As ecommerce makes purchasing increasingly convenient, stores are being judged less by what they sell than by the experiences they create.

Despite ecommerce’s growth, 82.6% of US retail sales will still take place in physical stores in 2026, according to EMARKETER. That makes the question of what stores can offer beyond the transaction increasingly important.

HUGO BOSS recently explored this concept with “Step Inside the Mind of a Boss,” an activation customers couldn’t experience anywhere else.

In partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team and AI marketing agency Empathy Lab by EPAM, the fashion brand launched an immersive Apple Vision Pro experience available exclusively in flagship stores.

While Formula One may be growing in popularity, experiencing it firsthand remains out of reach for most fans. Few people will ever step inside a garage, feel the intensity of the cockpit, or understand the split-second decisions that define elite motorsport.

HUGO BOSS set out to bridge the gap by bringing the experience into seven flagship stores across London, Paris, Las Vegas, Barcelona, Dubai, Düsseldorf, and Singapore. Visitors entered an interactive spatial experience guided by Aston Martin Aramco drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Through Apple Vision Pro, visitors tackled reflex challenges, explored the world of F1 from new perspectives, and ultimately climbed into the virtual cockpit of the AMR25 in a simulation Fernando Alonso later described as remarkably close to the real thing.

More than a technology demonstration, the activation brought HUGO BOSS’s long-standing partnership with the Aston Martin F1 team to life in a way that allowed consumers to become active participants in the campaign.

Luxury has always been built on aspiration, traditionally expressed through products, ad campaigns, and storytelling. HUGO BOSS extended that aspiration into the store itself, where customers could experience (not just imagine) what the brand represents.

The activation drove record in-store engagement across all seven markets, significantly increased dwell time, and sparked widespread social sharing.

It reflects a broader shift taking place across premium retail. Stores are increasingly becoming experiential stages where brands can create the kinds of moments digital storefronts simply can’t replicate.

HUGO BOSS’s approach suggests these experiences don’t need to revolve around products. They can center on the stories, partnerships, and worlds a brand invites customers into.

Not every retailer needs spatial computing, but every retailer should be asking: What can customers experience here that they can’t experience anywhere else?

The answer may become one of physical retail’s strongest competitive advantages over the next decade.

Want to see how “Step Inside the Mind of a Boss” came together? Explore the full case study on the Empathy Lab website for a behind-the-scenes look at the creative strategy, UX design, and spatial technology that brought this global retail activation to life.