CB5

The mall of the future will most likely be less about purchasing products than exploring them in a physical setting. Retail environments will have to become places to build brand images, rather than just places to sell products.

What are some strategies stores can use to enhance the emotional/sensory experiences their customers receive?

Most buying decisions take place in the store. A retailer therefore has every opportunity to work on its brand identity in the store, as a manufacturer does not. Retailers face the challenge of focusing on all the senses. The result is sometimes visual pollution, and consequently some retail brands miss the opportunity to strengthen their emotional bond with their customers because of all the clutter. However a strong retail brand will recognize that its personality has to be translated into distinguishable style attributes like colors, shapes, materials, sounds, smells and other sensory appeals. By doing this retail brand can develop a distinctive looks and feels for its in-store communications.

Some of the strategies stores can use to enhance the emotional/ sensory experiences their customers receive are:

Store design and visual merchandising :

Store design and visual merchandising can fulfill both rational and emotional wants. The emotional function is mostly about making shopping more fun. The look and feel of the store design and visual merchandising influence the customer’s perception. A pleasant look and feel can lead to a positive emotional response, making shopping more pleasurable. The design of a store is broadly comparable to the packaging of a manufacturer brand. It should communicate the positioning and personality, add value to the merchandise and be efficient and effective. Visual merchandising means bringing the retail brand to life and dramatizing the merchandise offer. Immediately preceding a purchase decision, visual merchandising can be the most powerful, most effective communication tool for a retailer. In reality however, many stores do not make the most of the opportunity to seduce consumers. Many stores  are very boring and predictable.

The look and feel of a store’s design and visual merchandising is about colors, shapes, materials, scents, sound, lighting and other sensory experiences. They can evoke both positive and negative emotions in consumers. And these emotions have a big influence on their buying behavior.

The design of the store will include its exterior, interior, lighting, layout , fixtures all functioning together to create a unique brand personality.

Multisensory communication

Shopping is a multi-sensory experience, so a retail brand should be a sensory experience. Sensory associations can result in a strong emotional engagement and can therefore provide a retail brand with a lead over the competition. They can create a unique look and feel for the retail brand. Multi-sensory communication can even be the key differentiating factor between retail brands. After all, all the impulses of the five senses make up the brand experience.

Employees

 They are the link between the customer and the retail brand. They are almost the brand themselves, and can make a real difference in retail. That is why internal branding is so important. Every employee should know exactly what the retail brand stands for. They are almost the brand themselves. The millions spent on advertising, direct marketing communications, store design and visual merchandising will be wasted if a customer has a bad experience with an employee. Strong retail brands therefore spend time, money and energy making sure that external an internal branding connect well. Employees who understand what the retail brand stands for and also believe in that can become true brand champions, because every contact with an employee is a moment of truth. In many cases employees are the top priority in building customer loyalty. The human touch can determine the winners and losers in retail, and can make the difference with online retailers. Committed employees lead to customer satisfaction and retail brand loyalty.