I absolutely love this hidden gem—a delightful educational (and, of course, social) experience tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Singapore. Kudos to Titan Tech Academy for pulling it off. Transformational experiences, where we engage, learn, and grow, are among the most powerful tools for building trust, loyalty, and, dare I say, a sense of belonging.

But it does make one wonder: is this the future of retail? It’s curious, isn’t it, that technology brands and retailers—Apple being the notable exception— struggle to seamlessly integrate these kinds of experiences into their own formats as profitable, revenue-generating ventures. When you tie educational experiences to product interactions, the act of purchasing suddenly becomes far more meaningful—an artefact of a memorable experience rather than just a transaction. There’s a vast reservoir of untapped potential here that retailers seem to be overlooking.

Are there any shining examples out there where brands have successfully married product experiences with educational ones?

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While it may seem like a distant, surreal memory, the 2020 pandemic was the most profound shared experience of a generation, creating a moment that brought everyone closer together and left us with a far greater appreciation of local businesses. In this sense, ‘community’ extended beyond our local neighbourhoods and fostered a national, even global, connection.

Building relationships with retail staff
We used to have relationships with many retail staff members; the banker we knew by name, the butcher who knew the family and the milkman who delivered to our house. That was the norm. But for most of us, the custom of personal conversations with retail staff has been lost for many years. Rarely do customers ask how a staff member serving them is, and it’s even rarer for a staff member to introduce themselves by name. To its detriment, retail experience has lost the idea that the staff member is an individual and that you can have a personal relationship with them.

Understanding that a retail store is a place of work for an individual, not just a touchpoint for a brand, is critical to changing our approach to retail staff. The store design has a role to play here. Bring the back-of-house into the front to make the retail environment a place of work that is mutually beneficial for both customers and staff. Physical spaces are props that mediate our relationship. The bank has lost that sense of place over the years. Today, there are few tellers or desks. In the future, the store design will need to provide insight into the tasks spaces can facilitate.

Retail environments become our community hubs
‘One size fits all’ store rollouts are a thing of the past. Look at the localised store format strategy implemented by Starbucks and Aesop. Too many store formats use a ‘big-business’ local mentality that doesn’t actually relate to the location of the store.

What are the functional aspects of the store, and how does that play into the local community? We should consider each store location as its own entity, even if it’s still under the umbrella of a global brand. The retail environment can also provide value to a community outside business opening hours. We should see telecommunication stores transform into art galleries, or clothing stores be used as centres for community workshops. Retail designers should be thinking about flexibility and mixed-use capabilities while conceiving a new retail concept and planning a store layout. Retail businesses should consider the benefits of their store being heavily used and integrated into the community.

Locally curated stores go personal
Our renewed sense of community might supercharge the necessity for brands to customise stores for local audiences. While previous trends have seen store curation go from global to local, the next step is to make stores personal and individual. The best local experiences are a step towards personalisation. We already see stores offering personal styling services, but the extreme would see stores personalising product curation in-store. Store stock could be tailored to meet an individual’s visit after making a reservation online. Imagine booking an appointment for a store visit, and when you arrive, products in the store are based on your online viewing and purchase history. Everything is in your size and style. You are being shown items based on their compatibility with what you currently own, or perhaps what you can afford.

Local placemaking
Store localisation is a way to build relationships and establish trust with your customers. We need to get back to establishing a relationship with a single place. Currently, most business activities are centralised, but increasingly brand touchpoints need to be localised. Rather than speaking to someone at a national call centre, we should be calling our local store and talking to someone we know. The same goes for delivery. Convenience has many moving parts that are usually organised by an impersonal central head. There should be a continuity to our experience with a brand, which is built on people and relationships. Currently, brands are bigger than the people that work there. What if this was flipped? What if in the future, the brand was made up of the personalities that worked there? Apple has done this with great success. Today, we expect staff in branded environments to be trusted, autonomous and always ‘on-brand’.

The increased amount of time many of us now spend at home has led our focus to one place. Many people now have stronger ties to their local community and enjoy experiencing its great attributes. Retail can embody community spirit in many ways, starting with the closer relationships between customers and staff. We should be designing stores with a true community focus, both in how we use the physical space and in how we curate stores for local audiences. Retail needs to understand its role in forging local relationships and for being a hub for different types of community activities.

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I’ve been thinking lately about the ongoing tension between analogue and digital and how, despite relentless innovation, the analogue world persists.

The annual local fireworks display made the point for me. On paper, drone light shows are objectively superior — safer, programmable, repeatable, sustainable. By the logic of progress, fireworks should already feel obsolete.

And yet the experience told a different story.
The display wasn’t spectacular. The middle was sparse, the pacing off, and the budget clearly stretched thin. But it was oddly charming. You could almost hear the planning meeting: “Hold back, save what we’ve got for the finale.”

And when the finale arrived, it was brilliant, chaotic, loud, imperfect… and unforgettable.

That’s the thing: precision doesn’t guarantee impact. Predictability doesn’t guarantee emotion.

It’s the same reason vinyl still sells beside Spotify, paper books sit next to Kindles, handwritten notes survive emojis, and film photography refuses to disappear.

Digital optimises for efficiency.
Analogue optimises for emotion.

And whether we admit it or not, emotion still wins. Not always in theory but almost always in practice.

Because we don’t choose what’s technically superior.
We choose what makes us feel something.
And in retail, this truth is unavoidable.

If efficiency were the goal, the app would replace the store. The transaction is already faster online.

But retail isn’t merely a transaction. It’s reassurance. It’s confidence. It’s theatre. It’s the human side of decision-making, the part untouched by algorithms.

The most effective retail experiences aren’t the most logical; they’re the most meaningful.

Just like fireworks, they may not be perfect… but when delivered well, the finale is unforgettable.

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As the retail sector continues to navigate through one of the biggest transformations in its history, the future can at times feel uncertain. However, there is one thing we can be sure of. Whether you are an online ‘disruptor’ venturing into physical retail or an established global retail icon reimagining your store ‘experience’, at some stage you will need to value engineer your physical retail format.

We believe retail teams should start to think more broadly when looking to reduce the cost of their physical store formats. Here, we share some of the ways we approach value engineering whilst looking through this broad lens.

Are you asking the right question?
Value engineering projects are usually driven by internal procurement teams, and the focus is on reducing the cost of a store fit-out. This approach only addresses half of the question. The focus should also be on preserving ‘value’. Maintaining the customer and the staff experiences is rarely considered in briefs at this stage of the project. Instead of asking ‘How can we reduce costs?’ we help retail businesses answer the question ‘How can we reduce costs without changing the customer and staff experience?’

To answer this question, one must understand where the value lies in the store experience. What is it that provides customers and staff with value? Make sure that when you ask yourself what can be stripped out, you also ask what will be missed and what will go unnoticed?

In today’s retail climate, not prioritising the customer and staff experience may prove fatal. Creating the right experience is one of the key factors to the success of physical retail, and what you have spent your time and money on when creating a new store format. It seems a shame to then remove aspects of the store experience as a byproduct of cost reduction.

Looking at store fixtures and material finishes for cost savings shouldn’t be the only focus. While ring-fencing ‘value’ in the retail experience, the scope to strip cost out of the store environment becomes more challenging. A well-considered, thorough value engineering exercise explores multiple ways to reduce store-associated costs. By adopting a more holistic view, the team at Quinine has helped many clients broaden their understanding of value engineering. The benefits often involve savings far greater than those that would have been achieved by simply altering a fixture detail or changing out a material finish. Below we have outlined some of the ways we help our clients think differently by reducing costs, whilst protecting the all-important staff and customer experiences.

Getting the design right from the start
The savings clients ask us to target can sit anywhere between 10% and 60%. When we consider the top end of this scale, a fair question to ask is; ‘How can there feasibly be 60% available to strip out’, but it can be possible.

So, how does this happen? Where does this excess ‘fat’ come from? It’s too easy to suggest this is a result of extravagant finishes and complicated details. Whilst this may be true in a minority of cases, in reality, the excess cost is usually a result of a lack of planning at the start of a project. Retail’s fast-paced, all-hands-on-deck approach (which keeps businesses competitive) can drive a culture focused on delivering any solution over, delivering the right solution.

Making sure you get the design right up front, so value engineering isn’t needed at the end of the project, is the best way to reduce costs and time in the long term. Whenever possible, teams should schedule ‘moments’ throughout a new project to understand if the concept is appropriate and whether it’s being delivered in the most cost-effective way. Has the purpose of the new format shifted? Has the scope expanded? Often, it is in these moments that Quinine’s team identifies the most meaningful opportunities to deliver cost-effective solutions.

If retail businesses spend time up front getting the design right, a lengthy value engineering exercise can be avoided down the line. The irony is that value engineering exercises can be costly. Investing in re-design, re-engineering and second-phase prototypes and manufacture demands significant time and involves multiple stakeholders. Taking the time to get the design right from the start means retail businesses don’t risk doubling up on costs.

Don’t relocate cost
When stripping cost away from a store format, a holistic view must be taken. Does reducing cost in one area simply increase it elsewhere? It is very easy to take one cost and inadvertently shift it to another part of the store.

Let’s take the example of switching out a ceramic tile floor for a vinyl floor. Whilst the sq.ft. cost might be less, does the inferior durability of the vinyl increase the ongoing maintenance efforts and costs? Your store staff must now use different detergents, but more importantly, apply more elbow grease and time to remove the daily wear and tear. The labour and maintenance costs of a design change are often overlooked but must be considered as part of the value engineering process.

Retailers must understand how the adjustments they are introducing impact other costs associated with delivering and running the retail store. Does the design of a fixture impact the delivery truck size? Does installation demand one or two people? The right value engineering approach looks at the store through multiple lenses all at the same time to make sure the savings in one area aren’t just shifted to another area in-store.

Committing to partnerships
Before retail teams start making changes to the design of the physical store experience, they must ensure they are getting the best costs from their manufacturing partners.

Whilst approaching multiple manufacturers as part of a formal tender is important, it should be approached with some caution. The competitive nature of a formal tender is great at unearthing a manufacturer’s best price, but it also risks them making false promises that win them the work but fall apart when they engage in the reality of a pressured rollout schedule. A more reliable approach is to build cost-saving into future stages. A good place to start is to facilitate batch manufacture wherever possible.

