What are retailers doing to reinvent in-store experiences for customers post-pandemic?

A survey by Ofcom showed that online shopping sales in the UK rose 48% to £113bn during the pandemic but three years on, bricks-and-mortar stores are starting to thrive again.

To keep up with an ever-changing industry, many retailers are reinventing the function of a store from solely being a physical point of sale to something that is heavily involved in advertisement, supply chain, marketing and delivery.

Customer habits are also changing as consumers now expect in-store shopping to be a worthwhile experience, especially as inflation and the cost-of-living crisis continue to pose challenges.

As stores enjoy something of a post-pandemic renaissance, we look at the retailers putting an emphasis on creating a better store experience for customers.

Gymshark

Located on London’s iconic Regent Street, Gymshark opened its flagship store in October 2022 to offer customers more than just your average physical store.

Designed to offer ‘experiential spaces’ to customers, the store features plenty for workout fanatics, including a ‘sweat room’ hosting more than 30 exercise classes per week, ‘pro bench’ rooms with one-to-one sessions led by Gymshark pros, as well as ‘the hub’ which hosts events, talks and athlete meet and greets.

It even has its own Joe & the Juice concession to offer shoppers and gym-goers a place to sit and have a drink.

Of course, the store still offers a vast range of workout clothes, but its flagship adds something a little extra with the option of a 90-minute personal shopping experience.

Rixo 

Vintage-inspired womenswear retailer Rixo opened its flagship store on King’s Road in Chelsea in April to bring sustainability to the forefront of its experience.

The store gives customers the opportunity to bring in old clothing from the retailer in exchange for vouchers and sells pre-loved items at a lower price.

Rixo has also introduced an alteration service as well as its rental range exclusively to the flagship store where customers can rent items for four, eight, 16 or 30 days.

The retailer asks customers to “immerse” themselves in the store that provides clothing, accessories, a bridal boutique offering private appointments and drinks from the coffee kiosk or the Smokey Kudu bar.

Zara 

In a bid to create a better in-store experience, in May Zara extended its London Westfield Stratford City to cover three floors and add new tech features.

A robotic arm operates the new automated collection point, there is a dedicated returns checkout along with automated returns, a repair station and a clothes donation point.

The fashion retailer goes even further by adding a pay-and-go payment option by scanning items, and customers can use the Zara app to search for products in store as well as reserve fitting rooms.

Sports Direct

Set across a whopping five floors, Sports Direct’s high-tech flagship store in the Manchester Arndale shopping centre opened in March to make it its “most advanced store yet”.

The store is equipped with interactive experiences such as a golf-putting green, running gait analysis, Jordan basketball performance challenge and a new concept to help customers find the right products for running.

Frasers chief executive Michael Murray said at the time: “Each new store opening is pivotal to the next phase of growth for the group as we continue to bring the very best brands, environment, product innovations and experiences to the high street.”

It also features the retailer Game and gaming arena Belong, which provides an area fitted out with games, consoles, accessories and other esports experiences.

Space NK 

Putting immersive customer experience at the heart of its offer, beauty retailer Space NK increased the size of its Westfield London White City store in January to add new attractions.

It features two treatment rooms that offer facials, a makeup play table for customers to experiment with products and pods run by store experts for shoppers to find out more about a brand.

Space NK also introduced a new fragrance discovery area and a place for shoppers to refill products and recycle their used packaging.

Speaking at the time of launch, Space NK chief executive Andy Lightfoot said: “The store represents the physical evolution of Space NK – a more customer-centric, welcoming environment with more brands, more choice, more exclusives, all there to be touched and tried together with our expert staff.”

B&Q

In January, B&Q opened its first two smaller-format Local convenience stores in London in what the retailer said creates a “more convenient and easy way” to shop.

Despite the smaller format, the DIY specialist offers in-store paint mixing, kitchen and bathroom design, key cutting, in-store ordering, click and collect, and waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling.

B&Q strategy and development director Chris Bargate told Retail Week at the time of opening: “Our ‘test-and-learn’ approach is an important part of building our strategy and our aim to create consistent, small-store-format blueprints that can be scaled further across the UK.  

“We’re continually listening to our customers and colleagues to take learnings to evolve the shopping experience in these smaller stores.”

Uniqlo

When Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo opened its Covent Garden store in April, the retailer told Retail Week it aimed to “elevate the shopping experience”.

The impressive store spans three floors to offer womenswear, menswear and accessories, and features an in-store tearoom in collaboration with Japanese tearoom Katsute 100.

The expansive shop also has a courtyard, terrace and a vaulted glass atrium to create “experience-led features” for shoppers.

In addition to its clothing offering, the retailer has also partnered with florist JamJar Flowers for an in-store pop-up that offers its products in the courtyard.

The store also has a Re.Uniqlo repair studio where customers can recycle, repair or remake their Uniqlo clothes to expand the lifecycle of these items.