What: Luxury fashion brands are amping up touch and texture in the pop-ups for their latest handbags.

Why is it important: Consumers need to be enticed back to physical retail and luxury fashion brands are doing just that.

Jacquemus’s previous pop-ups in Milan and Paris, one in white, the other in pink, both went viral on social media. Jacquemus has also occupied Selfridges Mews, located directly behind the Oxford Street store, positioning there its 24-hour vending machine that dispenses colourways of its top-selling Chiquiot and Bambino bags. At the Old Selfridges Hotel: Le Vestiaire is the title of an immersive experience that transports customers through a surrealist interpretation of a swimming pool and rooms with 3D sensory experiences.

Balenciaga has also taken the hyperphysical route. Last week, the brand opened pop-ups for the Le Cagole it-handbag in both London and Bangkok. The stores feature a joyous surfeit of shaggy pink faux fur that covers floor, walls, chairs and shelves.

Coach’s larger-than-life installation in central London this April, which was inspired by the puffy pillowy leather of its latest Pillow Tabby bag. And Mulberry is currently hosting a pop-up in Seoul to promote its new bag Softie. The space mimics the bag’s sensorial qualities, curved quilting that looks plush and squishy, with spongy furniture and decor that invites visitors to touch.

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% 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.

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. Some luxury marketers see an opportunity to add ASMR triggers to physical experiences.

Sales don’t necessarily drive these sensorial pop-ups. The idea is to break the frontiers in the world of luxury so that all may feel welcome and have a great experience no matter what they do inside.

While pop-ups generate short-term traction, bigger long-term opportunities may be out there, such as turning retail stores into spaces with benefits. Dior’s new flagship in Paris where visitors can eat, sleep, wear and work out, is to position retail not as just shops but as venues.

Luxury fashion brands go hyperphysical