Economies of scale reduce cost, and this doesn’t just apply to fixture manufacture. This approach should be applied across the entire delivery supply chain. You may need to re-negotiate your budgets and project funding with your finance team, but if you consider undertaking ‘batch production’ with contractors, architects and technology suppliers, substantial costs savings emerge.

As the world of physical retail evolves, it’s important to note that this approach comes with its challenges. Taking advantage of economies of scale is ideal for mass rollout store formats, but this ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t align with emerging business models that recognise the need to offer unique localised retail experiences that fit into the community. This, along with the growing trend to deliver retail formats in a more agile way, at multiple scales, invariably means more unique, one-off store environments.

International tendering
It’s well known that where a business manufactures can significantly reduce costs. We have been able to achieve cost savings of up to 40% for our clients by manufacturing in China compared to local equivalents.

However, a growing priority that must be considered throughout the tendering process is sustainability. In our article 10 Tactical Ways Retailers Can Deliver Sustainable Development, we identify how supply chains represent one of retail’s most significant areas of environmental impact. Whilst this typically relates to the manufacture and supply of goods, the same challenge applies to the supply of store fixtures and finishes. In response, businesses are establishing policies that encourage their teams to act sustainably. In some cases, departmental budgets are being linked to sustainability criteria to motivate teams to source more locally.

Furthermore, with distance comes a greater risk to reliability. By sourcing internationally, teams become exposed to potential political and social hurdles. Due to the backlog experienced in global shipping routes during and following the pandemic, the cost of shipping containers soared. Under these conditions, shipping costs increased by up to four times.

Despite these challenges, manufacturing overseas should continue to be considered as part of a value engineering exercise. It just demands that businesses adopt a more carefully curated approach to sourcing. Alongside efforts to reduce cost, retail teams must also consider reliability, delivery times, and environmental impact, relying upon a mix of local and international manufacturing partners.

Share, share, share!
A successful value engineering programme cannot be achieved in isolation. It’s a careful balancing act of many moving parts that demands collaboration between multiple internal and external teams. One of the biggest challenges in bringing so many stakeholders together is the willingness to share information on costs and margins with other teams.

Without clear visibility of all the associated costs from the start, it is less likely that successful cost reductions can be achieved. Not only will a lack of complete transparency harm the final customer and staff experience, but it can also delay the value engineering process, which, in itself, increases the cost to the business.

Businesses seeking to reduce the cost of their physical retail format must involve all associated teams from the very start and ensure everyone is buying into the bigger goal: to save the business money.

The devil remains in the detail

Albeit just a snapshot of some of the techniques and principles that we adopt, the above considerations demonstrate that successful value engineering involves looking beyond fixture detailing and materials.

Whilst these approaches can significantly reduce overall costs, there will always remain the need to examine the design detailing of the store environment to understand how this can be delivered more affordably.

Alongside our expertise in research and strategy, Quinine’s heritage in industrial design helps us identify and deliver cost savings that don’t compromise the retail experience. It is this process of seeing the bigger picture, whilst focusing in on the fine detail that is key to a successful value engineering project. However, this expertise on its own is not enough. It’s crucial that all stakeholders understand the value of change and are able to see its impact as well. Using a variety of visualisation tools and VR headsets, we walk project teams through the stores to get their feedback and build confidence, before pushing forward with the updates.

To maximise your investment and ensure nothing gets lost in translation, it’s essential that those involved in defining the design strategy are also involved in the manufacture of the design. This end-to-end process is what makes Quinine’s value engineering reviews so successful. Reducing the cost while keeping the same staff and customer experience must be the aim of all value engineering exercises.

In reducing the cost of a store format retail teams must remember that everything matters. From how fixtures are delivered to site, to the store’s energy costs, right down to the specification of the grout between the tiles. Every part of the retail ecosystem must be examined carefully to identify the right cost-reduction opportunities and to understand the knock-on effect each change might have. Most crucially, the effect change might have on the staff and the customer experiences.

Next Steps...

STEP ONE
Value engineering projects can take a great deal of time and involve multiple teams. It’s essential to make sure that you have all the right stakeholders in the room from the very beginning.

STEP TWO
Ensure all stakeholders agree on where the value is within the existing design.

STEP THREE
In reviewing the store for cost reduction opportunities, consider the whole store ecosystem, not just the material finishes.

Value engineering can be a complex process. If you need help, please feel free to reach out to us here to set up a call.

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A few weeks ago, I revisited McKinsey's Business Value of Design report. I’d read it years ago and never forgot it. It has aged remarkably well. If anything, it feels even more relevant today.

McKinsey tracked 300 publicly listed companies over five years and found a simple truth: those that built design into their business's core outperformed peers 2-to-1 in both revenue growth and shareholder returns.

That’s not a creative opinion. It's a commercial fact.

I realise that most companies don’t practice design — they perform it. Decorating the outcome instead of integrating the design process. McKinsey’s research offers six reasons why this still happens.

1. Design is treated as decoration, not direction
Design is often seen as ‘making things look nice’ instead of shaping strategy. A last-mile polish, not a first-mile driver.

2. Unmeasurable = unbelievable
Leaders don’t see design as measurable. Fewer than 5% of firms said their leaders make objective design decisions. Without metrics to prove design’s impact, it feels ‘subjective’ compared to finance or ops.

3. It’s siloed and sidelines, not integrated
Design sits in a corner, a department that gets ‘briefed’ — rather than a capability embedded across product, service, and experience. Limiting its strategic influence.

4. Short-termism kills it
Good design needs iteration, testing and patience. If businesses optimise for quarterly results, its compounding benefits remain invisible.

5. No seat at the table
Few have design leaders reporting to the C-suite. Without senior representation, design’s voice gets muted by louder functions: finance, sales, marketing, ops etc.

6. Confusing theatre with capability
Many confuse ‘design thinking workshops’ with design capability. Real design builds research loops, prototypes and feedback mechanisms that improve outcomes over time.

McKinsey’s data makes one thing clear: the companies that outperform don’t just have better designers — they’ve built the right environment for design to thrive.

They do a few simple things differently:
1. They measure design with the same rigour as cost & revenue
2. They embed design in cross-functional teams, not isolated studios
3. They treat customer insight as a boardroom issue
4. They iterate like their survival depends on it, because it does

When you do this, design stops being decoration. It becomes direction. Design doesn’t just make things look better, it makes them work better. The smartest firms realise the design's true value and don’t treat it like a garnish added at the end, but a core ingredient that shapes the whole dish.

So here’s the uncomfortable question:
Does your business still decorate its strategy — or does it design it?

You can find the report link HERE

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Driven by a shift in consumers’ expectations, diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly more important for businesses globally. Does it really matter that this is a response to commercial pressure or a higher moral duty? What matters is that the barriers surrounding diversity are broken down and that we change our attitudes and become a truly inclusive society. This shift by businesses is both encouraging and necessary.

Fed by our belief that retail experiences play an increasingly important role in shaping our broader social interactions, we have been asking ourselves how corporate diversity and inclusion policies translate into the physical retail environment and customer experience. For businesses with a retail presence, how do they deliver inclusive experiences to their customers?

There isn’t a straightforward answer to such a complicated question. Every business is different, and brands are exclusive by nature, as they are designed to meet the desires and needs of different target groups, and their distinct offer requires a specific solution.

For much of a business’s marketing activities, it is totally reasonable that they focus on their own target market. But when it comes to branded physical environments, we believe that companies can only gain by making these spaces as inclusive as reasonably possible. Brands can choose their target market, but they can’t choose the customers who come through their doors.

Designers, both makers and thinkers, are uniquely positioned to help companies translate complex ideas and corporate policies into the built environment. To encourage further discussions, we have identified a number of insights that will help you understand how your retail experiences can become more inclusive... beyond your own target markets. As a starting point, we defined ‘diversity’ as the mixture of individuals in society; the range of human differences, and ‘inclusion’ as the practice of providing equal access and opportunities to people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalised.

Accessible doesn’t mean inclusive
When we take a more in-depth look at what is required to comply with the disability regulations, we understand the focus on ‘access’, but feel further conversations to define ‘inclusive’ interactions are desperately needed. Inclusion is not necessarily achieved by merely providing access. Real inclusion is achieved when a single design solution provides access to the full spectrum of human differences. An inclusive solution makes those with differences feel part of the same community, rather than having their differences highlighted and held up to define them.

In our store design for the Canadian telecommunications brand ‘Rogers’, we designed a round café table that could be used for consultation and payment interactions by both wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users alike. This well-considered solution was central to the store concept. Yet, we were required by the disability regulations to have an additional ‘flip down’ table at the high service counter, specifically for wheelchair users. To us, this contradicts the spirit of inclusion because it makes wheelchair users the ‘other’ and normalises the able-bodied. When people are treated differently to others, even if it’s in a considered way, they may not feel equal or genuinely included.

It’s not just about the physical differences
Discussions around inclusion and accessibility mainly focus on our physical differences, and we often forget that this is only one aspect. This needs to change. As societies acknowledge diversity in all its shapes and forms, our understanding of the impact the built environment can have on these differences also needs to evolve. A concept of increasing awareness is ‘neurodiversity’, a term that normalises the variances of behavioural traits in society that have previously been stigmatised. We must be more inclusive of these differences when designing a retail experience.

British supermarket chain Morrisons initiated a nationwide ‘Quieter Hour’, with Asda, Tesco and Lidl following suit. Their stores are adapted to suit the different sensory stimulation of autistic shoppers. During this hour, some lights are dimmed, no announcements are made over speakers, and the barcode scanners are silenced. How would you adapt your environment to be inclusive of autistic customers?

You must consider all touchpoints
Translating an ‘inclusive’ brand positioning into retail action is complex. Many retail brands are making great efforts to be diverse and inclusive, but struggle to translate these policies onto the shop floor. When businesses create brands with ‘inclusive’ positioning, they need to be extra sure that their brand promise is represented throughout the store experience and at every moment of the customer journey. It’s no longer good enough for businesses to say they are inclusive. It’s how they act that matters. When a brand’s in-store actions reinforce its marketing claims, it becomes more authentic to its values, and a deeper customer connection is achieved.

Let’s consider a global leader in brand inclusiveness, MAC Cosmetics. Inclusion and diversity are integrated explicitly into their brand promise: ‘All Ages, All Races, All Genders’. We admire the high bar they set for themselves, but… during one visit to our local London MAC store, we recognised some opportunities to better translate this promise and create a more inclusive experience across all the physical in-store touchpoints. Some subtle changes to the store environment can easily help bring the ‘inclusive’ brand promise to the centre of the customer experience.

