Virgin Media O2 and Netflix bring Stranger Things to high street with in-store immersive pop-ups
Virgin Media O2 is teaming with Netflix for a Stranger Things immersive pop-up experience at eight O2 stores across the UK, including Edinburgh, Manchester and London, starting from now and running until January.
Visitors can step back into the 1980s through zones filled with nostalgic touchpoints - from posing on the famous Byers’ sofa beneath the alphabet wall to taking part in an interactive quiz that sees the room light up with every correct answer.
Fans can relive their favourite moments with a retro wall phone playing iconic lines, a boombox pumping out 80s hits, and test their gaming skills on Dig Dug. A themed coffee table will also feature a vintage viewfinder and calendar revealing key season five dates.
As part of the experience, Virgin Media and O2 customers will be able to win experiences via Priority including: Four tickets to attend the Stranger Things season five UK special screening in London; A pair of tickets to nationwide screenings of the first two episodes in 11 locations across the country - two days before they drop on Netflix; A pair of tickets to an immersive Stranger Things fan activation in London.
Rob Orr, Chief Operations Officer, Virgin Media O2, says: “As excitement builds for the final season of the global phenomenon, Stranger Things, Virgin Media O2 is giving fans the chance to step into ‘Hawkins’ and immerse themselves in the show like never before.”
“With eight of our stores across the country being revamped to include a unique pop-up experience, our customers are not only in with the chance of winning incredible Stranger Things prizes, they can also benefit from Netflix at no extra cost with our newly refreshed Virgin Media TV and broadband only bundles.”
“This collaboration is a brilliant example of how Virgin Media O2 combines entertainment, connectivity and exclusive rewards through Priority to deliver unforgettable moments for our customers.”
O2 stores featuring the Stranger Things pop-up:
Market Street, Manchester: Unit 5, 39 Market Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1WR
St James, Edinburgh: 129 St James Crescent, St James Quarter, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 3AD
New Street, Birmingham: 24 New Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B2 4RQ
White Rose Centre, Leeds: Unit 12 South Mall, White Rose Shopping Centre, LEEDS, West Yorkshire, LS11 8LL
Tottenham Court Road, London: 229 Tottenham Court Road, London, Greater London, W1T 7QG
The O2, London: Units 1.02 & 1.03 The O2, Millennium Way, London, Greater London, SE10 0DX
Stratford Westfield, London: Su024/Su025, Westfield Shopping Centre, London, Greater London, E20 1EH
Oxford Street, London: 142-144 Oxford Street, London, Greater London, W1D 1LZ
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
Physical stores were a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
We received a record number of entries and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.
For a full rundown of all of the shortlisted entries, click here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC in Central London on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
Continue reading…