Buying a bottle of premium scotch is no longer just about grabbing a box off a shelf. At least, that is the vision behind Pernod Ricard’s latest retail concept in Johannesburg.

The global spirits giant has officially unveiled “The Glenlivet Room,” a high-tech, immersive “shop-in-shop” experience located at Makro Woodmead. The move signals a shift in how luxury spirits are being marketed in Africa’s most advanced economy, blending legacy with the modern “experience economy.”

Sola Oke, Managing Director at Pernod Ricard, described the launch as a strategic effort to bring the 200-year-old brand to life through digital innovation.

“This is more than a display room, it is a true experience,” Oke said during the unveiling earlier this month. “It is an immersion of a legacy of innovation, heritage, and rebellious spirit.”

Heritage meets high-tech

The new space moves away from traditional retail aisles, offering consumers interactive “brand moments” driven by digital storytelling. In a bid to capture the holiday gifting market, the room also features personalized engraving stations, allowing shoppers to customize bottles on-site.

According to the company, the launch was timed specifically for the festive season, leaning into a campaign focused on “living original.”

“This is what happens when heritage meets innovation,” Oke added, highlighting the collaboration between the brand and its retail partners to execute the ambitious concept.

For South Africa’s retail sector, the installation represents a growing trend of “retailtainment”—where physical stores must offer experiences that online shopping cannot replicate.