We’re going to tell you something we’re all heavily aware of here, and that is that in-store shopping is changing. But we’re not about to let in-store experiences drop off the map. So, when consumers can get everything they could ever want or more with next day (or even same day) delivery as standard, how can you get footfall through your doors? Stores are needing a little sprinkle of added value and a few extra USPs to boost footfall.
Introducing an immersive experience into brick and mortar stores could be just the answer you’re looking for. From deeply creative concept stores to exciting in-store experiences, we are seeing this new age of shopping crop up all across the high street and unsurprisingly, consumers are eating it up.
Ecommerce came to the rescue in many respects during the lockdown mayhem, but this also drew attention to what can’t be offered by online stores; a memorable brand experience. For the younger generation, in particular, this is something of great importance with 72% of millennials preferring to spend money on experiences rather than products.
Value-added retail will also help in building consumer loyalty, something which is increasingly hard to come by. But experience plays a huge role in this, with 93% of consumers stating they would buy from a brand again if their previous experience was great! But (as cool as they might be) you don’t have to go quite as deep as offering virtual reality experiences in-store.
One of the best ways you can build a real feeling of experience into your store is to focus on the power of visuals. Think of how you can set the scene to really immerse a customer in your brand. Do you sell hiking gear? Line the interior of your store with wallpaper printed to make it look like you’re hiking up one of the three peaks. Is your latest campaign set in the jungle? Build your space with vines and faux plants so your customers feel they are at the centre of your campaign when they visit.
We really can’t brag anymore about how great our cardboard engineering abilities are. But if you’re looking for a more sustainable way to create a truly unreal experience, then look no further. We’re envisioning some brightly coloured trees crafted from Xanita board to drop into that jungle theme we mentioned earlier…
Everything from life-sized animals and cars to functional furniture can be built from cardboard if you’ve got the right engineer for the job. Not to mention, if you’re creating an immersive store experience that you plan on changing up seasonally, displays created with cardboard engineering are 100% recyclable. So, you’ll be left with no guilty feelings about creating new experiences throughout the year for your customers.
For your store experience to be fully immersive, think of senses other than sight, like sounds and smells is a brilliant way to go that extra mile. Introducing floral into your store can have a multitude of benefits in building an unforgettable experience. Picking the right floral deco can introduce some amazing fragrances into your store. This would be a great option for stores selling perfumes or again, to link back to those seasonal campaigns (what flowers smell like the jungle?). Our Zoflora stand project is one of our favourite examples of how floral can be used to create an unreal in-store experience.
And finally, what Instagram-loving millennial isn’t magnetically drawn to a flower wall they can sneak a few selfies in front of? And we love the free exposure.
It takes a creative mind to be able to come up with immersive concepts for your in-store experiences. If creativity isn’t your thing, that’s where we can step in. Our in-house designers can work with you from concept through to store-build so you don’t have to lift a finger. Or, if this kind of thing is your bread and butter and you’ve got something specific in mind, we can handle the print and production side of things.
Either way, we’re here to help. Get in contact with one of our team members and we can get going with your next retail project.
