Retail experience stores: experiencing the brand at first hand

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence and development of experience stores and to consider their potential role in fostering consumer brand relationships and their impact on the retail landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins by outlining the characteristics of experience stores before moving on to discuss the ways in which a number of electronics and mobile phone retailers have developed experience store formats.

Findings

While recognizing that experience stores are a small but potentially significant addition to the retail marketplace, the paper discusses four principal issues. The need for continuing innovation to maintain competitive advantage; the changing relationship between manufacturer and retailer brands; the challenges involved in maintaining consistency in the brand experience; and the possible extension of the concept of experience stores to other sectors of the retail marketplace.

Originality/value

The paper provides an accessible review of the emergence of experience stores and their role in developing relationships between brands and consumers and as such it will be of interest to academics and students who are interested in retailing and in brands.

Citation

Jones, P., Comfort, D., Clarke‐Hill, C. and Hillier, D. (2010), "Retail experience stores: experiencing the brand at first hand", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 241-248. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634501011041408