Chapter 2
Decoding Tomorrow
Debunking the Myth of ‘Experiential Retail’
From indoor roller coasters to meditation rooms, and augmented reality “magic mirrors” to robot concierges, retailers in the past decade have experimented widely in the quest to redefine the shopping experience. But while some innovations – like food and beverage offerings – have become standard in store design, many others faded as quickly as they appeared. What’s emerging now is not a rejection of experience, but a more evolved, purpose — driven vision of retail.
The experiential retail wave of the 2010s, marked by pop-ups, photo ops, and Instagrammable decor, often mistook spectacle for substance. These spaces attracted foot traffic but rarely cultivated meaningful connection, loyalty, or conversion. Retailers like Glossier and Showfields created stores that resembled interactive art installations more than functional retail environments – fun to visit, but forgettable as shopping destinations. Experience was too often skin-deep.
In contrast, today’s leading-edge retailers are channelling the enduring lessons of legacy icons like Le Bon Marché into a new framework, one defined by integration, innovation, and deep engagement. We are now entering the age of hyper-hybrid retail: a layered, multidimensional approach where retail is not just a transaction or a show, but an immersive journey that blends service, hospitality, architecture, entertainment, and community. Experience is no longer an add-on; it’s the operating system.
Retail is also being reimagined as a true destination, far beyond the idea of a well-designed sense of place. Stores like SKP-S in Beijing or Dover Street Market in London don’t just sell products, they draw visitors as cultural landmarks. People don’t just shop; they explore, linger, and return. These spaces function as galleries, studios, and social hubs, reflecting a world where retail competes not just with other stores, but with restaurants, museums, and even travel.
SKP-S, Beijing, Art Installation in Trendsetters 3F – Photography: Noah Sheldon; Source: Sybarite.
Dover Street Market, London, Interior – Source: Sybarite.
Supporting this shift is a new era of retail architecture: spectacular, otherworldly environments that elevate the act of shopping to a form of pilgrimage. Think of Heatherwick Studio’s Coal Drops Yard in London — this structure signals ambition and permanence, positioning retail as a form of urban theatre where design doesn’t just house commerce – it defines it.
At the same time, technology is transforming retail into what’s known as a phygital frontier. The best retailers now weave digital seamlessly into the physical world – not as a gimmick, but as an invisible layer of utility and personalisation. Whether it’s AI-driven product recommendations or app-enabled loyalty programs, digital tools now enhance, rather than distract from, the core shopping experience.
Most profoundly, we’re seeing retail as a catalyst: a force that can actively shape the cities of tomorrow. From mixed-use developments to mobility hubs and community programming, retail spaces are increasingly being designed as civic infrastructure. The store is no longer just a place to buy; it’s a place to gather, recharge, and reconnect. As urban life becomes more fragmented and digitised, physical retail offers something uniquely valuable: the ability to anchor neighbourhoods, inspire creativity, and bring people together.
In the end, the lesson from Le Bon Marché wasn’t about spectacle; it was about evolution. Boucicaut created more than a store; he created a new way of living, shopping, and socialising. Today’s pioneers are doing the same, not by chasing trends, but by embracing experience as a fully integrated, multidimensional strategy. This isn’t the end of experiential retail – it’s its reinvention.
Welcome to Conformity
By Rob Campbell, Partner & CSO, Uncorporated
The truth be told, the words ‘brand experience’ have been long misunderstood, often interpreted as needing to provide ‘lowest common denominator consistency’ rather than creating seminal brand experiences for customers’ possibilities.
The result of this attitude has been a seemingly endless production line of category complicity.
The need to invest in a differentiated, distinctive and desirable brand experience is not, as many would like to suggest, an act of creative vanity, but actually one of commercial sanity. With globalisation and technological advancements, any innovation can be replicated and distributed by competitors in increasingly shorter timeframes. The impact of this on driving brand value and customer loyalty is significant because it removes tangible reasons why a customer would choose one brand over another. It is for this reason we are witnessing an increasing number of companies see brand experience as a way to build meaningful customer engagement and loyalty rather than rely on traditional brand approaches. Put simply, design is driving the future.
Of course, this is not really a new phenomenon. Back in the early 2000’s, Virgin Atlantic used their lounge experience to drive a competitive edge over their peers. Rather than create an environment that was similar to their competitors’ offering – albeit in their corporate colours – their starting point was to ‘create a lounge that passengers would want to miss their plane to stay in.’ This approach not only allowed them to create an experience that redefined the category, it created an invigorating and infectious relationship with the Virgin Atlantic brand – helping catapult them into the consideration set of business customers that were previously unavailable to them.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, Sunken Lounge & Cocktail Bar – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, Sunken Lounge & Cocktail Bar – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, Long View Looking West – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, The Brasserie & Lodge – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, Multiscreen – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
Virgin Atlantic Heathrow Clubhouse, London, Den & Skylounge – Photography: Richard Davies; Design & Source: SOFTROOM.
And while times have changed significantly since the launch of the Virgin Atlantic lounge, we are seeing more and more progressive brands recognise the commercial impact and value of investing in a seminal brand experience for their customers. Not just in terms of driving engagement, but also in terms of building differentiated and sustainable brand value. Given it will only get increasingly more difficult and expensive for brands to stand out, investing in a truly innovative retail experience may soon be seen as one of the most commercially responsible ways to turn your brand into a commercial beacon rather than be another offering in the long line of parity attractions.
Hyper-Hybrid Retail
In the age of digital saturation and fragmented attention, the most forward-thinking retailers are no longer just offering products or even “experiences” in the traditional sense. They are creating multidimensional ecosystems: living, breathing environments where retail blends seamlessly with hospitality, entertainment, culture, and service. This is what we’d like to call Hyper-Hybrid Retail, a paradigm that builds on the foundational lessons of institutions like Le Bon Marché, but amplifies them into something more dynamic, integrated, and immersive.
Nowhere is this more vividly realised than at Emsphere in Bangkok. Designed not as a conventional mall but as a vertical village of interconnected experiences, Emsphere challenges the very architecture of retail. Each floor is deliberately unique, with thematic zoning that provides visual and experiential distinction while maintaining overall cohesion through a raw, industrial design language. Rather than a homogenous flow of stores, the journey through Emsphere is one of constant discovery. Even the functional elements of the building, including escalators, skybridges, atriums, have been transformed into expressive platforms. These are no longer mere passageways; they become sites of artistic activation.
