by Graham Speak, Speak Consulting
A big disclaimer to start with is that retail doesn’t always need to entertain. Sometimes, a guest will just be looking for a sachet of Calpol for their poorly child or a quick snack for the journey home. Equally, there are many great examples of well-curated, well-managed exit gift shops that allow guests to pick up souvenirs of a great day.
That said, merchandise and retail can provide a great opportunity to enhance the experience for your visitors, provide you with significant revenue upside, and strengthen connections with your stories and brand.
See also: Why retail could be your secret weapon
A well-known wizarding example
No trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Resorts is complete without having a wand pick its owner at Ollivanders (pictured, top). A magical theatrical retail experience where guests (or Wizards) can step into the wandmaker’s shop and have their own unique wand choose them. Many guests have this store on their ‘to-do’ list as much as riding the Forbidden Journey or Flight of the Hippogriff attractions.
Of course, Universal has spent billions on a world-class IP, integrated technology, intricate buildings and set pieces, and large-scale / high-cost executions. However, the principles it uses to create a retail-based attraction are applicable to most settings—from theme parks to museums, farm attractions to zoos.
In a recent conversation with James Dwyer of Lumsden, who designs retail environments for experience providers, he passionately discussed the opportunity to “always use shopping and food experiences to connect people with your stories and transport them to different worlds—regardless of whether those worlds are cultural or created.”
Let’s break down some features that can turn a good store experience into a must-see part of your attraction.
Hero your uniqueness and authenticity: allow guests to see and buy the real deal
Beamish is an open-air living museum in the UK that brings different eras of North East England’s history to life. Trams and traditional buses circle the site and costumed folk recount stories. Full-size farms, towns, and coal pit exhibits representing the 1820s to 1950s allow guests to get as close to time-travelling as currently possible!
One unique feature visitors queue for is entering the ‘Jubilee Confectionary’ store on the Victorian cobbled high street. Inside, guests learn about and see (and smell) traditional Victorian sweets being made on-site. They then move through to a replica store and have the opportunity to buy the freshly made sweets, weighed out and dispensed as they would have been.
It’s much more than a sweet shop. It’s an authentic Victorian experience that is a highlight for many visitors at Beamish (as is, ironically, a trip to the dentists afterwards, five doors down!)
In the US, guests enjoy the stunning Smoky Mountains at the Dollywood resort and are immersed in ‘traditional’ Tennessee country mountain life. Yes, they can buy the typical theme park-related merchandise. But alongside this, they can browse traditional General Stores for authentic home and food purchases. And, of course, every visit requires a trip to the recreated, working grist mill to see the world-famous cinnamon bread being made.
Use retail experiences to allow guests to step further into a world they love
Whatever your theme or focus, guests choose to visit you because they love your content, ideas, stories and environments.
Visitors to MoMA in NYC visit because they want to see and experience the best of contemporary and modern design. Lumsden created unique retail spaces that would be an extension of the museum. They have become ‘must-see’ spaces for design fans to browse skilfully curated retail ranges.
“The visitor journey will always be enriched when the retail environment seamlessly extends the experience of the main attraction, weaving compelling storytelling throughout product, environment, and experience in a cohesive and engaging way,” explains Dwyer.
“Our aim is always to create retail and dining experiences that become destinations in their own right, which is particularly important for the cultural sector where secondary spend is important for the sustainability of our client’s organisations.”
Similar principles are equally relevant in the theme park sector. When Alton Towers visitors enjoy ‘The World of David Walliams’, the area’s retail outlet allows them to walk through ‘Raj’s Shop’. They often meet the character himself and enjoy the cheesy jokes on display.
Across the globe, guests can step into retail worlds from other well-loved IPs. For instance, The Simpsons’ Kwik-E-Mart and Honeydukes at The Wizarding World at Universal’s resorts in Orlando and Hollywood. These aren’t just branded stores—they are opportunities for visitors to step further into the stories they love.
CAMP is a retailer that is becoming well-known for its ‘behind the magic door’ IP-led experiences. These allow visitors to enter some of their favourite worlds, like Bluey’s house, and buy exclusive Bluey x CAMP ranges. They can also interact with some of their favourite moments from the shows. What’s best is that these experiences rotate across the store chain, giving guests regular reasons to keep returning!
Allow guests to interact and become part of the retail experiences
At American Girl Place, in cities across the US, visitors can immerse themselves in the retail environment by personalising their own dolls and exploring extended ranges of the products they love.
Not only that, the stores offer further opportunities to turn retail into an experience—be it the ‘doll doctors’ who can repair and refresh your favourite American Girl dolls, the teatime experience where you can enjoy afternoon tea with your doll, or the salon where you can have matching hairstyles.
Here, you are not just buying a product. You interact and engage with the retail experience, building memories (and an emotional connection) with the brand.
At Disney Parks, there are similar ways to be a part of the retail process. For example, a visit to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where the service is combined with the merchandise to create an interactive retail experience, or the Droid Depot or Savi’s Workshop at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, where you get to create personalised versions of droids and lightsabers in immersive themed worlds.
The principle here can be applied to almost any experience by simply asking, ‘ How can a guest get involved?’
One recent example I encountered was at Chester Zoo in the UK. Children (or adults, I suppose!) could have their faces painted like many of the zoo’s resident animals. But there was also an option to buy animal tails and earpieces to complete the look. It was a simple retail offer. Yet hundreds of kids prowled around the zoo, engaging with the experience and enhancing their visit.
Building the commercial opportunity through emotional connection
The examples of retail experiences shared in this article are commercially successful and scaled appropriately for their objective. And – most importantly – they are authentic. In many cases, guests forget they’re even in a store! These outlets engage and connect with visitors – creating memories, brand value, and enhancing moments – and commercial upside.
What’s suitable for your environment and audience may not be the same as the examples in this article. But many of the principles are worth considering.
Are there elements of your retail or merchandise experience that guests could interact with or personalise? Are there parts that guests would want to do over and over because there are different options or because being involved is enjoyable? How can you activate the senses, immersing guests in the tastes, smells and worlds that they know you for? Are there ways retail can adapt and change – offering new experiences to keep guests returning?
It’s exciting to see new ideas constantly being developed across different retail sectors around the globe. However, knowing where to start can be daunting. Be enthused and consider how you can maximise the opportunity in this space.
Your guests will almost certainly respond positively to engaging, authentic and unique retail experiences.
