Looking for a way to get more guests through your doors? Consider retailtainment!
Retailtainment is a relatively new concept that involves combining retail and entertainment. For example, IKEA stores now incorporate a restaurant and cafe area where they sell food guests can buy from their stores. Some stores also have children’s play areas, which is also a form of retailtainment.
Venue operators are seeing increased brand loyalty, advocacy, and awareness when incorporating retailtainment opportunities within their businesses. Here we’re breaking down exactly how it can help increase guest attendance and revenue and how to put it into practice within your business.
What is retailtainment?
Retailtainment brings together retail and entertainment to provide your guests with fun, unique in-venue experiences.
It is a selling technique that gives your guest an experience they can only receive in-venue — like interactive displays, classes, demonstrations, in-venue events like live music, etc.
They’re entertaining and interactive experiences that entice your guests to visit you, engage them with your brand, and drive higher spends.
How retailtainment can benefit your venue
Incorporating retailtainment gives you a competitive advantage and sets you apart from other venues. It offers your guests something extra to remember about you, to be excited about, and to share with their friends.
Here are a few ways retailtainment can benefit your venue:
Increases brand loyalty
When guests visit you and have a great time with your retailtainment addition, they will remember this.
But if they don’t, they will remember this also and are unlikely to return. Guests are looking for great places to spend their disposable income and time, so a fantastic retailtainment addition could help you become this place for your guests.
Boosts word-of-mouth advertising
Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective forms of guest acquisition. People trust reviews when they come from friends and family to a greater degree than they do marketing campaigns. If your experience is fantastic and your retailtainment addition stands out, your guests will talk positively about it!
Provides insights on guest preferences
When your guests interact with your form of retailtainment, you will get an idea of how your guests like to interact with your brand.
Say, for instance, you incorporate live music at your venue. And you observe that your guests enjoy it, spend more, and stay longer when there is live music. Here, you learn that your guests appreciate live entertainment and that it generates higher sales. So, going forward, you know it’s a worthwhile investment.
How to incorporate retailtainment at your venue
Before implementing it at your venue, it’s good to consider these three things.
- Know what your guests want and like. And give it to them. Using the example from above, if you know that your guests enjoy music playing at your venue, play some music. Or arrange a band. If you give your guests what they like, they will come.
- Budget. Ensure that whatever you introduce is feasible for your budget. And ideally, it makes money.
- Understand the trends. Keep your finger on the pulse of emerging trends in your industry. An excellent way to do this is to look at what your competitors are doing. Study what works and doesn’t, and test some ideas yourself.
Here are some retailtainment options to try at your venue!
Incorporate interactive displays
Interactive displays are a fun way to immerse your guests in your experience. Something as simple as an interactive kiosk that takes your guests through your venue's story can help your guests foster an emotional connection towards your brand.
You can also incorporate visual displays on screens around your venue containing small games, fun facts, or even jokes — anything that is engaging and entertaining!
Provide customer service so good, it’s fun
Not sure where to start? Get your team members to play games with guests!
You could have a team member standing out front of your venue, perhaps even dressed in theme as a character from your venue, asking passers-by if they want to play a game at your venue. You can get creative and give your team member a themed map that tells the potential guest they need help deciphering at your venue.
Give classes/demonstrations
A class or demonstration on something your guests are interested in, like a class on how to jump as high as possible at your trampoline park, is a great way to capture your guests' attention.
They will feel like they received real value from the class/demo, making them want to stay in your venue longer. The only thing to remember is to ensure that your class is related to an in-venue activity so that guests can apply this newfound knowledge — and spend more — with you.
Play music
Music is a great way to get your guests excited and appeals to all demographics. Try playing music in the background at your venue if you don’t already. But also consider whether your guests might enjoy live music, as this is a great way to boost guest engagement and spending.
Do retailtainment your way
When it comes to retailtainment, your imagination is your only limit. Consider what your guests like and your budget; the rest is up to you!
The main thing to remember is to ensure that your retailtainment keeps your guests having fun and actively engaged. Strive to create an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else, and you will see the enhanced buzz around your brand, increased customer engagement, and higher profits!
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