The promotional images displayed in-store exclusively featured young women, and the product names (‘Prissy Princess’, ‘Mischief Minx’, ‘Basic Bitch’) are heavily directed towards females. These should better reflect the brand’s positioning of ‘All Genders’. And although we found store staff to be exemplary representatives of the brand’s inclusive positioning, and they reflected the ethnic diversity of their customers, there were no older women nor men amongst their staff in the store we visited. Should a brand appealing to all genders and ages ensure that both males and females of varying ages are always represented in-store? If there is no representation in-store of the brand position in either the promotional imagery or the staff, is their brand position then diminished? We believe that by increasing the diversity in-store through at least one touchpoint, minority consumers will feel empowered without affecting the majority. Would women, being MAC’s majority customer base, be turned off by some representation of men in-store?

Staff diversity is crucial for any retail ‘inclusion’ strategy
Staff diversity is paramount when delivering an inclusive retail environment for customers. It’s not reasonable to expect all stores to reflect the diversity of society, but stores should certainly reflect the diversity of their own target market. There is great power in customers seeing people similar to themselves reflected in the experience. They want to feel understood by the person representing the brand and serving them. Due to their gender, ethnicity, or age, many customers may face barriers when there is an absence of appropriate staff diversity. As the population ages, older retail employees will be in demand to reflect the customer profile and meet the needs of older consumers in their stores. We already see this as underutilised in tech-related retail, where having a more senior staff member can vastly change the inclusivity of the store experience for older customers.

We recently encountered a great example of age-diverse staff when visiting London’s Tate Modern art gallery. Two older women wearing bags displaying ‘ASK ME’ were helpful to customers of all ages. Yet, additionally, they were able to convey information through the lens of their age group to their peers. Retail can learn from how other public spaces, like museums, are staffed.

You cannot prioritise everybody!
We should expect a brand to be inclusive of its target market. Granted, this is an easier task for brands with a niche target audience than for those with a wide market appeal. Those with a broader target market require their retail environments and experiences to be inclusive of many individual differences in society.

Consider how a large national-based telecoms and media company, with the broadest of customer segments, would create an inclusive retail experience. With such a vast market appeal and the need to be inclusive of so many, they run the risk of becoming so generic that nobody can identify with them anymore. Retail environments and physical experiences that service a broad target market need to take specific care on many levels.

What about the in-store commercial messages? They would need to be relevant and legible to older adults, but equally relatable to younger generations and accessible to the diverse cultures in our society.

Consider creating an engaging waiting experience that is entirely different for a Gen Z than for a family with three children or an older couple. Designing for those individuals is one thing, but appealing to all of them in a single store is a real challenge. And all are important. Provide a poor waiting experience for a family, and they may lose selling a full suite of home services; a bad experience for a Gen Z, and they may lose a loyal customer for decades. No matter who, all customers expect to be the top priority.

‘The proof is in the pudding’. ‘Actions speak louder than words’. ‘What you do is more important than what you say’. All of these cannot be truer here. It is no longer good enough for any business to say they are diverse and inclusive, businesses need to act and behave inclusively. They don’t just need to be inclusive; they need to translate their corporate ‘inclusion’ policy (or brand value/market position) into everything they do as a business. Branded retail environments and experiences can play a fundamental role in conveying a brand’s inclusive and diverse values to their customers, and this translates directly into customers having a positive perception about the inclusivity and accessibility of your brand.

Businesses and brands will increasingly strive to be more diverse and inclusive, not just because of a larger moral duty to society, but because they will benefit from it, as will their customers. Today, there is undeniable evidence showing that when solutions go beyond a business’s target market to include the broader diversity within the community, both the business and society benefit. Inclusive design isn’t just about elevating the experience of those more vulnerable, it’s about actualising the full potential of those in the margins to impact society as others can. Inclusive design creates shared experiences and often unforeseen innovation that all of society benefits from. When we design considering the margins of society, we design for everybody, and all of society prospers.

The insights above are intended to trigger a wider discourse around inclusion and diversity within the retail landscape. There are many questions to answer still, and we will continue our path toward understanding how these complex social issues can be better translated into the physical world around us.

You can also stream or download an audio version of this article HERE

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The most overlooked piece of retail magic isn’t the floor plan or the lighting. It’s the humble little sign that explains what you’re looking at. Let’s be honest: much of store design is a private conversation between designers. They obsess over textures, materials, and mood. Shoppers? They’re just trying to find their size and get on with their day.

That’s why you need a sign — a side door into the story behind the store.

A small investment, a few well-chosen words - suddenly the store transforms. You’re no longer just selling products; you’re inviting people into your world. That oak table isn’t just furniture, it’s reclaimed timber from a 19th-century railway station. That textured wall? Volcanic ash from Mount Etna, chosen to reflect the brand’s restless spirit. Who knew? Without context, it’s invisible.

When people understand why something exists, they value it more. They stay longer. Engage deeper. In a world of stores screaming discounts, the smartest brands whisper something interesting with quiet confidence.

Think about it: galleries don’t just hang paintings and hope you ‘get it.’ They offer a note, a clue, a story. The best stores do the same. Enough to intrigue, never enough to bore.

PANGAIA‘s Carnaby St. store gets it right. No jargon, no slogans — just a few thoughtful words stencilled on the wall. It opens up the store concept — for the curious. A soft nudge toward deeper engagement. The real magic? Staff pick up where the signage leaves off. Signs start the story; staff bring it to life.

On‘s Regent St. staircase does it too — turning a dead space into a talking point.

FARM Rio's wall plaque? More gallery than gimmick, elevating wallpaper into storytelling.

That’s the opportunity. Design is only half the conversation. The rest is helping people understand it — especially first-timers. Because unexplained design risks becoming just decoration. And in a world hungry for meaning, that’s a missed opportunity.

You might argue, ‘good design speaks for itself’ true… to a point. But design speaks a language many don’t understand. It hides meaning in rituals and artefacts, many miss. That’s why we guide. We prompt. We open the conversation.

Because when people understand your choices, they understand your values. And when they understand why, they trust you more - and trust builds loyalty.

Physical space is a competitive advantage most brands underuse. It engages the senses, sparks emotional connections, driving brand love and results— from longer dwell times to higher conversion.

A simple sign, done well. costs little but delivers disproportionate impact. The smallest touchpoint, with the biggest return.

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As our attention to sustainability is heightened, our expectations for convenience, especially delivery, are changing. Today, it’s actually ok to wait for things.

As our values shift, we are re-framing what constitutes convenience. Our evaluation isn’t just based on time. More methods of delivery are becoming available, and more players are coming to the market. Drones and Uber are offering vastly different experiences. The critical nature of time will surely rise to importance again, but the way we perceive value in delivery will also expand over the coming years. Speed, method and personalisation of delivery will all play a more significant role in the way we value convenience in the future.

New delivery value factors
Our vocabulary for ‘value’ will increase as the possibilities for delivery continue to expand. There is so much more to it than time. The growing use of drones will see machine-like precision for deliveries. Imagine specifying a delivery down to an exact minute or the exact location to the inch. Perhaps our phone GPS can be used to ensure a package is delivered to us, no matter where we happen to be. As you go about your day, could your package find you wherever you are?

Delivery is a brand experience
We have come to see unboxing a product as part of the brand experience. Apple carefully considers how you open a product box and discover it for the first time. Naturally, the delivery of a product should also be an extension of the brand experience. What can the package come with? Delivery accessories you weren’t expecting are similar to being offered a glass of champagne in a store. Who delivers it - machine or man? As drones become more common, we will see a more human type of delivery interaction as an alternative. Some may miss the days of the neighbourhood milkman who knew your name and stopped for a quick chat. A more local and personalised human experience will become important to many. What knowledge of your product does the delivery person have? Being told of the product benefits or how to set up your purchase as it’s handed to you will elevate the service and extend the brand experience. What’s important is that we have options. Having different options and levels of delivery service will allow customers to customise their experience and brands to differentiate themselves.

Walk-through stores
The drive-through has always been an ultimate expression of modern consumer convenience. Yet, the 2020 pandemic helped us realise that this method of shopping also provides us with security and comfort, as well as saving time. The nature of how we define convenience has expanded. As retail stores always strive for convenience and efficiency, it’s natural that the retail walk-through windows will gain popularity. We have seen the rise of cafés and restaurants transform to offer takeaway windows, often running a leaner and more efficient business, and many types of retail can follow. A walk-through window doesn’t just have to be functional (order or pick-up), it can be consultative. Does service retail always need an enclosed store for all of its services? Banks and post offices often put their staff behind screens inside their stores, surely advice about an account or sending a package can be done from a street-side walk-through window. Perhaps this separation between functions can create a greater focus on inside-store services. If we can assume customers in-store have more time, we provide more comfortable seating and offer a more personal service.

Click-and-collect concierge
Ordering something online is convenient, but sending something back is still a bad experience, not necessarily because of effort but due to disappointment; it’s an anti-climax. Click-and-collect is the happy medium between online and physical retail, but it’s still far too transactional. Click-and-collect is mostly thought of as time-saving, but many customers are utilising it in a different way; they have time and are using it to secure a product in case it sells out, so for them, it’s really ‘click-and-try’. Customers who have pre-ordered are the most likely to purchase and should be given a premium service. The store knows the customer’s size and what they want; they could be shown alternative products or services. If appointments are part of the experience, an area of the store could become curated for that customer, a changing room could be waiting, and the staff could know their name. If these ideas are extended far enough, click-and-collect becomes a part-personalised store by appointment.

Anyone, anytime
Uber's entry into the delivery market has expanded the possibilities for people to earn a quick side buck as ‘couriers’. Anyone can deliver something, and anything can be delivered. Imagine you just want some flour for a cake you’re baking from the local grocer or supermarket. A customer who’s already at the grocery store could get a notification and accept the job of delivering it to you. They could collect what you need and drop it off to you on their way home, collecting rewards or loyalty points, or making a small profit in the process.

The increased time many of us are spending at home has changed the nature of waiting. Our sense of convenience and urgency for deliveries changed, but this broadens the scope of what delivery can be to us. Technology means we could be delivering convenience in ways beyond the parameters of time. It’s likely we’ll expect delivery to follow other retail trends of increased personalisation. Delivery could be more of an experience, and brands will be able to utilise this to control and improve their customer relationships.

