Retail’s rude awakening: Consumers ask for efficiency first, experience second

Retailers have invested billions creating Instagram-worthy experiences to win over consumers—but could those efforts be better targeted? In certain retail formats, especially those designed to deliver speed and ease, the answer is yes. JLL Design's latest research reveals consumers often value efficiency over experience, a sentiment that cuts across not only store formats but different sectors of retail and regions of the world. This new insight serves as a wake-up call for retailers who've spent years defining, redefining, and doubling down on "experiential retail."

The study, Shifting Priorities in Retail Design, which surveyed 2,002 adults across 15 countries, shows how consumer preferences have changed in the last six years. One major takeaway: Fifty-three percent of global consumers agree their primary goal is to “get what I need efficiently, even if it means less brand experience.”

In 2025, “Intuitive” is the second most important dimension of brand experience, while “Immersive” falls to fifth. More than half of consumers say “finding what I need in a store should be so intuitive it feels automatic.” The message is clear: clarity and efficiency are table stakes.

Consumers' expectations of "experiential" are evolving beyond retail's established wow-factor approach. Instead, they’re gravitating towards spaces where navigation feels effortless and engagement is physical, emotional, and authentically in the moment. They can feel and appreciate the difference of being able to move through a store with ease, to hold the products they like in their own two hands, and to engage with souls not screens.

That means today's retailers must embrace sensory optimization and operational excellence as the winning strategies for 2025.

After all, in a world where attention spans are short and desire for connection is high, brands that give customers the efficient, human experience they crave will awaken the most coveted of retail outcomes—lasting customer loyalty.

Download the summary report of Shifting Priorities in Retail Design for more insight into global consumers' shifting priorities. For a deeper dive by insight, region, sector, generation, or format, contact JLL Design’s Emily Miller at emilya.miller@jll.com.