While Toronto seems to have pulled off the Pan Am Games without any major glitches, the official retail efforts have been nothing but disappointing. And as I suspected, even the so-called Pan Am Games Superstore at Nathan Phillips Square failed to deliver anything more than a rudimentary retail experience. Theoretically well-positioned at Nathan Phillips Square, home to Pan Am Games concerts and the immensely popular giant Toronto sign, the Pan Am Games Superstore proved to be nothing more than a larger version of the out-of-the-box pop-up shop at Toronto Eaton Centre. Lacking completely in personality and customer experience, the superstore’s[…]
Pan Am Superstore: Another missed opportunity?
After my last post regarding Toronto’s Pan Am Shop at Toronto Eaton Centre, I held out little hope for the seamless integration of a viable and memorable retail experience into the coming Pan Am Games. However, last weekend my hopes were buoyed, as quite by chance passing by Nathan Phillips Square, I spotted a large tent emblazoned with a sign, “Pan Am Superstore”. Hoping to stand corrected regarding my disappointment with Toronto’s Pan Am Games retail effort thus far, with great anticipation, I made my way over to the Pan Am Superstore this week. Even though a quick Google search[…]
Toronto’s Pan Am shop: Event retailing that falls short
In less than 5 weeks and after years of preparation, the long-awaited Pan Am Games will begin, but sadly Toronto has missed a huge opportunity to leverage event retailing. In an era when product simply doesn’t sell itself and experiences reign supreme, successful retailers across sectors have been ramping up their efforts, like never before, to engage customers. Yet, Toronto’s Pan Am shop at the Eaton Centre disappoints. Event retailing Event retailing, more than a peripheral courtesy, is a very real revenue stream, directly and indirectly. Like off-site team shops, event linked retail is more than an opportunity to dabble[…]