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I visited the Samsung store in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, with my family, temporarily shedding the designer’s mindset to simply be a shopper. Truth is, I can’t fully switch off. Instead, I enlist my kids as undercover agents, little ‘cultural probes,’ as they unwittingly seek out the most engaging experiences in the store.

What struck me was how my kids bypassed all the carefully curated ‘experiential’ displays, with products staged in perfect little household scenes, and made a beeline for the Galaxy Z Flip’s selfie station. There, a wonderfully enthusiastic staff member helped them dress up and take selfies from all sorts of angles. Now, I’ve never been one for dress-up games, but I found myself caught up in the moment, laughing, posing, and pulling faces. For a few minutes, I forgot we were even in a store—which is definitely the hallmark of a truly great retail experience.

The display nailed it, capturing the essence of a high-end photo booth and turning it into something memorable. The real proof of its impact? The photo printout my youngest proudly pinned to our fridge the next morning. That’s when you know a brand experience has hit home—it leaves a mark, even after you’ve walked out the door.

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Today’s consumer shops fluidly between online and offline retail channels throughout their browsing and purchasing journey, typically switching between a physical store, PC and their mobile device.

Today, the expectation is that the transition between these channels is seamless. From the consumer’s perspective, there is no such thing as a ‘channel’ - just a brand, where all channels are interconnected parts of a single retail experience.

The challenge for brands, which often develop and manage retail channels independently, is meeting consumer expectations for a seamless, single-brand experience, whether moving from online to offline or vice versa.

Where are we now?
Early ‘omnichannel’ efforts connected online channels and the physical store through consistent product offer, price point, and tone of voice. More recently, the focus has broadened, and we see technology combined with the physical store to deliver increased convenience (such as viewing the latest in-store offers, checking stock levels or ordering via click-and-collect). As consumer habits, preferences and pain points become more evident, these services have expanded and become more refined. For example, by understanding the customer’s frustration in the process of returning items, retailers are now providing changing rooms in their click-and-collect areas so items can be tried on before they are taken home. We’ve seen brands such as Nike and Adidas recognise that self-service click-and-collect experiences are not always frictionless. They have evolved their in-store pickup services from locker-based to be store-staff-driven in a bid to bring greater convenience and higher levels of service to their customers.

As consumer expectations continue to evolve, brands hoping to deliver a truly seamless ‘omnichannel’ experience must now look beyond transactional moments centred around fulfilment and convenience, and broaden their scope to include discovery and consultation moments.

Combine online and offline to facilitate better in-store discovery and consultation
Whilst there are several approaches retailers can adopt to facilitate better discovery and consultation experiences, one area that remains underutilised and worthwhile exploring is how brands can enable customers to gather and collect the things that interest them, without feeling the need to purchase. This is the ability to create ‘lists’. Far from a new concept, the retail wedding gift registry was first introduced by the New York department store, Marshall Field, in 1924. This has continued into the present day with list services often associated with ‘life event’ purchases, such as new homes, weddings, birthdays and births. However, for most retail brands, there are further opportunities to leverage this concept, enabling them to connect online to in-store and in-store to online.

01. Online to In-store:
How can retailers leverage the physical store to convert online lists into better discovery and consultation moments?
The habit of list-making is well established and goes beyond ‘life event’ purchasing. Amazon enables shoppers to access frequently bought items to populate an online basket; alternatively, a shopper can save items for later; these are both types of lists. Away from Amazon, brands enable customers to ‘list’ their preferences, past purchases, likes and favourites. However, very few retailers have explored how lists created through their online platforms can be leveraged inside their physical stores. Doing this can help brands deliver a more personalised and convenient experience, facilitate better discovery and consultation and ultimately generate more sales. Here we explore how a retailer may look to achieve this.

Help customers identify stores that best suit their needs
By leveraging customers’ predefined online wish lists, purchase history and preferences, brands could communicate which local store best aligns with their needs.

Help customers locate items in-store
After compiling a wish list online, an app could help customers navigate physical stores and locate the items they need with ease.

Introduce staff to the customer (and their preferences)
Using information from a customer’s online wish lists, browsing habits and previous purchases, an app could alert and inform sales staff when an existing customer makes an unscheduled visit to a store. The retailer can then allocate the most appropriate sales staff to look after that customer and offer a personalised consultation.

Curate personalised display areas
Use wish lists created online to create customised appointments. Booked online, a dedicated private service area can be curated with pre-selected products ahead of a store visit. This greatly improves the potential for sales and is at the pinnacle of personalised store experiences.

02. In-store to Online: How can retailers encourage customers to translate in-store discovery into online engagement and purchases?

Retailers should also explore how they can drive shoppers from their physical stores to their online channels. Evidence shows that when brands launch a new physical store location, online sales in the area can increase by up to 110%. There are several technical solutions (QR Codes, NFC etc.) that can immediately introduce a shopper to a brand’s online channel whilst they are in-store to provoke such sales. Using their mobile devices, shoppers can easily scan products that interest them, adding them to an online list.

Whilst scanning items in-store in this way is not yet a fully-formed consumer habit, this ‘showrooming’ approach to physical retail is only going to become more common. Approximately half of electronic goods sales are researched in-store before being bought online. Alongside the demand for greater flexibility and control of their journey, the blurring of boundaries between online and offline channels will cause customers to expect traditionally online functions (like ‘list-making’) to also appear in a brand’s physical store. Here are some ways that retailers could start doing this now:

Enable the creation of in-store product wishlists
As customers discover and select products and services throughout their in-store journey, enable them to add them to a list using their personal devices. This may be as simple as populating an online basket, so that customers can transact online, away from the store. It may also be about creating a ‘save-for-later’ category or a favourites list.

Connect a customer’s physical store transactions to their online history
Combine the customer’s in-store and online purchase history to create a single, digital master list of their product and service preferences.

List-making beyond just products
Use the physical store to introduce initiatives beyond the product and service offer. Enable in-store customers to ‘collect’ the things that interest them most about your brand and its community. These could be collecting things like a brand’s values and the company mission to read about later, such as branded content, community initiatives or rewards campaigns.

Curate online marketing preferences
Use the physical store to bring products and services to life, so that customers can refine and personalise the marketing content the brand sends them.

Bringing ‘showroom retail’ to life
If retail brands are to successfully encourage customers to digitally capture products and services that interest them in-store and also motivate them to continue their journey online, they must first inspire and engage customers through great retail design. For customers to be interested, the store must be interesting.

Retailers must create engagement and demand through moments of unexpected discovery and delight. The physical store design has a significant influence on a customer’s willingness to commit, not just to purchase, but even to simply add an item to their online basket or their wish list. Engagement and demand will be created through clear, emotive storytelling, supported by a provocative use of scale and proportion, colour, materials and finishes, great merchandising, and crucially, a carefully thought-through customer journey.

This is nothing new. These are the fundamentals of great retail design. Combining these with expert staff and the ability to test, try and touch products and services is physical retail’s real superpower. Retailers must not forget to leverage this power if they are to inspire their audience to continue the relationship and purchasing journey online.

Conclusion
There is a great appetite within retail today to deliver moments that connect deeply with the customer, moments that are meaningful and memorable, moments that are ‘experiential’. Inevitably, ‘list-making’ is not the first intervention that comes to mind when looking to innovate. Nonetheless, lists should not be ignored. To create an ‘omni-channel’ that consumers adopt, we need to use small stepping stones to encourage new behaviours. Lists can provide retailers with a simple and recognisable bridge between the online and offline channels, before introducing further, possibly more provocative omnichannel innovations to their audience. Incremental change is fundamental, as we must never forget that innovation is only truly successful when the target audience is ready and willing to adopt it.

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For years, we were told happiness was something you could buy — a better salary, a nicer flat, even a coffee machine that costs more than your first car. But the data tells a different story. The strongest predictor of long-term wellbeing is the quality of our social relationships (OECD, 2023). And loneliness is now so widespread that the WHO classifies it as a public health concern, increasing mortality risk at levels comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.

Loneliness is rising fastest among young adults and hybrid workers. In the UK, 1 in 4 people aged 18–24 report feeling lonely ‘most of the time’ (ONS, 2023). People don’t need more places to go. They need places where they feel known.

This isn’t just human. It’s commercial.

When people feel they belong, behaviour changes. The International Council of Shopping Centers reports that emotionally connected customers visit 3x more often and stay up to 2x longer. MIT research shows that shared social experience increases habitual return behaviour. And word-of-mouth — still responsible for 20–50% of all purchase decisions — becomes a natural by-product, not one that’s engineered.

This is where physical retail has a unique advantage: presence. Digital channels can deliver convenience, but only physical space creates the conditions for belonging — familiarity, recognition, shared moments. Yet most stores are still designed for transactions, not relationships. And the outcome is predictable: declining footfall, eroding margins, and endless promotions just to stay afloat.

The retailers who will win the next decade are those who design belonging intentionally — spaces where lingering feels normal, staff act as hosts, and a return visit feels like coming back, not starting again.

In a world of infinite choice, belonging is the advantage that can’t be copied.

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In a world where more retail transactions are happening online, many assume physical stores are losing relevance. But the truth is the opposite. Stores are evolving—from points of sale to powerful platforms for trust, faith, and loyalty. Here we explore why the store is no longer a channel—it’s a signal. Using behavioural science, global case studies, and strategic insight, we make the case for why senior retail leaders must invest in store environments as belief-building engines—not just places to move product.

Your Stores Aren’t Selling Products Anymore. They’re Selling Belief.
Imagine telling your CFO that your flagship store isn’t about shifting units—it’s about shifting mindsets. You’d probably be laughed out of the boardroom. And yet, that’s exactly what the best brands are doing. Because your stores — they’re not endpoints, they’re entry points. Not to transactions, but to trust, faith, and loyalty.

As more purchases shift online, it’s tempting to assume the role of physical retail is shrinking. In reality, it’s doing the opposite, and according to McKinsey, 60–70% of consumers still interact with a physical store at some point in their journey—even if the purchase ends online.

What we’re witnessing is not decline, but metamorphosis—from places of purchase to temples of belief.

From Transaction to Transformation
Walk into your favourite store—not to buy, but to belong. That’s the new retail paradigm. When people step through your doors, they’re not just here to shop—they’re here to believe. They believe your brand delivers on its promises. They believe it shares their values. And they believe it’s worth coming back to.

Research backs this up: the Edelman Trust Barometer finds that 59% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they trust—even if it costs more.

