I had a great conversation with my 5 year old daughter tonight. She asked me how we remember smells? That's my little princess - always wanting to know how things work!
We don't really remember events. What we remember is the sensory experience.
The smell of popcorn at the cinema, or the scents at the perfume counter.
The sound of the games at the amusement arcade or the music playing through the Virgin megastore.
The feel of wearing a new shirt or a pair of jeans that you try on for the very first time...
The look of a perfectly cooked steak... and how that first bite tastes when you've been waiting for it all day....
So often in retail we don't truly maximise the 5 senses for the ultimate in-store experience. It's easy to show me what your store looks like, but what does it sound like? What does it feel like? And have you ever thought about what does it taste and smell like!?
Here are some great examples of retailers who I know who maximise the visual and auditory in-store experience. I'll follow up the other senses in part two of this blog in August.
The Visual
The idea of having a plasma screen in-store isn't a new one. In fact, the majority of retail stores I visit have a decent size television on the wall. Unfortunately, what I see most of the time is images of store commercials or product related advertisements playing on the screen.
My friends at Robert Gatward Jewellers have executed this visual concept brilliantly. When you go into one of their stores in the United Kingdom, you will not see store commercials or brand advertisiments... you'll see "Toy Story", "Monsters Inc" or "Finding Nemo". Brilliant!
The sound is turned off but the visual image is fun and you can't help but smile when you see these images playing in an enviornment where you're not expecting them! Imagine playing a Bond film to promote the release of a new Omega watch, or "When Harry Met Sally" during Valentine's Day!
And have you ever thought of a fish tank? My friends at Cottrills have executed this idea perfectly with a custom 9ft, 6000 litre fish tank placed in the center of their store. And to top it off there is a fully stocked bar with enough drinks to celebrate any engagement purchase surrounding the tank. Now you might not be able to go to such levels but what can you do to change the visual experience in your store? What can you go an execute now for your store?
And finally, my friend Andy Koehn from Koehn & Koehn jewellery in Milwaukee has executed an idea that I'm a big fan of - the engagement wall.
Every couple that gets engaged gets to sign the wall. I can't imagine a more fun experience and a better testimonial to how many people enjoy buying from this fabulous store! Simple, elegant, and most importantly it is fun!
Music anyone?
It is in my Top 5 mistakes of retail store branding to not have any music playing in your store. In fact, the only thing worse than no music is playing music that associates the wrong feelings to the products you sell.
I find it incredible annoying to walk into a store that is playing classical music quietly in the background - YOU ARE NOT A MUSEUM!!! And you are fooling yourself if you think your customers like it. In fact, they feel intimidated by it. It makes you look inaccessible, expensive or intimidating - 3 things I'm sure you don't want to be right now!
Get some Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Tony Bennett - or just some jazz! It's nice, safe and 99% of the population enjoy it while 100% don't find it offensive!
And then play the music at a decent level. If your sales staff or your customers feel the need to whisper when they are talking in your store, then the silence is deafening!!! Music creates invisible walls so customers can feel more comfortable discussing their needs. And more importantly so they can discuss their objections, price concerns and budgets.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog where I'll talk about taste, touch and smell! You'll never guess what some retailers are doing to offer an amazing memorable experience! And what is smells like!
If you know of a store that's offering an amazing experience please share so we can all learn!
