What Draws Customers to Physical Spaces

If customers can browse and buy almost anything online, often for less money and with faster delivery, why do they still visit physical stores?

While digital commerce offers efficiency and time savings, physical retail provides what online cannot: accessibility and inclusion, authentic community connection, and tangible product experience.

Experiential retail design recognizes this shift and creates spaces that offer something you simply can't get from a website. We specialize in creating world-class retail spaces that deliver measurable results: stores incorporating experiential elements see a 40% increase in customer dwell time and 30% higher sales than traditional stores.¹

Each project below demonstrates how these principles manifest differently across brands and audiences.

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1. Selkirk Sport

At the Selkirk Sport flagship store, we integrated a full pickleball court directly into the retail environment, allowing customers to test paddles in real conditions rather than simply handling them on display walls. The elevated viewing area creates natural moments of pace and pause where equipment discussions happen organically, while players can immediately feel the difference between grip sizes, paddle weights, and surface textures during actual games with other enthusiasts.

This hands-on approach creates authentic connections between customers who share techniques and naturally form the kind of community relationships that make pickleball culture so engaging.

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2. Paris Saint-Germain Team Store

At Paris Saint-Germain's team store within Parc des Princes stadium, we designed an experience that creates a retail theater from the moment supporters enter through a tunnel mirroring the actual stadium approach, stepping onto real turf that immediately transports them into the world of professional football.

The penalty kick game allows customers to engage with gear while surrounded by the stadium energy and competitive spirit that defines their connection to the club. Interactive screens with holograms of current PSG players create additional touchpoints for fans while browsing merchandise.

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3. Golf Pride

At Golf Pride's Global Innovation Center in Pinehurst, we designed and built their Retail Lab that makes complex grip technology feel approachable by letting golfers actually experience the performance differences between products rather than just hearing about them.

Tour-level technicians guide visitors through a personalized customer journey of grip selection using hands-on exploration, helping customers feel how different materials and sizes affect their swing without getting lost in technical jargon. The space offers same-day regripping service, so golfers walk away with equipment that's perfectly matched to their game and a real understanding of how the right grip can improve their performance on the course.

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4. NBA Store Houston

At the NBA Store Houston, we helped create a space where fans can meet their basketball heroes through dedicated activation zones for player meet-and-greets and DJ booths for live music. These dynamic environments make fans feel like they're part of something bigger while shopping for gear, turning routine visits into memorable events that fans share with their networks.

5. Classic Football Shirts

At Classic Football Shirts LA, we created a space where football fans can watch live matches together in a clubhouse area while exploring a museum of curated football memorabilia and artwork. Customers interact with vintage jerseys, collectibles, and displays that span decades of football culture. The combination of live match viewing and museum exploration creates an environment where fans spend hours discovering football history, turning a shirt purchase into a deeper connection with the sport's community and heritage.

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Beyond Transaction

When you design spaces that truly serve customer needs, the business outcomes follow naturally. With 52% of millennials prioritizing experiential purchases, the data backs up what we see every day.² What makes experiential retail work isn't the technology—it's understanding that shopping is human, driven by emotion and connection.

When customers feel connected to brand communities, they become advocates. The future of retail is building spaces that invite exploration and foster community rather than just fancier displays.

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Ready to transform your retail space into a community destination?

We believe every brand has a unique story that can come to life through thoughtful design. Whether you're looking to create deeper customer connections, build brand communities, or reimagine what retail can be, we'd love to explore the possibilities with you.

Get in touch with our team to discuss how experiential design can elevate your brand's physical presence.

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^{1 https://univdatos.com/reports/experiential-retail-market}

^{2 https://www.thestorefront.com/mag/7-case-studies-prove-experiential-retail-future/}