Retail, when done right, builds a bond that’s harder to break than a subscription contract. It’s not just functional—it’s emotional. And like all great relationships, it’s built progressively:

Trust sparks faith.
Faith nurtures loyalty.
Loyalty sustains the brand.

The Three Belief Builders

TRUST: The Comfort of the Known
Buying Levi’s isn’t a risk—it’s reassurance. The stitching, the cut, the cultural cachet. It doesn’t have to shout. Trust is woven in. That’s what your store should feel like: reliable, intentional, quietly confident.

Kantar reports that brands with strong emotional connections grow brand value 3× faster than those without.

FAITH: The Leap of Confidence
Joining the iPhone queue on launch day is irrational. You don’t know exactly what you’re buying—but you believe it’ll be worth it. That kind of commitment isn’t driven by a digital ad. It’s built through consistent, credible, immersive brand experiences. Forrester’s research suggests that emotionally connected customers are twice as valuable as highly satisfied ones.

LOYALTY: The Relationship Dividend
Still lacing up your Nikes despite cheaper options? That’s loyalty. Not to the shoe—but to the story. Nike isn’t selling sneakers—it’s selling ambition, identity, and community. Your store can do the same—if you treat it as a stage, not a shelf.

Why Physical Still Wins
If you’re not ‘selling’ in-store, what’s the ROI? Here’s the behavioural kicker: humans are hardwired for in-person connection. A University of North Carolina study showed that face-to-face interaction boosts oxytocin—the trust hormone. You can’t trigger that with a TikTok.

Signals That Build Trust, Faith & Loyalty
Costly signals are the visible choices that show customers and competitors what you truly stand for. They require significant investment to create and maintain, making them difficult to fake. More than just expenses, they act as proof points—signals of credibility, creativity, and commitment—that shape how people trust and believe in your brand.

Enter Costly Signalling Theory: the idea that the more something costs to sustain, the more believable the signal. In nature, it’s the peacock’s tail. In retail, it’s your architecture, your materials, your tech, your staff, your space. These are the signals that build belief.

1. Architecture as Assurance
Apple’s Fifth Avenue cube doesn’t just house products—it projects values. Transparency. Innovation. Permanence. Without even entering, you feel the brand’s message of openness, clarity, and innovation. Walking down the spiral staircase feels like entering a tech cathedral—this is more than a store; it’s where the future lives.

2. Luxury That Whispers
The Tiffany flagship in New York feels more like a temple of trust than a store. The luxurious marble floors and crystal chandeliers quietly promise that everything here is built to last. It’s not just about selling jewellery—everything, even the floors and walls, guarantees quality. These luxury interiors don’t merely attract—they seduce. Bain found that 80% of luxury sales are influenced by the in-store experience—even when the transaction ends online.

3. Precision That Preaches
Swarovski in New York feels like a jewel box itself. Everything is made with precision so the jewellery can sparkle. The flawless displays and soft finishes aren’t just for show—they’re a message. Every detail says, “We care.”

4. Space That Breathes
Apple’s Tower Theatre store feels effortless. Spacious, calm, and clear. The simple, uncluttered space builds trust. It’s as if Apple is saying, “Here’s everything. Take your time.”

5. Technology That Delights
HiPanda in Tokyo is a tech playground. Augmented reality, digital displays, and animated avatars. It’s more than novelty—it’s the brand saying, “We know what excites you—and we’re investing in it.

6. Personalisation That Matters
Golden Goose, NYC, turns you from customer to co-creator. Pick colours, materials, finishes—make the shoes yours. Deloitte found personalised experiences deliver 5–8 fold ROI and increase conversion by over 10%.

7. Sustainability That Connects
Ecoalf in Madrid sells footwear and fashion made from ocean plastic. Transparent about materials. Open about mission. According to First Insight, 73% of Gen Z will pay more for sustainable brands.

8. Heritage That Anchors
Samsung Galaxy Store, Tokyo blends past and future. It’s part museum, part manifesto. Each product is part of a journey. History signals reliability. Longevity is its own kind of innovation.

9. Uniforms That Signal Service
Harrods in London. Impeccable. Recognisable. Trustworthy. Crafted uniforms aren’t just for show. They communicate service and pride. During a temporary takeover, the doormen stepped into tailored Burberry—and for a moment, heritage spoke to heritage, each brand amplifying the other’s values.

10. Entertainment That Engages
Nike, NYC. A digital basketball court that tracks your shots. The store becomes a stage. PwC says 43% of consumers visit stores for entertainment and experience.

11. Consistency That Reassures
Aesop stores worldwide blend local culture with global familiarity. The design shifts, but the feeling stays the same. Consistency builds comfort. Comfort builds trust.


The Mindset Shift That Matters
Convincing execs to invest in stores that don’t ’sell’ is tough. Because we’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about sales per square foot. It’s about trust per square foot. Trust compounds. Trust retains. Trust justifies a premium.

Change the Metrics. Change the Game.
Shifting 10% of your marketing budget to physical retail may sound radical. It’s not. It’s rational. But you’re not just playing the game smarter, you’re changing the rules entirely. You’re not just spending. You’re signalling. And those signals become belief. Belief becomes loyalty. Loyalty builds brands.

The Leadership Leap
If you’re a senior retail leader, now’s the moment to act. Stop treating your store as a sales channel. Start using it as a brand belief system. Measure its ability to spark connection, not just conversion. Build retail environments that reflect what your brand stands for, not just what it sells. By doing this, you’ll build an enduring brand that stands for something greater.
Because in the end, the store that earns belief will always outperform the store that just pushes product. The future isn’t about transactions. It’s about trust. And trust lives in-store.

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Whether through written words, spoken phrases, or a store's design language, how we communicate shapes the customer experience. It’s like orchestrating a symphony where every element, from the sheen of the materials to the flow of the layout, right down to the navigational signs and packaging, must play in perfect harmony, especially when the goal is to be both accessible and inclusive. But this is no small feat—it’s a delicate balancing act, with various stakeholders each trying to ensure their part of the experience hits the right note.

This idea struck me during a recent trip to Bali, where I found myself enjoying a cup of Luwak coffee—brewed from beans that have passed through a civet cat, no less. In Bali, I noticed something refreshingly simple: while we in the West often complicate things to stand out, the locals kept it straightforward. ‘Drink this ginseng coffee to relieve stress and improve memory,’ or, ‘Try this coconut coffee to reduce hunger and boost alertness.’ There was an appealing directness to it—no need for elaborate descriptions or obscure flavour notes.

Back home, it’s a different story. Our coffee and wine often come wrapped in a language that’s more about sophistication than simplicity, with descriptions so abstract they might leave even a seasoned barista puzzled. ‘Hints of elderflower, a touch of caramel, a finish reminiscent of apricots.’ It’s all very poetic, but how many of us really taste those notes? For the average drinker, this kind of language can feel more alienating than engaging, creating a sense of exclusivity that might actually be off-putting.

Have we taken branded communication too far? When even ordering a simple coffee feels like navigating a linguistic minefield. At Starbucks, the universally understood ‘small, medium, large’ has been needlessly rebranded as Tall, Grande, and Venti. Is this differentiation for the sake of confusion, is it a charming, delightful bit of brand theatre or a maddening bit of branding that turns a basic request into an unnecessary challenge?

As retailers reimagine their physical spaces to be more inclusive, it’s not just the architecture that demands our attention. The language we use—whether subtly embedded in the design materials or boldly emblazoned on packaging must align to this vision. After all, a truly inclusive experience isn’t just about accommodating different needs physically; it’s about making sure everyone, from the connoisseur to the casual drinker, feels welcomed and understood. Sometimes, the simplest language, both in words and design, can be the most powerful.

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When you put engaged and inspirational store staff into a thoughtfully designed store, this is where the real magic can happen; this is where brands can stand out.

All too often, the dialogue surrounding experiential retail focuses almost exclusively on customer experiences. Of course, this is of huge importance to the long-term success of any retail format, but when understanding a retail experience, we must look beyond the customer.

For a retail format to be a real success, it must not only work for the customer, it must also work for the business, the brand, and crucially, it must work for the staff.

So why is the staff experience so crucial?
Retail staff represent one of the key foundations of any great retail experience, and they are a key differentiator for brick-and-mortar retail. Without a healthy staff experience, the business, the brand and the customer will all suffer.

The importance of staff to the business
We know that every business is only as good as its people; retail is no different. Without even accounting for training and benefits costs, staff typically represent a retailer’s second largest expense (behind property-related costs). Therefore, it’s crucial that this key business component is working effectively. Businesses that support their staff reap the rewards. A recent Gallup poll reported that highly engaged teams achieve 23% greater profitability. They also realise an 81% reduction in absenteeism, up to 43% reduction in staff turnover and a 66% improvement in wellbeing [1]. It is not surprising to learn that studies show that happy, healthy staff are more productive, and now more than ever, the physical and mental wellbeing of your staff is a prime consideration.

The Pandemic has changed the population’s attitude toward staff, and consumers are watching and taking note of how retailers treat their team, and making judgements about those businesses that treat their staff well and those that don’t.

The importance of staff to the brand
Through personality, tone of voice and human interaction, your staff communicate your brand values more clearly than any other channel. Store staff are your brand’s biggest advocates, and over 90% of customers trust brand advocates more than any other advertising channel. Highly engaged and motivated staff create long-lasting brand loyalty and trust.

The importance of staff to the customer
The ability for a customer to connect on a human level is possibly the greatest strength of brick-and-mortar retail. The online channel cannot do this, and ironically, the digital age we live in has created huge demand for face-to-face interactions. 71% of customers say that staff have a significant impact on their shopping experience [2], and they are 2.6 times more likely to recommend your brand [3] after interacting with a highly engaged retail employee. Customers want ‘real’ ‘human’ interactions.

The pandemic has created a different level of appreciation for retail staff. We are all more grateful for the challenges and risks taken by staff ‘just’ doing their jobs. This change in attitude is underpinned by a greater sense of empathy that we have towards one another.

It has also reminded us how valuable, rich, and fulfilling human interactions and physical experiences can be. It’s the staff that are key to creating these experiences, and they are the ones to assure customers and give them permission to try, touch and test your products and services.

The challenge retail faces
Nonetheless, despite this importance, the retail industry is not getting staff experiences right. Reports indicate a staff turnover rate of up to 60% in retail compared to typical averages of around 19% [4]. Furthermore, when asked on a scale of 1-5 how satisfied they are with their work, retail staff rate their job lower than those working in hospitality, ride-sharing, delivery and food services [3].

