Gucci has launched a hangout in Shoreditch, London to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. The Gucci Circolo is a designer, multisensory space and is an example of how brands can create physical experiences for customers in an age when retail is dominated by e-commerce.

Highsnobiety is launching an experimental retail space in Switzerland's Zürich Airport. The concept store will include a range of luxury brands, experiential builds, and limited-edition exclusive drops for young luxury consumers eager to fly and buy as the world reopens.

Tmall Luxury Pavilion is an e-commerce storefront and ‘an app within an app’ on Tmall that drives shopper engagement with luxury brands. By operating with invite-only access, it uses exclusivity to highlight its luxe appeal and mimic the atmosphere of brick-and-mortar retail.

COVID-19 has led to an uplift in e-commerce, and customers are planning to keep much of their shopping online way beyond the pandemic’s end. Canvas8 spoke to brand expert Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Recovery, about the role bricks and mortar stores will play for consumers in the future.