Omnichannel Fashion Retail Experience Design Informed by Brand Personality

Cuiyu Xi, Muhammad Zaffwan Idris

Article
2026 / Volume 9 / Pages 1053-1119
Received 23 January 2026; Accepted 18 March 2026; Published 27 April 2026
https://doi.org/10.31881/TLR.2026.1053

Abstract
This study aims to explore the fashion retail experiences of Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers by conceptualizing first-store models as integrated experience design systems. Utilizing a brand-personality-based persona development method within a service design (SD) framework, the investigation identified five archetypal personas (Sincerity, Ruggedness, Excitement, Sophistication, and Competence), and from 109 respondents, the top scorer was selected for each type of persona as the participant. Adopting a service design approach, this research examined how experiential dimensions were constructed and orchestrated across the first-store service ecosystem, providing insights into the orchestration of the holistic customer journey rather than isolated experience attributes. Specifically, this investigation used multiple tools as data collection methods: service safaris, mobile ethnography, and contextual interviews. Three fashion first-stores were selected as case studies in Beijing, China. The findings propose three interconnected design-oriented frameworks: experience dimensions embedded in fashion first-stores, key touchpoints along the customer journey, and differentiated experiential effects generated by these touchpoints within the service system. Overall, the study contributes to understanding experience-driven fashion retail systems and offers design insights into how service-oriented first-stores can enhance meaningful engagement with Gen Z consumers, extending existing customer experience research from a service and experience design perspective.

Keywords
omnichannel, fashion retail, experience design, brand personality, service design