Emsphere, Bangkok, Exterior – Source: Design 103.
Emsphere, Bangkok, Interior Walkway – Source: Design 103.
Emsphere, Bangkok, Food Market – Source: Design 103.
Emsphere, Bangkok, Food Market – Source: Design 103.
What truly sets Emsphere apart is its ability to evolve over time and throughout the day. In the morning and afternoon, it hums with the energy of retail, gourmet markets, and artisanal cafes. By evening, the space transforms into a vibrant social hub, animated by rooftop bars, live music, and illuminated courtyards. The building shifts its mood like a city in miniature, where retail becomes a time-responsive, emotionally attuned environment. Strategically, Emsphere also reconfigures conventional mall logic by placing an IKEA on the fourth floor. This unexpected move recalibrates visitor flow, drawing traffic upward and distributing energy throughout the entire vertical footprint.
Emsphere, Bangkok, Exterior – Source: Design 103.
The same ethos is evident in Anya Hindmarch’s Village in London, a whimsical reimagining of the flagship store that has become a branded neighbourhood unto itself. It’s a fully immersive brand world that includes a café, ice cream shop, salon, and a revolving series of cultural and sustainability-focused activities. Instead of organising around categories of product, the Village is designed around rhythms of life: moments of play, self-care, socialising, and creativity, all delivered with Anya’s signature wit and craftsmanship.
The Anya Village, London, The Village Illustrated Map – Source: Anya Hindmarch.
The Anya Village, London, Store Front – Source: Anya Hindmarch.
The Anya Village, London, Bespoke Exterior – Source: Anya Hindmarch.
The Anya Village, London, The Ice Cream Project Interior – Source: Anya Hindmarch.
The Anya Village, London, Anya Café – Source: Anya Hindmarch.
This hybridisation is not limited to traditional fashion or luxury players. Increasingly, we’re seeing cross-sector collaborations where the lines between commerce, culture, and service are intentionally blurred. Brands launch their drops inside fitness clubs and even grocery stores, such as Alo Yoga’s collaboration with LA grocery chain Erewhon. Boutique hotels are hosting rotating retail capsules in their lobbies, and even furniture brands have become fashion collaborators: Think Fendi Casa or tie-ups like Off-White x IKEA. These new hybrids are not random pairings. They are curated ecosystems designed around shared values, audience overlap, and lifestyle alignment. They acknowledge a profound truth: that today’s consumers don’t segment their lives into neat categories, so retailers shouldn’t either.
Hyper-Hybrid Retail represents a decisive evolution from spectacle-based experiential design toward something more sophisticated and sustainable. It integrates food and beverage not as filler, but as fuel for deeper engagement. It prioritises architectural storytelling over surface — level decoration. And it treats retail not as an isolated commercial act but as a platform for participation, co-creation, and emotional connection.
What began with Boucicaut’s vision of turning shopping into a pleasure has now matured into something far more ambitious: retail as an orchestrated ecosystem, where every space, product, and interaction is part of a unified, immersive whole.
The Age of HyperHybridity
By Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder, Sybarite
If Hyper-Hybrid Retail represents a conceptual evolution in retail philosophy, then Hyper-Hybridity is its actionable framework – a design-led, operational shift from static environments to curated, dynamic ecosystems. This is not a departure from traditional retail models, but rather a transcendence of them.
The pre-Hybrid traditional leasing model still underpins the vast majority of global retail environments, and yet, it fails to reflect how people engage with brands today. The pre-Hybrid formats – often monolithic, monotone, and purely transactional – fail to foster the emotional and cultural engagement contemporary audiences demand. They permit brand occupancy but not brand flourishing.
Retail pioneers such as Harrods, Selfridges, and SKP have shifted towards a more editorial Hybrid approach – merging direct operations with curated narratives. SKP-S, the subversive sister of SKP, exemplifies this progression. Composed of over 60 percent experiential and cultural programming, SKP-S offers a new paradigm in which retail is reimagined as a multidimensional journey – immersive, emotionally charged, and future-proof.
SKP-S, Chengdu, 1F Fashion – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
The Hyper-Hybrid model demands 100 percent curation across every aspect of the retail environment. This is not a utopian ideal, rather an operational mindset that reshapes how retail is conceived and experienced. The grand department stores of the past – Harrods, Le Bon Marché, Steen & Strøm – once offered fully curated collections; although full curation may no longer be financially viable in the traditional sense, the intent behind it has never been more critical.
Harvey Nichols is currently embarking on a brand refresh and repositioning that involves the redesign of the ground floor of its iconic Knightsbridge flagship. Envisioned as a ‘Living Magazine,’ our team at Sybarite took inspiration from the editorial heights of 90s London, imbuing the space with a curated and eclectic energy, which will bring together fine jewellery, sunglasses, homewares, design objects, accessories, fragrance, and beauty in an ever-evolving composition. The intention is not only to curate but to create a setting that remains agile — responsive to cultural moments, open to surprise, and attuned to how customers wish to explore and connect.
Successful retail destinations today do not merely serve categories – they respond to behavioural cadence. They are attuned to cultural shifts, delivering continuous activation and renewed relevance. In this context, design is no longer reactive, it must anticipate and articulate what comes next.
One of the most compelling aspects of Hyper-Hybridity is the unexpected pairing: camping gear beside couture, a champagne bar in the heart of a beauty hall. These are not design quirks – they are deliberate juxtapositions that mirror the eclectic lives of modern consumers.
In our recent explorations into the future of retail, we have uncovered compelling opportunities to integrate unexpected categories into future department stores or shopping malls. From premium children’s education programmes and bespoke birthday party packages to live-streamed e-sports tournaments and virtual reality laser battles – these seemingly unconventional offerings respond to the emerging needs of today’s consumers. More importantly, they allow brands to cultivate connections with their audiences that transcend the transactional.
Luxury brands, in particular, have an unprecedented opportunity to extend their narratives beyond product. Through cross-sector collaborations – with fitness, wellness, education, entertainment – they can create immersive, emotionally resonant ecosystems.
Emsphere in Bangkok embodies this disruptive spirit. A radical reimagining of retail architecture, it places food curation at lower levels and car showrooms, carparks, and nightclubs above – in-turn subverting spatial expectations and freeing the retail canvas. Its raw architectural skeleton allows brands to pivot fast, leaving room for spontaneity and local energy.
