It was seven years ago today that I returned to work after recovering from major throat surgery. I was looking at some posts I wrote during that time and came across one I wrote while lying in bed titled Convenience Versus Experience.
The new buzzword in retail today is “experience.” Just Google “Customer Experience” and you’ll see what I mean. Heck, I’ve been saying it, too.
Here is what I said on May 26, 2011 …
A Convenience Store is always located on the easiest side of the road to pull in or pull out, no-hassle driving.
An Experience Store has you drooling with anticipation as you wait at the light to pull in.
A Convenience Store carries all the same merchandise you would expect to find anywhere, the most popular items, the most requested items.
An Experience Store is full of unique and wonderful treasures, amazing merchandise you haven’t seen.
A Convenience Store is open early and late, enough hours to be there exactly when you need it.
An Experience Store is open long enough for you to be able to take the time to explore all those treasures leisurely and when it fits in your schedule.
A Convenience Store has a staff that knows where everything is, and can get you through checkout in a hurry.
An Experience Store has a staff that also knows what everything is and how each product fits or doesn’t fit in your lifestyle, and can also get you through checkout in a hurry (because when the shopping is done, there’s no time to waste).
A Convenience Store wants your trips to be quick, painless, anonymous.
An Experience Store wants your trips to be comfortable, engaging, and relational.
A Convenience Store treats the customers as transactions, maximizing speed in the process.
An Experience Store treats the customers as people, maximizing comfort in the process.
A Convenience Store is measured by how little time you want to spend there.
An Experience Store is measured by how much time you want to spend there.
A Convenience Store is on the way to or from a Destination Store.
An Experience Store is a Destination Store.
Let me clean that up for you.
An Experience Store …
- Has you drooling with anticipation as you wait at the light to pull in.
- Is full of unique and wonderful treasures, amazing merchandise you haven’t seen.
- Is open long enough for you to be able to take the time to explore all those treasures leisurely and when it fits in your schedule.
- Has a staff that also knows what everything is and how each product fits or doesn’t fit in your lifestyle, and can also get you through checkout in a hurry (because when the shopping is done, there’s no time to waste).
- Wants your trips to be comfortable, engaging, and relational.
- Treats the customers as people, maximizing comfort in the process.
- Is measured by how much time you want to spend there.
- Is a Destination Store.
Notice how none of that says you have to offer some crazy, wild, event-based, theme-park-styled type of experience? Seven years ago, this was cutting edge stuff. Today it is pretty much what everyone is talking about. Now you have a list to which you can compare your store.
Are you full of unique and wonderful treasures people haven’t seen? Do you have a staff that knows what you carry, why it fits into someone’s lifestyle, and how they should best use it? Is your store comfortable? Do people want to spend time there?
Experience Stores aren’t accidental. Nor are they easy. You build them by design, staff them by design, and run them with purpose. Which store do you want to be?
-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com
PS If I were to add anything to the May 26, 2011 post it would be …
A Convenience Store has everything you expect.
An Experience Store has pleasant surprises and unexpected wonders of delight.