Is retail dead? It appears that way but considering 80% of sales still happen in retail stores, what gives?

Ecommerce and marketplaces like Amazon have provided an amazing convenience factor, changing how consumers shop. This has taken business from brick & mortar retailers but not without a fight.

BOPIS (Buy Online Pickup In Store) has emerged as a way to provide convenience while leveraging selection. Walmart, Target, Kroger, and many other larger retailers have enabled this to keep pace.

But more is still desired.

Al Schuster, President of Polaris Brand Promotions, joins us on this episode to make the case for why retailers need to make their stores experiential if they want to retain their customer base.

It's not just samples but creating experiences that invite people in and engage them in a way that retailers just don't seem to be leveraging currently.

Grab a sample, or 5, and press play.

What they cover

Retail is always changing but the changes have been more dramatic in the past 20 years with Amazon entering the marketing and now rapid tech advances at stores.
In store engagement is challenging right now due to stores providing better tech enablement, i.e. ordering on apps or at touch screens instead of from a live human.
Retail stores control the environment in the store but since consumers aren't shopping as much in stores or even in the same way, brands need to think long and hard about their investment in these stores and what that looks like to get the best ROI.
Ecommerce has a way of taking the shopping out of shopping. Think signage, music, looking at actual items, which removes the ability to both experience the product and shop by comparison.
Hiring a brand ambassador may be the one of the best things a brand could do today. Why? It builds engagement and real connection, something missing from current in store interactions. And in doing so, you build more brand ambassadors after the fact, giving your brand real momentum.

The Longer Game explores the future of retail across Amazon, ecommerce, and brick-and-mortar.

The goal is simple: help brands grow by understanding how all channels work together.

Retail is evolving. The brands that win are the ones willing to adapt.

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Learn more: https://thelongergame.com

About the Guest:

Al Schuster is the President and Owner of Polaris Brand Promotions, a nationwide experiential marketing and promotional staffing agency.

Connect with Al:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aschuster4379

Website: https://polarisbrandpromotions.com

About the Host:

Michael Maher is Chief Idea Officer of Cartology, an Amazon-focused agency helping brands grow revenue and profitability.

Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/immichaelmaher

Email: michael@thinkcartology.com

Sponsored by Cartology

https://thinkcartology.com

Retailers Are Shrinking Their In-Store Space with Al Schuster | The Longer Game

The Longer Game

Retailers Are Shrinking Their In-Store Space with Al Schuster | The Longer Game