Experience sells: The more, the better

Storekeepers, brands and even shopping malls are increasingly spreading their bets by adding ever more elements of experience to traditional shopping outings. Be inspired by our selection of 'more-in-1' shopping experiences. 

More than ever, we are seeing fashion offerings combined with other types of products and forms of entertainment designed to make each other even more appealing, all under one roof. 'Just' a store with clothes or a shopping mall with 'only' shops often no longer cuts it. Multidimensional consumers and their equally multidimensional wishes demand more. More choice, more entertainment, but above all, more experience.

Affordable sustainability for a broad audience

ARKET, H&M's youngest offspring and self-proclaimed 'modern-day market offering essential products', is going like a bomb. Not only clothing and accessories are selling like hot cakes: the home department is drawing its fair share of shoppers, and in the vegetarian café, the real hot cakes, sandwiches, coffee and pastries are being gobbled up. So even if you aren't after a new outfit, there's plenty of reasons to call in. 

The chain opted for a strategy that is both simple and sustainable, offering neutral basics and items that are sustainably produced in limited runs. Environmentally-conscious visitors can also hand in their used clothes and shoes, irrespective of the brand. ARKET sees to it that it's all recycled, and offers discounts on shop purchases as an incentive. Happy-happy, win-win all round! 

Eclectic fashion museum

The Italian luxury store Sugar takes a completely different approach to their brand's storytelling by presenting the eclectic cocktail of street and luxury items within the classical frame of a historical palazzo. The modern interiors are a striking (and charming) contrast with the antique walls and original ceilings. Men's and women's clothing, music and books are presented in separate product spaces as precious museum exhibits. The additional areas, such as the library, the record store, the art gallery and a club area for private events combine to create a complete Sugar wonderland: the ultimate experience. 

Fashion = experience

Gentle Monster, the highly imaginative glasses brand, used their creative brain to create their own remarkable stores, where it's never only about presenting products. And this didn't escape the attention of Beijing's high-end shopping mall SKP. Last year, they teamed up to create an avant-garde mall with an alternative vision. The luxury department store is strongly reminiscent of a museum. You can spend hours wandering (and getting lost) amongst the artworks and delving into your surroundings; it's all about an unrivalled shopping experience. Or, in SKP's own words: 'SKP is not just a department store. SKP is a destination, a state of mind, a philosophy, a lifestyle'.

We'd certainly love to delve into this fantasy. We'll keep on dreaming!

Written by Soraya Jahan