February 10, 2014 – Simply displaying and stocking merchandise no longer is enough for a store to be viable. In today’s competitive marketplace being good nor great is acceptable. Consumers command outstanding customer service or a unique experience, otherwise, why get up from the couch where i can work from my wireless key pad, connected to my smart tv, click and voila, have just about anything delivered to my doorstep? Shops need to offer experiences that engage the shopper, and some successful retailers are doing that:
Samsung Experience, NY here’s where you can visit a 10,000 square foot space filled to the brim with the latest tech gadgets. Touch, feel and test out product capabilities first hand, with no pressure to purchase, as none of the merchandise is actually for sale on the spot. If an item strikes your fancy, a brand ambassador assists in making an online purchase at the in-store computer, which arrives at your doorstep within a week. You can now even experience a sampling of this experience on a smaller scale when you visit your local best buy and stop by the Samsung Experience Shop.
Lululemon here’s where you buy your yoga clothing and take an in-store yoga classes.
Apple this is the place where you check out the latest apple gadget, but also you get to hang out at the genius bar, where you can talk the language that 1-techies know and love.
Both at the store level and at the shopping center level, providing different modes of online access will become more commonplace. These brands are testimony to the growing shift in consumer retail experiences. Staying ahead of these trends will prove pivotal in the success of brick and mortar storefronts moving forward.
The Launch of Tea Bars
/in Trending topicsFebruary 24, 2014 – Coffee shops such as starbucks and dunkin donuts have become something of an obsession to americans since the 70s. Many people are unable to function at the office without at least two cups of the caffeinated drink throughout the day. Whereas others simply enjoy the taste or its natural dietary benefits. But what about the non•coffee fans that would still like a little mid-day pick-me•up? Of course theres the typical sugar loaded fountain drink, but for those looking for a healthier/natural alternative, tea is a great fiti.
Teavanna has quickly become the leader in the gourmet tea market, opening over 330 storefronts in 3 countries (thus far) since its launch in 1997. Starbucks acquired teavanna in late 2012 with some expansion ideas of their own and officially opened its doors to the first full-scale teavanna tea bar in nyc this past october. They plan to do for tea what theyve done for coffee by expanding on this concept to open at least 1,000 new tea bars within the next five-ten years. Not to be confused with teavannas already established sales•based storefronts, the bars are designed to be a relaxing, leisure environment (as opposed to starbucks on-the•go mentality) where guests are invited to truly savor the experience of tasting exotic tea flavors, while enjoying a spot on the couch or casual dining. They also serve a more upscale food menu with the priciest salad priced at $14.95 and a raspberry and apricot cream scone for $3.75.
Taking inspiration from the trend popping up in new york, french entrepreneur damien ceulemans saw an opportunity to enter the flourishing south florida market with a concept all his own ticety, a gourmet tea bar which will serve a variety of organic tea, hot and cold. In addition to tea, ticety will also serve a full french style menu of pastries, sandwiches and salads, as well as introduce alcoholic beverages to its guest all of which will of course include tea at its core. Ticety is expected to open its miracle mile i coral gables location in the next couple months and will be the first of its kind in south florida.
Food is King
/in Trending topicsFebruary 18, 2014 – Food has always been an important component of retail destinations. Take your local shopping center for one you have the grocery store, a coffee shop and maybe even a small eatery. In the shopping mall you have the food court. What i’m saying is that in the age of smartphones, food components are gaining prominence, importance, and, as it takes on a more dominant role in the success of retail destinations, it also is going more upscale.
The supermarket is sprucing up because shoppers want to have a special experience when they step into a store. Fresh market and whole foods highlight our sensory relationship with food, enticing us with heightened visual, tactile and taste presentations. In addition to sprucing up, they are breaking out of the supermarket shell and moving up to co-anchor shopping malls. Consider recent developments in south florida malls: fresh market opened in the falls and whole foods will co-anchor the forthcoming palm beach outlet shops. Whereas trader joes, a quirky, specialty grocer, known for exceptional customer service, opened their first south florida store in pinecrest. A second store is under construction in east boca raton, set to open in a couple months, but im sure their growth will continue rapidly in the tri-county market. The combination of size, price, store brands for its products and customer service creates a unified experience that makes going to trader joe’s an experience all its own.
And the good old food court at the mall? Expect to see it go upscale, if you havent already. Food courts are going to evolve into food halls or even artisan halls. Been to new york lately? On a former concourse of the plaza hotel, the hotel now has created a food court -to use the traditional generic term – except that it is a highly curated food court where each food stand serves freshly prepared, distinguishable food with a touch of gourmet in it. Even locally weve seen the town center at boca raton transform their food area into the cafes at boca which includes tossed (a made-to order salad bar( and earl of sandwhich. The grease filled, fast-food food court is a thing of the past.
Experiential Shopping
/in Trending topicsFebruary 10, 2014 – Simply displaying and stocking merchandise no longer is enough for a store to be viable. In today’s competitive marketplace being good nor great is acceptable. Consumers command outstanding customer service or a unique experience, otherwise, why get up from the couch where i can work from my wireless key pad, connected to my smart tv, click and voila, have just about anything delivered to my doorstep? Shops need to offer experiences that engage the shopper, and some successful retailers are doing that:
Samsung Experience, NY here’s where you can visit a 10,000 square foot space filled to the brim with the latest tech gadgets. Touch, feel and test out product capabilities first hand, with no pressure to purchase, as none of the merchandise is actually for sale on the spot. If an item strikes your fancy, a brand ambassador assists in making an online purchase at the in-store computer, which arrives at your doorstep within a week. You can now even experience a sampling of this experience on a smaller scale when you visit your local best buy and stop by the Samsung Experience Shop.
Lululemon here’s where you buy your yoga clothing and take an in-store yoga classes.
Apple this is the place where you check out the latest apple gadget, but also you get to hang out at the genius bar, where you can talk the language that 1-techies know and love.
Both at the store level and at the shopping center level, providing different modes of online access will become more commonplace. These brands are testimony to the growing shift in consumer retail experiences. Staying ahead of these trends will prove pivotal in the success of brick and mortar storefronts moving forward.