Aussie retailers are reinventing themselves with Instagram-worthy experiences in a bid to revive in-store shopping amid rising online sales.
The move is seeing retailers go above and beyond to creatively lure in customers, particularly Gen Z, offering in-store experiences from rooftop basketball and rock climbing to novel selfie opportunities and all-day services.
Aussie stores that have recently revealed plans to revolutionise for the future include Sass&Bide. It announced all stand-alone boutiques and department store concessions would close by the end of January while the company rebranded. Online sales would close at the end of February.
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Mecca Bourke Street experiential beauty destination opened August 2025. Picture: @meccabeauty Instagram
The in-store florist. Picture: @meccabeauty Instagram
“While we’re offline, we’ll be re-imagining what Sass&Bide can and should look like,” Sass & Bide said in a statement.
Kmart Group managing director Aleks Spaseska last year also revealed the retail giant’s aim to grow to $20 billion in turnover, expanding in the face of increasing competition and working to appeal to younger buyers.
According to Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader, certain stores are opting for a reduced amount of locations instead with creative in-store experiences forming brand awareness and loyalty paired with online buying opportunity.
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Rebel sport Melbourne rooftop basketball court. Picture: @whatsonmelb Instagram
Rebel Sport Rundle Mall basketball court. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe
“It’s not all about the volume of stores, it’s more about these handful of stores that have a different point of view,” she said.
“There’s definitely no doubt that the Instagram-worthiness of a store or even just the common areas of a centre – is actually really really important.
“Melbourne central is a really good example – the Rebel store there, and the same sort of theory has happened to a lot of rebel stores in Sydney, they have the basketball facility.
“How many people are always wandering through Mecca and Sephora, they aren’t necessarily buying things there but there’s a lot of activations that make people excited to go back.
“Look at PopMart, there’s a big online following as well.”
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David Jones Bourke Street colour-changing selfie suite. Picture: David Jones, Tik Tok
Inside the Selfie Suite in the Bourke Street store. Picture: David Jones, Tik Tok
Ms Rader said savvy shopping centre operators are also maximising opportunity by treating every space as potential for experience creation, with traditional entertainment anchors like cinemas no longer sufficient.
Consumers are seeking interactive experiences ranging from immersive entertainment venues to affordable, luxurious dining destinations, she said.
“A lot of the big shopping centre owners have really identified this, this is not a new thing, this has been happening since Covid,” Ms Rader said.
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The beauty station outside of its selfie suite. Picture: David Jones, Tik Tok
“It could be rock climbing or e-gaming, there’s lots of different things people are doing in centres that aren’t necessarily shopping.
“They are just being more creative getting people back into the shopping centres, it’s not necessarily about buying but it’s just about providing a really good experience so that they can increase their dwell time and stay in that centre for a longer period of time.”
According to Ms Rader, this also includes department stores.
“We have seen that with the continual closures of David Jones and Myer over the last however many years,” she said.
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Inside the three-level Mecca Bourke Street store. Picture: @meccabeauty Instagram
Ms Rader said this reinvention is needed for stores to survive, particularly for the clothing and soft goods segment.
“That’s the part that has been continuously declining in terms of retail spend,” she said.
“There is the fast fashion on offer, the Temu and Shein affect even Kmart that can do dupes of things.
“A lot of the clothing retailers have collapsed over the last number of years, they’re having to really reinvent themselves to make themselves relevant.”