say that shopping is less about owning products and more about joining communities and experiences around them.
TREND
Retail fandom
People want more than products; they crave belonging, connection and shared passion.
People don’t just want to buy things, they want to belong. Fandom gives them that: a shared space to connect, express who they are and celebrate what they love. Whether it’s a beauty brand, a sneaker drop or a gaming franchise, fans find community, fun and purpose in their shared passion.
As entertainment, social media and shopping come together, the way people engage with brands is changing fast. Everything is now discoverable, clickable and shareable. Traditional, transactional shopping is also making room for experiences where people can join in, create and connect.
This shift goes beyond retail. Across categories, brands are realising that loyalty comes from participation, not persuasion. The most successful brands no longer just sell; they facilitate spaces people want to belong to. They open up their worlds to fans, but they also meet communities where they already are, inviting them to co-create, contribute and shape what comes next.
But enthusiasm alone isn’t enough. Beneath the excitement, authenticity and quality still matter deeply. Fans might buy with emotion, but they stay for value with 81% valuing product quality and 69% seamless transactions.
The strongest fandoms hit the balance between emotional connection and tangible worth, ensuring every drop, collab or limited edition feels meaningful, not manufactured.
"Shopping is not just owning a physical or tangible product, rather chasing connections and treasuring the moments that you get to spend with other people.”
Philippines, female, 38
What's fuelling this trend
Human truth
People seek more than products, they want connection, identity and feel part of something bigger.
Driver: Connection & community
The blending of social, entertainment and shopping channels is driving people toward communities where they can connect, create and belong.
CASE
Netflix House – Where streaming becomes real life
Global - Entertainment
With Netflix House, the streaming giant turns the mall into a physical fandom arena. The venue invites fans to walk through sets from hit shows, play immersive games, dine in themed restaurants and buy exclusive merchandise.
More than a shop, Netflix House is a destination built for devotion: the stories you love, made tangible and shareable. By merging entertainment, retail and experience, Netflix deepens fan engagement beyond the screen.
CASE
Xiaohongshu – Your lifestyle interest community
China - Entertainment
Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu has shifted its positioning from a lifestyle guide to a lifestyle interest community, marking a subtle but meaningful evolution.
The move signals a step away from polished aspiration towards connection, curiosity and shared passions.
By reframing itself as a place where people gather around interests rather than ideals, Xiaohongshu deepens its role as a social discovery platform.
CLIENT CASE
Bloomingdale’s Glowhaus: beauty for the new generation
US – Retail
Working with Bloomingdale’s, we uncovered how younger beauty shoppers were craving a space that felt inspiring, playful and community-driven – a sharp break from the traditional department-store counter. These insights helped shape Glowhaus, a boutique built around discovery, social-native brands and a more expressive beauty culture. By bringing fan energy into retail, Bloomingdale’s created a destination where shoppers could explore, connect and co-create their own beauty worlds.
“I'm familiar with, mystery boxes, or, you know, games where you don't know what you're going to get. I don't mind those things, but they need to be value for money.”
Australia, male, 52
CASE
Skin Cupid – K-beauty event
UK – Beauty & luxury
When Skin Cupid opened its first London store, it didn’t launch a shop, it sparked a fandom event. Hundreds of K-beauty lovers queued outside, eager to be among the first to step inside, try cult-favourite products in person and share the moment online. With exclusive freebies, immersive try-on zones and a buzz usually reserved for pop stars, Skin Cupid proves that when fans feel emotionally invested, a store opening can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
CASE
Vinted – Re/Style
Europe - Fashion
Vinted steps beyond the resale app and into the entertainment arena with Re/Style, its new fashion competition series on Prime Video. Contestants from across Europe take on design challenges, with the ultimate prize: showing their work at London Fashion Week. By turning second-hand culture into a high-stakes creative format, Vinted transforms its brand from a marketplace into a cultural platform. Viewers don’t just browse listings, they follow narratives, root for favourites and engage with fashion as a shared experience.
CASE
Popmart x CTrip – Hirono village takeover
China - Entertainment
Popmart, a collectible toy brand, teamed up with travel platform CTrip to transform an abandoned fishing village in Zhejiang into an immersive world for fans of Hirono, one of Popmart’s signature characters. Hidden sculptures, interactive scenes and story fragments turn exploration into a playful journey, bringing the character to life beyond the shelf. By blending collectibles, storytelling and real-world discovery, the collaboration creates an engaging, social experience that deepens fan connection.
What does this mean for brands?
For brands, this opens opportunities to create interactive, gamified spaces online and offline, where storytelling drives engagement and technology amplifies the experience. AR try-ons, VR brand worlds and livestream formats let consumers explore, play and connect in personal, playful ways. It’s about creating spaces for belonging, not just transaction.
Rather than just limited editions or collaborations, design offerings and experiences that reward exploration, experimentation or participation. Thoughtful touches in design can help delight and surprise, turning ownership into a playful, memorable experience that reinforces loyalty and community. Gamified challenges, loyalty drops and immersive experiences turn shopping into active participation
Communication should reflect this community participation by spotlighting real voices and insider moments where messaging becomes a living dialogue rather than a polished broadcast.