What emerges is not just spatial disruption but spatial liberation: a framework where flexibility is built in, and the unexpected becomes the norm.
This thinking similarly informed our work with Harrods on the Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar. Located at the heart of the Beauty Hall, it interrupts the expected with a luxurious moment of pause and celebration – a place where commerce meets culture, and surprise drives memory.
Harrods, London, Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar – Photography: Rupert Peace; Source: Sybarite.
Harrods, London, Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar Seating – Photography: Rupert Peace; Source: Sybarite.
Harrods, London, Moët & Chandon Champagne Bar Window Seating – Photography: Rupert Peace; Source: Sybarite.
These are just two examples among countless possibilities, whether through a complete architectural overhaul or an innovative plug-in, the key is to view retail design with fresh and critical eyes. Disruption does not always mean scale.
Where Europe and the US are often hindered by structural regulation and planning inertia, in contrast, Asia and the Middle East embrace velocity. They have become the incubators of innovation, where retail formats evolve quickly, supported by technology and empowered consumers. China’s digital infrastructure – from WeChat-enabled payments to live streamed commerce – has redefined retail rhythms. In conjunction, the Middle East is constantly cultivating a new generation of culturally embedded, globally minded consumers.
Retailers in these regions are not afraid to merge fashion with e-sports, fitness with education, or hospitality with retail. Their ambition – and the governance frameworks that support it – offers a blueprint for the global market. The Box in Beijing, with its 95 percent curated offer, and Macau’s multi-use entertainment centres signal a shift toward Hyper-Hybridisation that is faster, braver, and more experimental.
The Box, Beijing, Exterior – Source: Coordination Asia (COO) / Urban Regeneration Front (URF).
Studio City, Macau, Water Park Aerial View – Source: Studio City and Whitewater.
As retail becomes more saturated, the need for differentiation intensifies. The Hyper-Hybrid model enables brands to carve out distinctive identities through spatial fluidity, storytelling, and immersion. This is not about fixed categories or rigid formats – it is about building dynamic ecosystems responsive to cultural, emotional, and social needs.
Retailers must act not as landlords, but as cultural editors – bringing freshness, frequency, and surprise back into the customer relationship. The mirage of the classic department store is giving way to something more immediate and alive: environments that respond to how we live, not merely how we shop.
Looking ahead, the Hyper-Hybrid frontier will be shaped by adjacent domains – AI-driven personalisation, sustainability as retail ethic, and playful interactivity. These systems can no longer be simply add-ons, rather these are intrinsic pillars of design and strategy; when fused with architectural storytelling, they create the conditions for something extraordinary: spaces that people do not just visit, but identify with.
Retail as Destination
In a landscape where convenience has been digitised and instant gratification is a tap away, the physical act of shopping must offer something more profound: a reason to go, a reason to stay, and a reason to return. This is the ethos behind the next evolution in retail, in which physical stores aren’t simply places of transaction, but places of pilgrimage. These are spaces that carry weight, memory, and magnetism. They don’t just host brands – they become brands in their own right.
This transformation is exemplified by SKP, the Chinese luxury retail powerhouse that has redefined what it means to build a sense of place through design, with help from Sybarite as SKP’s principal architect. When the original Shin Kong Place in Beijing was reimagined into SKP in 2016, it wasn’t merely an architectural facelift; it was the birth of a cultural landmark.
The now — iconic SKP curve, a fluid geometry that links interior and exterior in a continuous gesture, became a subtle but powerful signature.
It’s not a logo in the traditional sense, but a spatial imprint, one that intuitively tells you where you are. With each new SKP outpost – Xi’an, Chengdu, Wuhan – this design language deepens and matures, creating an architectural continuity across cities while allowing for local expression.
But SKP’s success isn’t just aesthetic. Its presence actively reshapes urban economies. In Beijing, SKP helped define an entire commercial district. This anchor effect has made SKP into a cornerstone of urban planning, lifting surrounding real estate, hospitality, and infrastructure in its wake. In Chengdu, the SKP experience extends beyond the vertical, unfolding into a subterranean retail park. In Wuhan, it merges a department store with a walkable fashion avenue, drawing people in not just to shop, but to explore.
SKP, Beijing, Atrium – Photography: Kristen Pelou; Source: Sybarite.
SKP, Chengdu, Aerial View of SKP Park – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
SKP, Chengdu, Grand Staircase View of Central Cube – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
SKP, Chengdu, Indoor-Outdoor – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
SKP, Wuhan, Aerial View – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
SKP, Wuhan, K-Avenue Promenade – Photography: Nick Kuratnik; Source: Sybarite.
“Everything that you see, touch, feel [is] very much a branded environment that we’ve created for SKP, so, what you find is within the geometry of the logo. We captured what we named the SKP Curve.”
Another compelling case is Bangkok’s ICONSIAM, a riverside development that fuses ultra — luxury retail with cultural immersion. Here, international prestige meets local heritage: Thai craftsmanship is elevated within modern architecture, food zones evoke regional culinary traditions, and even the park outside becomes part of the retail experience.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, Aerial View – Source: ICONSIAM.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, Alangkarn Waterfall – Source: ICONSIAM.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, ICONLUXE Zone – Source: ICONSIAM.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, SOOKSIAM – Source: ICONSIAM.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, ICONCRAFT 4th & 5th Floor- Source: ICONSIAM.
ICONSIAM, Bangkok, ICONIC Multimedia Water Features – Source: ICONSIAM.
Meanwhile, To Summer, a contemporary Chinese fragrance brand, offers a quieter, more contemplative take on retail as a destination. Its flagship stores are situated not in commercial zones but in culturally charged environments: a Qing-dynasty courtyard in Beijing, for instance, or a villa on Shanghai’s historic Hunan Road. These locations are more sanctuary than store. Neutral palettes, natural materials, and immersive scent diffusion create a sensory journey that engages memory, emotion, and identity. The retail ritual here is less about purchase and more about presence. Rotating art installations and craft workshops ensure that the space evolves, inviting repeat visits and community engagement.
To Summer, Beijing, Flagship Store Exterior – Photography: InSpace Architecture Photography; Design: F.O.G Architecture; Source: To Summer.
To Summer, Beijing, Flagship Store Interior by F.O.G Architecture – Photography: InSpace Architecture Photography; Source: To Summer.
