Commercial Observer

The View From the Modern Retailer: Experience Counts

The National Retail Federation’s winter “Consumer View” report for the 2018-2019 winter season recently confirmed this when it reported that “consumers are interested in trying almost any type of retail event or experience, from early access to sales and store parties to product demonstrations and other events that aid them as they research and explore a purchase.” 

The federation found that “82 percent of shoppers who attended a retail event in the last year say they are interested in similar events in the future.”

The North Face Prototype in Brooklyn provides a good illustration of the retail-based event mindset—an experience-oriented approach not necessarily wedded to the Internet. The brand’s lifestyle-centered retail space opened last November at 134 North Street in Williamsburg.

Aside from selling footwear and apparel, Footwear News reported, the store also hosts “events with art, music, speakers and more.”