Experiential Retail Trends in Beauty: Embracing Pop-Ups

The beauty retail industry is embracing experiential retail, a strategy that transforms shopping into an immersive and interactive experience. Experiential retail goes beyond simply buying products—it’s about creating memorable moments through activities, curated spaces, or interactive elements that engage customers on a deeper emotional level.

Beauty pop-ups and flagship stores have become destinations, offering gamified experiences, personalised activations, and unique settings to connect with shoppers. For both offline and online beauty brands, these innovative formats are crucial for standing out in a digital-driven world and fostering stronger consumer engagement.

Experiential retail has become an increasingly popular way for brands to connect and build relationships with consumers. In the digital age where consumers have access to a vast amount of products, it has become harder for brands to engage consumers and stay on top of their minds. This in combination with social media’s transformation of beauty from a static product-driven category into a lifestyle and COVID-19’s cementation of online as the channel for convenience, in-store has adopted an experience lead approach in order to stay relevant.

The role of offline shopping has therefore become one of discovery, connection and narrative building. Leading to the creation of scenario-based in-store experiences where purchase is put on the back burner and fun takes center stage. In this scenario, the role of the store is to provide a fun, relaxing and memorable experience which ultimately connects with the consumer on an emotional level to build brand loyalty.

Young consumers find this approach particularly appealing, having grown up as digital natives this cohort of consumers is motivated by visual aesthetics and craves tangible experiences that bring them into the present. This is reflected in young consumers’ purchasing habits with 76% of US 18-24-year-olds having bought some form of physical media in the last three months, compared to just 53% of those aged 55 and older, dispelling the myth that younger consumers are completely digital. Younger consumers also enjoy these physical shopping experiences as a way to share content with their online communities, tapping into the idea of “phygital” experiences. A “phygital” experience is where physical and digital realms are blended, reflecting the connection and importance of both an online and offline brand presence.

Pop-ups give online-only retailers and brands opportunities to build awareness and distinguish themselves in an increasingly crowded category, especially with the arrival of Sephora in the UK and Boots stepping up its in-store beauty assortment.

During the festive season, Beauty Pie, Look Fantastic and Cult Beauty held pop-ups in London to position themselves as destinations for gift-buying. Look Fantastic’s pop-up gave visitors the opportunity to personalise products from The White Company and social media favourite Sol de Janeiro to add an extra-special, memorable touch to gifts. Providing an elevated experience during the Christmas shopping season will go far in appealing to the 69% of UK prestige beauty buyers who buy these products as gifts at Christmas.

Unique, memorable experiences will leave a positive impression of the brand on consumers and prove the emotive power of experiential retail and pop-ups.

Thanks to social media and influencer marketing, small brands can build hype, even before they launch. New and indie brands can continue to build excitement with limited-time pop-ups that appeal to beauty lovers and encourage sharing on social media to continue engagement.

In October, Rhode held a limited-time pop-up in the UK which fans of the brand queued hours to visit, despite the brand having no retail presence in the country. The success of the pop-up reflects the huge enthusiasm that young consumers have for beauty as over six in ten of UK Gen Z agree it’s enjoyable to talk to others about beauty/grooming products.

This engaged Gen Z audience will be on the lookout for new experiences, products and brands. Pop-ups can serve as destinations of discovery.

Experiential beauty is on the rise, with advanced technologies transforming in-store experiences and providing valuable insights for beauty brands. Aligned with Mintel Trend Driver Experiences, today’s consumers are adventurous, seeking excitement and joy in everyday life. A key trend driving this evolution is the gamification of beauty pop-ups, where interactive contests and challenges create fun, memorable experiences that boost customer engagement.

Online retailers Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic are leading the way with reward-based games inspired by nostalgic carnival classics, such as whack-a-mole with prizes or pick-and-mix stands for personalised gifts. These playful strategies tap into emotions and nostalgia, sparking excitement while encouraging brand discovery and purchases.

What makes these activations so effective is their focus on product sampling through brand-sponsored prizes. By letting customers try products firsthand, brands build trust, foster word-of-mouth recommendations, and boost loyalty. Jo Malone used a similar approach with its festive beauty pop-up, featuring a “wheel of fortune” game where visitors could win prizes. The pop-up’s popularity was clear, with guests opting for a virtual queue and a 45-minute wait, allowing them to explore nearby shops and enjoy a more relaxed experience.

AI-powered tools such as product scanners are another emerging trend, exemplified by Lush’s innovative ‘Lush Labs Lens’ at its Covent Garden store. This technology allows customers to scan the brand’s packaging-free products like bath bombs and shampoo bars, providing detailed information without the need for traditional labels or packaging. It’s a seamless way to combine sustainability with an enhanced shopping experience. As over two-fifths of UK BPC buyers use their phones in-store to get more information about beauty/grooming products, consumers are showing familiarity and willingness to incorporate the use of technology to enrich their product discovery process while shopping in physical stores.

Creating picture-perfect moments is a growing trend shaping future experiential retail spaces, with opportunities to design areas and products that customers will want to photograph and share on social media. A great example is Diptyque’s flagship store, which offered a captivating journey through the brand’s scent families—spices, florals, trees, and fruits—while incorporating full-room designs. One highlight was a luxurious bathroom-inspired section showcasing their bath and body products in an immersive setting. The store also featured a playful collaboration with artist Lucy Sparrow, transforming the space into a festive grocery store with felt-crafted “deli” items and recreations of Diptyque’s iconic candles. The result was a visually engaging experience that revitalised the brand and offered inspiration for others to follow.

Retailers and brands hosting increasingly immersive beauty experiences to engage consumers are appealing to a receptive audience of beauty enthusiasts.

However, as brands are providing more unique and memorable experiences, pop-ups in 2025 can stand out with collaborations, gamification and AI all while retaining the features of pop-ups that consumers already enjoy like opportunities for sharing on social media and the chance to try out products surrounded by likeminded beauty enthusiasts.

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