Amazon House in A Box and 3D-Printed Fashion: Key Insights from Retail-Tech Events at Milan Design Week 2019

Executive Summary

The Coresight Research team attended Milan Design Week during the weekend of April 12–14, 2019. In this report, we feature key insights from our visits to retail-tech-related events organized around the city.

• Amazon “House in a Box” displayed the company’s smart-home devices and the latest innovations from its home and furniture shopping portal, such as an augmented reality (AR) function.
• Google showcased wearable technology developed in collaboration Johns Hopkins University to measure the physical and physiological responses of wearers to the lights, smell, sounds and visual aesthetics in its exhibition space.
• Ikea introduced its new Symfonisk table lamp and bookshelf speakers, developed in collaboration with smart-speaker brand Sonos.
• We spoke to fashion designer Ganit Goldstein, who collaborates with Israeli tech company Stratasys to produce 3D-printed fashion and accessories. Goldstein envisions a not-so-distant future in which fashion items will be completely customized through the use of body scanners and 3D printers.