![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=05a8b8948f64e5d71ef87b99b293dfab 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=76b9664fe1bffbf63d8152e18578ef48 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=ce72496182b09f13e3ab45cb066043cd 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=2a1c8d3ec143edf5745b2ab9b764ecc3 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=fa2ef6f84da2f058322204a048f60e40 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=0589d49dbf56e7d80ee27eef539e4884 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F21.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=e25cdaf3e52882d8b55921c783107e6c 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=158&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=461f2849736ff3fca7e472c4eebe7a3a 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=b218abf98bb91cb4835606b157d2a2a2 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=261930eb330514288c2966da887fbe84 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=768&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=b6dfee2aaf57cb95505dc16a159064be 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1050&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=e078f7dae17ebe704b49914c102bfc32 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1200&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=a878e875e044f370aa107882947ac0b8 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F20.FRBC-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1440&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=fc9147b8bb9b563ba2ab6723405a7518 1920w)
Complement the online shopping culture
While online shopping will only continue growing, there are ways bricks-and-mortar retail can offer services which complement it and make it even more convenient for consumers. One of the key disadvantages of online shopping is the inability to try things on before buying, which leads to customers purchasing several sizes or styles of the same item before deciding what to keep and returning the unwanted items.
Click and collect centres, found in both Mall of Scandinavia and The Lobby, are making this process more convenient by providing changing rooms and post office facilities in one place. Customers can have all their deliveries in one place, try them on and immediately send back anything they don’t want, speeding up the entire process by visiting a physical retail destination.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=158&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=5749de348aad2d72a286821507ae1971 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=5feb8c43698291534d4ddf95ddc86271 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=576&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=0b9dfb494471a811622ef499e3d4a3a7 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=768&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=acde5ffc4e7f09e8f12f15929188e1c6 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1050&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=710b6059a881559448a727d1ef88033b 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1200&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=669a1adf52aa11a40433730b5985fe5d 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F18.Click-collect-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1440&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=7978f40350f52e0acad0359c9ddc832b 1920w)
Satisfy other basic needs
Can a shopping centre satisfy other needs beyond purchasing clothing and consuming food and drink? Since today’s technology means we can work and socialise from anywhere at any time, this is a prime opportunity for retail destinations as effectively public institutions to offer flexible spaces where customers can go about their daily activities.
Many of the shopping centres we visited had dedicated mother-and-baby and children’s play areas, as well as cafés and communal seating areas organised in a workstation-like manner, geared towards solo customers. While those areas were there to support the retail use, in the future they could become stand-alone facilities for freelancers, office workers looking for a quiet place to work for an afternoon, away from a noisy open-plan office, or for parents wanting to spend time with their children while running daily errands.
Everyone on the tour agreed that bringing ‘ancillary’ uses and activities into the hearts of retail districts and shopping malls will bring customers back into the shops, as retail flourishes where people go.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=9d43a2d5c0c7dccefa4130993ed7c3ed 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=edaf1481a980c687930157edebbd33f9 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=ae2ad6d6639f4570633eaf8ef0ac5b81 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=19520565420e83901f5db9aa301c1721 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=2c5d609bb1ab2b9c52e13f3dab3afc56 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=cc4b4b9940a513f5b8901d037b3727a7 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F17.Childcare-Make-hero.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=a276b92227a468404c6c66c670541031 1920w)
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=a3dd43421f5729e280872a90a7e27a5a 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=dde379966727c107ceabe12282ff545d 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=16689e1d8d69113fa48339fa28349f31 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=0813b61ad2cffe276967721d52e27c30 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=b705bbdc16abe6937b1c81d8aece8a34 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=8268df1668ac097cacabe3a34c6becde 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F10%2F16.Co-working-Make.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=e813d2ad6e53d91cfe7ea2b019f89f4f 1920w)
Conclusion
The examples discussed show clearly that future of retail is not entirely online. As Mary Portas has observed in the “Clicks meet Bricks” article published in the September issue of the BA Magazine, we are living in exciting times for retail, where choice and competition between various platforms will transform high streets and shopping centres into destinations for new ideas, learning and collaboration, and, more importantly, into places with social value reflecting and serving the communities they are part of. In this context, our role as architects is to help shape and materialise the spaces where those exciting interactions happen.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=63a1944c014a4be1223ee7510f56030e 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=953fdb92f50f9d5a9b2605c5996b7e7b 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1024&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=fc84564501e86d0beeccec4853ead096 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1365&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=111dd9ad0616578bc9423cd46456f5e2 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1867&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=7539bfa05f54caa6d519d66669a7656a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2133&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=dad7621e1dd5eb1c017067139a88d148 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F11%2FNormann-Store.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2560&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=fac43a1ce1df74235e2a1dcebc24c919 1920w)
Click here to read part 1 of this series or click here for part 2.