To Summer, Beijing, Flagship Store Courtyard – Photography: InSpace Architecture Photography; Design: F.O.G Architecture; Source: To Summer.
To Summer, Shanghai, Store Exterior – Photography: SFAP; Design: F.O.G Architecture; Source: To Summer.
To Summer, Shanghai, Store Interior – Photography: SFAP; Design: F.O.G Architecture; Source: To Summer.
To Summer, Shanghai, Store – Photography: SFAP; Design: F.O.G Architecture; Source: To Summer.
What unites these examples is a clear shift in intent. Retail is no longer content to borrow attention; it strives to earn it. That means creating physical environments that are culturally resonant, architecturally meaningful, and emotionally magnetic. In this new paradigm, the destination is not the product but rather the place itself.
Out-of-the-Box Retail Disruption
In today’s most forward-thinking retail spaces, the goal is no longer simply to sell – it is to encourage discovery, and blur the lines between art, architecture, technology, and commerce. A new generation of disruptors is emerging, reshaping what retail looks like, feels like, and stands for in a way that’s rooted in emotion.
Trend forecasting firm WGSN, for instance, has coined the concept of “Joy Commerce” as a pivotal tactic for modern experiential retail, positioning shopping as “an emotional escape […] while we’ve become used to gamification in e-commerce, gamified experience and high-touch designs have the ability to transform stores into dopamine-fuelled destinations, while also providing inspiration and comfort.” This approach taps into the rise of what WGSN calls “Glimmers,” or “micro-moments of joy,” as a key emotional driver.
“Joy Commerce will be a strategic tool to reimagine the world as a more positive place for all. What does this mean for those in retail? Shopping will become more than just a transaction. It will become an emotional escape.”
At the forefront of this movement is SKP-S, a revolutionary retail concept rewriting the luxury department store model. SKP-S isn’t bound by convention or even Earth, for that matter. With each new location, it unfolds a new chapter in an expansive, otherworldly narrative, beginning in Beijing in 2019 with “Life on Mars,” followed by “Rebirth on Earth” in Xi’an, and then “Parallel World“ in Chengdu. Most recently, Wuhan’s “Paradox Planet“ extends the cosmic storyline even further. Each iteration pushes architectural boundaries, not just as spectacle, but as story. Think domed ceilings, reflective tunnels, kinetic sculptures, and spatial illusions that evoke a sci-fi dreamscape.
Unlike traditional stores focused on ‘inventory per square meter,’ SKP-S champions ‘experience per square meter.’ It prioritises emotional resonance and artistic experimentation, often giving over entire zones to installations, curation, and contemplation. Robotic clones converse amid floating metallic discs; sculptural escalators loop through glowing terrain. These are spaces not just shopped but explored.
A kindred spirit in disruption is Dover Street Market, a pioneer of curated chaos. DSM flips the script on department store norms, embracing unpredictability and decentralisation. Each brand under its roof is given the freedom to design its own environment, resulting in a patchwork of avant-garde moments. Artists and designers like Jake and Dinos Chapman, Gary Card, and Jamie Reid have contributed to its rotating universe, blurring lines between fashion and art, display and provocation.
This same ethos is playing out in unexpected niches across the world. In Shanghai, Jellycat’s Café brought its plush toy aesthetic to life with themed desserts and immersive installations. At Selfridges, the brand even experimented with a UK inspired fish & chips experience, combining kitsch with culinary delight. Meanwhile, Jacquemus has mastered the pop-up as a manifesto, turning each new retail location, from the deserts of Egypt to the hills of Los Angeles, into a cinematic celebration of local culture and brand identity. Each launch feels more like a scene from a film than a store opening.
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, “Le Bleu” Jacquemus at The Corner Shop – Source: Selfridges.
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, “Le Bleu” Jacquemus at The Corner Shop – Source: Selfridges.
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, “Le Bleu” Jacquemus at The Corner Shop – Source: Selfridges.
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, “Le Bleu” Jacquemus at The Corner Shop – Source: Selfridges.
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, “Le Bleu” Jacquemus at The Corner Shop – Source: Selfridges.
This experiential wave extends even to the most mundane elements of the retail journey. Nanjing’s Deji Plaza made headlines not for a new anchor tenant, but for its restrooms: luxuriously designed, diversely- themed artistic spaces that have become social media phenomena. What might once have been a purely functional space is now a moment of delight and surprise.
These examples point to a larger, more profound shift in the DNA of retail, especially visible in China’s emerging category of “non-standard commercial real estate.” In contrast to the rigid formats of traditional malls or department stores, these projects embrace flexibility, decentralisation, and experience-first thinking. They’re less about maximum lease efficiency and more about spatial experimentation and emotional texture. Many are built in unexpected places: under railway viaducts, inside decommissioned factories, or in the shells of forgotten podiums – spaces once dismissed as unusable are now fertile ground for urban reinvention.
Deji Plaza, Nanjing, 2F Restrooms: Blues Club – Source: ©唯想国际X+Living.
Deji Plaza, Nanjing, 4F Restrooms: Serene Retreat – Source: ©唯想国际X+Living.
Deji Plaza, Nanjing, 6F Restrooms: Sanctuary Garden – Source: ©唯想国际X+Living.
Deji Plaza, Nanjing, 7F Restrooms: Between the Lines – Source: ©唯想国际X+Living.
“In China, the demand for ‘retailtainment’ has surged as shoppers become more discerning and frugal with their spending […] Whether through interactive installations, localised storytelling, or retail spaces that seamlessly blend with dining and lifestyle elements, the goal is to offer something that can’t be replicated online. Across China and beyond, the new standard for retail destinations isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about creating spaces that resonate culturally, encourage social sharing, and ultimately foster lasting brand loyalty.”
Take Hai 550 in Shanghai, which transformed a gritty, industrial site into a vibrant, culture — forward retail hub. Or Aranya: a serene coastal development designed for reflection and disconnection, loved by China’s “lying flat” generation. In Central Market Hong Kong, heritage preservation fuses with food, fashion, and street performance. Meanwhile, Luxe Lakes CPI Chengdu imagines retail as part of a floating landscape, where you shop alongside water gardens and sculpture trails.
Hai 550, Shanghai, Exterior View – Photography: Zeng Yu; Design: Shanghai JOIN Architecture Design; Source: Better Future Awards.
