Back in the days before online shopping became a lunchtime hobby (guilty!), we had to walk into a store to get our fashion or beauty dopamine hit.
Enter the digital age, and virtually anything your heart desires can be on your doorstep in a day or two. Convenient, yes. But does peeling the plastic off a cashmere knit delivered in a post satchel give you the same warm fuzzies as a tissue-wrapped piece you’ve caressed in-store, tried on for a perfect fit and brought home on the same day?
Online and in-store both have their place, but brands know consumers want something more when they shop in-store. Whether it’s an immersive experience, the chance to taste, feel or try before you buy, or a destination for something tangible you simply can’t buy online, the in-store luxury experience is back, and we’re here for it.
Here are just a few good excuses to head in-store and reignite your passion for shopping IRL.
Luxurious Environments You Can Dream Of Living In
In 2020, when most of us were working from home in our trackies, the endlessly stylish team at Hermès was ready to unveil its new Sydney flagship store. At its centre, a stunning marble staircase with a flowing curved balustrade created from individual panels of ash wood that took master boat builders four months to complete.
If you find yourself in the Sydney CBD, wander among the covetable Kelly bags and chic homewares over three levels of pure luxury and swan up and down that stunning staircase. It’s an immersive in-store experience that no click to add-to-cart can match.
The Best Of Beauty At Your Fingertips
When it comes to high-end beauty, Guerlain has always been a brand that embodies quiet luxury. In exciting news for Sydney and Melbourne based beautyphiles, Guerlain has recently opened two new counters at David Jones flagship stores (Castlereagh Street in Sydney and Bourke Street in Melbourne).
The new counters offer personalised skincare and makeup consultations by appointment, as well as on the spot makeup and a range of Guerlain fragrances. They even offer personalisation services, from bottle engraving to personalised plates and cords.
The launch coincides with the arrival of Guerlain’s most luxurious skincare line to date. The Orchidée Impériale Gold Nobile Serum and Cream are inspired by the Gold Nobile orchid and infused with a brightening peptide that smooths lines, vitamin C to brighten skin, five humectants and shea butter to richly nourish, hydrate and melt into the skin.
And here’s the seriously luxurious part: both the cream and serum are enriched with a precious complex of 24-carat gold particles and a duo of multi-reflective mother-of-pearl that instantly fuses with the skin to give a diffused glow without excessive shine. The result is a golden texture with a transparent, luminous finish. Luxurious, indeed.
Bespoke Pieces You Can’t Buy Online
There’s no doubt that researching online is a great way to compare styles and see what’s new. But when it comes to jewellery, nothing beats the experience of trying on pieces, finding the perfect ring size or comparing pretty pieces side by side.
The new generation of jewellery brands offer fully customisable pieces exclusively in-store and by appointment. Sarah and Sebastian did it first in Australia with their ‘Soldered’ experience. Customers choose a chain, add any embellishments such as fixed diamonds or sliders and a jeweller will skilfully soldier your piece on without the need for a clasp (so once it’s on, it’s on to stay).
Improve Your Carbon Footprint
Aside from being able to see, touch and try before you buy in-store, there’s an environmental upside to shopping in person. Sure, online is convenient and easy when you’re short on time but consider the size of your carbon footprint when you’ve ordered a pair of jeans that are the wrong size and need to be returned.
There’s the endless plastic wrapping, then road or air transport from the warehouse to you, then repeat when you return them. And if you order a pair in another size, that’s a third leg of the journey for one pair of jeans.
In addition, many e-tailers don’t pay for the postage on returns. If that cost is on you, your item could end up costing you significantly more that you would have paid in-store, and you wouldn’t have walked out with jeans that didn’t fit.
Welcome back, in-store shopping. We’ve missed you.