Reinventing Retail: How Superdrug’s ‘Beauty Playground’ Shows the Power of Customer Experience and Why Property Maintenance Matters.
The modern high street has its fair share of challenges, from ever-growing online competition to shifting shopper habits. But the smartest retailers are proving that with the right approach, physical stores can do more than just survive—they can truly stand out. By investing in clever store design and next-level customer experiences, traditional retail spaces can transform into genuine destinations that people go out of their way to visit.
A perfect example is Superdrug’s latest innovation: the opening of its ‘Beauty Playground’ at Manchester’s Trafford Centre. Following a successful pilot in Rushden Lakes, Superdrug has turned one of its main stores into a lively, interactive beauty hub that prioritizes customer experience over traditional transactions, this new social hub includes:
‘Try Me Tables’ where customers can play, test and experiment with the latest products.
Social stations complete with ring lights for the creation of high-quality beauty content.
Interactive fixtures displaying new and exclusive brands for customer discovery and trial.
Brand ambassadors offering personalised guidance and demonstration.
This store makeover is all part of Superdrug’s bigger Offline + Online strategy, which is all about blending the best of their online and in-store experiences. They’ve smartly realised that by putting money into creating immersive, memorable spaces, they’re not just giving people more reasons to visit — they’re also building loyalty and getting customers to stick around longer. That’s something online-only retailers just can’t match.
What’s even more interesting is how Superdrug is encouraging shoppers to actually try out and play with products right there in store, without feeling pressured to buy anything. Even better, they’re creating an environment where customers feel excited to film themselves testing products. With beauty vlogs and influencers having such a huge sway over what people buy, especially Gen Z, Superdrug is basically giving them the perfect backdrop to create organic, authentic content. And honestly, there’s nothing more valuable for a brand trying to stand out in today’s digital world than genuine customer-made posts.
Now, you might be asking why a company like AM Planned Maintenance, filled with teams of skilled engineers and sturdy builder types, is even talking about makeup counters and beauty products; and fair enough, it probably seems like an unusual topic for us to be diving into. Although, for the record, we’d never say a maintenance engineer can’t also appreciate a good mascara or a swipe of lipstick.
The reason this store transformation grabbed our attention is because beneath all the sleek designs and clever marketing lies something less glamorous but absolutely vital—solid property maintenance. It’s the unsung hero of any retail space. Without reliable property maintenance in place, this amazingly fresh and exciting concepts would fall flat. Stores like Superdrug depend on quick, effective reactive maintenance to step in the moment anything stops working, whether it’s a leaking pipe under a tester table or a broken counter at a selfie station. Without prompt reactive maintenance, even minor issues could quickly spiral into bigger problems that ruin the customer experience.
That’s exactly where we come in. At AM Planned Maintenance, we specialise in both property maintenance and reactive maintenance, with a strong focus on retail and hospitality environments. We know how crucial it is to keep these spaces fully operational and looking their best, day in and day out. In fact, we’re proud to be one of the principal maintenance providers for another major national pharmacy chain, which just happens to be one of Superdrug’s biggest competitors. We’ll let you take a guess at who that might be.
Our teams understand that in retail, you have to sell the shop and the brand before you ever sell a product. That’s why effective property maintenance is so important—it keeps everything working as it should and looking as good as possible, so shoppers feel welcome, inspired, and ready to buy. When something does go wrong, our fast, reliable reactive maintenance ensures disruptions are kept to an absolute minimum, so stores can get back to business without delay.
Superdrug’s ‘Beauty Playground’ is a great reminder that the future of the high street is all about combining creative ideas with strong operational support. Shoppers will continue to flock to places that excite and delight them, but only if those spaces are also safe, clean, fully functional, and beautifully maintained. That’s why smart retailers are putting just as much effort into property maintenance and having a solid reactive maintenance plan as they are into eye-catching displays and trendy new counters.
So, while we might not be the people advising you on the perfect brow pencil or lipstick shade, we’re always working behind the scenes to make sure your store is ready to shine—every single day. With the right mix of innovative store design, thorough property maintenance, and quick, expert reactive maintenance when things go wrong, the high street isn’t just surviving. It’s thriving.
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