As far as 'experiences' go physical retail (pre-Covid) in my opinion seems to have leaned too far into the transactional experience rather than what should be a combination of a social and shopping experience. 

How we 'experience' something has a profound impact on who we socialise with, who we do business with, and who we might buy something from. 

In former years we gained exposure to a brand and a company via  adverts e.g. what they (the brand) told us they were, if we liked what they were saying we would then look to 'experience' the store, or the company to assess our 'purchase' decisions - all very much a physical process. 

Like you I live in the real world of hard knocks retailing. A world that over these past few years has become even harder for all forms of retail, so anything that can provide an edge and a good enough reason to encourage consumers out into the high street has to be worthy of consideration - right?

Not too long ago we enjoyed the wonderful experience of those Christmas markets, so how about we approach this suggestion in the same mindset?

One area that I feel should be on the retail strategy playbook has to be that of pop-up stores.

Ever heard of 'Sook'?

Danielle Mass, founder of Remass, explains the opportunities ahead for her and her brand, and how Sook helps play a part in their success.

"My company is called Remass. We sell vintage clothes & clothes handmade in London, which are inspired by the 90s and 2000s era, using end-of-the-line fabrics that would otherwise go to waste. 

Remass was founded 3.5 years ago from my bedroom, and we now have a team of seven young girls all working from our studio in north west London. We sell online - on our own website and on Depop, and we are currently ranked #1 worldwide on Depop, an app with 21 million users."

"We got this pop-up sponsored by Jägermeister and had a photobooth so it was much fun!

As well as shopping you get to have a fun day out and an experience, which is something that is super important to us." 

It’s also a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to new people who may have not heard about us through the online world and are just passing by on the street. Selling online is super different to selling in real life because you can have a physical interaction with someone - something you obviously can’t do online."

Meredith O’Shaughnessy, brand strategist at Meredith Collective, added that “pop-ups are the place for retailers to make mistakes, learn, evolve and test”.

“It enables brands to inject a startup mentality into a retail experience, without budget-crushing investment,” she said.

“In addition, retailers that invest in pop-ups could simplify their access to connect with a wider customer base.”

Pop-ups are no longer just a retail trend. From upcoming brands and small businesses to established luxury retailers and tech giants such as Amazon, it seems no area of retail has been left untapped in the pop-up world.

My view to get this going would be your Visual merchandising team along with your preferred shop fitting/design company- I'm pretty sure they will create the theatre needed.

Is a 'pop-up' part of your retail playbook, if so go and talk to Sook?