As consumer expectations increase at remarkable speed, retailers are facing a new reality: cultural shifts have become powerful commercial engines.

Spotting the right trend early no longer just protects relevance. It unlocks creative possibilities, strengthens customer connection, fuels real revenue growth, and can even inform product development, says Caroline Orange-Northey, MD UK&Ireland at Pinterest.

Yet, in a landscape where trends now move more than x4.4 faster than a decade ago, brands need more than instinct – they need intelligence.

Pinterest Predicts^™ has become exactly that: a window into the emerging aesthetics, behaviours and shopping intentions of over half a billion people who use the platform every month. As these people come to Pinterest to plan, the report offers brands an early-signal snapshot of where taste is heading before it’s established, backed by real-world intent.

Over the past six years, 88% of its predictions have come true, and the trends identified last nearly twice as long as those elsewhere online – giving retailers more time and stability to build growth around them.

At a time when every retailer is searching for a competitive edge, this kind of foresight is a game-changer. Instead of chasing short-lived viral moments, brands can use predictive intelligence to engage audiences with precision and authenticity – leading the conversation and helping to define what’s next.

As the year comes to a close, we can already see what’s set to peak in 2026.

The contextual backdrop is a shift in consumer mindset: people are craving comfort, authenticity and optimism, and inspiration that feels more nostalgic, expressive and personalised. While 21 trends presented in Pinterest Predicts are poised to shape the year ahead, I think two are particularly interesting for the retail sector: “Throwback Kid” and “Scent Stacking”.

Together, they show how shoppers are merging nostalgia with modern expression – and why retailers who respond thoughtfully, not superficially, will be positioned to win.

“Throwback Kid”: Nostalgia reborn as strategy

Nostalgia has always had commercial currency, but in 2026, it becomes something deeper: reclamation. Trends that transport people back to childhood are rising as a form of emotional grounding; simplicity sells comfort.

Searches for “nostalgia toys” are up +225% and “1970s childhood toys” up +125%. With 52% of people rewatching classic TV and nearly four in ten returning to traditional comfort foods, nostalgia has become a lifestyle, not just an occasional mood.

Consumers want objects that feel warm, familiar, and enduring.

For retailers, this is a prompt to look back at archives with intention, reissue classics and lean into storytelling that celebrates shared generational moments. And, in ways that also align with a sustainability mindset: repair, reuse and reinvention.

The opportunity – and the risk – is clear. Retailers who treat nostalgia as a design philosophy rather than a short-term gimmick will find audiences ready to engage and spend. Those who simply slap a retro logo on a product – without emotional resonance or quality to match – may find the moment passes them by.

“Scent Stacking”: Individualism as the new luxury

If “Throwback Kid” speaks to comfort, “Scent Stacking” speaks to identity.

In 2026, self-expression evolves into remixing – the idea that people don’t want prescriptive trends; they want frameworks they can adapt. Nearly a quarter of Gen Z and Millennial consumers globally say they avoid trend fatigue by putting their own spin on trends, and fragrance has become a clear reflection of this shift.

Searches for “niche perfume collection” are up +500% and “perfume layering combinations” up +125%. Consumers want formulas they can build, blend and personalise, creating signatures rather than following set notes.

Personalisation is no longer a premium add-on; it’s the default expectation.

For brands, this opens the door to modular product systems, discovery sets, refillable formats and educational content that helps consumers craft their own combinations. Fragrance retailers can lean into this through in-store sensory bars, digital layering guides and curated kits inspired by trending notes.

More broadly, this is a blueprint for retail categories far beyond beauty. Home, fashion – and even food brands – can tap into the remix mindset by offering mix-and-match product ecosystems that prioritise play and personal authorship.

Retailers that insist on one-size-fits-all “hero products” risk feeling generic and outdated; those that invite customers into the creative process have greater potential to earn deeper loyalty.

Turning prediction into shoppable reality

Predictive insight only becomes a real advantage when it’s translated into experiences people can act on.

For the first time this year, trend intelligence has been translated directly into a shoppable experience on Pinterest. Working with forward-thinking retailers, including Cult Beauty, Tommy Hilfiger and Wolf & Badger, a new curated destination inspired by Pinterest Predicts brings the trends set to define 2026 to life, inviting people to discover, try and shop them in one place.

2026: The year of comfort, creativity and commercial clarity

“Throwback Kid” and “Scent Stacking” are just two of the forces shaping 2026, but they reveal a shared truth: consumers want flexibility, authenticity and creative freedom. Trends are becoming less about following and more about personal authorship.

Lean into emotional resonance, design products that encourage experimentation and personalisation and treat data-backed trends as strategic building blocks rather than fleeting moments.

In a year that is set to be defined by both comfort and creativity, brands that meet consumers where they’re headed – not where they’ve been – will be the ones that grow.