It is no secret that retail is dying, and the biggest problem retailers have today is themselves. They want to do things the old way. The way that used to work.
Lower prices are a race to the bottom. To bankruptcy. You can’t out-Walmart Walmart or out-Amazon Amazon.
So what do retailers need? Engagement.
Think about your last trip to the mall. Which spaces were packed?
Two that come immediately mind are Starbucks and Apple. And trust me, they are not competing on price.
Starbucks engages by feel. When you go in to a Starbucks store you feel cool, hip, wordly. The smell of roasted coffee, the warm interior, the comfortable furniture and the posters of far-away places brings you into an exotic, exciting world. A world that is very different than your own.
Apple does none of those things. Their stores are an extension of their products: sleek, modern, hip. Their people are friendly and knowledgeable and are called geniuses. Everything is high touch. The products are not on display, their are out for you to play with. Test. Try. See what fits you best. And Apple keeps its quirk factor up. They don’t have cash registers, no they use their own products to make transactions. Confident, no?
Retailers need to give us a reason to be there. Without that reason we would rather stay home and order from Amazon.