Working out which characteristics and approaches are likely to create winning formats is a challenge for retailers of all types as they seek the holy grail – the model that caters best for consumers as expectations and shopping habits change.

A study conducted by Retail Week’s sister business Edge by Ascential, Store of the future 2.0,  has identified four key areas of focus that can make a difference – an experiential slant, a frictionless customer journey, curation and a social element.

Edge by Ascential’s Ioli Macridi,  who led the research, says the four core categorisations were chosen based on analysis of the issues shoppers care about when visiting a store and the main reasons they would choose a particular shop.

French giant Carrefour came out top after innovating in all four areas.