Experiences on my local High Street (that corporate retailers should learn from)

I recently did a thing on Twitter…

Retail experiences on the precinct in my small northern town

A few people asked where I was talking about, and if I could document it. So here we are. The town, incidentally, is Marple in Cheshire, east of Manchester, just before the Peak District starts.

A place to get special cakes made (and to learn how to make special cakes).

A wellbeing and mindfulness ‘hub’.

A deli, bakery and cafe.

A dog grooming spa. Yes, really.

A vape shop (and lounge actually).

A beauty and ‘advanced therapy’ venue.

A pub (in a unit that used to be a newsagent).

A Turkish barber, offering an ‘ear hair burning’ experience.

A spray tan arena.

An Indian street food bar.

Venues for experiences, not warehouses for doing logistics

All these stores do sell products. Cupcakes, yoga mats, dog breath freshener, e-cigs, craft ales etc. But none of them are under any illusion that they can compete with e-commerce for product range, value or convenience.

Instead they create experiences and communities around a limited selection of products. Experiences that are distinctive, compelling, and create loyalty. Experiences that are high margin. Experiences that create demand for products (which can be delivered via e-commerce subscription).

At KBS Albion we help businesses understand people’s changing needs, and work with them to create new offers and ways of working to keep up with them. If you’re a retailer that needs to transform your high street stores into experience venues, then please get in touch..