Inside retail stores, it's all about the 'message'

I don't like stealing other people's titles when summarizing an article, but this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette really hit the nail on the head. You don't normally see a lot about retail media or the retail experience in mainstream newspapers, but clearly there's a lot going on in-store, and with the holiday season nearly upon us (or already upon us for a few weeks, if you're some retailers), perhaps some people are starting to take notice of their shopping environments. The article notes:

Every retail space has to handle merchandise shifts. At the beginning of a season, racks of hanging clothes may be full. As they empty, the walls might adapt to hold shelves or make the most of a shirt on a hanger. Color choices in carpet and paint can't clash with the latest fashions. "Flexibility is really important in retail," said [Suzan Lami, of Lami Grubb Architects]. Architects hoping to create something for posterity should be aware that in retail, change is not just embraced, it's required. Some of Ms. Lami's clients' leases require their stores be remodeled every five years, whether the existing design was a good one or not.

Consumers are more fickle and ad-shy than ever, and with the echo boomer generation coming into their own as an educated, mobile and media-savvy consumer demographic, stores are having an increasingly hard time combating poor advertising performance and Internet shopping options. By making the in-store experience more interesting and enjoyable, brick-and-mortar retailers are able to offer shoppers something that can't (yet) be had online.

Tags: retail media, store experience, store environment, advertising, retail marketing, merchandising