retail

One thing’s for certain in retail today – it’s a brand new world. The old way of doing things just isn’t going to cut it. To be ready for newly empowered customers and further increases in costs, we need to think about – and operate – our businesses differently.

This is not a rant.  It may seem like a rant at first – but I’m actually trying to draw attention to a growing problem I see among many companies.  It’s the “over-promise” problem.  Here’s what I mean:

What makes a store more than a store?  What makes a breakthrough brand experience at retail?

These are questions that companies with brick and mortar assets wrestle with as they continue to lose share to online competitors or to those with mobile capabilities (smart phone-enabled mobile commerce as well as IRL roving mobile units and other non-traditional formats).

(Here’s my newest Brand Experience Brief — insights and analysis from my audits of new and interesting retail or restaurant concepts.)

It’s always interesting to see how product companies create retail experiences for their brands.  That’s why I’m eager to share my download on the LEGO store.  It’s a solid experience for the LEGO brand, but they missed some opportunities to make it even more engaging.  Take a look and let me know if you agree:

Change is good.  It’s more than good – it’s necessary for growth.  Companies need to evolve their offerings in order to keep things fresh and their customers interested.

brand as business bit:  While perusing the aisles at Target awhile back, I stumbled across these really great packages of healthcare products and fell in love:

My friend, Carmine Gallo, has written a book called The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty. The Apple Store is the most profitable retailer in America, generating an average of $5,600 per square foot and attracting more than 20,000 visitors a week.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal featured a piece about Lululemon Athletica’s “secret sauce.”   Although many stories have been written about the retailer of yoga-inspired athletic apparel, this one succinctly relayed the elements that distinguish Lululemon from other brands.

(Check out my latest “brand experience brief” — a report with insights and analysis of new and interesting restaurant and retail concepts.)

Fast fashion retailer Uniqlo is on a roll. I visited the company’s Herald Square location, one of three stores it has in New York City. Here’s what I thought of the brand experience there:

Marvellous. Fantastic. Terrific.

I thought I was in a minority of one, as somebody who gets frustrated at the waste of time when the supermarket I shop at decides that for my benefit it is going to change the layout. I muse to myself that some silly sod in their HQ has latched onto the latest theory of retail layout and is thinks that by putting the milk where the dishwasher tablets once were it is going to make my life easier.