According to Wunderman’s Future Shopper Study (2019), "The rise of Amazon and other marketplaces has frequently led many organizations to question why they should bother with direct-to-consumer. The good news is that brands and organizations threatened by the Amazon shopping experience, which is largely transactional and emotion-less, are attracting consumers with a more experiential approach."
More and more we are seeing experiences showcased in stores, or becoming the main driver behind a store.
REI is famous for this at their Seattle flagship store, with tents set up ready to look at and touch, rock ramps to try out the grippiness of hiking boots, and even activities like a rock-climbing wall and a ranger station.
The Museum of Ice Cream became hugely popular for its whole focus on experience, and even pushed back on people using it only for Instagram-worthy photos.
Pop-up stores are also a common thing now, before the pandemic, but even especially now as we still recover from the pandemic. People are craving in-person experiences, and are willing to pay extra for it.
There are both temporary and permanent experience markets, that either way
Christmas markets, farmers’ markets, holiday craft markets, and so much more.
As one marketing studio blog says:
"From pop-up stores to interactive installations and activations that blur the lines between physical and digital channels, experiential retail is quickly becoming the norm."
What cool experiences have you seen this year?
Mental Flowers 