What Makes Stores Worth Visiting?

Retail realist Kate Fannin joins Future Commerce to explore how today’s leading brands are redefining the store experience. Spearheading Field Notes, Kate is analyzing in-store experiences at SKIMS, Swatch, Rituals, and more. In this episode, she explains why Return on Experience is becoming a critical metric, how pop-ups act as brand laboratories, and what makes some stores unforgettable while others fall flat.

Key Takeaways:

• Return on Experience (ROE) trumps immediate conversion: Great retail experiences build trust and engagement over multiple visits rather than forcing day-one purchases. Customers may visit four or ten times before converting, especially for luxury or investment pieces.
• Know your brand story—and tell it consistently: The most successful stores have crystal-clear brand identity. Swatch excels because they know exactly who they are across generations, while other brands confuse customers by mixing messages or defaulting to celebrity associations.
• Sensorial brands must commit fully: Stores like Rituals in Dublin create immersive experiences (offering green tea, trial sinks, strong scents) that keep customers engaged, while half-measures feel clinical and forgettable like many current luxury retailers.
• Physical retail is about experimentation, not just sales: Pop-ups and flagship stores serve as brand laboratories where companies test market reception, gather customer data, and create shareable moments—even when immediate sales aren't the primary goal.
• "People buy stuff, they buy things, but they pay for an experience." - Kate Fannin
• "If you like their stuff, go online"—the worst possible thing someone could say about a store experience. - Kate Fannin on SKIMS
• "I wish marketing would change their name to engagement because that's really what companies and brands and stores should be focused on." - Kate Fannin

In-Show Mentions:

• Field Notes: Future Commerce's new premium retail analysis product measuring in-store return on experience
• SKIMS flagship store: Clinical Fifth Avenue showroom experience
• Swatch Times Square: Interactive, multigenerational retail experience with hands-on elements

Associated Links:

• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
• Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce
• Kate Fannin Consulting: katefanninconsulting.com

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