Seeing Retail Through a Different Geographic Lens
Last month, 5 Star Plus Retail Design’s store design team Barbara Seidelmann and Andrea Feigl had the opportunity to travel to Mauritius, one of Africa’s fastest-developing economies, for a retail market visit. Barbara and Andrea explored a retail landscape shaped by tourism, culture, international brands and a distinctly local way of living.
Mauritius: A Bustling Retail Market Shaped by International Trends
Historically, Mauritius’ economic development was driven by sugarcane and tea production. Today, the country’s main industries are financial services, tourism, manufacturing (textiles and seafood), and information and communication technology.
Mauritius welcomed 1.44 million international visitors in 2025, a growing, increasingly diverse audience that brings new expectations to the island’s retail environment. As one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies and ranking #2 behind South Africa in the African Performance Index, the country is also home to a local population with a very rich and diverse culture, leading to varied purchase behaviors and needs across the country. In terms of lifestyle and trends, consumers are influenced by Europe, the Middle East, and South-East Asia.
Shopping Malls as Lifestyle and Experience Destinations
Barbara and Andrea visited four cities and nine shopping destinations, from Le Caudan Waterfront and Bagatelle Mall to Grand Baie, Flacq Coeur de Ville, Phoenix Mall and Tribeca Mall. It was especially interesting to observe that the positioning, local customer groups, and purchase behavior differed significantly across locations. At the same time, shopping destinations are evolving from places to buy into places to experience, connect and spend time.
While foot traffic in some malls was driven by hypermarkets, other shopping centers offer a distinctly relaxed, leisure-focused experience in prime locations.
Why Understanding the Local Market is Important Before Designing Stores
For us at 5 Star Plus Retail Design, this is where the real value of good retail design begins. Our team doesn’t simply look at the functional requirements of stores; they look at the markets and consumer needs behind them. This includes observing how people move, what attracts them, what feels relevant, and what makes a retail experience genuinely belong to its location.
In the course of our projects, through discussions with our clients and guided international retail market visits, our team is incredibly fortunate to gain access to insights that go far beyond what a typical market visit can offer. We experience markets from the inside, gaining insights, conversations and perspectives that would otherwise remain invisible. These learnings then shape the design strategy and form the basis for the following store design project. They are also critical for fulfilling our mission: To create stores for powerful, authentic brands that sell more.
It was vital to visit and understand the local market to design stores that could make full use of its potential. And while Mauritius is very different from African mainland countries, it gave us a glimpse into the potential of the wider region’s vibrant economies.
Paradise Island – The Retail Market Visit Left a Deep Impression
Market visits like this one deeply drive the work at 5 Star Plus Retail Design and also shape our people who work on the projects. Immersion in different markets, cultures, and perspectives always leaves a lasting impression. Mauritius offered all of this and so much more: exceptional hospitality, genuine openness and personal connections that gave our professional exchange a very special dimension.
Thank you, Mauritius, for the inspiration, the trust, and the unforgettable welcome. We are excited for what comes next.
