The retail revolution brought about by online shopping has had a profound effect on the architecture and design of the high street. Both established and emerging brands are seeking out new ways to encourage shoppers to visit their outlets in order to optimise this valuable real estate.​

Designers are increasingly being tasked with developing retail environments that reward those who do make it off the sofa and into stores. Their role is to provide experiences that are different to those available in the digital realm. The best examples use space, colour, texture and interactive elements to transform shopping into an event that stimulates the senses and immerses consumers in the world of the brand.

Architect Li Xiang’s interior for the Zhongshuge bookstore in Shanghai’s Réel Mall borrows elements from city streetscapes to create an environment offering a range of distinct experiences. Photos: Shao Feng

Demonstrating how a brand’s identity can be translated directly into a store interior, local studio AN Design created a monochrome space above a furniture store in Hangzhou, China, for fashion label Heike. The company’s predominantly black clothing informed a dark material palette that helps to create a moody space dominated by a series of geometric structures.