If the success of bricks-and-mortar retail is so reliant on face-to-face interactions between staff and customers, more needs to be done. Retailers need to improve staff loyalty and satisfaction. The industry needs staff to be highly motivated and engaged; it needs Superstars.

What motivates retail staff?
So, where can retail find these ‘mythical’ Superstars? The good news is they already exist… they are already on the payroll. Retailers just need to develop a clearer understanding of what matters most to their staff and build this into their staff experience.

If we consider workplace employees universally, we can organise what matters most into the following five categories:

• The Pay and Benefits that an employee receives.

• The Culture of the business and the type of people that work there.

• The Training and Prospects an employee’s role offers.

• The Purpose and the Impact the role enables an employee to have.

• And finally, a crucial element of an employee experience is their Workspace, and in the case of retail, that workspace is the retail store.

With so much emphasis on what physical retail spaces can do for the customer experience, the relationship between retail staff and the store is rarely considered. All too often, staff are made to feel like guests in their own ‘workspace’ and the focus is always on the customer. Yet, if retailers want to attract and develop ‘Superstar Staff’, they must show them that they care. To achieve this, retailers must now consider the store environment as a workspace that empowers staff, rather than just as a customer-facing commercial space.

The following six insights demonstrate some of the ways in which Quinine has helped retailers use the physical retail store to show their staff that they care, which in turn helps motivate them to perform better.

1- Inspirational spaces inspire people
People’s expectations of the physical workspaces that they occupy have evolved. Retail staff are no different. They also want a workspace that inspires and motivates them. Of course, retailers need to deliver retail spaces that look and feel great for customers, but equally, they must provide their staff with the inspirational workspaces they deserve.

A retailer that invests in the quality of its store design will communicate to staff that they are trusted and that their employers care. The use of colour, materials, and scale to represent the brand reminds staff they are part of something bigger. Digital layers, lighting installations and biophilic elements can all be used to energise the staff and positively impact their wellbeing. These techniques can all result in a workforce that has pride in where they work, has a clear sense of purpose and will ultimately be more productive.

However, retailers must not limit these interventions to the shop floor. Staff are frequently required to spend time in the back-of-house areas too. These are often cramped, unloved and overused spaces. To keep staff motivated and engaged, retailers need to either invest in these spaces or encourage staff to use the front-of-house areas more for their administrative or social activities.

2- Offer your staff choice
One of the most powerful things an employer can do to motivate staff is to facilitate the different ways they like to work.

Let’s consider a traditional service-focused retail space, such as a bank. ING’s flagship space in the Netherlands is regarded as an ‘office’ where staff can host clients. To facilitate this, staff are provided with a variety of workspaces; there are casual spaces, a communal seating area and semi-public and private consultation spaces. Audio-tech brand Sonos is a more product-focused retailer that provides staff with a similar range of spaces. Their concept allowed staff to choose to host customers at traditional product displays, product discovery areas or in immersive zones.

Providing staff with this ability to choose has a huge impact on their day-to-day motivation and engagement.

3- Make sure staff feel comfortable
Retail staff and how they perceive comfort comes in many shapes and sizes. Therefore, retailers must think broadly about the comfort of their staff, whether it be their physical or their emotional comfort.

To perform at their best and remain consistently motivated and engaged, retail staff need a comfortable workspace. Is their working space big enough? Just because store areas meet accessibility codes does not necessarily mean that they provide the optimum working experience. Do you expect your staff to stand throughout their shift? If so, what measures are you taking to ensure their comfort? Alternatively, are your staff required to sit? Do they have the right kind of chair for their age and body type? Crucially, does the store deliver emotional comfort? Does the physical store environment make staff feel safe, or does it make them feel vulnerable?

Through significant events, such as the pandemic and increasing violence towards staff, safety is being redefined. New interventions and protocols need to be put in place to counter levels of risk and anxiety and show staff how much you care.

Retail staff whose workspace causes them discomfort - physical or emotional, will be distracted, unmotivated and disengaged. Retailers must work closely with their staff to understand their needs and show them that they are valued and cared for.

4- Allow staff to personalise
Key to staff’s happiness is the freedom and confidence they are given to be themselves. This is why in retail, one of the most powerful and emotive factors driving the success of the staff experience is the uniform that staff are asked to wear. But allowing retail staff to personalise their uniform is more complicated than in traditional workplaces. Retail is a customer-facing, branded environment where staff’s appetite to personalise must remain ‘on brand’.

To facilitate this, Apple provides just a shirt and a lanyard. So long as staff are wearing these, they can then personalise their look to suit their own unique identity. Adidas is a bit more restrictive. Staff must choose their ‘uniforms’ from either the Originals or Performance ranges. The ‘Performance’ uniform is fixed, but if staff choose the Originals range, they have the freedom to supplement their look with their own clothes.

Freedom to personalise can be delivered in many different ways. It does not have to just be about uniforms. Whether it be the tools that staff use, their tone of voice or the spaces they occupy in-store, those retailers who understand that staff need the freedom to be themselves, and offer them the right support, will ultimately find they have a more loyal and engaged workforce.

5- Create opportunities for staff learning
Retail now demands that staff are experts in their roles. Retailers, therefore, need to devote greater investment and time in their people.

In addition to improving staff inductions and onboarding, more needs to be done to take advantage of the physical retail space to encourage staff learning. As retail experiences integrate more moments that enable customers to learn, retail businesses should leverage these same spaces in-store to educate their staff. Whether it be in the service spaces, private or public, or around product displays, retailers can conduct skills workshops, help staff learn about company processes or train them on the tools they need to fulfil their roles.

Stores that facilitate a culture of learning and development not only encourage staff motivation and engagement but also attract the best talent from within the industry. If you invest in staff learning, you will attract the best performers.

6- Make sure the store works
Whilst all the points above are about the space working well, there are some basics that continue to be missed. Retail staff are desperate to do a great job, but without the basics in place, their enthusiasm quickly dwindles.

Every retailer will have their own unique set of ‘basics’ that they need to deliver. Simple factors like the provision of discrete litter bins on the shop floor, which are so often overlooked, as are the time-consuming maintenance and specialist cleaning techniques required for some store fixtures and the new levels of hygiene. These are a prerequisite in today’s stores. These factors must be considered when designing retail concepts, so they do not hinder the staff’s ability to look after the store. A store that makes it easy for staff to comply with merchandising standards, adjust and maintain product displays and easily change messaging, all subtly contribute to job satisfaction.

When retailers deliver a store with staff in mind, it shows real commitment to making sure the whole store works. Investing in these basics demonstrates a great understanding of the efforts of those who work in the store. This consideration has a huge impact on staff’s loyalty and day-to-day engagement.

There remains much speculation about the future of brick-and-mortar retail and what it might look like in 5-10 years. What is clear is that central to any future retail success stories will be an exceptional group of motivated and engaged staff.

We know that many factors influence staff motivation, but there is little doubt that the impact the physical retail store has upon their day-to-day working life is significant.

The six insights above are not exclusive. There are many ways to make the physical store a better workspace, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. If retailers focus on showing their staff that they care and understand what is most important, great staff experiences will emerge. Deliver a great Staff Experience, and you will ultimately amplify your customers’ experience too.

Sources
1 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx#ite-285782
2 InMoment Retail Trends Report
3 https://www.bain.com/insights/now-hiring-investing-in-retailers-most-important-asset/
4 https://www.dailypay.com/blog/employee-turnover-rates-in-retail/

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I was travelling on London’s Tube the other day when it struck me: I didn’t actually notice the design of the Underground map at all. It simply worked — clear, confident, and communicative. And that’s the point.

Harry Beck’s Underground map is a masterpiece of invisibility. Before him, designers tried to make it geographically accurate — a squiggly mess that mirrored the city above. It was precise, but utterly impractical.

Beck did something radical: he stopped telling the truth and started telling what mattered. He straightened the lines, spaced the stations evenly, and ignored geography altogether. And it worked — brilliantly. Because the real question wasn’t “How do I represent London accurately?” but “How do I help people get from A to B without losing their mind?”

That’s the paradox of good design: you only notice it when it’s bad.
Bad design shouts. It demands attention and energy.
Good design quietly removes friction until it disappears.

Think of it like manners. Bad design is the guest who won’t stop talking about himself. Good design is the one who quietly tops up your glass.

Not every brand has the confidence to disappear. But the ones that do earn something far more powerful than attention — they earn trust.

Good design doesn’t shout. Like the Tube map, it earns devotion by quietly doing its job well.

What’s a piece of design you love precisely because it disappears?

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The problem with stores? It’s not that we have too many, it’s that too many do the same job.

Every year, retailers waste millions on store formats that fail, not because the strategy was wrong, but because it was untested. The problem isn’t vision. It’s execution. Somewhere between the boardroom and the shop floor, strategy dies quietly, costing morale, missed targets, wasted CAPEX, and broken customer experiences.

Physical retail isn’t dying, but drowning in sameness. In 2025, the problem won’t be too many stores—it’ll be too many stores doing the same job. This piece explores why designing for function, not format, is the new imperative, and how the most effective estates work as purposeful portfolios. Success is no longer just about sales per square foot, it’s also about presence, loyalty and adaptability. Because in a world where customers constantly evolve, the best stores do too.

What Is the Role of the Physical Retail Store in 2025?
There is no single answer. The role of the store in 2025 isn’t fixed. It’s not one-size-fits-all, in fact, it’s one-size-fits-no one.

In a world where customers, channels and expectations are in constant motion, static thinking is a liability. Yet we still talk about stores in binary terms: brand theatre or fulfilment hub, experience centre or sales machine. The truth is, our stores need to be all of those things—some of the time.

The key is knowing which store does what, for whom, and when. We’re shifting from standard formats to purposeful functions. From uniformity across the estate to utility tailored to context. The future isn’t about matching stores—it’s about meaningful ones.

Not every store must look the same, but every store must serve a clear purpose. Some drive visibility in high-traffic areas. Others deliver accessibility, conversion, or community connection. Customers stay loyal to brands that show up consistently, not just those with good products. That’s why being physically present matters just as much as what you sell.

A store’s role is shaped by context—demographics, channel mix, competition, data, the neighbourhood pulse... And because that context changes, so must the store.

