Electronic commerce can be prosperous, but the retail sale of brick and mortar remains a critical contact point. Companies like Netflix and Wayfair prove that physical stores are not only transactions – they are influential brand ambassadors that shape perception and loyalty.
The challenge is clear: how can brands create experiences in person that attract people and establish lasting connections? The answer lies in what is missing digital purchases – an immersive experience and centered on the customer which deepens emotional engagement in a way that online interactions cannot.
Retail trade as the Ultimate brand ambassador
For years, the KPIs of detail have focused on income by square foot. But this thought lacks a key point – the brick and the mortar is not only for sale. In today’s digital world, it is a brand and customer commitment.
Netflix is preparing to open physical stores by the end of 2025. It may seem out of step with its digital model, but it does not open stores just to sell more subscriptions. Instead, he transforms physical spaces into interactive brand experiences.
Imagine a store where you can enter the world of Stranger Things or have an immersive experience linked to Bridgerton. These spaces are designed to evoke emotional connections and stimulate commitment. It’s about creating an experience that sticks with people long after their departure.
This idea is not unique to Netflix. Other brands of electronic commerce such as Warby Parker and Wayfair also look at the experiential aspect of physical stores.
Warby Parker, which started as a digital company first, now operates dozens of stores. It mixes the convenience of electronic commerce with store expertise, allowing customers to try executives in real life while enjoying digital features as virtual trials. The store is not only another place to buy glasses – it is an extension of the brand’s experience, serving as a product exhibition hall and the embodiment of ethics first from Warby Parker.
Wayfair also extends its physical retail footprint to improve customer engagement and the presence of the brand. In May 2024, the company opened its first large format store in Edens Plaza in Wilmette, Illinois. The space of two floors and 150,000 square feet offers a complete selection of furniture, decoration, household items, household appliances and renovation products. He also offers a restaurant on site, the porch, offering customers a holistic shopping experience.
Dig more deeply: How to strengthen confidence and loyalty in retail with reception marketing
Go beyond the KPIs focused on income
If the retail trade is an ambassador of the brand, companies must consider how they measure success. The stores concern both the notoriety of the brand, loyalty and plea as well as sales. This is why CMOS must rethink what success for physical stores.
Instead of focusing only on income, consider the commitment measures. How many people visit, participate in store experiences, share their visits to social networks and come back after their first visit?
Apple provides a strong example of how brick and mortar stores serve as brand ambassadors while maintaining a strong accent on product sales. Apple stores serve key contact points for new users for:
- Engage with the Apple ecosystem.
- Receive expert support.
- Discover the brand’s high -end customer service.
By focusing on the practical interaction of products, personalized service through the Genius Bar and community strengthening events, Apple maintains physical retail at the heart of its strategy – transparent sales with the brand’s commitment.
Amazon, on the other hand, adopted an approach evolving physical retail sale. Although it has launched several concepts of brick and mortar – notably Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh and Amazon 4 Stars – The company has reduced several initiatives, suggesting that physical stores must provide unique value beyond convenience.
However, its investment in Whole Foods and the continuous refinement of Amazon Fresh indicate that society sees a role for brick and mortar in categories such as grocery store, where immediacy and tactile purchases are essential. Amazon’s experience underlines that physical stores succeed when they complete, rather than reproducing, the online shopping experience.
Dig more deeply: Here is how brand marketing specialists can use immersive technology to create an efficient retail experience
The future of retail: brand experience and customer connection
At the heart of modern brick and mortar strategies is the customer center. For too long, physical stores have been designed around efficiency and profitability. However, the winning brands in this space have put the customer experience at the front and the center.
Everlane initially resisted the opening of physical stores, his (old) CEO declaring that he would close before switching to brick and mortar. However, customer demand proven the opposite and, in 2017, Everlane opened its first store in New York. As the company has done, customers still want to touch the products before buying. This change fueled Everlane’s physical expansion and contributed to its most profitable year in 2023.
Physical stores do not return – they evolve. The brands that prosper will be those that will understand the real role of brick and mortar: serve as brand ambassadors and customer experience centers. Refining KPIs beyond income and focusing on retail strategies centered on the customer can establish sustainable relationships and loyalty in a way that online channels cannot correspond.
For marketing leaders, this is the next border – a chance to rethink the objective of physical spaces and unlock new opportunities to connect with customers. The question is not whether to open a store, but how to make this store a real extension of the brand and a customer loyalty engine.
Dig more deeply: 7 ways of strengthening the connection and emotional loyalty of customers with your brand
The contributory authors are invited to create content for Martech and are chosen for their expertise and their contribution to the Martech community. Our contributors work under the supervision of editorial And contributions are verified for quality and relevance for our readers. The opinions they express are theirs.
