Ingrid Ryan — 13 June 2005
The fashion retail experience: Ever-evolving and no longer created with me in mind.
In the last few years I have noticed that clothing retailers have taken the retail experience up many notches since I was a young teen. And I’m no longer a member of the demographic that most retailers want to lure, so I am constantly impressed and sometimes shocked at the lengths some retailers will go to to get younger markets’ attention and into their wallets. It’s no longer about having the right merchandise it’s about presenting a meaningful experience that can really make them distinct and help them become a true part of the lives of their customers.
When I was in high school American Eagle had conservative wool sweaters with sheep on them and you would fail if you tried to find a shirt there that didn’t cover the entirety of your midriff. We shopped there, and at places like Gap , Express and Contempo, but that was it because that was all that was available to us, and we didn't notice much about the retail experience. We walked in, browsed, either bought something or didn’t and happily moved on. We were quite satisfied with our retail experience.
In October I walked into a Ruehl store in Paramus, New Jersey. For those of you who don’t know, Ruehl is the newest incarnation of the Abercrombie franchise, which includes Abercrombie, Hollister , Abercrombie Kids and now Ruehl. This one boasts a more grown-up product line and is out to entice young professionals and those hunting for their first job out of school, those age 22 to 30. It’s a stretch, but this group could include me, so I thought I’d pay Ruehl a visit.
The store front looks like a brown stone in New York City's Greenwich Village, with a wrought iron gate, antique glass windows and flower boxes. It truly stands out in this suburban mall environment in which it lives. I walked into the store and wow, what a contrast to what is presented outside. It was so dark I couldn’t see a thing. The dressing rooms were extremely hard to find, the clothes did not fit my 30-something body shape, the music was so loud it gave me a headache and I lost my friend within minutes because of the store’s maze-like layout. This retail experience left me feeling that while it clearly wasn’t created for me, I desperately wanted to be part of it. The brand and experience felt inside created mystery and intrigue that drew me in.
What could the possible link be between a traditional brick building and a dark, modern retail store with sexy, slim-fitting clothes, you ask? I asked myself the same question. Apparently the story behind the store could help shed some light. A German immigrant moved to the United States around 1850 and opened a fine leather goods shop that stayed in his family for generations. His great grandson, 100 years later, decided to enter the apparel business, focusing on denim and the style of his screen idol James Dean. This story is not spelled out for customers who enter, so some walk out feeling confused, not to mention surprised, at the experience inside, but some truly intrigued.
Another chain that was recently brought to my attention is Metro Park, a self-described “lifestyle retailer that mixes fashion, music and art with attitude” – an outright defiant and rebellious attitude that stands for “seduction, life after midnight and the constant pursuit of desire.” The brand and the retail experience encourages people to be themselves even if it means rebelling, selling attitude more than clothes.
Gap has also jumped on the new retail environment band wagon and redesigned some of its stores with a new environment and service experience in mind to give their customers a valuable and meaningful experience, beyond product offering. This experience was created to cater to the epitome of quality customer service and retail design simplicity.
Getting the merchandise right is only the beginning. Retailers have effectively raised the bar. Tomorrow's consumers will come to demand more from their shopping experience. I can't wait to see what's next.
© 2008 Cheskin Added Value