How luxury retail will change forever – The role of atmospherics in the digital era

This article expands the seminal works of Jean-Charles Chebat on retail atmospherics to propose an alternative perspective on consumer behavior in a multi-channel luxury retail context. Building upon Klaus's (2020) work exploring the drivers for online luxury consumption, the research highlights which aspects of retail atmospherics are influencing the overall luxury retail customer experience. We discuss the implications this has for luxury retail management in detail and propose a complementary view on how the luxury CX will drive a distinct luxury retail design. • We propose a new conceptualization of luxury retail atmospherics focusing on what matters most to customers. • We expose luxury retail experience drivers and the role of atmospherics in addressing the new experiences consumers seek. • Challenges the applicability of broader retail atmospherics models, such as DAST. • We deliver guidance on how to design both online and offline luxury retail to mirror the experience customers seek more closely.