While e-commerce is accelerating to offer multi-layered experiences for customers and brands, bricks-and-mortar stores are becoming physical bastions of extraordinary, sensorial moments.

At a time when many consumers haven’t fully returned to real-life shopping, hyperphysical retail serves as a draw for younger consumers. Some 56 per cent of global Gen Z shoppers head to physical stores for a fun experience, according to a 2018 survey by IBM and the National Retail Federation, which interviewed 15,600 global consumers between the... See more

physical retail is entering a new phase — one defined less by experiential spectacle and more by service, relevance and emotional resonance.

exploring the potential of what have been called hyperphysical stores. The macro trend was identified by The Future Laboratory, a trends and strategy company, to describe retail spaces that are enriching and emotional. They “create a really sensorial and holistically memorable store experience that goes beyond the original idea of retail,” says Abi... See more