Niemann discusses a “narrative of care” during his presentation.

Day 2 of the TR Consumer Forum 2026 presented a session examining the influence of technology on the shifting pattern of human behaviour, with the scale and pace of change positioned as a core theme across the two-day event’s discussions.

In particular, travel retail consumer behaviour is evolving rapidly – especially among younger consumer profiles such as Gen Z – and the industry needs to keep pace.

Lennard Niemann, Managing Partner at Gharage Ventures, took on this key dynamic in his solo session, highlighting how purchasing decisions, most strongly among younger profiles, are increasingly driven by what he termed a “narrative of care”. These consumers are looking after themselves, the products and spaces they engage with, and the wider community. At the same time, they are becoming AI natives, expecting seamless, intuitive digital experiences wherever they shop.

At the heart of the shift faced by the travel retail industry, Neimann places a dual-pronged evolution: a fundamental change in consumer psychology (driven by Gen Z and Gen Alpha) and the rapid integration of agentic commerce. He then outlined how these forces are not just disrupting the status quo but demanding new strategies for survival and growth in the travel and trade sectors.

The challenge begins with understanding the new consumer. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are coming of age in an era defined by exceptional volatility, including climate crises, geopolitical instability, and financial uncertainty. This environment has created the “narrative of care”.  This, he said, is a consumer behaviour pattern that manifests in three distinct elements: care for self, care for products, and care for community.

Volatility and durability

This increasing volatility also drives a preference for durability, he said. Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward “stability items”. This includes products that promise longevity, such as Rimowa luggage or luxury goods that hold their value. Even in budget-conscious segments, he believes that the trend holds and consumers are seeking staples that look and feel long-lasting.

Finally, the desire for community has become a powerful driver of consumption. As the world feels more fragmented, especially for younger profiles, consumers are buying into brands that offer them a much-desired sense of belonging. Examples of this include the popularity of influencer-led labels and running clubs; these now grab the same brand loyalty as traditional fashion houses.

Looking at the implications for retailers, Niemann said that travel retail’s traditional reliance on established bestsellers becomes a questionable strategy: “If you don’t try, you will slowly see this consumer shift disrupting your business,” he warned. Retailers must pivot their assortments to align with these care-based values or risk facing irrelevance.

The influence of agentic commerce

Moving on to agentic commerce, Niemann believes that while consumer shifts dictate what is being bought, technology is radically redefining how it is bought. He thinks that we are currently witnessing the end of the “AI discovery phase”, where consumers use Large Language Models (LLMs) to research products. For him, the next frontier is “agentic commerce”—a shift where AI doesn’t just suggest a product but facilitates the transaction itself.

Gharage’s Niemann explains the venture capital path and the value of startups.

Niemann shared examples from the US (where these trends are most advanced), where retailers like Walmart are already integrating shopping directly into LLM interfaces. This is potentially transformative for travel retail, which has historically struggled to bridge the gap between digital discovery and physical store conversion.

Niemann envisions a future where travel retailers use LLMs as a digital extension of their physical footprint. “Travel is one of the top-three use cases of using ChatGPT,” he said, underscoring the massive, untapped potential for retailers to integrate their assortments into these conversational engines.

Buying versus shopping

Niemann moved on to show that this shift creates a clear distinction between “buying” and “shopping”. Routine purchases will be automated by personal AI agents, while “shopping”—the desire-driven discovery process—will be guided by LLMs that drive consumers into physical stores. For brick-and-mortar retailers, this offers a unique opportunity to leverage advertising within AI models to capture the consumer at the point of intent.

The speed at which these consumer and technological shifts are occurring is exponential, yet many industries are moving at a linear pace. Historically, legacy suppliers have attempted to close this gap through M&A, shifting budgets away from internal R&D. However, for retailers and airports, the cost of acquiring technology companies is often prohibitive.

Niemann suggested that the most efficient solution is “venture clienting”—a model where established industry players collaborate with startups to test and learn within their ecosystem. By investing in a dedicated venture capital fund, industry players gain more than just financial returns; they gain a strategic radar.

“We very well know what’s happening in the industry. We know who uses robotics and where; we know which startups are collaborating with whom,” Niemann said, emphasising in his closing message the intelligence advantage that comes from being embedded in the startup ecosystem.