Destination Leisure: The Rise of Retailtainment
It’s safe to safe the retail industry has been on a rollercoaster over the last few years, with the rise of second-hand fashion, a push for independent retail, the covid pandemic, and now the cost-of-living shaking things up.
Unfortunately, the high street has become increasingly at risk, with online shopping and changing consumer behaviour forcing many smaller, independent retailers (and some significant larger ones) to pull down their shutters for good.
From streets of independent businesses, to retail parks packed with chain stores, businesses continue to strive to anticipate the next trend to meet consumer needs. In this article, we explore a solution that brings people back to the retail space: ‘Retailtainment’.
What is ‘Retailtainment’?
Retailtainment is both a trend and a marketing strategy that brings retail and entertainment together to create a unique experience for customers. Retailtainment creates a hub where locals and beyond can ‘shop’ not just for consumables, but for experiences too.
The concept of retailtainment is not completely new. Many large brands have achieved success in recent years by incorporating live events and personalised elements into their customer buying experience.
How ‘Retailtainment’ Boosts Business
Any down time in a retail or entertainment centre is opportunity lost and revenue missed. Finding a way to appeal to a range of demographic, such as parents and toddlers, teenagers and adults, is the key to a thriving venue. Installing a range of games, attractions, and activities interests a wider audience, encourages repeat visits, extends busy periods, and puts customers in the mood to spend more.
Retailtainment adds another layer to the consumer experience and can include anything from setting up a live event, workshop, or collaboration within a retail store, to incorporating an indoor attraction venue into the retail space itself. Here’s some top benefits of Retailtainment.
Drives Action Through Novelty
Unique, in-person experiences encourage customers to venture out of the house rather than shopping online. A one-off event can create FOMO (fear of missing out) for customers and a sense of urgency to experience what’s being offered before others.
Organic Footfall
Being positioned within the retail space boasts organic footfall, capturing customers who might otherwise not be exposed to your offering, and pulling in shoppers looking for a unique, fun activity!
Shared Resources
Not only stand-alone retailers can benefit from retailtainment, but also the larger retail space, such as shopping centres and retail parks. By having clothing stores and eateries right next to indoor entertainment venues, customers have a range of experiences available at their fingertips, all accessible during one trip. This saves precious time and money for customers too!
Combining retail offering with indoor attractions could also be mutually beneficial for each venue, as you’ll share overheads, parking facilities, and the maintenance and marketing of the venue. In this environment, bringing customers in is helpful for all businesses, as it offers exposure and a higher likelihood visitors will pop into your site too.
Prioritises Customer Engagement Over Sales
When offering an experience, placing the focus on what the customer will gain, rather than the money they will send, will create a more engaging experience with a lasting impact. Venues, events, and business that have a unique offering, can also benefit from the following:
Immersive Sleepeasy Experience at IKEA NYC
In August 2024, IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, hosted an immersive pop-up event for 100 winners to experience their new range of affordable sleep solutions. With guests entering through a hidden door to a multi-level exhibit, including live music, silent discos, IKEA food, and other Instagram-able moments, IKEA created an unforgettable retailtainment experience.
Example: Story at Macy’s
Innovations such as Story at Macy’s, which saw collaborations with brands like Levi’s Kids x Crayola (custom patch designs for kids’ denims) and MAC Cosmetics (make up workshops and ‘create your own colour palette’ experiences) have been around for some time now. The aim being to give consumers another reason to return to the store, rather than simply a change in season.
How Our Customers Have Championed Retailtainment
Freedom Adventure Park
Another exciting venue reeping the benefits of Retailtainment is Freedom Adventure Park in South Africa. Their Canal Walk venue is ideally located in a busy shopping centre, bringing in new customers, injecting fun and play into the retail space, and increasing demographic offering with unique, interactive tech.
With a Freedom Gaming arena, a Freestyle Duo and a High-9 Duo, Freedom offers a range of interactive competition to keep kids entertained, whilst parents can enjoy the café and workpods.
Explore the Case Study
FlipOut Telford
Another example of the experiential retail experience is FlipOut Telford, situated in the impressive Telford Shopping Centre. Not only can customers grab their clothing and home items, they can visit FlipOut Telfords Indoor Adventure Park, Putt Putt Noodles Asian-inspired adventure golf bar, Inflata Nation indoor inflatable park, or the cinema, gym, or ice skating risk.
FlipOut benefits from a high footfall, a range of demographics, and draws in the parents and kids who are tired of shopping or are looking for something new to try!
Gravity Active Entertainment
Long established in the UK’s trampoline park market, Gravity Active Entertainment have leapt at the opportunity to mix things up in the retail space. As an example, they transformed a defunct department store in Milton Keynes into an entertainment space for all ages. By day, family activities include bowling, golf and e-gaming; by night, adults can also enjoy cocktails and dining options.
Featuring FreeStyle Duo and DodgeAttack, interactive games appeal to an older demographic, championing active competition.
Speak to our Gamification Experts about Retailtainment
It’s an exciting time to run an indoor attraction business within the retail and leisure space. Retailtainment offers a unique opportunity for brands, businesses, and individuals that jump on the trend of reimagining the spaces customers go to shop, relax, and play.
Our gamification experts can share examples of how we’ve supported people reap the benefits of destination leisure, and help you use retailtainment to your advantage through interactive attractions.