Hai 550, Shanghai, Interior View – Photography: Zeng Yu; Design: Shanghai JOIN Architecture Design; Source: Better Future Awards.
Aranya, Qinghuang Island, Movie Night – Source: Aranya.
Aranya, Qinghuang Island, Movie Night – Source: Aranya.
Luxe Lakes CPI, Chengdu, Exterior View at Night – Photography: Arch-Exit / Blue Orange Photography; Design: Vari Architects; Source: ArchDaily.
Luxe Lakes CPI, Chengdu, Exterior View – Photography: Arch-Exit / Blue Orange Photography; Design: Vari Architects; Source: ArchDaily.
Luxe Lakes CPI, Chengdu, Aerial View – Photography: Arch-Exit / Blue Orange Photography; Design: Vari Architects; Source: ArchDaily.
The most successful retail activations in APAC are often narrative-driven. They focus on a story, concept, or idea and translate it into an experience that not only hits traditional retail touchpoints but also feels innovative, engaging, and experiential.”
This pivot toward the experiential, the non-linear, and the unexpected isn’t just aesthetic. It’s a strategic response to shifting consumer priorities, tighter urban land constraints, and a generational demand for deeper connection. These disruptors are proving that retail doesn’t have to be a copy-paste template. It can be elastic, imaginative, and wildly expressive.
From Experience to Transformation: The Importance of Evoking Awe in Luxury’s Transformation Era
By Chris Sanderson, Co-Founder, The Future Laboratory
Since the mid 2010s, I have been observing how ‘experience’ has evolved and overtaken the traditional allure of ‘product’ as a commercial growth area – especially within the luxury sector. But experience was being designed, packaged and sold as a passive utility that could be pushed out to an audience eager for greater brand engagement, without really grappling the more profound opportunity that lay at the heart of this exchange – transformative relationships.
At The Future Laboratory, we anticipated the emergence of a trend towards a new form of engagement – a more purposeful, self-initiated and proactive desire by society to consume the goods, products, brands and services which enabled them to be happier, healthier and wealthier.
We called this the Transformation Era back in 2018 and since then, The Future Laboratory has developed its thinking on the power of transformational engagement, taking into account evolving generational mindsets around what we have termed ‘neo-collectivism’ – the desire to put a sense of society above a sense of self. The Ancient Greeks identified this as Eudaimonia, the notion that pleasure and contentment come from the flourishing of a society that puts communal wellbeing over self — focussed, sensual satisfaction (hedonism).
Throw in the increased interest and empirical data on proprioception (awareness of body position) and we have a journey of transformation that relates to a sense of scale, awe and wonder – all vital parts in an odyssey of personal growth and development. Awe plays a significant role in the continued value of the world of luxury.
Awe is a basic state of consciousness. Ordinary things can bring us awe, as well as those big tickets moments when we encounter the grandness of the natural world or the brilliant complexity of human endeavour.
Dacher Keltner, faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center, USA, based at Berkeley, espouses, ‘My hope is that we can better embrace the mindsets of awe – from the vastness of experience to awe in the everyday’.
Luxury is awesome. The transcendence of the everyday functional object into a work of wonder – through its artistry, complexity, beauty and craftsmanship – sits at the heart of traditional luxury. Yet, as we move into a new state of luxury which perceptibly eschews these traditional markers, awe becomes more relevant than ever.
The awe pivots to the wonder of time, and the wonder of self – how awe, according to Keltner, makes you feel ‘small, humble and connected’. Awe helps luxury make the transition from a passive engagement with objets de luxe to a new transformational engagement with ourselves, through the luxury of time.
This is where the future of the luxury industry lies. I’m hoping you’re now joining up the dots. When we think of spatial, or intentional design, we naturally tend to migrate to the awe — inspiring being those grandiose, large — scale spaces that evoke awe simply by dint of their size. And yet, with the concept of proprioception in mind, how we are moved to feel elevated by the humble, small, every — day and mundane space is perhaps a greater challenge that we as designers, architects and creatives must face in the future.
Retail as the Phygital Frontier
As the boundaries between physical and digital continue to dissolve, the next era of retail is being shaped not just by aesthetics or convenience, but by interaction — intelligent, immersive, and intuitive. Retail is evolving into a phygital frontier, where in-store experiences are enriched with digital enhancements, and online environments strive to capture the tactility and emotion of real life.
Brands around the world are investing in emerging technologies — from AR mirrors to AI — powered stylists, from smart shelving that tracks inventory in real time to VR pods that plunge shoppers into alternate realities. These tools aren’t gimmicks; they’re part of a broader strategy to personalise shopping journeys, boost operational efficiency, and rewire the emotional connection between people and products.
The data speaks: recent studies show that a growing number of Gen Z and Millennial consumers expect some form of augmented experience when shopping in-store. In China, smart retail applications are already becoming normalised, with brands like Alibaba and JD.com leading a phygital retail revolution.
Base: Gen Z 1,000, Millennials 1,000, Gen X 1,000, Baby boomers 1,000
Source: PwC Holiday Outlook 2024
Reflexive Retail: AI and the Omni-channel Dreamscape
By Katie Baron, Content Director, Stylus: The trends intelligence business
AI will reinvigorate physical brand environments in ways that will supercharge the omni-channel retail experience while also creating more compelling lines of connections to more fantastical brand’s narratives – those subtle suspensions of disbelief that enable people to step or relax into alternative worlds, and potentially brand manifestos. The crux of both angles (think: help me vs. entertain me) will be experiences that are inherently more visitor-reflexive, and relevant to that moment because of their far more advanced connection to real-time information beyond the brand itself.
On the pragmatic-meets-inspiration side, consider Sephora’s flagship in Shanghai which includes Care and Look Analysis devices which draw on skin diagnostics, styling trends and its real-time inventory (only what’s in-store) alongside using XR tech to offer up recommendations and tutorials. I also anticipate phygital discovery concepts using ‘speak it to dream it’ tech of the kind we saw at Miami Art Week in 2024 where people will be able to converse with the environment itself to visualise what they want – desires the brand will then be able to respond to with relevant suggestions.
One of the most intriguing examples of this hybrid future is Future Stores, an initiative that explores what retail could become when storytelling, tech, and environment merge seamlessly. From holographic campaigns to AI-assisted consultations, Future Stores offer a dynamic stage for brands to experiment with what’s next. Conversations with its founders reveal a shared belief: the future of retail isn’t about replacing the physical — it’s about enhancing it with digital layers that respond, adapt, and inspire.
