Stanford GSB’s library blog had a piece on the Nokia Flagship store in Shanghai today. The store allows its users to interact with the products and services before buying them. So far, so Apple Store, but there’s a good quotation; “In an age of experience-driven consumption, retailers must do more than simple advertising and product placement. […] Successful retail requires a personalized shopping experience for consumers to interact and become familiar with the products.“.
What does interaction mean outside the context of technology? Brand Gym recently cited the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store as an example; there’s no window display, the lighting is dim, and the staff are all models. It’s an interaction with a product that’s about more than trying the product – it’s about engagement with the brand and, perhaps more importantly, a story about a brand.
(Having said that, Brand Gym’s post could be read as meaning that the staff being models is the reverse of their being helpful. If that’s the case I’m not sure it’s a great long term strategy, but it’s an interesting attempt at something different.)