From Dopamine to Sense of Belonging: Redefining the Power of Moving Forward in an Accelerating World

        On the evening of December 14, 2025, my colleagues and I turned off the lights and saw off guests at SOGO Dunhua Hall. At that moment, the museum was crowded with customers who came to bid farewell. Some people specially toured the entire store, while others brought their three generation Far Eastern Apparel to take photos as a souvenir. A customer also told us that she bought her first branded bag here many years ago and crossed the sea with it. Today, she came back with the bag and wants to personally deliver the final journey of this building. That night, I deeply realized that true retail is not just about transactions, but about memorable relationships.

        The world is changing speed

                This realization coincides with the significant shift that the global retail industry is currently undergoing.

        According to the latest report "The State of Fashion 2026" by BoF and McKinsey, the "dopamine culture" that has dominated the fashion industry in recent years, characterized by high saturation, speed, and excitement, is receding. The focus of consumers' considerations has shifted from immediate satisfaction and short-term stimulation to long-term relationships, quality of life, and the ability to establish a sense of stability in daily life.

        Even color trends are telling the same story. The global trend forecasting agency WGSN and Coloro have selected the 2026 representative color "Change Blue Green", which is a visually calm tone between blue and green, symbolizing hope, balance, and spiritual transformation, bringing people the courage to move forward peacefully in a changing world.

        These signals are telling us that an accelerated world actually makes people crave stability more; The era of change actually makes people more in need of belonging.

        In the era of AI, relationships become more precious

        There is another driving force behind this transformation: artificial intelligence.

        AI has significantly lowered the threshold for product comparison and conversion, allowing consumers to complete the decision-making process that used to require repeated comparisons in a very short amount of time. The differences between products are easier to see and easier to replace. When comparing prices becomes so easy, building brand loyalty becomes even more difficult and crucial.

        According to a survey by BoF and McKinsey, nearly 90% of consumers believe that becoming a member of a like-minded brand community can strengthen their connection with the brand; In the TikTok data of March 2025, the reach rate of long videos exceeding 60 seconds is significantly higher than that of short videos. It is evident that consumers are turning their attention to brands that reflect their identity and provide a sense of belonging.

        Under this trend, half of the senior executives in the fashion industry have listed "customer retention" as their top priority business task for 2026. The focus is shifting from how to attract attention to how to sustain relationships.

        Retaining relationships, starting from the scene

        For FE SOGO Department stores, 'retention' has never been a new topic, but something they have been doing for over thirty years. This also reminds me of another story that happened at Dunhua Hall: a customer only remembered eight years later that she had purchased but not taken the goods, and when she returned to the scene again, the transaction records were still intact. At that moment, what she felt was not just retrieving a product, but also a service relationship and meticulous care that transcends time.

        These on-site stories about 'retention' are not accidental, but rather a reflection of FE SOGO Department stores and customer relationship management. Compared to using algorithms to cause customer fatigue, FE SOGO Department stores applies artificial intelligence to member analysis and management. Through the long-term data accumulated by seven major clubs and approximately 1.78 million members, we have a clear understanding of the lifestyles and consumption rhythms of different ethnic groups, allowing our services and communication to accurately correspond to actual needs, rather than staying at one-time promotional interactions. Our key members continue to generate over 80% of our revenue, proving that loyalty can be established when relationships are carefully managed.

        At the same time, we are also conducting physical experiences with SOGO 5.0 centered around "consumer settlements". When consumers invest more time and budget into travel, experiences, and lifestyle scenarios, the role of department stores naturally needs to be adjusted. The upcoming Garden City is not just a trading venue, but also a living space that combines dining, culture, leisure, and service. We hope that consumers can find familiar locations at different life nodes and naturally return here.

        Find the rhythm to move forward together

        In an environment where acceleration and change have become the norm, what FE SOGO Department stores pursue is not dopamine style carnival stimulation, but to work with consumers to find a stable rhythm that can move forward in the long run.

        In 2026, as we embark on a new chapter in Garden City, this emphasis on relationships will be more concretely demonstrated. Because we deeply understand that in this rapidly changing era, the most precious are often the relationships that are remembered, continued, and made people willing to come back again and again.

        Let's become the stable and warm presence in customers' lives together.

        (This article is a summary of Chairman Huang's speech at the 2026 Commonwealth Economic Forum.)

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