The key to successfully integrating physical stores into your channel mix is to ensure they reflect your brand’s purpose and personality in a unique and memorable way. Take the online mattress retailer Casper as an example. Its innovative US pop-up location, the Casper Dreamery, had a unique concept: New Yorkers could book a 45-minute slot for $25 and simply take a nap on a Casper mattress. By carefully curating the experience for maximum comfort and cleverly integrating Casper branding throughout, the Dreamery subtly promoted the benefits of Casper’s product while immersing customers in the ‘brand world’. And, of course, it was a highly shareable experience, which helped to build social media traction.
Meanwhile, Glossier’s bricks-and-mortar stores have become a key pillar of the company’s growth strategy, according to CEO Kyle Leahy. They enable a much deeper connection with customers than a website or app alone by creating an engaging and tailored customer experience. Building on the brand’s uniquely minimalist approach to design, the stores are not cluttered with products. Instead, they’re used to highlight a select few, with the décor being the real star of the show. While all the stores feature the brand’s signature ‘millennial pink’ colour scheme, each one takes a unique approach to showcasing the brand’s world.
The Seattle store, for example, features a huge, moss-covered rock with giant mushrooms sprouting from it. The New York store is designed to look like a subway platform. In Miami, customers can take unforgettable selfies in an eye-catching ‘underwater room’. Of course, these statement designs have a very clear purpose: to facilitate highly shareable moments on social media. They’re a key platform for maintaining the audience intimacy that the brand has worked so hard to achieve since its beginnings as a blog.
Even digitally native athleisure brand Gymshark is getting in on the omnichannel game. Its flagship store on Regent Street, which opened in 2022, is designed as an integrated brand experience that does much more than just sell products. The space fits perfectly with the brand’s mission to make fitness more accessible. A range of free activities are available, including group fitness classes in the Sweat Room and one-to-one sessions with a personal trainer in the Pro Bench Zone. It’s a place that truly embodies the brand’s values and builds on its already strong connection with its global community of fitness enthusiasts.
What these examples have in common is that they all find a memorable way to put the customer experience first. And with consumer spending under increasing pressure, this extra effort can be vital in helping your brand stand out. Indeed, research from retail software provider Raydiant shows that 46% of shoppers still prefer to shop in person rather than online, given the choice. This means that brands have a valuable opportunity to target a customer base that’s hungry for experiences and potentially dissatisfied with the online shopping experience. However, there’s one big caveat. Raydiant also found that more than 50% of consumers will not return to a store after a negative experience. So, it’s vital that a brand leaves nothing to chance by creating a memorable store environment that boosts customer intimacy and brand awareness.
