Top 100 Business Trends for 2021

Ranging from racist business reporting tools to virtual shopping malls, this list of 2021 business trends underscores how important cultural moments have shaped consumer expectations, prompting businesses to respond in kind.Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, brands launched virtual shopping centers to recreate the traditional shopping experience online. These range from virtual street fronts to large-scale digital shopping centers and allow owners to showcase their products to a niche, virtual community.Moreover, the tragic death of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement has prompted brands to re-evaluate their business models to combat systematic racism. These initiatives include evaluating the number of products on their shelf owned by Black business owners, funding budding Black-owned startups, and removing racist language in their coding.For more business trends in the year ahead, check out Trend Hunter’s 2021 Trend Report.

100

Equity-Promoting Business Developments

KFC is Looking to Improve Its Inclusion Strategy

99

Inclusive Venture Capital Projects

BLCK VC Created an Initiative Named the Black Venture Institute

98

Election Day QSR Closures

White Castle is Making It Easier for Its Employees to Get Out and Vote

97

Black-Owned Business Pledges

Yelp is the Latest to Join the 15% Pledge

96

Bank-Backed Financial Initiatives

Wells Fargo is Supporting Customers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

95

Sustainability-Focused Financing Solutions

BBVA Secures More Than €40 Billion for Its Eco Pledge

94

Pandemic-Prompted Financial Initiatives

Mastercard Helps Customers Find Local Stores Amid COVID-19

93

Employer Health Testing Programs

Kroger Health COVIDCare Plus Supports Organization Wellness

92

COVID Credit-Card Rate Cuts

The CIBC Pace It Offers a Temporary Lower Annual Rate for Cardholders

91

Racist Business Reporting Tools

A Yelp Update Alerts the Public If a Business is Accused of Racism

90

POC-Specific Beauty Brands

Makeup for Melanin Girls Answers a Gap in the Beauty Industry

89

Business-Supporting Credits

Amex is Giving Cardholders Money Back for Spending at Small Businesses

88

Streaming-Focused Cooperate Reorganizations

Disney Announced a New Strategic Reorganization

87

Virtual QSR Quality Checks

Church’s Chicken Updated Its Restaurant Reviews for COVID-19

86

Novel Transportation Services

Uber is Launching a New Taxi Service in Tokyo Named Uber Taxi

85

Inclusive Business Search Tools

Yelp Added a Search Tool Highlighting Black-Owned Establishments

84

Airline Rapid Testing Services

Lufthansa is Offering Rapid COVID-19 Testing to Guests in October

83

The Connectivity of Social Media

Twitter’s Andrea MacDonald Speaks to Watch Parties and Branding

82

Meal Delivery Vouchers

Uber Eats’ New Vouchers Let Employers Purchase Meals for Staff & Attendees

81

Mobile Retail Delivery Partnerships

