Retail’s New Renaissance is Here
Restrictions have lifted and guidelines have changed. Is retail ready to be better than ever?
For the first time in a long time, I walked down to the local vegan bakery in town and sat in the sun with a steaming cup of dark roast and my favorite blueberry scone. I had pre-ordered everything from a few blocks away and it was ready and waiting when I arrived.
It was fast. It was easy. And it was the best of both worlds: the ease of touch-free ordering with the pleasure of in-person consumption.
But the experience made me wonder: now that life is returning to what once was, will retailers apply the new lessons and innovations that they’ve cooked up over the last year and a half? Or will they instinctively snap back to their comfort zones?
The past year has been the Dark Ages for retail. While newspapers covered the windows of businesses forced to close because a virus kept shoppers at home, the ones still standing had to go mobile to stay mainstream. Sure, stores were open. But who the hell wanted to go inside?
The pandemic forced an unprecedented shift in shopper behavior. Main Street had to go mobile. According to a 2021 report on ecommerce trends and tech from ROIRevolution, “Ecommerce has surpassed levels not expected until 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, expected to bring in over $843 billion in sales this year.”
This period also brought changes in routines and preferences. The switch to a mobile marketplace by shoppers worldwide meant they were ready to try new brands, stores and routines that met the new need. According to a report from McKinsey, “In Asia and the United States…we have seen store and brand switching due to proximity, availability, ease of use, and safety considerations, creating opportunities for new habit creation.”
Those who adapted to the new shopping experience did it by convincing shoppers that they could still enjoy their brands without setting foot in their stores. Things like shopper restrictions, mask requirements, temperature checks and touchless delivery meant that if shoppers absolutely, positively had to come into the store, they had to play by the new rules. It was a conversation that clearly stated: Don’t come in.
But with restrictions lifted, the new deal between shoppers and shops is up in the air again. Doors are open. But the challenge is now a new one. If people don’t have to come into your store, why should they?
While the demand for digital efficiency has helped stores survive, it’s forced them to surrender the brand retail experience in the name of faster and easier checkouts. In other words, it’s forced them to get customers the hell out of their stores. Immediately.
Building true brand experiences around retail has never been more important. For big brands, the retail investment absolutely must pay off in some way because the digital transaction is now easier than ever. For Mom and Pop on Main Street, the opportunity to deliver something different across the doorway is breathing new life into their bottom line.
Those who suffered through the darkness are now seeing the light. The pandemic kept shoppers local. But will they stay that way? Or more importantly, when they come through the door, will they feel comfortable enough to linger and shop?
Never have online and onsite been more in sync than now. If getting shoppers to shop on shelves instead of phones is the goal, doing it successfully means turning product and location into something more than a purchase.
It’s a massive opportunity for immersive brand engagement. Stores are about to become the storytellers. And the stories coming at us in the next two years are sure to be more engaging than ever.
Apple does this very well. Sephora and Ikea as well. Every store is a story. Every aisle a chapter. Brands that do this well will be sure to do the following:
Recognize returning shoppers and reward their loyalty. If I’m greeted by name or rewarded with points, card punches or an exclusive first look! at products, chances are I’ll be encouraged to return sooner rather than later.
Use items on the shelf as an opportunity for brand storytelling. Shoppers will return if they identify with what your brand stands for. When every item becomes a chapter in your brand story, shopper curiosity is rewarded inside every aisle.
Craft the digital experience to drive traffic to physical ones. Online tutorials and product demos are great. But if they’re not connected to local purchase options, it’s a missed opportunity for both investments.
Ensure the retail experience is a continuation of the online engagement. When the story is seamless between the two touch points, the sale will be too.
Deliver demo experiences that can’t be found elsewhere. Events, demos, special events: all of them reward us as soon as we walk in the door with excitement, education and engagement. Show us what your brand can really do.
Retail is the unwritten understructure of our lives. From Main Street to Madison Avenue and every mega mall in-between, our communities are structured around the shopping experience. As we enter the impending Renaissance for retail, the art of engagement is about to kick into high gear.
And I’m incredibly excited to see retail’s return. Not just back to normal, but back to something better. Because as sure as my vegan blueberry scones are warm, toasty and waiting for me when I arrive, I’ll be tempted to linger just a little longer and buy that pound of ground dark roast that I didn’t really need. But it was too damn good not to have at home.