It’s time to design for adaptability, not permanence.
The biggest trap in retail is creating permanent solutions for fluid realities. Expectations shift. Competitors move in. Tech evolves. The store that makes sense today might need rethinking in 12 months. That’s not a flaw—it’s a feature of a modern retail estate.

We need ecosystems, not monoliths. The future isn’t built on uniformity, it’s shaped by a portfolio of distinct store types—each with clear purpose, each designed to evolve with its context. No one store carries the full weight. Together, they deliver the full brand promise.

We’re rethinking what success means.
It’s the right store in the right place doing the right job. That won’t always mean the highest sales per square foot. Sometimes the return is cultural, emotional, or brand-led. The most valuable stores to the business might not sell the most, but they shift how people see the brand. Not every store can or should do everything. So we ask: What role does this store play in the journey? What experience are we creating? And how will it evolve?

In 2025 and beyond, the most successful retailers won’t have the most stores—but the most intentional ones. It’s not about formats—it’s about futures. And how we adapt, design and align around them. The store isn’t static. And neither is its value.

Rethinking Store Purpose – A Thought Experiment
Customer behaviour, technology and urban life evolve faster than store formats. It’s easy to end up managing what was, instead of designing what could be. To help shift your mindset, consider this exercise. Strip it all back. Forget the legacy estate. Forget leases, formats and sunk costs. Think of your retail estate as if it were a new town under development, with each phase of growth demanding a different kind of presence. Imagine that a new town is being built over the next decade. There’s land and potential, but no high streets, no footfall patterns, no brand presence. You decide what kind of store to create, where to go, when to show up, and why it matters.

Phase One – Arrival Without Infrastructure
The town is just breaking ground. A few new homes. A handful of early movers. Your job is to spark trust and begin the relationship. The store is a flexible-format brand outpost—pop-up, modular or mobile. It sparks curiosity, starts conversations and plants a flag. Its purpose is to create early brand salience. To act as a magnet, not a megaphone. It offers useful, memorable, low-friction experiences. It doesn’t need to sell much—it needs to listen closely and learn fast.

Phase Two – The Town Takes Shape
In years two to four, the town develops its own rhythm. It’s no longer an outpost—it’s a place people move to and build habits around. Roads connect. The school run begins. Routine sets in.

Your role isn’t to shout louder, it’s to matter more. To become part of the weekly rhythm. To be the place people turn to, not just when they need something, but because it’s part of their routine and habits. The original store becomes a service hub, a local fixer helping people get things working. A second opens where footfall flows faster—a retail turbine converting interest into action. A third appears in a leisure zone, focused on experience over utility. Less market stall, more brand theatre.

Each store finds its rhythm. Some fit the weekday dash, others the weekend wander. The best do both—useful and memorable by design. Not everyone needs the red carpet—but someone does. So you design for that. Not to exclude, but to serve better. When people feel seen, they stay. You’re no longer a novelty. You’re part of the neighbourhood.

Phase Three – A Thriving, Competitive Ecosystem
By years five to ten, the town is thriving. Pavements are busy. Other brands have moved in. Customers have generally made their choices. Your brand is familiar. Recognised. Maybe even liked. However, that’s not the same as being chosen again and again. By now, the goal isn’t to be noticed—it’s to be missed when absent. Now the estate behaves less like a chain and more like an orchestra. Each store plays a role and together they create something greater than the sum of their fixtures.

The Flagship is your lead violin, bold and expressive. The Service Hub keeps time. The Community Microstore hums in the background, local and habitual. The Dark Store works backstage—fast, efficient and quietly brilliant.

At this stage, you’re not chasing eyeballs—you’re holding hearts. Loyalty isn’t bought with points but earned through presence, usefulness and small moments of delight. Retail and digital move in sync. The store drives the app and the app drives the store—a loop, not a tug of war. Through it all, your role is simple. Be the constant in a customer’s changing world. Reliable but never predictable. Known but never stale. Always there—until it would be unthinkable not to be.

Designing for Evolution Not Erosion
Store purpose isn’t fixed. It’s shaped by context. Like a smart city, your estate should listen, learn and adapt. Not follow rigid blueprints, but respond to how people live, move and change. What works in year one won’t work in year ten. That’s not poor planning—it means your system is alive.

Too often, stores are built for launch day and then left to stand the test of time. Trapped in a world that’s already moved on. This approach asks something different. Design for motion, not just for the moment. Think of your estate as a living ecosystem. It sees physical space not as a billboard, but as a strategic lever. It builds a purposeful portfolio that evolves with the people it serves.

Rethink the Estate – Executive Strategy Questions
Bring your leadership team together and pressure-test your estate strategy. Start here:

• If we were launching in a new market today, which store format would we lead with—and why?

• Which stores in our estate are actively building the brand—and which are quietly eroding it?

• Where are we overspending on presence, but underdelivering on purpose?

• Which formats are still fit for function—and which are surviving on sunk cost?

• Where are we designing for today—and where are we frozen in the assumptions of five years ago?

This is not a post-mortem. It’s a readiness check. The goal is not more formats—it’s more future-ready roles.

The Hidden Risk of Standing Still
In a fast-moving market, standing still means falling behind. Brands that cling to fixed formats risk irrelevance—not because the product is wrong, but because the store no longer aligns with how people live, shop or expect to be served.

The impact is real. Underperformance rises. Costs climb. Customer experience falters. Brand perception fragments. Static estates can’t flex, support new models, or integrate emerging tech. And when change finally comes, the cost—financial and cultural—is far higher. Inaction breeds fragility.

Ready to design stores that evolve with your customer?
We help retail leaders build adaptive estates—intentional formats designed for relevance, speed, and long-term value. Let’s shape your next move.

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𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Most brands treat the entrance like an afterthought.
A door. A logo. A list of opening hours.

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.
The outside is part of the inside.
The experience starts before you step through the door.

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗯 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹.
A promise.
A message that says:
"We get you, you belong here"

A good entrance doesn’t beg.
It doesn’t shout 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 in 400-point type.
It whispers, “Come in — this is for you.”

It creates intrigue, not noise.
Energy, not clutter.
Purpose, not polish.

You don’t need flashing lights.
You need a reason to step closer.

Because if you can’t win me on the outside,
You’ll never get me on the inside.

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻?

𝟭. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲
I know what it is.
I know who it’s for.
If I have to guess, I’ll keep walking.

𝟮. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
It catches the eye without screaming.
It uses light, contrast, movement, and materials to draw me in.
It doesn’t blend in — it stands out with intent.

𝟯. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁
It speaks to my life — not your product range.
It makes me feel something:
Curious. Welcomed. Understood. Safe.

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In retail, the smartest technology isn’t the loudest. It’s the quietest. It doesn’t interrupt. It doesn’t pressure. It waits — ready to be useful at the right moment.

Take something as simple as a QR code in a window. It’s not a gimmick. It’s an invitation. A low-friction, low-cost touchpoint that transforms how people engage with stores.

On a recent walk down Carnaby Street, we saw it in action. Service brands using QR codes not as decoration, but as a seamless extension of the store experience. Book an appointment. Browse treatments. Watch a product in action — all before stepping inside. No pressure. No barriers. Just a soft nudge to engage on your terms.

That’s not just technology. That’s psychology.

When engagement is optional, it’s inviting. When it’s forced, it’s ignored.

And the numbers back it up:
Last year, retailers increased QR code generation by 88% year-on-year. Research shows that customers who engage across multiple touchpoints spend 15% more per order and have 1.5× higher lifetime value.

This isn’t trend-chasing — it’s experience-building. The best tech doesn’t fight for attention. It hands over control. And in retail, control is currency. Think about it: book an eye test, scan a product guide, follow a brand — instantly, in the moment, without waiting in line. The QR code becomes a soft entry point, a side door, providing a bridge between hesitation and action.

And it works.

Want to go deeper? Link it to product videos, tutorials, TikToks, playlists — not gimmicks, but meaningful brand connections. Unified retail commerce isn’t about adding more screens. It’s about adding more relevance. The smartest stores don’t chase digital bells and whistles — they build effortless overlaps between scroll and store, between browsing and belonging.

Because the best tech doesn’t look like tech. It feels like permission. To explore. To engage. To opt in.

Because when tech is intentional, it performs.

Helping brands choose the right tech, place it with purpose, and design experiences that drive outcomes — not just engagement.

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The Victoria and Albert Museum‘s Storehouse isn’t just a building. It’s a time machine. A warehouse of wonder. Tucked inside London’s Olympic media centre, it’s a secret worth discovering — part archive, part classroom, part temple. A beautiful contradiction, which I enjoyed visiting with my family.

And it’s not just the objects that make it special, it’s the design of the space. The details underfoot, the handrails you touch, a layout that invites you to meander, not rush. Objects aren’t perched on pristine plinths but sit proudly on wooden pallets, albeit elegant ones. It’s a space that whispers, not shouts, adding to the feeling of discovery. Like walking through a treasure trove, where every artefact is less about display, more about memory. Stories not yet told. Rituals waiting to be remembered. The joy is in what you stumble across.

Having studied at the RCA, I’ve always felt a personal thread connecting me to the V&A. As a student, it provided raw material for drawing classes, artefacts that sparked ideas. I’d walk the galleries looking for references, but often found something rarer: a kind of stillness that made the objects feel less like exhibits, more like old friends. It’s more than a museum. More than a collection.

Because here’s the thing — we don’t just use objects. We build relationships with them. We attach meaning. We create rituals. A favourite mug. A worn coat. A stack of records you’d never play on shuffle. These aren’t just things. They’re parts of us.

But somewhere along the way — in our rush to make everything frictionless and optimised — we’ve stripped the soul out of the story. Shopping became scrolling. Ownership became overnight delivery. And just like that, the bond began to fray.

The ritual disappeared. And with it, the connection.

That’s why I’m fascinated by how ‘People, Place, and Things’ intertwine. How the simple act of choosing, holding, and owning — in the right space, with the right story — can build something deeper. Something that lasts.

Stories echo throughout every corridor of the Storehouse. Every object feels like a conversation waiting to happen. It’s not just a place to visit. It’s a place to feel.

And maybe that’s what retail needs to rediscover. Not just faster transactions or smoother checkouts — but spaces that make people feel something. Spaces that invite curiosity, spark conversation, and deepen brand connections.

Because when customers feel connected, they stay longer. return more often and buy with more conviction.

In the battle for loyalty, it’s not convenience that wins — it’s meaning. And the most successful brands of the future won’t just sell products… they’ll curate places people want to be. Not faster. Not cheaper. But richer. More human. More connected.

