The physical store, once predicted to die in the face of the e-commerce boom, has not disappeared. But it has been transformed, transcending its status as a simple point of sale to become more of a place of experiences. New technologies applied to the world of retail have certainly multiplied the sources of experience, particularly in terms of the purchasing process, but they have not, for all that, annihilated all desire for sharing and exchange among consumers, who are still plebiscite about these places where the brand is physically embodied. Today’s challenges, however, are of a different order. Sustainable, engaging and interactive: ticking the boxes behind these three adjectives now seems to be the way forward in designing successful spaces that respond both to this thirst for experience (which is not new) and to the new demands for sincerity on the part of increasingly well-informed and engaged consumers. What does the future hold for the store, now that it is no longer the omnipotent epicenter of consumption it once was? What new stories to tell? How can we embody the authenticity that consumers are looking for? What design strategies should be adopted to add substance and emotional value to experiential spatial activations?