Another standout example is xydrobe at Harrods, a plugin immersive VR cinema that redefines what a brand installation can be. Created in partnership with Sybarite and luxury watchmaker Vacheron Constantin, this cinematic pod places viewers inside a fully sensorial narrative experience — from scent to sound to temperature — all synchronised to a visual storyline that deepens brand engagement. It’s a next-gen take on experiential marketing, merging spatial design with virtual storytelling in a way that feels intimate and cinematic rather than cold or clinical.
Meanwhile, Nike’s House of Innovation continues to lead with its tech-enabled flagship stores around the globe. These aren’t just spaces to buy sneakers — they’re labs where visitors interact with products in constantly evolving ways. From smart fitting rooms to app-linked customisation zones, every touchpoint is curated to feel personal, responsive, and innovative. Nike’s integration of data, design, and community programming positions the brand as a leader in shaping phygital ecosystems.
Nike, New York, House of Innovation Interior View – Source: Nike.
Nike, New York, House of Innovation Sneaker Bar – Source: Nike.
Nike, New York, House of Innovation Interior View – Source: Nike.
Nike, New York, House of Innovation Changing Rooms – Source: Nike.
Nike, New York, House of Innovation Façade – Source: Nike.
Designer Feng Chen Wang is also pushing this frontier, not only through her own collections but also in collaboration with brands like Nike and via AR — enhanced activations like those seen at ComplexCon Hong Kong. Her work imagines a future that is both inclusive and technologically expressive — merging the tactile craft of fashion with digital extensions that offer personalisation, accessibility, and surprise.
“As the technology becomes increasingly more sophisticated, lighting, scent, and ambiance based on mood, demographics, and even cultural context will morph and adapt […] This participatory and personalised approach will create a space where the customer feels engaged and valued at every touchpoint.”
In this phygital paradigm, emotion is again the ultimate currency. Whether it’s the thrill of stepping into a VR dreamscape at Harrods, the precision of a virtual sneaker fitting at Nike, or the playful shock of an AR pop-up in Hong Kong, retail is no longer just about what you buy. It’s about how you feel while buying it.
The future store isn’t a fixed destination: it’s a fluid, reactive platform where technology enhances intimacy, not replaces it. The most successful phygital retailers will be those who use digital tools to make physical presence more meaningful, more memorable, and more human.
Future Stores, Present Tense: A Conversation on Real-Time Retail
Ariel Haroush, Chairman & Founder, Future Stores; Founder & CEO, Outform in conversation with Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder, Sybarite
Future Stores is a novel retail concept founded by Ariel Haroush, aiming to upend the traditional shopping experience by blending immersive technology with immersive brand storytelling through wall-to-wall LED displays. Beyond visual spectacle, Future Stores integrates analytics to monitor customer behaviour, including dwell time and traffic patterns. This data-driven approach enables brands to tailor experiences and measure engagement. The store also functions as a transactional space, complete with integrated payment systems and a stockroom, facilitating seamless purchases.
SM: Ariel, what motivated you to start Future Stores?
AH: When you’re trying to create a series of experiences, each for a different brand, you realise again and again you have to redo things in a very analogue way. It’s creative engineering, prototyping, execution and installation.
But the shoppers are moving so much faster today. Shoppers today have the attention span of a TikTok clip. When you design an experience that has four or five months of tail, you’re not able to move fast enough in the speed of culture, in the speed of the shopper. So the question is, how can I constantly create relevancy in a retail space? And that was my thesis for Future Stores. I said, can High Street be as dynamic as my social feed? I’d love to go into a store and be surprised and delighted every time I go, constantly getting new stories, new things that are happening.
So what do you need to do? At retail destinations, you need to embed cinematic technology that enables complex storytelling. LED or screen technology provides you that agility to really respond to market demands.
SM: Do you see Future Stores as the antithesis of traditional retail?
AH: Future Stores is a hybrid between a store and the media.
The thesis is that when you advertise where people want to buy, the likelihood of conversion is higher. If you think about retail media online, it’s about selling awareness. You see the shampoo, you click on it, and you buy it. It’s a seamless proposition, and we are trying to do this in real life, on High Street.
It’s acting almost like a giant billboard, but it’s a billboard you can step inside of, and it’s a billboard you can buy inside of. And that’s kind of basically sitting on the back of a behaviour that we’ve seen from online coming to an offline world.
SM: What of your recent activations have been particularly successful?
AH: We launched actually with Intel and it was a complex storytelling mission of educating consumers on AI. AI is talked about everywhere now but a lot of people don’t really know how it relates to them.
We were able to create a narrative about AI by changing the store from one story to another based on single prompts: So you’d see a text message that says ‘create a fantasy world,’ and then immediately the entire space would become a fantasy world.
But it was more than just changing scenery. We had a sequence of events where in the mornings, schools came in to learn about AI and in the evening, it was an event space. On the weekend, it was a gaming space and a watch party. Then we brought in influencers showcasing their expertise in science and running.
15 million people passed by the store that month, and 99 percent of those who stepped into the store understood now what is AI in a very positive way. And Intel saw a 59 percent sales increase.
Intel has asked us to replicate the project, so now we are now busy on building a New York store and a Paris store based on that first activation.
SM: Are there any store concepts catching your attention and what is your opinion towards them?
AH: I’ve seen that the pop-up industry has been growing quite substantially. Today, it’s about $100 billion worldwide.
A lot of the brands that do pop-ups actually have their own stores, and it’s because their existing stores do not drive any traffic. Because the mindset of their shopper is, ‘Been there, done that.’ But if you want a pop-up today, it will take months to build up the space. How do you ensure that space will be relevant by the time it’s done? There’s interesting research showing that about 74 percent of brands that plan pop-ups end up cancelling because the process is too complicated. Moreover, 50 percent of those who actually go ahead with pop-ups end up compromising on the location. This leads to a kind of limbo and a vicious cycle.
SM: Do you see traditional shopping malls, department stores or other retailers on High Street adopting the concept of retail as media?
AH: Right now the market is absorbing it. It’s going to take time to penetrate.
