Retail is no longer about square meters and sales per foot. It is about relevance, emotion, and the experience people carry with them long after they leave. As traditional malls lose momentum and new generations redefine value, the role of design is being rewritten.
In this issue, Stephen Chow, Managing & Creative Director of CAN Design, shares a clear-eyed perspective on how holistic thinking, people-centric spaces, and co-creation are shaping the next chapter of retail. His insights move beyond trends, focusing instead on how design can once again become a meaningful connector between brands, cities, and communities.
Key take aways:
- Experience Over Metrics. Retail has shifted from “sales per foot” to emotional relevance. To compete with online shopping, physical spaces must move away from cold, exclusive environments and become vibrant “community hubs” that prioritize memorable experiences over simple transactions.
- The Gen Alpha Influence. The new generation of consumers uses retail for self-expression and lifestyle curation. They value personalization and quality of life over brand names alone, meaning stores must act as storytelling platforms to remain relevant.
- Design as Co-Creation. Modern design is a collaborative problem-solving process. Success comes from “co-creation”—integrating cultural heritage and public utility (like urban parks) into commercial spaces to ensure they areboth functional and meaningful to the community.
