Walk into a thoughtfully designed retail brand store today and you may notice something new—lush greenery spilling from shelves, potted trees anchoring display tables, and cascading vines framing merchandise. From flagship fashion retailers to home décor chains, plants—both live and faux—are now essential design features in national retail brand spaces. This shift isn’t a passing trend—it’s a calculated design strategy rooted in neuroaesthetics.
Neuroaesthetics is the science of how our brains and nervous systems respond to beauty. Forward-thinking retail brands have discovered that integrating plants into store design doesn’t just create a pleasant atmosphere—it shapes customer behavior, increases dwell time, and strengthens brand loyalty. For brands using a national plant service, the payoff is a consistent, high-quality experience across multiple locations.
The Science Behind Plants in Retail Brand Environments
As highlighted in Aesthetic Intelligence by Pauline Brown, 85% of purchasing decisions are driven by feeling, not logic. Plants tap into our deep, evolutionary preference for nature, serving as a powerful “natural analog” in store design. They help customers relax, engage more fully with merchandise, and experience the store as more inviting and memorable.
Beauty activates the parasympathetic nervous system, releasing hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. For retail brands, this means happier, calmer customers who are more likely to spend.
Why National Retail Brands Use Plants
According to The Economics of Biophilia report by Terrapin Bright Green, incorporating plants, water features, and natural light into retail spaces can increase revenue per item by 15–25%. Even a single potted plant in a simulated retail environment has been shown to boost perceived service quality and customer satisfaction.
For retail brands, the benefits are clear:
- Stress Reduction – Greenery lowers stress, encouraging shoppers to slow down and browse.
- Enhanced Brand Perception – Stores with plants are perceived as higher quality and more premium.
- Visual Storytelling – Plants frame merchandise, guiding the eye and adding depth to displays.
- Scalable Consistency – A national plant service ensures that each store, from New York to Los Angeles, reflects the same brand standard in its greenery and biophilic design.
Examples of Plants in Retail Brand Strategy
Many national retail brands are already using plants as a cornerstone of their store design:
- Apple – Fills flagship locations with full-sized indoor trees, creating a natural balance to high-tech interiors.
- Nike – Uses greenery in flagship and concept stores to reinforce sustainability narratives.
- Anthropologie – Blends live and faux plants into store displays to enhance its nature-inspired aesthetic.
- Starbucks Reserve Roasteries – Combines plants with natural materials to make large, open spaces feel intimate and welcoming.
Plants as a Neuroaesthetic Anchor for Retail Brands
From a neuroaesthetic standpoint, plants offer environmental enrichment—a multi-sensory experience that stimulates curiosity, relaxation, and delight. When paired with other design elements like natural light, pleasing scents, and well-curated soundscapes, plants help create a salient experience—one that activates multiple areas of the brain at once and deepens the customer’s connection to the brand.
Live vs. Faux Plants in National Plant Service Programs
While live plants offer authenticity and seasonal variety, faux plants provide maintenance-free consistency—making them ideal for hard-to-reach spots or lower-light areas. Many retail brands use a mix, ensuring live plants thrive where possible while faux elements maintain a uniform look in all locations. A professional national plant service can design, install, and maintain both, ensuring the visual and emotional impact remains consistent across the brand’s portfolio.
The Bottom Line for Retail Brands
In modern retail, success is about more than the product—it’s about creating an experience that customers want to return to. Plants are a proven neuroaesthetic tool that retail brands can use to shape emotion, increase dwell time, and inspire purchases. Whether through a lush living wall, a curated display of tropicals, or high-quality faux greenery, plants deliver measurable value in-store.
Planterra is the leading provider of interior live and foliage plants for retail brands and shopping centers across the USA. Through our national plant service, we design, install, and maintain custom greenery programs that enhance brand environments, improve customer experience, and ensure consistent quality across every location.