“EXPERIENCE SHOPPING” @ TSUTAYA CONCEPT STORE IN JAPAN, COUNTRY OF EXCELLENCE & DETAIL (IN RETAIL) – FEW GUIDELINES
For a long time, classic retail was organized with 3 pillars: Prices, Choices, and Services. In the future, Retailers must add a fourth and new pillar for shopping that the web can’t bring: EXPERIENCE. Consumers are favoring experiences over other things, as this brings them more enjoyment and pleasure in their daily lives. It’s about showing who they are over what they wear or own. Overview of 6 rules observed in Japan in shops and concept store (specialy at TSUTAYA BOOKS Daikanyama) to think about EXPERIENCE in retail:
#1 Think immersive shopping. Provides rich in-store experiences, transforms your store into a magical universe and adds a ‘wow’ factor,
#2 Brings a guided personal process instead of an automated purchase process. The preference for experience means that consumers are paying attention to how you answer, what you say matters on their demands, where you stand, how friendly you are, how you smile and give attention to them.
#3 Offers a range of services that create an added global and immersive experiential dimension while also providing additional direct, easy and intuitive access to your consumers,
#4 Keeps in mind that customers want to have fun and feel entertained when they go shopping. Too many shopping centers look the same… So consumers want to do more than just shop – they want to eat, play, socialize, meet people. And find different and unique shops of their favorite brand !.
#5 In a “plethoric retail offer” and with the web as a rational motor to find your need of product, shopping experiences is the key, and consumers have become more demanding. Bring them the most spectacular experiences – and their respect for your brand will go along. Finding the undiscovered, unearthing a hidden treasure, learning the exotic, living the unique experience, it’s all part of getting the badge.
#6 Develop your value and share it with our community of shoppers. Be transparent, honest and give “free” and “non-commercial” action that illustrates your brand value.
To summarize : Consumers are favoring experiences over things, as the former bring them more enjoyment and pleasure in their lives.
In Luxury, having an experience is better than owning luxury goods such as watches, handbags and shoes. As a lifestyle seems to be more important than luxury goods on their own – wealthy people prefer having dinner in a five-star restaurant or taking a trip to a luxury resort rather than a Chanel leather handbag. Total annual spending on luxuries now tops $1.4 trillion and this includes more than $770 billion on luxury experiences. In China, experiential luxury sales are outpacing goods with 28% growth each year.
“Brand experiences” relate to how it feels to use a product, capturing the sensations, feelings, thoughts, and behavioral responses to brand-related stimuli. They extend the consumption occasion, deepening the enjoyment. Shopping will never been the same : the new shopping is experiences with brands in the future. Brands and retailers must invest half in RD-product (so less than before) and half in Marketing-Experience (UX).
Alexis de Prevoisin, Retail expert, Passion in retail
Travel tour in Japan 2016
