From the fall of the mall to the rebirth of retail architecture

For a while now the all-American mall-rat mothership has not only sprung a leak, but substantially sunk. If you want to kiss goodbye to your lunch hour, visit Retail Ruin Porn, but the big question it raises is – was the demise of that most beloved location of teen movies a warning of things to come? And indeed, what’s the latest writing on the wall for retail architecture?  

For a long time there’s been a shift in the needs of the customer, driven by a heady mix  of the pandemic, the climate emergency, a global embracing of sustainability, and a fierce battle with, or direct shift of businesses to eCommerce. The latter is now paying a LOT of attention to exploring all the possibilities in the metaverse, but that’s not the only future, and it’s definitely not the end of retail on the street.  

Even before the pandemic we witnessed a lot of stores being boarded up, and this led to the “retail apocalypse” catchphrase doing the rounds. However, it was also a catch-all phrase that did not take important factors into account. James Cohen of SBLM Architects noticed a few things that all retailers should take note of – those who know their customers and understand what draws new ones in, as well as being able to embrace new technology and products without watering down service, have ridden the storm and continue to thrive. 

And he has words for the wise: “​​The ‘apocalypse’ has just accelerated the demise of the mediocre, the copycats, those who took their eye off the ball and took their prior success for granted and neglected to stay current, constantly re-invent, re-evaluate and innovate.” 

What this means for retail architecture is that, to keep it alive, it’s having to take a different turn. It’s not about revamps, but constant evolution.  

We’re all customers, and we all need varying degrees of human contact, as well as crave a great experience. We all understand how powerfully intelligent and beautiful architecture lures our attention, and sparks our very human (and feline) curiosity to investigate further.  

But to keep physical retail thriving in an increasingly digital world, merchants and architects need to consider important elements during the planning stage. Number one should be how the online and physical experience can be integrated – the starting point is to entice the online customer to come to the store for an interactive, in-person experience which offers that little bit extra. Coming in a close second is competitive pricing, of course. 

But this shifting face of retail isn’t the only factor affecting the world of architects. RIBA’s future trends of 2022 forecasts that the housing sector is going to grow the most, with increasing workloads for all architectural firms. This is hardly surprising – the housing shortage is no secret. But there is also the added impact of the increase in working from home. Interior designers have seen massive shifts in customers’ demands for multi-purpose spaces in the home and office.   

So these demands are now affecting retail architecture, the bigger picture being how to lure the once office-bound customer out of the multi-purpose home. The answer seems to lie in creating a variety of experiences inside an appealing package – a unique box of delights. 

And if retail architects can get it right, forward thinking clients will remain or become the future market leaders. 

What are your thoughts on the fall of the mall and the rebirth of retail architecture?