With 2013 done and dusted, how will history judge it? If you were to believe the avalanche of end-of-year reviews that came our way, the only things worth remembering about it were selfies and onesies.

With 2013 done and dusted, how will history judge it? If you were to believe the avalanche of end-of-year reviews that came our way, the only things worth remembering about it were selfies and onesies. For those not down with the kids, this translates to taking blurry photos of yourself with your phone and wearing a giant babygro.

For retailers sensing an opportunity, the onesie trend was something that simply couldn’t be missed in the run-up to Christmas. In fact, nothing represents the evolution of the onesie from a piece of humorous student apparel to mainstream acceptance more than the fact Marks & Spencer ended up selling a £199 cashmere version. Meanwhile, the selfie trend was a more difficult nut to crack for retailers, although in the US clothing retailer The Limited launched its ‘omnichannel selfie studio initiative’. I have no idea what it is, but it sounds impressive.

So, what for 2014? According to the technology websites, 2014 will be the year that 3D printing becomes mainstream. 3D printing had already been building up quite a bit of hype in 2013 - mainly thanks to it controversially being used to create a working gun - but retailers such as Tesco and Asda see enough potential to experiment with the technology.

Asda has been testing a 3D printing selfie service (yes, that again) at its York store, which allows users to print tiny resin models of themselves. Described as a “resounding success”, the grocer now plans to roll out the service to an additional 50 stores across the UK.

Beyond this novelty use however, retailers feel there might be the potential to print small household items or replacement parts or attachments - all from a vast catalogue online. As the technology improves (and becomes more affordable), consumers themselves might be tempted to invest in a 3D printer for their home - which some commentators are already claiming might allow them to bypass some types of retailers altogether. I think that is years off, if it ever happens.

Happy 2014 to you all.

  • Robert Gregory, Global research director, Planet Retail

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