JLL: Consumers seek calmer, less digitally-focused retail environments
Positive brick-and-mortar retail experiences are still key for consumers, especially in the age of “digital fatigue.”
JLL Design’s new report, Resetting the Retail (Algo)Rhythm, reveals that more than half (60%) of consumers say a store’s atmosphere influences whether they would recommend it, even if they did not make a purchase.
The report found that consumers have grown tired of algorithm-curated online experiences, which it refers to as “digital fatigue.” Gen Z actively rejects algorithmic influence, with more than half (53%) preferring to browse physical stores without personalization tools, while millennials demonstrate what JLL calls “exhausted reliance,” with 78% saying they would shop more often if stores offered quieter spaces.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of all shoppers have left stores early due to feeling overwhelmed, with the lack of technology interference ranked as the top attribute of positive store experiences, signaling that successful retailers must prioritize “calm, intuitive environments” over “screen-heavy stimulation.”
[READ MORE: Survey: Family-friendly experiences impact shopping decisions]
JLL noted that retail employees are experiencing similar pressures to consumers when it comes to overstimulation. Most (82%) retail workers say employers should design stores with staff well-being in mind, while 80% of employees report that customers seem calmer in less cluttered spaces. More than half (53%) would prefer fewer screens at work, while more than a third (38%) feel pressure to use technology even when it slows them down.
“Consumers are telling us that physical retail has a different job to do now,” said Emily Albright Miller, executive VP of retail strategy with JLL Design. “The store is no longer competing with digital on endless convenience or personalization. Its value comes from what digital experiences cannot replicate, including tactile discovery, emotional connection and the ability to experience a brand without constant algorithmic interruption.”
JLL highlighted three solution frameworks with 15 design principles for retailers looking to improve the environment of their stores:
- Serendipitous discovery: Composition (connecting products through stories), complexity (creating variety without clutter), sight and touch (enabling product comparison), localization (making experiences community-specific) and taste (using tasting experiences for discovery).
- Sensory relief: Deliberate use of color, managed visual contrast, space for tactile focus, supportive sound design and considered scent environments.
- Content-driven culture: Strategic digital integration, amenities that encourage participation, cultural programming and activation, authentic human service and memorable use of scale.
“For years, retailers focused on adding more screens, more content and more digital integration into stores,” said Mark Bateman, head of the retail solutions group and project and development services at JLL. “There’s now a growing desire for environments that feel calmer, more intuitive and less demanding on attention. The most effective retail spaces are increasingly designed around regulation, comfort and human interaction rather than stimulation alone.”
