In 2019, I traveled to Shanghai to Art Direct and Design THE RETAIL LAB—a flagship collaboration between the Fung Group’s Explorium and Avery Dennison. This global initiative spanned teams across the UK, Canada, Singapore, and China.

Co-created as a high-tech “living laboratory,” The Retail Lab utilizes advanced RFID technology to power a fully functional retail environment. The space demonstrates real-world application scenarios across diverse sectors, including apparel, home furnishings, and food & beverage.

The Lab’s mission is to provide an immersive, interactive digital experience, showcasing how RFID technology is leading the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the modern retail landscape.

By leveraging RFID and Big Data analysis, this holistic solution optimizes both commodity circulation and sales procedures. The initiative represents a significant leap in retail innovation—capturing real-time data across both online and offline channels. In an era where consumers demand truly personalized interactions, the Lab provides the infrastructure to turn that data into a seamless, tailored experience.