What happens when Story walks into Retail Shop?
- Workcation Kate
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 28
And why are more businesses turning their spaces into interactive experiences?
Scroll through TikTok or Instagram long enough and you’ll notice a shift. People aren’t just going places, they’re looking for something to experience. A coffee shop with a secret door. A bookstore with hidden messages. A retail space that turns into a playground after closing.
This isn’t a trend; it’s a response. In a saturated market, the brands that stand out are the ones that create moments worth remembering.
That’s what we set out to do at Design Your Escape. Instead of opening a fixed-location escape room, we bring the game into real-world spaces. Places like shops, showrooms in Singapore are hugely underutilised, especially with the high rentals... Why not maximise the unused hours, quiet period with activities that can generate genuine interactions?
Our newest story, Alice in Tan Boon Land, takes place within and around Tan Boon Liat Building. It looks like a typical escape experience on the surface, but beneath it lies a mystery that players uncover as they walk, scan, and solve their way through the space.
The idea is simple: instead of asking customers to pay attention to your brand, we craft your brand into part of the puzzle.
Why retail shop businesses are taking this seriously?
Traditional marketing tells.
Experiential design shows.
When people physically engage with a space, it becomes personal. They don’t just see your retail shop, furniture, products or layout; they interact with them. They remember how it felt to lift a cushion and find a clue. They associate your space with curiosity, discovery, and fun.
It’s not about gimmicks. It’s about using storytelling and gameplay to spark a different kind of attention.
How can you try this without committing huge budgets?
From now until the end of September 2025, we’re offering a complimentary game design for selected business owners. If you have a space around 2000 sqft and are open to light foot traffic, we’ll design and host a custom phygital escape game themed around your brand or story.
You won’t need to staff it, explain rules, or handle questions.
We can run it remotely with automation tools, QR-code clues, and chat-based support.
You get a playable experience in your space and the attention that comes with it.
It’s a win-win.
Our players get to play new games.
You get to turn your space into something people talk about.
Curious to learn more?
Visit DesignYourEscape.eventbrite.com to play a game for yourself or message us to explore how we can build something together, one clue at a time.
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