The Death of Vanilla: Why Physical Retail Experiences are Failing
Fri Jan 30 2026
We speak with retail experience expert Ghalia at 104.fr in Paris to explore the evolving landscape of physical commerce. As the pendulum swings back from ultra-digital to physical, Ghalia shares her deep insights into why brands must move beyond transactional efficiency to embrace "story living".
They discuss the strategic value of pop-up stores as experimental tools to test location and product novelty, and the need to blend high-tech with a high-touch human connection. It's a thoughtful, deep dive for experience makers and leaders into how purposeful design and local authenticity can create meaningful, destination-worthy retail experiences that resonate on a cultural and social level.
#RetailInnovation #StoryLiving #TheExperienceDesigners #ExperienceDesign #HumanCentredDesign
Episode Chapters
0:00 – Reimagining the Purpose of Physical Retail:Exploring why customers leave the house for meaningful destinations rather than just basic transactions.
5:20 – Beyond the Wow Factor: Utilitarian vs. Holistic Design: Understanding the balance between functional, grab-and-go convenience and immersive, time-stretching experiences.
11:52 – From Storytelling to Story Living: How brands provide authentic proof of their heritage and "know-how" through museums and interactive flagships.
26:00 – Pop-ups as a Strategic Tool for Experimentation: Ghalia shares insights from her PhD on using ephemeral spaces to test locations, products, and customer reactions.
40:47 – Human-Centric Design and Holistic Management: Breaking down internal silos to integrate retail design into the heart of the customer journey.
49:40 – The Future of Retail: Social and Cultural Commerce:Looking toward 2025, the next era of commerce must prioritise human connection over mere profit.
Ghalia's bio
Ghalia is a multifaceted retail expert whose work spans consultancy, insight curation, speaking, authorship, and podcast hosting. She began her career in the fashion industry in 2005 and has since collaborated closely with numerous fashion brands at both retail and management levels. Her expertise lies in ephemeral retail formats, the creation of engaging physical store atmospheres, and the analysis of consumer behavior within omnichannel environments.
At a strategic level, Ghalia supports brands through transformation processes and the evolution of their development strategies. Operationally, she contributes to procedure design, training manual development, and team training programs.
She holds a PhD from École Supérieure des Affaires in Lebanon, a Master’s degree from the London College of Fashion, and a BA (Hons) from Notre Dame University. Ghalia teaches marketing and retail internationally and is a frequent speaker at leading retail conferences, sharing insights that help shape the future of retail.
Connect with Ghaliahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ghaliaboustani/
CreditsVenue - Centquatre-Paris, 5 rue Curial - 75019 Paris www.104.frFrancois Arrivae from IO Studio - A creative technology laboratory specializing in immersive experiences
Links to Francois https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran%C3%A7ois-arrive/https://io-stud.io
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We speak with retail experience expert Ghalia at 104.fr in Paris to explore the evolving landscape of physical commerce. As the pendulum swings back from ultra-digital to physical, Ghalia shares her deep insights into why brands must move beyond transactional efficiency to embrace "story living". They discuss the strategic value of pop-up stores as experimental tools to test location and product novelty, and the need to blend high-tech with a high-touch human connection. It's a thoughtful, deep dive for experience makers and leaders into how purposeful design and local authenticity can create meaningful, destination-worthy retail experiences that resonate on a cultural and social level. #RetailInnovation #StoryLiving #TheExperienceDesigners #ExperienceDesign #HumanCentredDesign Episode Chapters 0:00 – Reimagining the Purpose of Physical Retail:Exploring why customers leave the house for meaningful destinations rather than just basic transactions. 5:20 – Beyond the Wow Factor: Utilitarian vs. Holistic Design: Understanding the balance between functional, grab-and-go convenience and immersive, time-stretching experiences. 11:52 – From Storytelling to Story Living: How brands provide authentic proof of their heritage and "know-how" through museums and interactive flagships. 26:00 – Pop-ups as a Strategic Tool for Experimentation: Ghalia shares insights from her PhD on using ephemeral spaces to test locations, products, and customer reactions. 40:47 – Human-Centric Design and Holistic Management: Breaking down internal silos to integrate retail design into the heart of the customer journey. 49:40 – The Future of Retail: Social and Cultural Commerce:Looking toward 2025, the next era of commerce must prioritise human connection over mere profit. Ghalia's bio Ghalia is a multifaceted retail expert whose work spans consultancy, insight curation, speaking, authorship, and podcast hosting. She began her career in the fashion industry in 2005 and has since collaborated closely with numerous fashion brands at both retail and management levels. Her expertise lies in ephemeral retail formats, the creation of engaging physical store atmospheres, and the analysis of consumer behavior within omnichannel environments. At a strategic level, Ghalia supports brands through transformation processes and the evolution of their development strategies. Operationally, she contributes to procedure design, training manual development, and team training programs. She holds a PhD from École Supérieure des Affaires in Lebanon, a Master’s degree from the London College of Fashion, and a BA (Hons) from Notre Dame University. Ghalia teaches marketing and retail internationally and is a frequent speaker at leading retail conferences, sharing insights that help shape the future of retail. Connect with Ghaliahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ghaliaboustani/ CreditsVenue - Centquatre-Paris, 5 rue Curial - 75019 Paris www.104.frFrancois Arrivae from IO Studio - A creative technology laboratory specializing in immersive experiences Links to Francois https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran%C3%A7ois-arrive/https://io-stud.io ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★