My go-to coffee shop in New York City recently relocated. I was pretty miffed by this event, as it disturbed my daily routine and caffeine boost, so I was curious and eager to see what would pop up next in this prime retail space.

After five months of waiting, a beauty retailer arose from the ashes. At first I thought, “Just what the world needs, another beauty shop,” especially with five Sephora’s in a half-mile radius. This new shop, NYX! displays bucket loads of black & white packaging, punchy graphics, brash pops of color…it even mirrors, in some ways, the recognized visual Sephora world.

So why the hell do I care? Well, like it or not, I end up in these places every now and then and I often make surprise purchases. As a creative thinker, this made me wonder about this new flagship proposition, my most engaging retail experiences, and what it takes to create breakthrough in an already saturated category.

To create something successful and revolutionary in any category, it’s about more than the product and package design. Attracting new consumers by establishing an emotional connection elevates product sales and pushes boundaries. Retailers, supermarkets and pharmacies should be looking to curate better, more relevant, and immersive beauty ventures. 

Some of my most engaging retail encounters have inspired unforeseen purchases and threatened my loyalty to other category leading brands. For example, the brand and beauty store Le Labo creates authentic moments through personalization and craft. (See the photo above of its New York store.)

Professional, eloquent experts are on hand to help customers shop and even create their own personal fragrance. Everything in the store is made to order, directly in front of the customer, with only the highest quality ingredients. The entire process creates an emotional desire that entices customers to invest in the high-priced products. Personally, while shopping at Le Labo, I contemplated a hideously expensive after-shave that I would normally never have considered, but the environment and brand stories made a drastic difference in my potential purchase decision.

Outside of the beauty world, many brands have pioneered to expand their target audiences and break through saturated markets. The air freshener brand Glade flexed its creative muscles and presented its product as art with a multi-sensory pop-up experience in New York. It invited you into different environments inspired by its products that evoked feeling and brought to life the candle scent experience.

Capital One made a standard ATM visit multi-sensory at its Union Square flagship. Upon entering the bank, customers are greeted with a dramatic LED ATM wall and warm aromas from Peet’s Coffee shop. There’s plenty of space for meetings or lounging to enjoy free Wi-Fi and re-charge devices. The second floor offers additional meeting spaces and tellers with iPads who greet customers face-to-face for transactions, instead of hiding behind standard bulletproof glass. There are also private rooms for consulting and even a classroom with courses that educate customers on topics like mortgage financing.

Samsung created a truly groundbreaking brand adventure in its new Samsung flagship store or ‘Cultural Hub’ that is like nothing else in the market. This store does not have a single product stocked on the shelves; it sells products based solely on experience. The store has full TV walls with personal social media feeds and selfies being posted in real-time, a connected living room that demonstrates how a smart home works, while a full kitchen is available for cooking demonstrations and classes.

Samsung took the next step in creating brand love by putting the experience before the product. Personally, before going into a Samsung Cultural Hub I had no real interest in the brand, as my loyalties lie with other (un-named) tech brands. However, the totally immersive and unique retail environment changed my perspective. By creating a unique immersive arena that translates into an emotional connection, brands can take people like myself where they never thought they would go.

Circling back to my tragic coffee shop loss and the ultimate question… Does the world really need another beauty store? The answer is yes, but only if the beauty store can be immersive and meaningful.

As a male who doesn’t often purchase upscale beauty products, I want something relevant to me. How cool would it be if, similar to my visit to the Samsung store, I entered this new beauty retailer and had a memorable and experiential encounter?

What if through a seemingly standard store visit, an emotional brand connection emerged that altered my personal brand loyalty and purchasing behavior in a somewhat alien sector? That would make another beauty store worthwhile.

At the end of the day, whether we’re discussing beauty, technology, home goods or sporting goods, it’s not simply the product or package design that will drive success. It’s the totality of the experience that matters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With more than 20 years of creative experience, Ben Greengrass leads a growing team of designers and visionaries at Elmwood as Creative Director. He has been recognized nationally and internationally by DBA Design Effectiveness Awards, Clio, Roses, and a Best in Show Mobius award for London’s Breakfast Club Café’s. Follow Ben Greengrass on Twitter.