Creating Experiences in the Everyday: How Retailers Are Redefining the High Street
To generations of British shoppers, M&S has been ‘the one’. That reliable cornerstone of the high street, the place where food, fashion and household staples meet quality, trust and service.
But things are changing. Today, M&S is leaning into experience, making its stores places-to-be, not just places to shop in.
This is not in the form of immersive installations or one-off activations, but in something more subtle, creating footholds for customers through product-led theatre. Take the viral rise of their frozen Colin the Caterpillar cake, or the M&S loaded cookie that has made the rounds on TikTok, or even their Marmite pizza range. Each of these products has become a talking point, a reason to make a trip, and most importantly a reminder that shopping at M&S isn't just functional. It can be joyful too.
And M&S isn't alone in this shift. Just down the road, Rituals are opening their first Mind Spa, a concept designed to give weary shoppers a place to pause, reflect and recharge. In doing so, it signals a broader change in Oxford Street's identity. No longer is it just a place for pure consumption; increasingly, it's becoming a space for experiences that engage body, mind and appetite.
Layered on top of these "social media moments" are increasingly curated in-store experiences. Fresh sushi counters. Pizzas served hot and ready. Premium water cabinets that feel more boutique than supermarket. Dedicated wine stalls designed for browsing, not just buying. At their newly refurbed flagship Pantheon store on Oxford Street, this shift is especially visible. What was once a traditional department store format now feels closer to a food hall meets lifestyle hub, where discovery is every bit as important as utility.
And M&S isn't alone in this shift. Just down the road, Rituals are opening their first Mind Spa, a concept designed to give weary shoppers a place to pause, reflect and recharge. In doing so, it signals a broader change in Oxford Street's identity. No longer is it just a place for pure consumption; increasingly, it's becoming a space for experiences that engage body, mind and appetite.
This convergence of retail and hospitality, of shopping and leisure, speaks to a deeper truth: people aren't just looking to buy products, they are looking to feel something. Whether it's delight at discovering a cult cookie, or calm from a guided meditation in a beauty store, the modern high street is being reborn and rethought around reasons to return.
For retailers, the challenge is clear. The future of physical retail lies not in stocking the widest range of products - e-commerce has won that battle. The future of physical retail lies in designing spaces and moments that become part of customers' everyday lives. M&S shows us that even the most established of brands can reinvent themselves by rethinking not just what they sell, but how they make people feel while buying it.
Article by Michaella Moreton, P-Three
Image: M&S
