Inclusive Sensory Design in Phygital Retail: Regulatory Guidelines Bridging Accessibility and Brand Experience

Inclusive sensory design in phygital retail is increasingly relevant as retail environments combine physical and digital service interactions that rely on coordinated sensory conditions. Anchored in the European Accessibility Act (EAA), applicable from 28 June 2025, this chapter argues that compliance focused primarily on digital interfaces and self-service touchpoints is necessary but insufficient when environmental sensory conditions – such as lighting, sound, scent, visual density, and crowd dynamics – limit participation in retail services. The chapter integrates a critical literature review across multisensory retail environments, servicescape research, human-centered design, and accessibility and neurodiversity studies, together with documentary case studies of sensory-inclusive retail practices. Based on this synthesis, it proposes performance-based regulatory guidelines capable of preserving brand expression while ensuring choice, controllability, predictability, and phygital equivalence in access to services. The chapter introduces a sensory-accessibility taxonomy, a comparative case analysis template, a governance checklist for designers and retailers, and a Sensory Accessibility Statement template designed to support transparent compliance and inclusive innovation in multisensory retail environments.