Interactive Installation Art in Retail Environments: A Brief Communication on Social Experience

Interactive installation art is increasingly used in retail environments to transform physical and hybrid spaces into participatory, memorable, and socially engaging experiences. However, discussions of retail innovation often emphasise technological novelty, purchase intention, or digital transformation while giving less attention to the social and aesthetic roles of interactive installations. This brief communication argues that interactive installation art should be understood as a social science concern because it shapes how consumers experience space, interact with others, respond to cultural meanings, engage with technology, and negotiate trust. Drawing on selected literature on retail servicescapes, experiential marketing, sensory marketing, interactive art, immersive technologies, artificial intelligence, and consumer engagement, the paper proposes that interactive installations influence retail experience through sensory-aesthetic stimulation, participatory engagement, digital mediation, and ethical design. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions on aesthetic user experience, cross-cultural retail contexts, inclusive design, and AI-supported personalisation.

interactive installation art; retail environments; social experience; consumer engagement

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