Retail Now: Leaving Home After Covid

The pandemic has encouraged an increased sense of community, which paired with an avoidance of public transport means retailers need to look locally, establishing stores which speak to individual neighbourhoods rather than entire cities.

Collaborate with local artists and architects for special installations to bring a unique sense of a store’s locality and surroundings.

• H&M have tested a ‘hyper-local’ store model by opening a specialised lifestyle store in Berlin’s trendy Mitte district which offers local brands and hosts classes with yoga teachers in the community.

• Amazon brought an interactive shopping experience to their consumers doorstep with the travelling Treasure Truck, which toured the world, from Miami to London. Integrating the buzz and exuberance of a carnival with a ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’ approach, the project drove on-the-spot purchasing and attracted new audiences to the spectacle.

Capitalise on ‘drop culture’ and offer limited edition products which can only be purchased in store, adding a sense of constant newness and desire for exploration. Reach into the home of your consumer via social channels and online marketing to celebrate these unique releases and drive traffic in store.

• Each month, Prada offer fans an ultra-exclusive Timecapsule release, a drop of shirt designs which are manufactured in very small quantities and available for only 24 hours.

• Via their new Designer Street Room, Selfridges launched The Yellow Drop presenting limited edition designs and products made exclusively for the department store.

Give your audiences something that they can’t experience at home. Stimulate their senses, connect with their emotions and offer experiences which go way beyond a simple transaction.

• Dubbed as a “sensorial playground” NARS celebrated the 25th anniversary of their Orgasm blush with The O Pop-up which immersed visitors in five experiences dedicated to sight, touch, taste, scent and sound which included a playful latex balloon room and a merry-go-round photobooth.

• Japanese streetwear brand Hipanda launched their first retail store with a series of immersive and personalised experiences which use cutting-edge lighting and augmented reality. Through a mixture of physical and digital pathways, visitors become the protagonist on an adventure to hunt an invisible ghost. As they chase the ghoul through the monochromatic store, they explore the collection intuitively with clothing rails reacting to the rhythm of the game.