Online shopping may be one of the greatest innovations brought about by the internet and social media. With just a tap of the “follow” or “add to cart” button, shoppers can instantly have a funky shelf for a mini library, different sets of clothes for every day of the week, or a homemade brownie for snack.
Although the ease of getting your retail therapy while lying down comfortably in your home has appealed to buyers across various generations, many still prefer the assurance of seeing the product up close, and being able to scrutinize every detail.
Some websites do have the courtesy of listing every measurement needed—whether it’s a piece of furniture or an old Game Boy for a vintage collection—to appease the meticulous buyer. However, there are many others who are more than willing to go to the physical store and see the real thing.
Hence, many companies around the world continue to find ways to keep people interested in the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. The key is to offer a fun, exciting retail space with many innovations to attract shoppers from all over.
Fast Food Aid
Fast food consumption has been a worldwide problem since cheeseburgers were made more accessible through takeouts and online orders. And with the delicious euphoria that comes with that extra spoonful of ramen is the reality that a full stomach doesn’t necessarily equate to complete nutrients.
Fast Food Aid, a popup vitamin and supplement store in Japan, entices passersby through its pharmacy-slash-eerie-laboratory exteriors: medicine bottles are neatly lined up on glass shelves and a steel table stands at the center as bright blue lights illuminate the store. What makes Fast Food Aid even more interesting is that people are required to surrender receipts from fast-food restaurants for nutritionists to analyze which supplements were lacking from that last meal—and the foodies can get them for free.
Buly 1803
Tucked in the bustling streets of Paris—where one would expect the most elegant of retail shops yet still be in awe—is a little boutique coaxing travelers and locals alike into purchasing that new scent to remind them of the dainty French city.
Buly 1803’s wooden shelves are adorned with antique-looking perfume bottles, each filled with a different fragrance for every occasion. Its classic, old-world ambiance is accentuated even more by the warm lights, vintage displays and over all design that greet customers as they enter.
Artelano-11
In the busy city of Pasay, as the air pulses with the noise of honking buses and frustrated murmurs of commuters, vendors and city folk, a quaint white house surrounded with acacia trees quietly looks on.
This is the facade of Artelano-11, a compound that is a home to furniture designs and art pieces by Eric Paras, and some artworks from around the world. A-11 is made special by its diverse interior crafted for every type of client or simple traveller: the vintage, the minimalist, the artist, the modern.
