This month’s A1 Retail magazine features our very own Michael Trevethan, who talks about experiential retailing and how retailers might create some magic this Christmas. Read the full article here…
With consumers increasingly demanding more from retailers, the industry, on the whole, is witnessing a move towards the creation of more experiential in-store environments.
However, the opportunity for brands to create engaging, immersive and memorable surroundings – which drive both sales and loyalty – undeniably peaks around Christmas.
Retail design expert Michael Trevethan, from graphic display specialist Leach Impact, explains: “As Andy Williams famously sung – it’s the most wonderful time of the year. And retailers, quite rightly, tap into the opportunity to cultivate magical surroundings for their customers. If they can successfully capitalise on shoppers’ positive moods, they’ll undoubtedly drive footfall, sales and retention in the process.
“We’ve long been impressed by brands’ window display efforts, but consumers are now expecting the ‘story’ to continue in-store too.
“Magical displays can take different forms depending on the retail sector, the culture of the brand and the size of the store. However, in general, a big trend this winter will be the creation of dramatic, spatial areas, where ‘hero’ products, striking graphics and atmospheric lighting take centre stage.
“That’s why, for Christmas 2017, we’ll see large, contextual imagery being used to help sell products – even those that aren’t particularly festive. Think of a model being dressed in a fairly ordinary clothing line but photographed next to a roaring fire, sipping a mulled wine surrounded by family.
“For some retailers this may sound like the norm. But brands that want to really stand out on the competitive high street will therefore also use dynamic lighting, integrated into their graphics, to create the illusion of movement, such as snow falling or stars twinkling on a tree. Usually such ‘movement’ is only achievable with an expensive video wall. “Given the ease with which the graphics on some display systems can now be refreshed – in minutes and without the help of an external party – we won’t just see retailers sticking to one display for the whole Christmas season. They’ll continuously revise their visuals, without breaking the bank, which will maintain engagement levels particularly among repeat customers.”
“Christmas really does provide the opportunity for experiential retailing at its finest.”
