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Retailtainment: How To Increase Experience Per Square Meter

October 2024

How To Increase Experience Per Square Meter - Leading Retail Concepts And Locations That Create A Holistic Experience, And Whose Success Can No Longer Be Measured In Mere Sales Figures

Our cities, shopping centers, retail parks, and outlets are again full of life, energy, and innovation. However, part of the reality is that many retail concepts have disappeared, and many who no longer have their finger on the pulse will go bankrupt. Retailers who can always find answers to consumer needs will survive. Retailers that fill their locations with unique energy and create rich experiences that go far beyond the usual shopping experience are and will, on top of that, be very successful in brick-and-mortar retail. We have dedicated this “Special” to these locations: retail concepts and locations that stage themselves for the customer, appeal to all their senses, create a holistic experience, and whose success can no longer be measured in mere sales figures.

True retail experience represents a major opportunity to inspire and retain customers when they visit a store – perhaps the only opportunity, says Dr. Johannes Berentzen, Managing Director of retail consultancy BBE. Yet, how can experience and, by extension, success be measured? In an interview with ACROSS, the strategy consultant talks, among other things, about how and why we need to rethink space in brick-and-mortar retail, which key figures we should question, and what role technology plays in the process. The underlying challenge: The successful implementation of good ideas requires creativity, entrepreneurial courage, and the necessary funds.

In order for retailers and retail property operators to inspire and retain customers in the long term, it is essential that they rethink their spaces and develop innovative concepts, according to HBB. Such new approaches include the redefinition of multi-sensory shopping experiences and strategies to enhance the customer experience.

The bowling concept is opening its first location in continental Europe with The Playce in Berlin. The British company’s appetite for expansion does not stop there. Tim Wilks, founder of the concept, explains in an interview why bowling, in particular, is a successful format, how he guarantees footfall for shopping center landlords and other tenants, and which markets and locations are on his list.

Breuninger has been pursuing a consistent omnichannel approach since 2008. Ideally, customers should feel no difference between the channels. At the same time, the openings in Munich and Hamburg are a clear statement in favor of brick-and-mortar retail. ACROSS spoke with Alexander Entov, Managing Director of Breuninger’s Department Store in Munich, about what positive experiences “made by Breuninger” look like, why there should be no separation between the offline and online worlds, and why customer feedback is ultimately the most important factor.

In an era in which e-commerce has gained significant influence, brick-and-mortar retail faces various challenges. These challenges have created an opportunity to rethink and renew the conventional shopping experience. The Turkish retail world is one step ahead when it comes to experience-oriented retail. Turkish shopping centers and young brands, in particular, offer their customers products as well as experiences that go far beyond shopping. Many brands are bringing this philosophy to Europe as part of their expansion strategies.