Amazon Plans Walmart-Sized Stores, Malls May Be Staging a Comeback and Southeast Asian Scams Surge

The following stories are from VMSD, INVISION’s sister publication for retail store design and visual merchandising professionals. Visit VMSD.com or subscribe here.

NRF’s 10 Trends and Predictions for 2026

The National Retail Federation released its annual outlook combining five major trends with five predictions for the year ahead. Key trends: AI’s impact will snowball, Walmart continues steamrolling competitors, malls are experiencing a renaissance, GLP-1 obesity drugs are reshaping apparel and wellness retail, and Gen Z/Gen Alpha are now retail’s most “transformative generations”, whatever that means. Predictions include TikTok losing ground to Meta Reels and YouTube Shorts, AI moving from hype to essential tool, ChatGPT rebalancing both sides of retail, marketing analytics becoming the CMO success marker, and continued CEO churn across the industry. Read trends. /// Read predictions.

Amazon Plans Walmart-Sized Retail Format

Amazon plans its first Walmart-sized store in Orland Park, IL — a 225,000-square-foot prototype offering groceries and general merchandise. That’s bigger than Walmart’s average supercenter (179,000 square feet). An Amazon spokesperson called it “a new concept that we think customers will be excited about.” Site plans were approved by Orland Park’s Planning Commission and await final village board approval. So the company that killed physical retail is now … becoming physical retail. Read more.

Cyber Threats Evolve Faster Than Retailers Can Adapt

F-Secure identifies five emerging threats for 2026: Southeast Asian scam centers becoming a major battleground (stealing $10 billion annually from Americans), agentic AI creating new vulnerabilities as software acts independently, AI shopping assistants becoming scam targets, synthetic identity fraud reaching industrial scale, and digital service providers facing a “moment of truth” worth billions. The common thread: criminals now exploit infrastructure and automation at industrial levels, operating faster than human intervention allows. Which is a fancy way of saying the bad guys have robots now and we’re all just standing here like “huh, that’s probably fine.” Read more.

Craft Brewers Pivot as Closings Outpace Openings

The craft beer industry saw 434 brewery closings versus 268 openings in 2025 — a 4.4% decline. Tripping Animals Brewery in Miami is countering the trend by expanding into grocery chains (Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s), launching low-cal options, building an in-house lab for R&D into wellness beverages, and elevating taproom experiences with off-site catering, art galleries, comedy nights and cocktail programs. “Our goal is to be more than a brewery — we’re becoming a creative beverage company,” says COO Juan Manuel Torres. Turns out when your original business model stops working, the solution is to do … literally everything else. Read more.

Takeaways for Eyecare Professionals

Here are a few actionable takeaways for independent optical retailers and eyecare practices from this week’s headlines:

• Even Amazon’s betting on brick-and-mortar. If the king of online is building 225,000-square-foot stores, physical retail clearly still matters. Keep investing in your in-store experience — layout, lighting, and personal service are your edge.
• Malls may be back. Foot traffic is returning. If there’s an underused retail corridor or medical plaza near you, it might be the perfect time to expand or test a satellite boutique before rents climb again.
• Scammers have gone high-tech. AI-driven fraud is rising fast. Secure your online booking, payment, and eyewear e-commerce systems, and remind staff to verify everything — especially new patient inquiries or refunds.
• Think beyond exams and eyewear. Craft brewers are surviving by becoming destinations. What could your practice add — art, local collabs, education nights, or a small retail corner — that makes people want to linger and return?
• Keep adapting.The retailers thriving in 2026 are the ones willing to evolve. Whether that means embracing AI tools, experimenting with  ew formats, or leaning harder into your community story, stay nimble.