Retail Experience Stages A Comeback

It’s not that experience ever stopped being important at retail

But let’s face it, there were other things to think about — especially safety and staying in stock — when the world first turned upside from the pandemic. Things are quite different now as experience is front and center for retailers.

I explain all this in my published column in Drug Store News.

As I say in the piece, now it seems shoppers want it all, and food and drug retailers need to be prepared to offer new experiences in addition to everything else.

The column explains how retailers are introducing their latest efforts, including new formats, remodels, rebrandings, and product line launches.

Some of the key initiatives are from companies such as Wegmans Food Markets, Giant, H-E-B, CVS Pharmacy and even Amazon.

It’s likely some of these retailer plans were underway before the pandemic began and may have been put on hold temporarily. This would have enabled retailers to further fine-tune strategies to be on target for this new landscape.

I hope you get to read the full piece. As I conclude in the column, being on target for today’s situation isn’t just about safety, and it isn’t just about experience. It’s about both.

That’s what customers increasingly will demand.