Sometimes we want our shopping trips to be as uneventful as possible; headphones-in, eyes-down, job-done. But other times, a trip to the shops is about more than just what we buy. It’s about socialising, making memories, filling up our Instagram feeds and having a proper day out. Brands know this too, and now more than ever, they’re trying their hardest to turn a trip to one of their stores into an event.
At Retail Week Live, we watched the incredible Mary “Queen of Shops” Portas talk about the current retail environment. She bemoaned shops that are still “full of stuff” and said that stores need to provide a reason to visit more than just their inventory, and create environments where punters want to spend time.
Here we look at some of the Slip team’s favourite shopping trips that have to be experienced to be believed...
The OGs
Some experiential stores have been around since what seems like the dawn of retail time (at least for a Gen-Z’r like me) and are ingrained into the identity of their brands. You can’t talk about in-store customer experience without mentioning IKEA and Apple. Whilst many joke about IKEA megastores being as easy to navigate as The Bermuda Triangle, no-one can deny its memorable, vivid, and feels like a real day out. Apple has also become legends of the in-store experience, leading with store curation and design. We’ve all walked in with little intention of buying anything and left with the latest gadgets.
Hitting Snooze
There is nothing better than a nap. This is a fact. I’m getting all giddy just writing about napping. So the thought of a retail experience involving napping is a dream (pun intended). The Dreamery by Casper in Manhattan is an opportunity to try out Casper’s range of pillows and mattresses in their luxury nap-pods, where you’re provided with PJs, skincare samples and boring books. And yes, paying $25 for the privilege to perform the basic human function of sleeping, whilst being marketed to, is a bit of a capitalist nightmare, but hey, it does look comfy...
Sports!
Sports and experiential shopping go together like Slip and Digital Receipts. It’s an obvious solution, let your shoppers try out your products while providing them with a memorable, Instagrammable shopping experience. Nike are famous for this, for their stores often offering in-store workshops, events or even basketball courts, also the new Gymshark store in London is also reported to be using the majority of its floorspace for fitness experiences. For us the ultimate in sport retail experiences is the House of Vans in South Bank, a 30,000 sq ft space for shopping, hanging-out and skating. Looks pretty radical bro...
What is your favourite experiential shopping experience? Share it with us via our socials…
