The physical store returns to the heart of retail, enriched by tech and AI. The omnichannel model is essential, combining online and offline to offer a fluid and engaging customer experience.
After the post-Covid e-commerce boom, we are now seeing a renaissance of physical stores. This does not necessarily mean a wave of new brands setting up shop in city centers but rather the emergence and renewal of some of the world’s biggest brands. This trend is consistent with recent studies showing that 95% of French consumers make their purchases in store.
In France, according to JLL3 billion euros were invested in the commercial real estate market in 2025, an increase of 10% compared to 2024. In the United Kingdom, John Lewis Partnerships plans to invest £800 million by 2029 to upgrade its existing stores and renovate its flagship on Oxford Street in London.
These investments are not limited to the renovation of commercial spaces. They reflect a strategic conviction: the physical store remains a key asset in the relationship between consumers and distributors. Increasingly, it is becoming a place of experience, personalization and interaction, enriched by technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
The physical store cannot be replaced
Certainly, some small retailers are leaving city centers due to rising rents and increased competition, with commercial vacancy rates rising from 6% to 14% over the last 15 years. However, this contraction also creates opportunities for retail players with sufficient capital to invest in redesigned and technologically advanced spaces.
Some brands have understood this well and are reinvesting in the in-store experience to compensate for the limitations of e-commerce. In a context of rising prices linked to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors, consumers are becoming more cautious. They are looking for more reassurance, advice and real-world experiences before purchasing, which e-commerce services cannot fully provide. The store thus becomes a place of immediate satisfaction but also of social connection.
Many brands born online now adopt a “clicks to bricks” strategy. They invest in pop-up stores to strengthen their proximity to their communities, test products and create immersive shopping experiences.
Examples like Nike-Skims or L’Appartement Français illustrate this hybrid model. The store is no longer just a point of sale: it becomes a media channel, a laboratory and a place of engagement. Omnichannel is no longer about opposing digital to physical but about connecting them.
This transformation relies on a solid technological infrastructure. Modernize the retail involves securing and orchestrating fleets of mobile devices, barcode printers, payment systems and in-store equipment. Such modernization is only possible if the technological foundations are robust, secure and remotely manageable.
Towards fully integrated commerce
The “clicks to bricks” strategy does not mean that the retail sector is going backwards. On the contrary, it is evolving towards an integrated model where digital feeds the store and where the store enriches digital. Besides, 90% of consumers around the world choose to shop both online and in-store.
Between 2021 and 2024, online commerce occupied a dominant place in the strategic imagination of distributors. In 2026, it is just one element of a larger ecosystem. Consumers are constantly navigating between mobile apps, websites, social networks and physical stores.
For retailers, the challenge is no longer to choose between online and offline. Now it’s about ensuring a consistent, secure and seamless experience across all channels.
