Saturday, October 17, 2009

Use Store Décor to Create Shopper Excitement

Shoppers like excitement. The retail store has opportunities to create multidimensional, multisensory experiences to excite shoppers in ways a website can't do. The customer expectations bar is being raised, though, because of the recent announcement that all 340 Disney Store locations in the U.S. and Europe are being redesigned to add a bunch of interactive technology pixie dust. Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide, was quoted as saying, "The world does not need another place to sell Disney merchandise. This only works if it's an experience."
     You're probably not ready to do the sort of makeover to your stores that the Walt Disney Company is doing to theirs. For one thing, the changes are expected to cost an average of $1,000,000 per site. In addition, Disney stores are a special kind of retailer. They sell discretionary goods and gifts, while many other retailers sell necessities and commodities. Still, every retailer is selling the brand—their store name and personality—so whether or not you're operating a Disney store, you want the shopper's experience to build the brand identity.
     A powerful way to do this is through store décor and decorating. Applebee's restaurants hang all sorts of conversation starters on the walls, and at least some Cracker Barrel restaurants position board games around for customers to play. Tour a Bass Pro Shop, as I did in the Charlotte, North Carolina area this past week, and you'll pick up plenty more ideas to fit a range of retailer budgets.
     From Halloween through New Year's, most retailers pay close attention to putting up decorations. That creates a seasonal personality, all right, but not the sort of distinctive store brand personality which enhances repeat visits and higher store sales. What will you do this week to use store décor to build shopper excitement?

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