Why high street fashion must stop competing on convenience and start creating meaning

Luxury fashion brands have long understood that shopping is more than a transaction. They excel at blending global prestige with local nuance, creating bespoke environments that reflect local values and aesthetics. These stores feel rooted in place, with a distinctiveness of place that makes them desirable.

We see this a lot from luxury fashion brands in the UAE, where new cultural districts and destinations are being built from scratch. A new retail destination in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, for example, is inviting a carefully selected number of luxury brands to set up flagship stores that correspond to the values of the city – making each one not only a one-of-a-kind but true to the spaces they inhabit. Brands either strive to align visually with architecture of the district or offer experiences that match the local rhythm.

High street fashion may not have luxury budgets, but they can borrow from this mindset. It’s a mentality shift that could set the foundation for a more meaningful transformation of our high street – and it’s not as challenging, or costly, as you think.

Bringing a sense of place to the high street

Brands should start by asking themselves, “If we were starting from scratch, how would we curate brands that reflect local community? How would we design spaces that instil pride in place?”. If you can’t build new, you can still curate experiences that feel authentic and bring a distinctiveness of place back to the shopping experience.

I’m not talking the ‘theatre of retail’ here. The long-standing notion that retail destinations need to entertain, to wow, so that they can sell more, feels very old-fashioned. The new approach should be more about developing a meaningful relationship with your consumers and your local community.

The key is to speak the local language, literally and figuratively, through site-specific activations, staffing with local people and collaborating with grassroots influencers. Consumers are tired of aspirational campaigns; they want real, relatable connections (the high street equivalent of the 2025 Burberry campaign with Olivia Colman).

London-based label Aeliza does this well. A few years ago, for example, it launched a pop-up book exchange, where people could donate a book that inspired them for someone else to enjoy – in return they received a branded messenger bag. The hyper-local experience provided a space for likeminded individuals to connect over shared intellectual interests and the brand’s values of promoting individuality.

Another prime example that fashion brands can learn from is the community activation from Samsung at its space in King’s Cross’ Coal Drops Yard: a global tech brand offering its venue to local charities and grassroots organisations for free events. Launched five years ago, it’s still ongoing; still bringing in people and communicating ‘this place is for you’.

Taking a wider stance

This year’s Brand Impact Study 2025 from PA Consulting showed that consumers are increasingly expecting their brands to play a positive role in wider society in this way. Fashion brands can do more of this. Partnering with local artists; hosting workshops; or creating temporary brand spaces for communities that are based on ethical or social contribution.

They also need to move away from the idea that they are singular propositions. Fashion especially is increasingly about curating a lifestyle, not just about selling newness of aesthetics and product. People want brands that fit into their lives – a recent study by Centra showed that even with cost-of-living constraints, consumers still want relationships with their favourite fashion brands. In terms of placemaking, this means embracing the idea that brand spaces are for more than just product purchasing.

Last year, for example, H&M took over Stockholm’s smallest and oldest shopping centre, Birger Jarlspassagen, for a unique pop-up supper club with chefs Adam & Albun – “where culinary artistry meets fashion”.

If a place offers many reasons for people to come, it becomes more vibrant – somewhere people want to be.

A strategic approach for a secure future

After all, the future of retail is undoubtedly mixed-use. Developers are increasingly experimenting with different live/work/play ecosystems and the concept of the 15-minute city, where spaces are designed for accessibility and convenience rather than rigid segmentation. High street fashion brands should see themselves as part of this holistic vision, integrating into daily life rather than existing as isolated propositions.

This requires strategic thinking. When we work on strategies for new destinations, we start with purpose and values. Those anchors guide decisions about retailer mix and physical design. Established high streets rarely have this clarity; but they need it. Treat them as new destinations. Define their purpose. Without that, long-term activation is guesswork.

High streets have to concede that they will never beat digital on convenience. Instead, they can win by creating meaning, pride and connection. The future of fashion retail lies in placemaking, community activation and experiential engagement. If New Bond Street moves with confidence because it knows its value, every high street should feel empowered to do the same.

Stop chasing convenience. Start building culture. That’s where the future lies for the very best high street fashion brands.