6 Genius In-Store Marketing Examples From Top Retail Companies
The biggest retail companies in the world know how to adjust their marketing strategies to boost both sales and interest from the public. It’s a constant battle to win unwavering customer loyalty and while the rise of online marketing initiatives will continue, mainstream brands are becoming more creative than ever to move the concept into the offline world as well.
Here are some genius in-store marketing examples from top retail companies that can inspire your next marketing campaign.
Image Credit: The Drum
To read more about each marketing example from big brands, simply click on the links below.
Topshop Waterslide
Topshop is known for its event-based marketing which draws plenty of interest from the public, ranging from yoga classes right through to free nail art.
One genius marketing example from Topshop took place at their iconic London HQ. At the beginning of the summer, the store played host to a huge looping waterslide and through the powers of virtual reality, took shoppers on a digital rollercoaster through Oxford Street.
Although the slide has nothing to do with buying clothes, the entire experience was enough to keep shoppers in store a lot longer than anticipated while the waterslide helped Topshop to generate a buzz on social media through the hashtag ‘#TopshopSplash.’
They had a special Snapchat filter, a photoshoot at the end of the slide, ice cream, hair tutorials and more to provide a unique and cool in-store experience. This immersive and shareable experience caught on quickly and captivated shoppers’ attention.
Adidas Workout Sessions
Adidas is always looking for ways to make their Shoreditch-based fitness a place where they can get to know their customers a lot better. Their initiative is all about offering Londoners some free sports classes which they can book in with the brand’s studio on Brick Lane.
It’s seen as a hangout spot for workout fanatics where fitness classes, running sessions and even nutritional workshops are regularly held. Adidas also utilises Facebook Messenger here as it’s the only way people can book in and view the upcoming schedule.
Image Credit: Estee Lalonde
It’s something different which other similar brands don’t really offer. It helps to curb oversubscribing and stops people from taking advantage of too many free classes. This all helped Adidas’ marketing team get to know the sort of classes people enjoy attending and make sure they’re regularly in contact with them on social media.
French Connection Coffee
Shoppers are known to take a break and take advantage of versatile spaces at places like Starbucks and Costa Coffee to hang out with friends, read a book, do some work and everything in between.
Now, more retailers are picking up on this trend and have started to incorporate coffee bars into their store space and French Connection is one of the bigger examples. French Connection teamed up with Brwd Coffee to open a coffee shop above its Oxford Street store.
Image Credit: French Connection
It’s a genius plan. Shoppers are bound to spend more time there as they have a beautiful and sleek space to take a break from shopping. Plus, the fact that it’s open until 9 PM means that it also caters to late-night shoppers so the public keeps pouring through the doors.
Rebecca Minkoff ‘Save Your Fitting Room Session’
It’s still challenging for retail stores to compete with online stores. However, fashion retailer Rebecca Minkoff found a way around this hurdle by accommodating its mobile-savvy shoppers to make their in-store experiences a lot better.
The retailer has made it easier to share in-store information across channels and devices and then leveraging that data by following up with personalised marketing efforts. The marketing tactic Rebecca Minkoff used was the creation of the ‘Save your fitting room session’ experience.
Here, the fitting rooms are equipped with screens that allow shoppers to save items they liked during an in-store visit and then order them from their mobile device later on. Through this integration, Rebecca Minkoff saw a six to seven percent increase in sales in around five to six months. And this was all down to combining their online and offline channels.
It shows that integrating digital aspects can go a long way in an in-store marketing strategy.
Apple Workshops
Apple is arguably the world leader when it comes to putting together unique in-store marketing concepts, with their most popular being regular educational workshops throughout all of their Apple stores.
Events like these have seen plenty of Apple enthusiasts and keen learners get involved. This is because they host regular workshops ranging from music, photography, coding, art, design, video and many more. The ‘Today at Apple’ interactive sessions are led by industry experts and is a very smart move from those that planned this entire initiative.
Image Credit: Superphen Tech Blog
Apple wants to make every Apple store a central community nerve centre by using technology to build personal connections. This modern welcome space means that Apple stores are always busy with the public as those simply browsing will be keen to know more about the fun and enlightening experience and then get involved themselves.
The fact that workshops are hosted regularly shows the level of interest there is from the public. Research has shown that hosting events helps to create an immersive experience and flourish when it comes to sales, so consider hosting relevant events that will be of interest to your audience.
John Lewis National Treasures
The British public goes crazy for the summer and John Lewis took complete advantage of this by launching an experience called National Treasures which celebrated the British summertime.
The main focus of this campaign was that all of their stores had 220 life-sized cartoon illustrations displayed in storefront windows, courtesy of artist Paul Thurlby – showing why killer window graphics shouldn’t be an afterthought. The graphics featured things like fish and chips at the seaside, sunburn, ice cream and everything else to do with the traditional British summer time.
Taking advantage of a time of year that’s super popular with the British public, John Lewis was successful in attracting people into their stores for a unique experience while improving the relationship between the retailer and its customers.
Some of the compelling aspects of the campaign included:
Gardening Society rooftop space.
Gardeners’ Arms pub.
Fitness and gardening classes.
Masterclasses.
Seminars.
Q&A sessions.
Image Credit: Behance
The combination worked perfectly. Something as simple as window graphics is enough to intrigue the public into finding out more about what’s inside. That alone entices them to walk in and experience something they never thought they would – keeping them in the store for longer and wanting to share it all on social media platforms.
Develop Your Own Marketing Strategy
Using the exact same strategies as the leading retailers above isn’t an easy task. It’s something that takes time and with enough commitment, you’re able to work your way up to that level. There’s no guaranteed way to boost figures, but consider these tried and tested tactics when it comes to developing your own in-store marketing strategy:
Start a rewards scheme: Marketing tactics like loyalty programs ensure customers turn into repeat customers and regularly return.
Limited time events: Hold limited time events and sales to raise awareness and encourage shoppers to visit.
Smart social media use: Offer discounts, use dedicated hashtags and connect with customers to create a personal connection.
Partner with businesses: Collaborate with other business to ensure the high street is welcoming and enjoyable.
A unique window display: Go big with creativity and have an amazing window display that the public will want to look at. In the long-run, you’ll see the benefits of spending time, money and effort into a killer display.
Focus on your layout: Use high quality and professional installations like freestanding display units, large banners and even light boxes to stand out from the competition and make it a store customers want to visit again.
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