Partners in the Path to Purchase

We receive many industry studies at VMSD, examining retail trends, demographic trends, design trends. But when it comes to the most coveted consumer, the millennial, I need only spend time with my three twenty-something kids to gain an understanding of their cohort’s buying habits.

For example, my daughter’s recent path to purchase went like this: We headed to our local “lifestyle center” (i.e., outdoor mall) to find her a dress for one of the countless weddings she’s been invited to this year. First stop: Nordstrom Rack. Aimlessly wandering the store, becoming more frustrated by the minute, she stopped suddenly in her tracks, transfixed by – not a flashy wall of digital screens or a tricked-out kiosk – but a classic mannequin display. “That’s it,” she exclaimed. “That’s my dress.” Not only did she buy the dress on the mannequin but she also purchased several of the accessories adorning the silent salesperson.

Later, while grabbing lunch at a nearby café, her smartphone chirped an alert. Glancing at her ever-present electronic companion, she said, “Mom, we’ve got to head over to Sephora next; they’re having a sweet BOGO (buy one, get one) promo.” She had recently downloaded the beauty behemoth’s location-enabled app, and its siren call soon had us trekking to the store to buy some totally unnecessary cosmetics.

The point is, you don’t need to spend hours analyzing complex studies to discern the benefits of deploying traditional visual merchandising techniques or the latest technologies to engage, create desire and sell to what some analysts call “the mysterious millennial.” They’re both valuable tools in the retailer’s arsenal.

We continue to celebrate and promote the talents that create the most compelling store displays and designs while reporting the latest developments in  retail technologies. To that end, we’ve revived our bi-monthly Next Store column (see page 14) after a brief hiatus, authored by Brian Dyches, partner and director, digital strategy & experience design at OpenEye Global. Brian is a retail industry veteran, with a keen eye for the latest happenings in branding, design and digital deployment. We welcome his perspective and insights and he looks forward to your feedback – and engagement.