Organised by The Future Laboratory
Digital commerce may offer consumers convenience, but they are turning to a new generation of in-person retail experiences energised by cultural relevance and built on brand community.
We are entering a culture-coded retail landscape in which stores will become ever-more immersive and personalised. These ‘story-living’ concepts invite consumers into spaces to connect and participate.
Brands will need to embrace the idea of empowering people to influence, curate and co-create their own store experiences.
Physical spaces will only remain relevant to consumers in tomorrow’s retail landscape if they become narrative spaces. Whether a flagship store, a pop-up or a guerrilla-style activation, these spaces should create a sense of cultural relevance, including content-worthy moments designed for discovery and digital amplification.
In this macrotrend report, we explore why malls are beginning to see a resurgence in popularity among younger generations experiencing – often for the first time – the community and entertainment of these shopping hangouts, and we examine how third spaces are evolving beyond retail, with brands using them to offer social connectivity and build communities inspired by health and wellness. We also uncover ‘club culture’ retailing, which is all about getting the right talent in the room for the right audiences, and we reveal how brands are adopting tourism-driven experiences that offer consumers a Fourth Retail space in which to seek brand connection.