Opinion
kbb Birmingham 2018 Show Special
How to… create true retail theatre in your showroom
Michael Baird, design director, Fitch, one of the world’s leading retail and brand consultancies, looks at how creating a unique, interactive experience in your showroom can drive leads and sales
M
y father started out in retail over 40 years ago as a window dresser. He had a flair for creating window scenes that were immediately noticed; little moments in time that elevated the products and drew people in. Beyond emotive narrative, clever composition and focused lighting, his efforts were successful through a combination of elements. We all know times have changed. Shoppers are researching products and alternatives online, and they’re targeting fewer “retailers of choice” when the time comes to go to the bricks-and-mortar store. We shouldn’t see this as a negative. Instead it presents an opportunity for retailers to make a difference through in-store shopper experience, and it’s leading to an emerging retail trend of “store theatrics.” Theatre can play an effective role in how successful brands approach retail. For me, each new project I work on is a challenge to find the right balance between a number of elements. A measure of several key parts which, as a whole, allow the consumer to fully connect with the brand and its offer. Without trying to be entirely definitive, here are some questions you should take into consideration:
• Does your exterior have true ‘stopping power’? • Are you creating dialogue with the individual and their unique needs? • Does your physical space capture emotion and inspire people to make a purchase? • Are you doing all you can to really ‘know’ your customer and their behaviour, to keep them coming back for more?
Generate stopping power
Research shows that people are becoming numb to static campaign imagery. No surprise when the fastest growing social media platform is YouTube. This shows us that shoppers of the future are predominantly stimulated
by content that creates narrative through movement. Today’s best store windows are alive with active brand content; impactful motion graphics, clever composition, and interactive storytelling, capturing the unique selling points and creating strong pulling power. Designer Tokujin Yoshioka captured the perfect combination of analogue and digital in his famous Hermès silk scarf displays (pictured below). The windows convey the lightness of the material, creating a moment that ignites the imagination of the consumer.
understand customer behaviour, the kind of content that works the best, what products gather most interest, the dwell time in specified areas and so on.
Use today’s technology
Select technology that avoids creating noise and unnecessary barriers in the shopping process. The key is finding the right way to seamlessly integrate the world of digital, including virtual or augmented reality, into the shopping experience.
Creating a unique personal experience When we buy things for our home, we indulge in the luxury of dreaming about our own lifestyle expectations, building a vision for an ideal space. Your customers will probably have visited your website and social channels as part of this aspirational research, so your digital and physical experiences must feel familiar and be useful. The great thing about digital, when combined well with analogue experiences, is that you can create a unique personal focus for people that appeals to their needs.
As part of our research into immersive and responsive environments in retail, we designed a system that transforms any surface into a dynamic projection and any physical space into an interactive controller using Near Field Communications (NFC) (pictured top right). Interactions in the space are tracked and the retailer can see a detailed data breakdown, helping to better
76 kbbreview kbb Birmingham Special Edition March 2018
Creating the right balance With careful consideration, physical retail spaces offer today’s consumers the opportunity to engage first hand with your product. While digital touch- points allow a much-needed platform for continuity, the physical retail space holds ‘real’ experiences that online activity cannot compete with. When these key elements have been effectively considered; from tapping into shoppers’ aspirations while they research online, to that moment they reach the threshold of your store, through to understanding their personal need that takes them to that final pre- purchase consultation. Then you will have set the stage for effective and inspiring retail theatre.
• Michael Baird will be speaking at the kbbreview Retail & Design Conference, see pages 8-9 for the full programme
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