It's no secret that the retail landscape is evolving at a fast pace. Every other day the news broadcasts another large chain announcing that they are closing a number of stores or liquidating all of their assets. It can be disheartening for anyone in the industry and cause a sense of worry, but no shock to consumers. The old way of brick & mortar retailing no longer works like it used to, but hope is not lost. There are a few retailers that seem to have the secret sauce, one of those being Italian marketplace retailer, Eataly. Not only is it a retailer, it also can claim almost every category of the foodservice spectrum. With about 34 stores around the world, but only five stores in the US at the moment, it still can be a "destination" spot around the country, however I'm confident their overall store concept will prevail and continue to be successful. If you've even been in one, you will know how different it feels to shop inside Eataly compared to your standard brick & mortar. It's not the traditional store landscape that we are accustomed to. It is an experience and every trip to the store is sure to be a different journey than the last. Consumers of all ages are realizing that happiness lies in the experience, not necessarily the product itself. The creators of Eataly came up with a concept that can be enjoyed by all types of customers that make it tough to truly define a core customer. From the grandmother searching for ingredients to a young couple enjoying a glass of wine while they browse the large footprint store to a family of five with young children enjoying a pizza at one of the many restaurants to choose from. Their manifesto even proclaims, "Our target audience is everyone". Eataly is place that you can order products online, but most people want to take part in the experience of the brick and mortar store. How many retailers can claim that these days? Not many. It's easy to go into the store without having anything to purchase in mind and walk out with a basket full of impulse products ranging from pasta, cook books, utensils, wine, coffee, condiments, cookies and the list goes on. There is always something going on whether it's a Monday night or the bustling weekend. Eataly highlights different areas of Italy throughout each month running specials on products from the specific region. If you want a meal with items from the Tuscan region, you can gather items for each course from the area to create a custom dish. If you're not sure what you want, they have plenty of staff that always seem eager to help. The way they utilize their space is truly remarkable and ever-changing. They use certain areas of the store to diversify what it's used for, i.e. events, seasonal pop up restaurants, wine tastings or cooking classes. They even hold store tours for a small fee to help inform customers of all there is to offer. They also have an e-newsletter that keeps customers in the loop.
It's clear this retailer doesn't just want a one time customer, but they want to continue to teach and excite their audience, enticing them to keep coming back for more. It's a type of experience that more retailers need to study and replicate. You know the old saying that food brings people together, well so does experiential shopping.