Re-inventing Retail with Magical Experiences

Magical Experiences can Innovate the Retail Experience, Driving Foot Traffic, Social Sharing - and Dollars.

Many brick-and-mortar chains are losing the battle to online retailers, like Amazon. That needn't be the case for stores smart enough to adapt to digital realities, says Palpable Media Chief Experience Officer.

There is an important evolution taking place in art-inspired experiences for the masses and emergence of blended retail and exhibition space. We look to recent trends in experiential spaces inspired by technological advances and the potential they hold for transforming brick and mortar retail.

The Mori Digital Art Museum which opened in Tokyo in 2018. The dynamic exhibit, designed by Team Lab, merges traditional boundaries between art and exhibit spaces, and sometimes between artworks themselves. This magical interplay occurs on all surfaces including the flooring, so the gaze is not directed. Artworks blend into one another, eroding classical museum structure inviting participants to glide aimlessly around, and even slide through walls from one room to the next. Team Lab's fiercely inventive work will change forever the way we consider formal exhibitions - and, indeed all public spaces - in the era of new technology.

KLIMT OVERTAKES PARIS

The latest rage of toute Paris, is a fully immersive exhibit at the Palais des Lumieres which features the wildly romantic geometric fantasies of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt's sumptuous paintings during the Art Nouveau period. The basis of these works have been deconstructed to fill the entire building, in which visitors wander from room to room, and floor to floor, with every surface a moving visual canvas. Over 3000 moving pictures with the most famous elements of the Austrian painter’s paintings for a 30-minute light and sound show.

While this show is more referential and rooted in classical art historical and cultural foundations, and is large in scale rather than being truly "immersive" it does a fine job in demonstrating how more staid work can nevertheless be engaging and innovative.

Importantly, the exhibit has been a huge success. Opened in April 2018, the Klimt exhibit was sold out for the first two months, and has received viral press coverage for both the museum as well as incited interest in Austrian Tourism.

ADAPTING ART TO RETAIL

On seeing these works, my excitement was palpable "this is incredible!" My second thought was, "this is perfect for retail, too." As a branding and experience agency, we work with interactive and immersive artists like these all the time. We are convinced that full immersion installations - including VR, AR, holograms and interactive panels - are the future of retail.

In a forthcoming White Paper and presentation by Palpable Media on "The Retail Space as Experience Lab" (due end June) we explain how "Insta-worthy" spaces are becoming the norm in a millennial world that premiates experiences that are to be shared, over mere possession. Indeed, a full 50% of millennials prefer to shop in-store ("showrooming") than online. But brand loyalty is more than just fun and games. Experiences may drive foot traffic, and if designed well can gather loads of rich data and biographic information - as well as social sharing.

Authenticity Attracts

However, the experiences ought to be authentic as well. Lululemon, for example, was one of the first to recognize and cultivate "communities" around their stores, gathering people together for yogic experiences that are authentic and consistent with their brand.

I am also reminded of the "Hard Rock" Cafe. It was one of the first branded restaurants to achieve worldwide success in bringing together an experience -dining- surrounded by rock and roll memorabilia. The "cafe" was effectively a museum or a full-sized art installation which happened to have food. It even had a gift shop that sold items that quickly became collectible status symbols. How can we re-create that experience for retail?

We will be publishing our White Paper on retail experiences on June 26th with a special presentation on luxury retail digital marketing and experiences. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact me.

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