Author George Ritzer uses the word ‘retailtainment’ to describe retail marketing as entertainment. It is the use of ‘emotion, sound and activity’ to interest customers in and persuade them to purchase your merchandise. Also referred to as ‘inspirational retailing’ it is the trend of conflating shopping and entertainment opportunities.
A New Approach Needed
Retailers can no longer simply rely on traditional store elements such as lighting, visuals and colour to impact on sales. The atmosphere a retailer creates can be more influential on a shopper than the product itself. What really matters these days is the shopper’s overall experience – a combination of functional, physical and psychological components. In many countries shopping has become a form of entertainment and a leisure activity as opposed to being simply a necessity.
People buy products that may not be essential and one of the reasons for this trend is that there is more disposable income. There are also many financial schemes such as credit card payments which makes purchasing items for which you may not have enough money very easy. This access to goods makes shopping an enjoyable experience. The downside of course is that impulse buying using credit facilities plunges thousands of people into financial crises.
When Luxury Becomes An Essential
There is something deeply satisfying and, for many, thrilling about buying new items and it is worth remembering that items that were once considered to be a luxury have now become a necessity such as the cell phone. There are people who claim that shopping is a form of stress relief and that retail therapy boosts their spirits. While we may not shop for fun at malls with family or friends to the same extent that we used to pre-covid, there’s always online shopping to entertain us!
Retailtainment goes beyond the simple transaction of paying for an item you like. The goal is to create a shopping experience that is alluring and engaging and to make the event fun and enjoyable for customers. The more positive the experience is, the more time the consumer will spend on the site, increasing customer loyalty and retention. With increasing competition both on and offline, retailers have to find inventive and original ways to add value to and interest in their customers’ retail experiences.
This may take the form of pop-ups to live shopping shows to incredible free offers like those found at Big Dollar casino in order to build brand awareness and increase sales. The aim is to stay relevant by keeping customers engaged and interested. Online commerce has an advantage over brick-and-mortar stores when it comes to retailtainment because brands can reach their target market online.
Strategies to Increase Sales
- Let the customer perform actions in order to remember the product. Allow them to participate and interact.
- The best retailtainment strategies make customers feel that the product has been designed specifically to meet their needs. This makes the customer form a personal attachment to the product, often leading to a purchase.
- Surprise the customer. To make sales, you have to come up with a campaign that is unexpected. Standing out from the crowd is an excellent strategy.
- Endeavour to deliver on basics which includes a well-functioning, secure and user-friendly purchasing experience. Customers must be able to trust in the technical process or they will feel they are wasting their money.
To sum up – retailtainment developed as a result of a spike in online retail. The ultimate goal is to promote the buyers’ perception of the brand and to solidify your customers’ loyalty, you should strive to create a unique client experience. Digital technology can be a powerful tool in providing entertainment to customers, as long as it is user-friendly.