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In our first article Why Having a Sustainable Strategy is Important for Physical Retail, we identify that establishing and executing a pathway toward sustainability must now be a key focus for every retail business. This article takes a more tactical viewpoint.

Every sustainable development strategy must consider environmental, economic and social sustainability in order to have impact. Yet, for the majority of retail brands, the conversation surrounding sustainable development largely focuses solely on environmental sustainability, and more specifically on the use of materials and supply chain in-store. Not only is this just one small piece of a very big puzzle, it doesn’t take advantage of physical retail’s biggest strength; the ability to use the physical space to raise awareness of a cause, educate people about the issues and inspire individuals to take action. It is through these activities that brands can extend their sustainable strategy with relative ease to have a considerable social impact as well.

Whilst there is no doubt that materials play an important part in the sustainable development conversation, it is when retailers consider sustainability more broadly that they can have the most impact. The following examples represent a broad snapshot of the opportunities retailers have at their disposal. If you are a retailer with physical stores, we hope that with these tactical initiatives, you are able to better influence your teams and the choices made by the wider business.

01. Materials
As a result of all the focus given to the use of sustainable materials in-store, this is one of the areas where we see a lot of progress.

Retailers must consider what materials and fixtures are being used and where they are being sourced from; for example, the use of FSC-certified timber and energy-efficient lighting is becoming more widespread, but brands need to go further.

Retailers also need to understand the impact of materials at the end of the store’s life. Are the materials recyclable or reusable? Brands like Glossier, which largely focuses on pop-up formats, have used ‘living plant’ elements to define store spaces as an alternative to built fixtures.

The above initiatives represent great progress and go some way to addressing a business’s environmental and economic impact. But is there a social impact? The big challenge with sustainable fixture solutions is that, at best, they raise the customers’ awareness of the sustainability conversation only slightly. They do not provide any deeper education, inspire action or encourage customers to change their own habits.

02. Extending product life
Many retailers are helping customers change their habits by encouraging them to come back to their stores, not to buy new products, but to extend the life of their existing products. This is not a new idea; Apple has been offering device support and repairs for years through the AppleCare programme.

But now, we find ourselves in a moment where a culture of repair is emerging in society - partly driven by our desire to produce less waste and also with the link to a sense of hope and a restorative mindset. Many fashion retailers are tapping into this. Enabling customers to get involved in this way, motivating them to take sustainable action for themselves, represents positive social impact.

03. Rental retail
Many of us are familiar with the idea of renting cars through businesses like Zipcar and Lynk & Co, understanding that this is a greener approach to car use than car ownership. The same business model is something that retailers are beginning to adopt, especially in the fashion and furniture markets.

Businesses like Rent the Runway and Hurr rent out high-end fashion to customers who would otherwise not be able to afford them as a one off purchase. H&M owned fashion brand, Arket has set up a children’s clothing subscription service to alleviate the clothing waste resulting from fast-growing kids. Brands like IKEA, John Lewis and Muji have established furniture rental initiatives to support Millennials and Gen-Zers who are less concerned about ownership. Given the latest available figures, which state that £140m worth of clothing and 22 million pieces of furniture are sent to landfill every year in the UK alone, the real benefit is that these initiatives will reduce waste.

Muji’s furniture subscription service responds to the changing work from home culture and the growing demand for returnable furniture. Ikea also offers a rental and spare parts service, with small parts provided at no cost.

A circular economy approach (the practice of designing out waste, keeping products in use for longer and creating a regenerative mindset around resources) enables businesses to take on the long-term responsibility of the products they are introducing to the market. It ensures that the correct ‘end of life’ decisions are made, and waste is kept to a minimum. The added benefit of this approach is that it begins to change the consumer’s mindset, motivating a new type of consumption and raising their awareness of a more sustainable lifestyle.

04. Events and campaigns
Some brands are using in-store events to raise awareness, educate and inspire their customers. A number of IKEA stores host workshops for customers, designed to educate them and help them live a more sustainable life at home. As part of their Home of Tomorrow initiative, they created a space in Szczecin, Poland, that hosted workshops, meetings and open discussions with local authorities and activists to help inspire sustainable habits and activities.

In 2020, UK department store Selfridges took a different approach. They established a movement called ‘Project Earth’ which focused on all aspects of the shopping experience, from product curation (highlighting sustainable fashion brands) to the rental, repair, and a luxury handbag buy-back scheme. The beauty department championed plastic-free products, whilst their restaurants and food halls promoted plant-based and organic foods. In 2024, this initiative evolved into ReSelfridge, and the mission now also includes sustainable packaging and the use of sustainable materials in-store.

05. In-store supply chain
The majority of the environmental impact is in the retail supply chain. If consumer brands aspire to take action and have impact, investigating their supply chain is a great place to start. So how does this affect the physical store? The answer, the retail store can play ‘host’ to the supply chain.

Stores will stock less inventory and offer a more showroom-like experience. CBRE’s ‘Future of Retail 2030’ report identifies the 3D printing of products on-demand as an innovation to look out for. When customers want to make a purchase, their unique and personalised product can be printed for them right there in-store.

Whilst we may need to continue to be patient for in-store 3D printing, the concept of in-store manufacture already exists. Both the fashion and food industries are exploring their own versions of this.

06. Review your property strategy
Choosing the right store location is not straightforward. Retailers must consider a long list of factors, from store size and shape to the catchment area and potential footfall… brand relevance, competition, supply and distribution of product, leasing costs, the list goes on.

Today, we need to add to that list how sustainable the property is. For some retailers there is the belief that targeting new property aligns better with their brand image, or that it provides the blank canvas they desire to deliver the ‘perfect’ environment. But the most sustainable route is to occupy a building that already exists. Even better, occupy a building that needs help; for example a run-down building in need of repair.

07. Store accessibility
Considering how easy it is for people to get to and from a store is part of the sustainability conversation.

Part of the success of the Starbucks Roastery in Shanghai (which has been awarded Platinum LEED certification) is its proximity to public transport links, as Starbucks accounted for the environmental impact of its customers travelling to this site.

We can also look at store accessibility slightly differently. Rather than focusing on how customers come to the store, consider how the store might go to them? By taking a store to the customer, especially in more remote areas, the need for a fixed, traditional brick-and-mortar presence is removed.

If the circumstances are right, and if it makes sense for the brand and their offer, this approach removes the environmental impact associated with opening a new store and also reduces store-associated travel. Rather than inviting thousands of customers to travel many miles to a fixed store, one portable, mobile store can travel a well-planned and environmentally efficient route between locations and communities.

08. Become sustainable by association
If it is to be believed that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with, retailers should look to build partnerships with other businesses taking sustainable action.

Retailers can choose to select properties run only by LEED-certified landlords such as Brookfield Properties in the US. In this way, their business becomes more aware of broader sustainable discussions and, by default, is integrated into a larger ecosystem of sustainable practices. After all, landlords control up to 60% of a retailer’s energy footprint.

Alternatively, a retailer can choose to only partner with brands and manufacturers who have themselves adopted a clear sustainable strategy. There are examples of malls like the Green Pea retail mall in Turin and retailers like B Corp Wolf & Badger, that stocks sustainable and ethically produced products.

09. Fixture design
End-of-life consideration should not just be limited to the materials used, but also in how the store fixtures are designed.

It is critical to understand the upstream and downstream supply chains. At the point when fixtures are no longer needed, they should be easy to disassemble and the material make-up easy to separate so that they can be recycled. With this aspiration, logic suggests the best design is the one that uses the least number of materials.

From the outset, retailers need to be able to brief designers on what the intended longevity of a fixture is, so that an appropriate level of quality can be designed in. A fixture that is needed for 2 years will be designed and manufactured differently from one intended to last for 7 years. Wherever possible, retailers should strive to optimise the use of any built fixture before its end of life. It may be that the life of a store fixture can extend beyond the life of the store itself. Fixtures may be reused in other stores, used as training tools in head offices, or sold on to other retailers.

As we are all too well aware, retail is constantly evolving. New products and services are appearing quicker than ever before, and stores need to be able to adapt to tell these new stories. But the answer to this challenge is not to continually design, develop and manufacture new displays to accommodate these new offers. Retail designers must build in sufficient flexibility and modularity from the outset to accommodate the unexpected and prolong the life of fixtures.


10. Utilities and services
An overhaul of any retailer’s utilities and services can be a big undertaking. Often these are inherited from previous tenants or controlled by landlords and malls. Despite these challenges and barriers, we are seeing significant progress in areas the retailer can control.

Ensuring that LED lighting is installed is a relatively straightforward initiative. LED lights are 75% more energy efficient than an incandescent equivalent and can last 25 times longer. Designers and architects are increasingly leveraging natural light. This not only reduces the demand for artificial light but positively impacts the wellbeing of the people who use the store environment. Increasing numbers of retailers are deploying smart lighting management technologies so that stores are lit to the appropriate levels and lit only when necessary.

Some actions have dual benefits; we are seeing many of the large supermarket chains offering a ‘quieter hour’ where lights are dimmed and checkout noise is lowered, designed for neurodiverse customers, this action inadvertently benefits the environment too.

But this conversation is far bigger than just lighting. Around the world, retailers are looking at a broad range of interventions. Starbucks is using IoT technology and smart metering to get real-time data and monitor its water usage, whilst numerous big businesses like Apple and IKEA are investing in renewable energy for their properties. The scope for operational teams to progress a business’s sustainable development is huge.

The good news is, improving the efficiency of your utilities and services has more than just environmental benefits. Energy savings generally translate into cost savings, too. 90% of retail businesses have highlighted cost saving as the biggest benefit to come out of a review of their estate’s energy usage. Whilst big interventions can mean big cost savings, small changes can also have impact.

Just the tip of the iceberg
This snapshot into how broad the sustainability conversation is, demonstrates the amazing things that are already being done. Interestingly, many of the strategies are familiar, we’re just not used to looking at them through the lens of sustainability. Fixture modularity and store location, as examples, have traditionally been driven by other needs. When we examine sustainability closely, it often leads back to what we have previously labelled, good design and good business practice.

Whilst the majority of these initiatives may demand significant change and investment, it’s important to remember that sustainable development can also be delivered via smaller, less overwhelming initiatives. The key is that every retail brand acknowledges its responsibility to establish a sustainable strategy that is achievable for its business and enables it to make progress now and into the future.

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