Consumers are getting more of what they increasingly demand from retailers these days. They want--and get--more entertainment, high-tech, and interaction from retail stores than ever before.
According to Karen Schaffner, publisher of Display & Design Ideas magazine, entertainment is a significant factor in drawing customers and then encouraging them to stay. Whether it is creating a lounge area where teenage girls can hang out or a souped-up demo area that appeals to men, stores are being built to create customer participation.
"The future of retailing includes such technologies as touchscreens, body scanning, biometric identification, real-time Web broadcasts, and faster, more-accessible multimedia content? she notes. "The result will be a shopping experience that is greatly enhanced--but not frivolous. Experts agree that these technologies must make sense in order to justify the investment of money and floor space."
In San Francisco, for instance, home base for Levi Strauss & Co., a four-level store serves as a backdrop for new fashion and music experimentation, "sponsored" by the giant jeans retailer, while also selling jeans. New technology and interactive stations--including body scanners, periscope directories, and shrink-to-fit tubs--make it a multisensory experience. Each floor is carefully "curated" to give the customers a sense of discovery, with areas devoted to multimedia presentations, lounges for teens to congregate, artist presentations, Internet stations, a DJ booth and listening stations, and an entire floor devoted to the customization of individual jeans through stamps, embroidery, and personalized fitting, all done in a matter of minutes.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment