What: As traditional retailers battle to retain consumers’ attention in an increasingly digital world, the role of stores is shifting away from products toward experiences.

Why is it important: The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the shift to online shopping, and with the metaverse looming, retailers are luring back visitors with formats that employ sight, sound, and smell to transport them into dimensions previously associated with gaming or movies.

Stores are no longer only competing with cafés and restaurants but competing with a Fortnite, or Roblox, or Netflix or TikTok. There’s a new generation of young customers who have extremely high expectations and a well-established aesthetic sensibility and taste level as a result of spending more time online.

The evolution has not been lost on department stores, which are competing to offer visitors transformational experiences.

La Samaritaine reopened last year after a 16-year renovation and teamed up with French audio technology company Devialet and aerospace firm ArianeGroup on what it dubbed a “sound journey to space.” Visitors entered a white sound-proofed cube where eight Phantom I Devialet speakers broadcast the sound of an Ariane 5 launch from Arianespace’s Guiana Space Center.

Selfridges touted “a new kind of retail therapy” with their Superself wellness event including experiences such as confidence coaching, breath work, sex therapy, and sensory pods promising “a safe trip.”

While the development of the metaverse is still in its early stages, retailers can’t afford to ignore its potential impact. Computing becomes spatial and is going to be a major shift. Retailers need to be investigating and investing in that space but it’s early to say what it will be like and what it will mean for retail.

Retailers get immersive as metaverse looms