Endetail

FashionBar’s The Shops is bringing a rotating twist to physical retail, and it’s all happening in our home town.

Inside Chicago’s Water Tower Place, FashionBar Chicago is putting a rotating spin on physical retail.

Instead of one store with one permanent lineup, this concept store brings a curated mix of emerging fashion, beauty and wellness brands into the space for limited-time pop-ups.

For brands, a pop-up can be a way to test the waters, build awareness and create real-world connections without the commitment of a permanent storefront. For shopping centers, a rotating lineup can keep spaces feeling fresh and bring in a new audience.

Same space, always something new in store. See what’s next at FashionBarChicago.com.

There’s a lot hiding in plain sight when it comes to store design.

When customers can see across a store, spot different departments and get a sense of what’s ahead, finding their way around feels a whole lot easier.

And there may be more to that than convenience. A recent JLL report found that 72% of shoppers have left a store earlier than planned because the environment felt overwhelming or overstimulating.

Clear sightlines are one way thoughtful design can make the experience feel a little easier from the moment your shoppers walk in.

Think about what being able to see across a store can do:

• Help you get your bearings without hunting for a sign
• Give a better idea of where you want to head next
• Let an interesting display across the room catch your eye
• Make unfamiliar stores easier to figure out
• Help spot checkout counters, fitting rooms or other destinations
• Take some of the guesswork out of navigating a larger space

When it comes to good store design, there’s often more than meets the eye. Take a closer look at
https://bit.ly/4hDhn7O.

Turns out “mood lighting” is more literal than we thought.

Lighting is stepping into a bigger role in 2026, with warmer tones, layered illumination and sculptural fixtures being used to shape how a space feels from the moment someone walks in.

A warm glow can make a restaurant feel more intimate and inviting. A well-placed spotlight can pull attention toward a product or display. A statement fixture can become a focal point all on its own.

According to VMSD, we're seeing that idea come into even sharper focus this year, with lighting emerging as what they call the "emotional engine" of a room.

Consider this a sign that retail's future is looking bright.

See what else is stepping into the spotlight at https://vmsd.com/look-book-the-new-mood-makers/?.

Turns out, “add to cart” hasn’t replaced walking through the door.

New data from Faire is giving us an optimistic look at the state of independent physical retail.

In Q2 2026, 59% of the brick-and-mortar retailers in Faire’s dataset increased their wholesale purchasing. Even more interesting? Physical and multichannel retailers grew their spending by about 19% year over year, roughly 2.2x the growth rate of online-only sellers.

For all the convenience ecommerce brings, physical stores still offer discovery in a way a search bar can’t. You can wander in without knowing exactly what you want, pick something up, stumble onto a brand you’ve never heard of, and leave with something that wasn’t on your list.

For retailers, that makes the store itself more valuable than ever. The layout, fixtures, merchandising and overall environment all help turn that discovery into an experience people want to come back to.

Follow along for more retail trends, design insights and ideas shaping what’s next for the in-store experience.

The storefront still has plenty of story left to tell. Read more at https://bit.ly/4r8kYhe and https://bit.ly/4cIXJVh

Retailers! It’s time to take window shopping to a whole new level.

Medik8's latest NYC activation is giving the storefront something it usually doesn’t have: the ability to react to the people walking by.

The skincare brand recently transformed a New York window into a motion-responsive digital experience, with visuals that shift and respond as pedestrians move past the display.

Instead of asking shoppers to pull out their phones, scan a QR code or learn how to use something new, this activation comes to life when consumers simply walk by.

For years, storefront windows have been designed to catch your eye. Interactive displays like this take that idea one step further, turning a traditionally static piece of the store into something people can influence, play with and remember.

Walk this way to learn more about the future of window shopping: https://oohtoday.com/life-through-an-immersive-interactive-storefront-in-nyc/.

The chicest happy hour starts here…

At the Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store at St. Armands Circle, the brand’s laid-back lifestyle gets an elevated, full-service setting to match.

Located in the heart of Sarasota’s iconic shopping and dining district, the space brings retail and hospitality together under one roof. At the center of it all, the bar sets the tone.

We’re proud to have helped bring this area to life building the bar and surrounding wall fixtures with warm wood tones, thoughtful detailing and an open, inviting feel that reflects Tommy Bahama’s signature coastal point of view.

It’s polished, but without losing the sense of ease the brand is known for.

Stop by and see the details for yourself:

📍 Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store
300 John Ringling Blvd., Suite 137
Sarasota, FL 34236

After more than 20 years as a digital-first retailer, Wayfair is learning just how powerful a physical storefront can be.

According to Retail TouchPoints, more than half of the customers visiting Wayfair stores are completely new to the brand. That’s a pretty compelling case for brick-and-mortar in 2026.

Shoppers still value the things physical retail does best: seeing and touching products before buying, talking through options in person, and the ability to walk out of the store with what they came for rather than waiting for a delivery.

Those insights are helping shape Wayfair’s next chapter, with 14 stores already open across its brands and more locations on the way.

For retailers, it’s a good reminder that the store still has something distinctly valuable to offer. Not only is brick-and-mortar holding its ground, for brands like Wayfair, it’s opening new doors.

Read more about what Wayfair is learning from its move into physical retail at https://bit.ly/4xZrx8o.

Photos via CNBC.com.

Retail and coffee? More than A-OK.

What started with Aritzia's first A-OK CAFE in its flagship boutiques has grown into a concept popping up across the U.S. and Canada - from Toronto and Vancouver to New York, Miami, Boston and beyond.

And the expansion makes sense. A-OK gives shoppers a reason to pause, meet up, grab a coffee and turn a quick shopping trip into a fuller brand experience.

Instead of treating retail as purely transactional, Aritzia is borrowing from hospitality to create spaces people can spend time in, and associate with a lifestyle beyond the clothes.

Would you spend more time shopping if the store doubled as your coffee stop?

Learn more at Aokcafe.com.

restaurant development + design's 2026 “Restaurant Design of the Year” winner knows a thing or two about making an entrance.

At Mayahuel in Houston, that entrance is into a space where Mexican heritage and modern design meet at every turn.

Named for the Aztec goddess of transformation and connection, Mayahuel was designed around a simple idea: erase the line between chef and guest. The open kitchen sits at the center of the dining room, with hand-carved wood, natural stone, and woven textures wrapping the space in warmth.

It's a fitting approach for a restaurant where craft runs through every layer, from the open kitchen to the walls around you.

Distinct zones, zero boundaries - that's the difference between a restaurant with rooms and a restaurant with a rhythm.

Read more at https://rddmag.com/events/rdd-awards/4648-2026-award-winners?showall=1&utm_.

Why does the same product feel more expensive in one store than another?

Often, it's not the product, but the space around it.

Research on the space-to-product ratio proves that when more space is devoted to individual products, shoppers often perceive those products as more aesthetically appealing and valuable, and the store itself as more prestigious.

But this isn't about using fewer fixtures or displays. It's about designing fixtures that create that space intentionally, using height, depth, and negative space as part of the presentation itself.

Let this be your reminder that sometimes a little breathing room can make a product feel like the main character.

Take a closer look at https://www.ama.org/2021/04/22/using-spatial-distance-strategically-with-luxury-and-popular-product-displays/?utm_source=chatgpt.com