The role of the physical store is changing. While ecommerce is continually growing, we can be forgiven for thinking that physical retail has a challenging future. Well, we discovered at a recent visit to Shoptalk Europe 2022, that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
There continues to be a strong shopper appetite to experience retail and products in a physical space. The importance of this isn’t lost on global brands Lego, Estee Lauder and Levi’s, who fully appreciate the value add to their brands, which rely heavily on touch, try-on and physical experience. Focus on ‘story telling’, ‘magic’ and ‘theatre’ helps deliver the shopper experience, leaving them with an unexpected and memorable takeaway.
Experiential retail is about creating a showroom, rather than a transactional space, allowing the shopper to immerse themselves into the brand, and build confidence in their choice.
The importance of trained brand consultants, ensures a one-to-one experience answering shopper’s questions at a key touchpoint.
In conclusion, complacency in physical retail will result in disappointed and unengaged shoppers who are more likely to shop online.
Take a look at ‘Situ Live’ , a hyper experiential physical retail space, demonstrating the importance of delivering product demonstration and trail www.situlive.com
