Chapter 4

Beyond ROI

Chapter 3 – Quantified Insights Chapter 3 Contributors Contributors

A new matrix of
retail returns

In a climate where performance is too often reduced to spreadsheets and square metres, this final chapter reframes what “return” really means for future-facing retail, grounding the discussion in findings from the previous chapters.

We examined how leading destinations and brands are reshaping the role of physical retail —  not simply as a point of sale, but as a platform for cultural resonance, emotional connection, and long — term value creation.

Chapter 3, a quantitative analysis, specifically reinforced the interdependence between commercial performance (ROI) and holistic investment in experience and design.

Now, we distill those insights into a new return matrix — one that moves beyond a narrow, financial lens to embrace broader, interconnected forms of impact: from experience (ROE) and design (ROD), to loyalty (ROL), heritage (ROH), and community (ROC). This is not just a conceptual shift — it is a strategic imperative for retailers, brand owners, and developers looking to thrive in an era where success is measured not only by revenue, but by relevance, resonance, and return visits.

Return on Investment foundation linking design to measurable performance — sales efficiency, profitability, and revenue generation.
Return on Experience philosophy emphasizing emotional value, engagement, and memory in design — blending brand relevance, curation, and moments of wonder.
Return on Design concept focusing on commercial performance through spatial excellence — strategy-led, scalable, and clarity-driven design principles.
Return on Loyalty framework highlighting design principles for trust, return visits, and long-term relationships — service, familiarity, anticipation, brand integrity, and attention to detail.
Return on Heritage framework celebrating authenticity and longevity — honouring brand legacy, storytelling, and cultural context.
Return on Community framework illustrating values that unite and empower — social responsibility, inclusivity, belonging, trust, participation, and empowerment.

Closing Statement

In today’s world, the role of the architect, the designer, the luxury fashion house, and the retailer extend far beyond pure transaction. We carry a significantly greater responsibility: to create spaces that invite people in, foster connection, and adapt to the changing rhythms of how we live, move, and gather — not purely how we spend. 

We hope this report offers a timely and thoughtful perspective on The Future of Experience both in retail, and in sectors beyond — one that honours the value of the past, captures the realities of the present, and looks ahead with optimism and curiosity.

We are profoundly grateful to our contributors for sharing their insights, data, and lived experience. Their perspectives have elevated this report to unforeseen heights, whilst grounding it in both relevance and rigour, that we hope is as thoughtful as it is practical.

Simultaneously, we remain conscious of what may lie just beyond our lens — the overlooked signals, the emergent behaviours still taking shape, the quieter voices yet to be heard. In that spirit, this report is not a conclusion, but an opening. 

If it sparks reflection, dialogue, or collaboration, then it will have done its job.

 

Thank you for reading.

— Simon Mitchell & Torquil McIntosh, Co-Founders, Sybarite

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