Many brands want to be in a mall because they have the traffic, but brands don’t want to commit to permanently staying there. What’s beautiful about Future Stores is that we are giving the brands almost a crystal ball. We’re saying, ‘Come to the mall, activate your space for a month, maybe two, and see whether you like it or not.’
The data is a huge part of our selling proposition. When you’re a brand today and you’re selling wholesale to a retailer, you can drive sales but never attain the data because the data belongs to the retailer.
We provide the data in a way that it’s also pretty revolutionary because we have so many sensors and so many technologies that support our ability to really understand the shopper journey and understand exactly how they behave, react and it’s not just when they’re inside the store – it’s the story of walking on the street, glancing at the store and then entering the store.
We know where the conversion points are, and we can amplify our content to enhance the shopper journey. Let’s say we have the store and the content is running tones of red and then we change it to tones of blue and more people glance at the store. AI can enhance that and it can turn into a never-ending optimisation process that will give you more what is the equivalent of online clicks, which in this analogy would be more glances, more people entering the store.
Retail as Catalyst: Shaping the Cities of Tomorrow
As cities evolve and reimagine their purpose, retail is no longer just a backdrop to urban life. It has the opportunity to become a key force in shaping the very structure of tomorrow’s metropolises. Once viewed primarily as a commercial function, retail today has become a multidimensional catalyst: sparking community, revitalising underutilised land, anchoring new districts, and combining environmental ambitions with economic vitality.
In Chengdu, SKP Park exemplifies this shift in profound and architectural terms. Sited within the city’s 16,900-kilometre Tianfu Avenue Green Belt, the project was met with a clear constraint: no buildings could rise above ground level. Rather than see this as a barrier, SKP and Sybarite transformed it into a bold design opportunity. The result is a sunken retail world, carved into 190 acres of landscape, one of the largest below-ground retail environments in the world. Above it lies a sweeping, uninterrupted park gifted to the people of Chengdu. This parkland is not ornamental; it reflects SKP’s commitment to green urbanism, contributing to China’s broader ambitions for carbon neutrality and sustainable urban growth.
What’s remarkable is that the commercial experience remains uncompromised. Over half a million square meters of mixed-use programming, housing more than 1,300 of the world’s top luxury and lifestyle brands, exist seamlessly within the subterranean structure. The design strategy resonates with the philosophy of “landscape urbanism,” prioritising spatial atmosphere, biodiversity, and topographical flow over the more common reliance on isolated, image-driven architecture.
SKP Chengdu also serves as a socio-economic anchor. It is a gravitational point for culture, commerce, and community, redefining how Chinese cities can grow more inclusively and resiliently. By integrating cultural installations, hospitality, art, and advanced retail technologies, it signals a future where urban centres are designed to be flexible ecosystems, rather than fixed commercial zones.
“Historically, Western brands have also underestimated the importance of ‘third spaces’ in China. In the West, a lot of our retail stores are sterile, and retail is seen as purely transactional […] But Chinese consumers have always expected a level of ‘retailtainment’ that goes beyond just browsing products, and those standards are only heightening. With the stakes raised, shoppers want a more holistic approach to brand engagement, filtering out those who are simply in it for the money from those genuinely invested in creating meaningful experiences.”
Across the globe, similar dynamics are unfolding in innovative ways. In London, Coal Drops Yard transforms the Victorian industrial past into a contemporary social landmark. Originally built in the 1850s as coal warehouses, the site had fallen into decline before being reinvigorated through a visionary adaptive reuse strategy. Rather than demolish its history, designers integrated contemporary forms into the existing infrastructure, creating a blend of heritage and innovation.
Coal Drops Yard actively invites civic participation. Beyond hosting independent boutiques and chef-led restaurants, it provides platforms for local makers, cultural events, and public programmes. Its success lies not only in its foot traffic but in how it fosters a renewed sense of ownership and identity among Londoners. It’s retail as public space, not just private enterprise.
Coal Drops Yard, London, Courtyard – Source: Sybarite.
Coal Drops Yard, London, Avenue – Source: Sybarite.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, retail is central to the visioning of future cities, especially under Saudi Vision 2030. As the kingdom looks beyond oil dependency, mixed-use megaprojects such as Diriyah Gate and NEOM are putting retail at the heart of their masterplans. These aren’t just shopping centres; they’re fully integrated ecosystems designed to attract tourism, support cultural exchange, and stimulate economic diversification. Retail here plays a dual role: enabling global connectivity while preserving local heritage.
“Vision 2030 is more than a national development strategy – it is a cultural reset […] The kingdom is positioning itself not only as an economic powerhouse but as a global laboratory for new forms of urban expression. Cities like Riyadh are rapidly transforming into experience-driven environments where authenticity and ambition go hand in hand. At Diriyah Gate, we drew on Najdi architectural language not as nostalgic reference but as a framework for contemporary storytelling — reinterpreting heritage as an engine for innovation. Over 70% of the kingdom’s population is under 35, a generation that has grown up connected, mobile, and globally attuned. Their expectations are multidimensional. They seek depth and identity, but also fluidity and access. They value spaces that are immersive and expressive, where boundaries between living, learning, working, and playing are blurred.”
Taken together, SKP-S, Coal Drops Yard and Saudi Vision 2030 point to an emerging truth: retail has become a mechanism for urban storytelling and ecological regeneration. It is not just a reflection of consumption, but a generator of culture, connectivity, and progress.
“The cities of tomorrow won’t compete on size, spectacle, or scale. They’ll compete on resonance — on the capacity of a space to be remembered, revisited, and recommended. For architects, this is a design opportunity. For developers, it’s a business imperative.”
Retail as Blueprint in the Giga Shift: A Conversation on Culture, Place, and Vision 2030
With Beverley Churchill, Founder & CEO of Retail Strategy & Placemaking Consultancy, Churchill & Partners’ in conversation with Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder, Sybarite
Beverley Churchill is the visionary founder of Churchill & Partners, the intelligent retail-strategy consultancy established in 2018 that’s redefining world-class developments. With nearly 30 years’ expertise in retail placemaking, destination marketing, and brand building — and pivotal roles in transforming Selfridges, Covent Garden, and several major Middle East destinations such as New Murabba, ROSHN Renaissance, Qiddiya City & Coast. Churchill leads projects with a rare creative-commercial duality, collaborating with top developers and real estate owners to revitalise underperforming assets or meticulously plan new destinations that deeply resonate with brands and consumers alike.
