MARKETING FEATURE: RETAIL MARKETING
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Source: www.visitpact.com
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space and the correct usage of it. Maximising the mall space is vital. “Modern retail needs to reflect the early conceptual showrooms introduced by IKEA and Apple, but on a smaller scale,” Kean says. She explains the concept of showrooming is starting to take off, but it’s still very early days. The PACT space at Orchard Central in Singapore is one such disrupter, with the store claiming to be responsible for changing the local landscape by challenging and reinventing traditional notions of retail in Singapore. The PACT defines itself as a “destination emporium” and a network of spaces and crossover interests rolled into one retail and F&B experience. “Every single one of its retailers focuses first on customer experience and this model is set to increase in Singapore over the next 24 months,” Kean says. Soon, she says, we will be seeing fashion retailers with blow-dry bars, furniture stores with artisan coffee shops and even toy stores with tech-powered augmented reality games and shows. “In an over-saturated market and an online ecosystem that thrives on value, it’s getting harder and harder for retailers to stand out and get regular custom – providing your customer with an extra personalised experience could be the difference between flash in the pan and long-term loyalty,” she says. Chris Martell, managing director of Geometry Global, says the role of a store has now evolved to a point where it needs to keep up with shopper expectations and behaviour. And while one recipe may work for one retail area, it is important to note that all retail outlets should not have the same treatment. Even if it’s the same brand, there should be points of differentiation to ensure customers are visiting the other outlets as well. Giving the example of Orchard Central, Martell explains the mall space has the opportunity of improvement, seeing how architecturally, its corridors, sight lines and ceiling heights are more constricted than other malls. “More open, fluid spaces attract the strolling shopper,” he says, adding that Orchard Central stores also tend to be more transactional with ample opportunities to improve on all fronts, including size, visual merchandising and staff and customer interaction. “These less-than-satisfactory traits push shoppers to seek out more engaging, experiential spaces,” Martell says. As for Funan DigitaLife, he is of the view that even though Funan is an old mall, the shoppers visiting Funan are usually there to “deal hunt”. “Funan’s weakness, however, is the growth M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | a d ve r t i s i ng + m a r ke t i ng 3 7
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