Reconsidering the Retail Experience Through Immersive Design

What does it take to get a customer to come into your store rather than shop online? And what does it take to get them to choose your business over another? Consumers are looking for personalized, memorable customer experiences. Ghalia Boustani, senior retail consultant at Univers Retail, talked to Retail Focus about some of the ways in which retail environments are becoming more engaging.

To engage customers, retail spaces have to be more than goods on shelves. The design of a retail space is an opportunity to build a brand and influence the emotions of customers. Boustani outlines the importance of visual merchandising in this regard. She also recommends building a cohesive identity through distinctive design and the incorporation of storytelling elements.

To a traditionalist, an immersive experience might seem to go against the conventional wisdom of merchandising, which is all about making it easy for customers to find products. But it is likely the customers already know about the products, having researched them online. On the other hand, customers who do not know about the products will be more actively engaged with discovering them through immersive environments, interactive displays, personalized service, and a multi-sensory experience. As usual, Boustani offers a lot for retailers to think about. Read the full article here.