CVS Partnered with DoorDash on a Same-Day Delivery Service

80

Small Business Owner Conferences

Venture Café Debuts New Virtual Conference for Business Owners

79

Business Phone Line Apps

The ‘Reach Phone’ App Helps Users Maintain Personal and Work Lines

78

PWYC Kid’s Meals

Hugo’s Restaurants is Alleviating Stress from Family Life Amid COVID-19

77

eCommerce Analytic Platforms

The ‘Sellerium’ Platform Helps Amazon Sellers Track Trends

76

Pandemic Relief Banking Tools

Starling Bank Debuted a New Toolkit and a US Dollar Account

75

Emerging Maker Awards

The Up and Comers Small Makers Awards Supports Local Businesses

74

Small Business Employer Insurance

Collective Health Offers Comprehensive Benefit Plans

73

Remote Work-Specific Media Launches

wrkfrce is Dedicated to the Future of Work Culture

72

Refurbished Tech

An Interview with Amber Mac, Tech Specialist who participated in #eBayedits

71

Adapting to Digital

An Interview with Lauralee Sheehan, Founder and CCO of Digital55

70

Business Contact Tracing Platforms

‘GuestLog’ Automates the Process of Collecting Guest Info

69

Online Tutoring Resources

The Tutor Doctor Offers E-Learning Capabilities Amid COVID-19

68

Citizen Care Pods

This Care Pod Combines High-Tech and a Modular Design to Ensure Safety

67

Dual-Sided Retail Washing Stations

This Double-Sided Hand Washing Station is Convenient

66

Friendly Human Capital Platforms

‘Clerksy’ Helps Things Run Smoothly and Keep Employees Happy

65

Cow-Optimized Wearable Collars

The Cowlar Seeks to Help Farmers Streamline Their Dairy Business

64

AI-Powered Interview Platforms

‘Hire.Video’ Acts as a Virtual HR Manager to Recruit with Ease

63

Facilitating Systemic Change in Design

George Sully Speaks to the Launch of the BDoC Index

62

AI Business Development Bots

The ‘Maya’ AI Business Bot Saves Time on Operations and R&D

61

Women’s Start-Up Schools

Selfmade’s Online School Supports Entrepreneurial Women

60

One-On-One Virtual Tutors

Success Tutoring Adapted to COVID-19 With New Online Sessions

59

Female-Led Financial Literacy Platforms

Vestpod Empowers Women Through Podcasts and Workshops

58

3D-Printed Lunar Colonies

‘Project Olympus’ is Focused on Getting a Habitat Set Up on the Moon

57

UV-C Sanitation Water Dispensers

This New Quench Water and Ice Dispenser is Health-Focused

56

Commission-Free Online Commerce

Google Will Eliminate Commission on Its Buy on Google Platform

55

Exclusive Concert Speakers

Oda’s Bluetooth Speaker Set Shares Live Seasonal Programming

54

Temperature-Tracking Entryway Systems

The ATN Thermal Entry Wizard Has a Touch-Free Design

53

Combined Customer Loyalty Cards

John Lewis and Waitrose Unveiled a Joint Loyalty Scheme

52

Five-Course Drive-Thru Restaurants

Atelier Restaurant Embraces the Drive-Thru Business Model

51

Latin Vegan Butcher Shops

Tranquilita la Vaca Opened Doors in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

