As the 25th anniversary of the web passed last week, I considered how the retail world had morphed since 1989. Aside from the obvious birth of e-commerce and the eventual dawn of omnichannel retailing, what fundamental change did the web incite in retail? With the ability to source information (& products) from virtually anywhere in the world, the consumer became more knowledgeable, sophisticated and in-touch. Their expectations were raised to a new level and retailers needed to respond. For retailers, what emerged was an era focused on customer experience. In their book, The Experience Economy – Work is Theatre & Every[…]
Customer Experience that hits the mark!
For months I had walked past the construction site of the Nespresso Boutique Bar in in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. Having admired the minimal designs of their coffee machines I was curious. Yet, I was skeptical. The size and location of the space seemed over the top – even for an “experience” store. Really, it’s just coffee isn’t it? But, I was won over. I entered the space in a customer mind-set, to fully immerse myself in the experience – from the double volume café in the front where I was greeted by the hostess, to the retail space[…]