SM: How do you see the intersection of retail, real estate, and culture shaping the future of urban developments under Vision 2030?
BC: The extraordinary urban development happening in Saudi Arabia (the Kingdom is planning to invest over $1.3 trillion in real estate and infrastructure by 2030), is as much a cultural renaissance as it is a commercial exercise. Of course, Vision 2030 has targets to increase tourism and domestic spending on culture and entertainment but this doesn’t necessarily account for the sheer scale, innovation and ambition of the projects being conceived.
What’s interesting is that in many cases retail isn’t being planned as a standalone asset, it’s being interwoven with cultural programming, attractions, museums, performance venues and art installations highlighting its role as a form of experience and entertainment.
In mixed-use developments, retail is increasingly being seen as the glue that blends the traditional asset classes of residential and office spaces turning them into lifestyle destinations.
SM: What are the emerging principles that differentiate giga — projects like Diriyah Gate, NEOM, and New Murabba from traditional retail and mixed — use developments?
BC: From our experience delivering retail strategies as part of multi-discipline developer, consultant and design teams for New Murabba and Qiddiya, I’d say the key principle that differentiates the giga projects – over and above their extraordinary scale – is their ‘start-up’ mentality. This growth mindset, combined with innovation, agility, and a willingness to take risks will redefine retail experiences and set them apart from traditional retail and mixed-use developments.
For example, the central feature of New Murabba is the Mukaab. While Diriyah Gate celebrates Saudi heritage, this 400m cubed mixed-use icon and the dome at its core will be a gateway to another world, where technology and scale will create immersive realities limited only by our imaginations. Unthinkable in traditional urban planning.
Unlike typical mixed-use that focus on retail, office, and residential, the giga-projects are setting the bar for new ‘hyper-mixed-use’ developments, layering in additional asset classes such as incubators, wellness sanctuaries, art districts, entertainment and ecological zones. NEOM’s Oxagon, for instance, is set to be the world’s largest floating structure, combining a port, research, retail, and leisure in a single blueprint.
SM: How are projects like Diriyah Gate and AlUla integrating Saudi heritage and identity into modern placemaking while still appealing to a global audience?
BC: Diriyah Gate and AlUla are wonderful case studies in heritage-driven futurism. They’re not just a nod to the past, they’re preserving, respecting and reinterpreting Saudi heritage and identity, making it relevant for current and future audiences.
Diriyah Gate celebrates the Najdi architectural language beautifully, embedding this into the urban form and retail and hospitality design helps deliver an authentic user experience, subtly educating visitors while at the same time giving Saudi citizens a place that feels authentically theirs. Confident global brands will see the benefit of adapting their design identity to reflect a local aesthetic and use it to their advantage to create new experiences.
SM: Are there any lessons that global cities can learn from these bold projects in the Kingdom?
BC: Of course there are learnings from these projects that are relevant to smart cities globally. First and foremost, scale is a strategy, these projects are ambitious not just in size but in vision, showing that risk-tolerant, visionary master planning can be a catalyst for economic diversification. Coming a close second for me would be ‘narrative-led urbanism’, the giga-projects are being built around a core purpose and narrative, not just masterplans. This story-telling approach gives emotional equity to real estate. In turn, the Kingdom should learn from global best-practice, and aim to achieve a balance of scale, technology, and systems with the needs of people to create effective empathetic human spaces.
SM: With retail shifting from transactional to experiential, how can developers and brands collaborate to create spaces that go beyond shopping?
BC: It starts with clarity over the metrics of success. Instead of sales or rental income per square meter alone, brands and developers should now co-create KPIs based on a broader base of ‘soft’ metrics such as capture rates, visitation, dwell time, engagement, conversion, social media amplification, and emotional resonance to prioritise investment in placemaking.
Collaboration also means embedding retail into broader ecosystems: retail and wellness, retail and storytelling, retail and social purpose. The most successful experiences in Saudi are those that are co-curated, not just co-branded.
SM: Are there examples in the Saudi ecosystem where immersive or sensory technologies are being used to push the boundaries of what “retail” means beyond shopping into narrative, wellness, or play?
BC: Yes, of course, there are plenty of examples where retail is becoming experiential rather than transactional. The Mukaab immediately springs to mind as a space where we were challenged by NMDC to define retail of another world harnessing the technology powering the building to create next-generation physical and digital experiences that will draw visitors of today back again and again. Qiddiya City is also integrating retail with entertainment on a massive scale, offering AI-enabled immersive attractions and purpose-built gamified zones with shopping and dining experiences. On a more boutique scale, Hayy Jameel in Jeddah is arts-focused and integrates curated retail with art installations, creating a seamless cultural-consumer journey where I managed to buy a pre-loved Chanel handbag on a ‘quick site visit’!
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, ‘Face of the city’ (2023), Mohammed Alfaraj, The Hayy Jameel Façade Commission – Source: Art Jameel.
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Interior – Photography by Mohammed Alaskandrani; Design: waiwai; Source: Art Jameel.
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Hayy Cinema – Source: Art Jameel.
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Hayy Cinema Interior – Source: Art Jameel.
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Hayy Archive – Source: Art Jameel.
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Interior – Photography by Laurian Ghinitoiu; Design: waiwai; Source: Art Jameel.
SM: What role does experience design play at the master planning level of giga — projects?
BC: Experience design is no longer a layer, it’s the blueprint. For example in NEOM, The Line’s entire urban form is shaped by the user experience of a 5-minute walk to anything. This shift means master plans are becoming more choreographed than zoned. It’s less about where you put retail and more about how you feel moving through it, framing every step as part of a cultural or sensory journey.
SM: You have worked across the UK, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. In your view, what defines a meaningful, high-impact retail experience in the Middle East versus Europe?
BC: The biggest difference is emotional immediacy. In Europe, retail experiences often prioritise subtlety, heritage, and brand evolution. In the Middle East, there’s a hunger for boldness, novelty, and impact. People want to be wowed, but also anchored in meaning. In Saudi, the most successful projects will balance grandeur with grounding to combine cutting-edge innovation (like projection-mapped facades or metaverse boutiques) with deep cultural alignment (like prayer rooms, local hospitality rituals, and storytelling through space).
It’s not about East vs. West — but about epic scale paired with deep soul. That’s the formula for high-impact retail in the Kingdom today.
The Future of Experience
The Sybarite Report 2025/26
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