"In 2014, Chanel sent models down a runway staged as a grocery store. They pushed shopping carts past aisles of Eau de Chanel mineral water, Tweed Tea, and Coco Pops. At the time, the gag felt absurd, as if the label's esteemed creative director Karl Lagerfeld were turning the most mundane errand into a literal fashion show. But it worked, because grocery shopping was still just that: a weekly to-do."
"Some 11 years later, grocery shopping has become its own kind of spectacle. In LA, fans have made a phenomenon of Erewhon's Hailey Bieber smoothie (the store reportedly sells 40,000 of them each month)-an item so popular that its recent disappearance from the menu literally made headlines. In New York, cult favorite Happier Grocery asks tastemakers what's in their cart on Instagram and refrigerates their merch collection next to the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink drinks."
Grocery retail has shifted from routine errands to curated lifestyle experiences that double as social destinations. Stores now prioritize discovery, offering specialty food items, cafés, tonic bars, and branded merch alongside staples. Influencer-led and direct-to-consumer trends have amplified demand for Instagrammable products and store moments. High-profile examples include viral signature items, boutique grocery openings with nightlife-style launches, and retailers that showcase tastemaker selections. The result is a retail model that mixes food, design, and hospitality to encourage frequent, impulse, and experiential visits rather than just weekly grocery runs.
Read at Architectural Digest
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