Retail spaces are essential in any community. Providing a variety of shops, services and dining options, these commercial areas contribute to the community’s overall functionality, sustainability, and livability.
Nowadays, such spaces do not only ensure the comfort and convenience of residents from the community and neighboring areas, but also serve as leisure hubs where they get to unwind and spend time either alone or with their loved ones. Many of these retail hubs have since undergone transformations to cater to the evolving needs of today’s market.
From integrating smart technology to incorporating state-of-the-art designs, many retail centers worldwide have been adopting modern techniques to redefine and elevate the shopping experience. Here are some of the best retail spaces around the world.
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Hema Fresh
China
This supermarket’s goal is to merge elements of online and physical shopping to produce the best possible consumer experience.
Customers may scan QR codes on products in-store for additional information on the product, such as the precise date that a food item was sourced, produced, and delivered. The Hema app further allows customers to pay through online means, making the whole shopping process much more convenient.
There is also an in-store dining area that is powered by robots. Customers may book their seats and order through the app, then the robots deliver the meals right at their tables.
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Selexyz Domincanen Bookstore
Netherlands
Once a 13th century Dominican church, this space was repurposed to become one of the finest bookstores in the world. In addition to being an excellent illustration of adaptive reuse, the building’s interaction between its historical past and its cutting-edge contemporary architecture delivers an exceptional experience unlike any other.
(HTTPS://MATCHA-JP.COM)
Lush Store
Japan
Although this soap shop is already known for its many branches worldwide, this is the first branch that focuses on combining the aspects of its #LushLabs mobile application and physical store.
The shop, in itself, is visually stimulating, as customers are invited to select products that appeal to them in terms of scents and/or visuals. Once selected, the product is scanned through the application which reveals its ingredients, properties, and benefits. It also shows a video that allows customers to see how it is used.
(HTTPS://WWW.FARFETCH.COM)
Farfetch
London
Dubbed as the “Store of the Future,” this online fashion retailer aims to bridge the gap between the digital and physical realms. In utilizing innovative software and interactive technology such as smart mirrors, holographic displays, and maximizing the Farfetch application, customers are provided with a more productive and customized shopping experience.
(HTTPS://ALAHAUSSE.MEDIUM.COM)
Burberry Social Retail
China
This retail branch utilizes “social retail”, wherein it engages customers through social media platforms by having transactions through both online and physical platforms simultaneously. It is jampacked with smart technology, including multisensory experience zones, immersive fitting rooms, and an interactive digital window at the entrance that was modeled after the mirrored runway from the Burberry AW20 show.