish Retailers has decided to enter into cooperation with eXpression and give retail entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their business concepts and expand their market areas beyond their local store locations," says Hans Löwlund, Chairman of the Swedish Retailers' Association Foundation.

In cooperation with the Umeå School of Economics, research will also be conducted in this area. The research will help to identify and develop new business models, explore the importance of digital interaction and provide knowledge about consumer insights.

- Digital developments provide new opportunities for customers and organisations to interact. Online and offline are merging. What constitutes a customer experience or customer value has changed, and the industry needs to rethink how it responds to this," says Elin Nilsson, researcher at Umeå University.

- In the spring we will visit selected locations with Get Ready. The aim is to create an environment where businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers and students can come together and exchange ideas and experiences," says Marlene Johansson and continues:

- To take the initiative to the country, we will also need to strengthen the team further with a project manager and business developer.

The initiator is eXpression Umeå, a business incubator for entrepreneurs in the cultural, artistic and creative industries, in collaboration with the Umeå School of Business and Economics and the Swedish Retailers' Association. Future Retail Lab by Sweden is a national initiative where Umeå will be used as a test bed where new business models and concepts will be tested and developed. The accelerator programme will then be rolled out nationally.

More information about the initiative will be published on www.expressionumea.se shortly.