HOW TO DESIGN EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL

Let us set the bar, HIGH!

It’s not a talk about being good, it’s about being the best. And the same goes with experiences and it’s like a stake count with a soothing coin drop sound. It’s a dive when invitation shares a common space in every context, regardless of different vices a human can possess. And, the experience is directly proportional to the infinite fantasies we can think of – creating a rebound effect to encourage engagement and conversion purposes. And a matter of fact, we have gone many miles in creating experiences from traditional brick-and-mortar. Infusing it phygitally – the cycle between the stake owners of experience gets oiled and the shopper journey gets accomplished in a way more satisfying manner (a brand perspective).

Canvassing from every inch of the world, the majority of the population is GenY and GenZ. Many brands have their target audience revolving around these two generations. And the experience factor can create a fruitful impact on their purchase decisions, hence, the experience is influencing retail. Besides that, Experiential Retail goes down with these crux pointers –

1. It creates an impact that is immersive and shareable.

2. It just prioritizes engagement other sales.

3. Can be referred to as ‘Sensual Retail’.

4. Clouts in-store events/services.

5. Defies customer expectations.

Like experiential retail is immersive – it helps the consumers to get a perception. Yes, primarily through technology like Virtual Reality where one can perceive itself being physically present in a non-physical world. On the same parallel lanes, experiential retail possesses the shareability factor about the unique showcasing. A consumer engaged in-store generates a neurotic experience that is authentic, organic, and procrastinating (in reverse).

THE PRIORITY

For experiential retail, providing the retail experience comes first (as mentioned in the start) and sales come after that. Traditionally it wasn’t, but as we advanced in time, the priorities changed. Name it either on science or consumer expectations, the tryout thing (for a product) has been old-fashioned (though it is practiced till date) but when a consumer sees itself with the product on digitals, it allures them more along with various touchpoints that are placed in-store contribute to the ‘PRIORITY’ of engagement. For example, D’Art designed and deployed ‘House of Red Chief’ in the most experiential way. Keeping its ‘Engage’ principle with a WORD, it used elements like Treadmill, Basketball Court, Climbing Wall as touchpoints to allure customers. 3000 SKUs were innovatively displayed using a conveyor belt throughout the store. Moreover, keeping the store environment-friendly – sustainable materials like cast acrylic and paper wood were used during construction.

THE SENSES

What’s better than targeting and implying all five human senses at the same time?

Creating a parabolic situation through sensual experiences. And yes, the brick-and-mortars are back with an ax saw at the e-commerce stores (post-pandemic) to invite consumers to stimulate their ‘SENSES’. After all, you can’t wag your bag through your smartphone post-shopping online. The premium feel is itself a sense that is proportional to increasing brand equity for a damn long time. The suburban markets don’t understand that the rush they are experiencing in their stores is just concurrent to the audience they serve. But they too need the funk. Getting skin-tanned and roasting themselves under the sun cannot provide a better shopping experience or a souled-up journey.

Let’s examine a shopper journey right from the entrance in the store –

“You put your car keys in your pocket and make up your mind to shop from a brand you selected. Right from the entrance, you feel the cold door handle that makes you calm from the rushy traffic horns and blows. By putting your first step, you just feel the soothing aromatic scent and jazz music in surround sound. Then a salesman approaches you and takes you for a tour (of the store). Various engagement points are keeping your kids busy and you are not getting that crying poke in intervals. With a shopping journey, you just spend a nice couple of times deciding the products you wanna purchase. Before making a firm decision about buying – you tried the product to the fullest that has calmed your satisfaction nerves. And the best thing you experienced is the brand’s checkout policy that is automated via your smart 6 inched companions”.

This kind of journey is far (x2) better than the one you will have in dust, sun, and shoulder banging markets.

Experiential Retail is now a buzzword that everyone is using to entice their end B (in the B2B). And yes, the experience does influence the retail in every form – no matter what’s the purchase area, environment, Geographic’s, and demographics. Fashionably, “JUST PUT YOUR PODS ON AND DO THE SHOP STROLL”