Opinion
ExpEriEntial Shopping at iMg WorldS of advEnturE What do you see being the key global retail trend? The most prolific trends in retail in the past decade have been the exponential growth and acceptance of online shopping. This new e-commerce era has created a rippling effect in the traditional in-store retail model causing retailers to rethink their prior established methods of doing business. Omni-channel strategies are just one method that traditional retailers have used to stay in the game. Another solution is to create a more enjoyable and engaging in-store shopping experience. For example, brands like Apple are now seen as part of a lifestyle, making the store itself the dwelling destination, rather than focusing solely on the end transaction. By inspiring people to spend time at their outlets, companies that have provided better in-store experiences for their customers have enjoyed higher profits and multiple visits over a longer period of time.
lennard otto CEO, IMG Worlds of Adventure 6 | Retail People
IMG Worlds of Adventure Theme Park
In 2016, global retail sales are expected to grow by 3.2 percent as brands increase the value of the average transaction by improving the overall customer journey. Bringing entertainment into the retail forum is considered by some to be the way forward for bricks and mortar retailers. At IMG Worlds of Adventure, we are not only bringing entertainment to retail, we are bringing retail to the world of entertainment through integrated immersive experiences.
hoW Will you use modern technology to improve your customer experience? Today virtually every customer transaction uses some form of modern technology. The customer journey is no longer confined to time spent within a physical outlet alone. For example, a study by MasterCard found that eight out of ten customers now use a computer, smartphone, tablet or in-store technology when making a purchase.