Due to the obvious COVID-19 pandemic’s limitations, much holiday shopping has migrated online.
Previously, shopping was all about function. In a traditional store, you would select an item, carry it to the cashier, pay, and go. You would add to basket, evaluate your purchase and delivery terms, check out, and wait online. It functioned adequately, but it left modern customers yearning.
Ease and convenience are no longer sufficient. Today’s buyers want brands to provide memorable shopping experiences. Enter “retailtainment,” which combines retail with entertainment.
What is Retailtainment?
Retailtainment is the logical progression of an ever-changing sector that is today fueled more by experiences than goods, both online and offline. It is nourished by patterns that have evolved in our digital experiences, from social media to our favorite app.
Online buying is becoming a more common aspect of people’s lives. Scrolling through the feeds of businesses on social media or their webpages has become a source of entertainment.
These new habits are yielding concrete effects, especially when the experience on eCommerce websites increasingly resembles that on social media: In fact, an unending scroll product feed — a highly Instagram-like experience — can result in customers paying 73% more than if they browsed items on various sites.
But retailtainment is more than simply endless scrolling of things. It can take the shape of innovative videos—vlogs, instructional, and even commercial clips—that pique people’s interest because they’re unique and relatable. Gamification, tailored experiences and suggestions, virtual and augmented reality, themed pop-up stores, and other features are also available. Simply said, retailtainment is any format for producing enjoyable experiences that focus on satisfying customers while driving sales, whether in-store or online.
How Does Retailtainment Work?
Consider how we feel when we get a tailored recommendation on Spotify, find fresh stuff on Instagram, or settle down for the next Netflix binge. These platforms make us feel visible and deliver a steady supply of highly relevant, entertaining material. Personalization, content-based interactions, engaging formats and procedures of installing Tubomart pex, and the joy of shopping are all combined in retailtainment.
The ultimate outcome is far more significant than a literal purchase, and the memory of the event leaves a more important impression than a regular purchasing procedure. These experiences are frequently shared and recommended to others, resulting in both customer acquisition and loyalty.
Retailtainment in Practice.
But how can retailtainment be put into action? House of Vans in London is a notable example of in-store retail. Visitors can anticipate a café, a skate ramp, live acts, and much more as a complement to the sports brand’s latest items. Customers are almost transported to another universe.
The video commerce platform NTWRK, for instance, demonstrates how this strategy might be used in online shopping. Each week, visitors of the site are offered the opportunity to join a live session with well-known celebrities who exhibit goods on which they have cooperated. As a result, the items become part of a story and are more likely to stick in the minds of customers.
What’s It Takes to Be Effective in Retailtainment?
When it comes to retailtainment, e-commerce has a big edge over in-store retail: marketers can contact their target audiences where they are already engaging more and more time — online. However, in order for this to succeed, a sound plan is also required. After all, not every firm is capable of executing a retailtainment promotion with the same degree of effectiveness. If companies want to win over their target audience, the value they provide must be properly suited to their needs. Nonetheless, a great retailtainment strategy will always incorporate the following crucial components:
Interactivity: Retailtainment’s goal is to capture attention and leave a lasting impact on shoppers. Interactivity is a crucial aspect in doing this. Finally, when customers do activities for themselves, they remember them.
Originality: Many businesses are capitalizing on the retailtainment trend. To maintain a competitive advantage, you must not only remain authentic, but also surprise and persuade your clients with novel ideas.
Connection: Successful retailtainment techniques create a personal attachment in clients and providing them the impression that the product in issue has been carefully designed to fulfill their specific requirements and expectations. In-depth understanding of your own target group is thus required.
Unpredictability: Campaigns that buyers do not necessarily expect at first are also a tried and true method, such as selling things in a game, like using Shopify’s Unity Buy SDK.
Trustworthiness: For a retailtainment strategy to succeed, customers must have faith in the technical procedures.
Conclusion
The underlying truth is that retail is changing quickly, and online buying experiences must stay up. Retailtainment, which focuses on the consumer experience, is a tried and true technique to distinguish out in such a competitive climate.
