Trends Spotlight: Transformative Spaces
Transformative spaces have the power to create a lasting impact, transporting us to an atmosphere that encourages exploration, inspiration, and connection. While helping consumers escape the mundane, brick-and-mortar retail, fitness, and hospitality brands are reimagining their spaces to be more engaging, sensory, and sustainable. And consumers are hungry for it.
Incredibly, fifty million people around the world consider themselves influencers or creators. And their thumb-stopping content is still being consumed by an audience ready to shop and to click the link in bio to buy now. Despite inflation woes, spending is up. LVMH posted an €18B euro (29%) increase in Q1 2022. Part of the global desire to spend is due to consumers' desire to interact in new environments after long periods of restrictions. So brands that can create memorable experiences and transform the way we view our environment will find large audiences ready to explore.
Within our 2023 Trends Realities Edge report, our trend named, Transformative Spaces, takes a closer look at how public and private spaces are being technologically augmented; luring people from their homes into unfathomable experiences in nature, fantasy, and more. Find out which brands are bringing this trend to life as we explore this future-proofing trend.
Spaces for Body & Mind
While some consumers experience virtual landscapes, brands like Jacquemus are going hyperphysical. This macrotrend is centered around an imaginative experience using materials that delight the senses—more performance art space than a traditional environment. Imagine a retail space that wants you to loiter and linger on a fluffy, plush couch instead of being harassed by a pushy salesperson. Leading customers to brick-and-mortar stores generates sales and serves up new buzz-worthy experiences, adding a greater sense of meaning to Retail Therapy. Also, many modern stores are plagued with bright lights, noise, and crowded spaces—an uncomfortable experience for all, especially those neurodiverse customers. Zen-like shopping malls such as Burdifilek in Seoul create a new, inclusive, and relaxed experience.
Green Exercise & Interiors
Even nature is being used to increase feelings of wellness in unexpected places like gyms— all backed by research and inspired by biophilic design. Nature impacts our mental and physical well-being. This fundamental insight is behind the biophilia hypothesis stating humans co-evolved with the earth. Biophilic design and fitness—you’ll see it in BioFit Gym London — are environments centered in the great outdoors and natural elements. Imagine a gym with no metal dumbbells or plastic jump ropes. Research shows exposure to the natural world can reduce stress, increase cognitive function, improve mood, and enhance creativity.
87% reported feeling an improvement in mood after green exercise.
Immersive Retreats
Wellness is also categorically taking over travel as we reconfigure our new normal. The Global Wellness Institute predicts wellness travel will expand to $1.1T by 2024, increasing (21%) year over year. This is quite the rebound as the sector shrank 39% to $436B in 2020. New traveler values are emerging; quests for nature, human connection, sustainability, and mental wellness are top of mind for travelers—values paired with pent-up demand not just for travel, but social healing. Times of disruption create a human sense of craving to reconnect with oneself. This desire paired with a focus on shared rituals, including sunset ceremonies and sound sensoramas, emerge in the wellness travel space with sustainable hotel sanctuaries like Habitas AlUla in Saudi Arabia. Habitas AlUla inspires purpose-driven travel, focusing not on materialism but on immersion into the natural environment and centuries-old regional culture.
Consider a Path Forward
Run a few searches around brands that are redefining the brick-and-mortar experience. How are these physical or digital experiences interactive, shareable, and most importantly interesting? Forget aspirational—are any of these brands your competitors? After this deep dive, think about how you can create a uniquely “you” experience that will gather interest from outlier customers—not only your diehards.
Brands need to keep in mind that consumers are looking to be stimulated, connected through purpose, and offered memorable surprise-and-delight experiences that are more than just a checkout aisle. As consumers become more vocal about their shopping preferences, brands must be mindful that the one-size-fits-all approach hasn't been relevant in decades. Consumers have varying needs, and they expect brands to cater to them in adaptable and inclusive ways beyond surface-level representation.
Unlock potential for your business by downloading our 2023 Trends: Realities Edge report, packed with 2023 insights, key shifts, and market analysis to help you and your brand navigate other trends in health and wellness.