50

Charitable Used Clothing Partnerships

Oxfam and Depop Partner Up for #SecondhandSeptember

49

Branded Creativity Quotient Tests

Adobe’s CQ Quiz Shows How Creativity Molds Leadership Styles

48

Carbon Footprint-Tracking Business Platforms

The ‘Carbon Undone’ Platform is Eco-Focused

47

Remote Team VR Interfaces

Co-Creation within Gravity Sketch LandingPad Allows for Collective Work

46

Farmer-Supporting E-Commerce Technologies

Local Line Connects Consumers with Local Farmers

45

Robotically Enhanced Packaging Solutions

The IRB 390 FlexPacker™ is Expected to Launch Late 2020

44

Lawyer Drafted Contract Templates

AWE Contracts Offers Affordable Legal Contract Templates

43

QSR AI Analytic Tools

KFC Canada is Using AI Analytic Tools to Track Data Across Locations

42

Dedicated Fulfillment Hubs

Bed, Bath & Beyond Introduces Regional Fulfillment Centers

41

Delivery-Only Restaurant Chain Ventures

Red Lobster is Opening Up a Ghost Kitchen in Chicago

40

Open-Concept Beauty Flagships

Avon’s Studio 1886 is the Company’s First Flagship Experience

39

Commercial Micro-Fulfillment Solutions

Dematic Helps Retailers in Addressing Consumer Demand

38

Consumer-Tracking Retailer Apps

Smart Plant Home Helps Retailers Track Plant Purchasing Habits

37

Coworking Space Hybrids

Palette Cafe in Schenectady is a Hybrid Between a Coworking Space & a Cafe

36

Artistic Travelling Pop-Ups

Calgary’s Pop-Up Series Supports Local Restaurants and Artists

35

Wedding Registry Platforms

The Knot Launched a New Wedding Registry Store with Accompanying App

34

Long-Term Remote Work Platforms

The ‘Growmotely’ Platform is for Professionals and Businesses

33

Travel-Friendly Superfood Capsules

STAMBA TRAVEL’s Product is Designed to Offer Nutrition Support

32

Nutrition-Focused Mobile Platforms

Nestlé is Collaborating with the With/n Healthy Eating Platform

31

Workplace Temperature Scanners

The VISKY Touchless Body Thermometer Has Facial Recognition

30

New Normal Retail Software

SPLICE Software Created a Service for Retailers to Adjust Operations

29

Virtual Restaurant Expansions

Chipotle Announced That It Would Open Its First Digital Kitchen

28

Branded Ocean Plastic Initiatives

H&M and Danone-Aqua Team Up to End Plastic Pollution

27

Cryptocurrency-Exclusive Biohacking Cafes

Parallel Polis Offers a Variety of Biohacking Products

26

DTC Grass-Fed Meats

Grazing Days Farms Sell Directly from Its Farm to Customers

25

QR Code Menu Generators

The ‘Menuffy’ Platform Helps Restaurants Digitize Their Menus

24

Energy-Optimized Commercial Appliances

The RATIONAL iCombi Pro Appliances are Efficient

23

Air-Powered Buffet Protectors

The FoodSignPros ‘AirShield’ Keeps Foods Free from Germs

22

Millennial Franchising Opportunities

Del Taco Wants Millennials to Enter Its Franchise System

21

Radically Rebranded Creative Studios

An Interview with Jeff Staple on the New Reed Art Department

20

Solar-Powered Beer Innovations

Sol’s Global Brand Dir. Speaks to the New Sustainable Initiative

19

High-End Burger Drive-Thrus

Canlis Bets on Take-Out, Drive-Thru, and Delivery During COVID-19

18

Branded Business-Supporting Shopping Apps

Cadillac Fairview Debuted the LiVE by CF Shopping App

17

Drive-In Tasting Menus

Fine Dining Restaurant Bulrush Adapts to the Climate of COVID-19

16

WOC-Specific Hair Solutions

Kinkistry is a Natural Haircare Business, Designed for Women of Color

15

Fresh Meat Vending Machines

FreshStore is a Vending Machine That Can Be Accessed After Store Hours

14

Digital Sign Solutions

BrighSign Boasts Retail Tech Solutions for Maintaining COVID-19 Spread

13

Fully Automated Canadian Restaurants

Box’d By Paramount is Set to Open This Summer in Toronto

12

French Home Improvement E-Retailers

ManoMano is a French Startup Aiming to Make DIY Projects Easy

11

Co-Working Brewery Spaces

Optimism Brewing Introduces Some New Features During COVID-19

10

Millennial-Targeted Business Tools

Tradeswell is Helping Millennial Make a Higher Profit

9

Accessible 360-Degree Workspaces

Igloo Vision’s Immersive Workspaces Create Engaging Team Meetings

8

Smart Shopping Lockers

Luxer One’s Smart Retail Lockers Support No-Contact Experiences

7

Protective Equipment Vending Machines

The RapidPPE2go Vending Machine Will Sell PPE

6

Boutique Garden Center Retailers

STUMP’s Cleveland Location is Its Fourth Boutique Space

5

Touch-Free Bathroom Solutions

Gaberit Boasts Infra-Red and Touchless Design for the Bathroom

4

Post-COVID Night Clubs

44KW in Shanghai Introduces Safety Measures After Reopening

3

New Normal Restaurant Vehicles

The Post Corona Eat-Out Business Platform is Conceptual

2

Virtual Shopping Malls

New Zealand Company, EPIC, Recently Launched a Virtual Mall

1

Elevated Dining Experiences

Pinch Delivers a New Food and Beverage Experience with Parcel