Sight and the shopper’s journey
Sight is undoubtedly the dominant sense, with research showing that up to 83% of all human learning occurs visually. In the retail environment, visual stimuli are crucial for capturing attention, communicating brand identity, and influencing purchasing decisions. Let's delve into the insights that reveal how savvy brands are harnessing the power of sight.
Visually Leading the customer
Studies have shown that the average consumer's eyes scan a store display for just 2-3 seconds before deciding whether to explore further. This highlights the importance of creating eye-catching, visually striking displays that instantly grab attention. Brands that excel at this are able to guide the customer's gaze, leading them through the store and encouraging exploration of products.
One prime example is Ikea, whose meticulously curated showrooms showcase their furniture and decor in visually appealing, life-like settings. This allows shoppers to imagine how the products would look in their own homes, sparking inspiration and a desire to make a purchase. In fact, a study by Nielsen found that 93% of Ikea's customers are influenced by the in-store displays when making a buying decision.
Engaging Movement
Motion plays many functions in our vision, helping us understand depth perception, speed and form. It stands to reason then that moving props and products can create a sense of fun, novelty, and curiosity, enticing customers to explore your store and products.
There’s a reason those wind-sock tube figures have been so popular for sales around the world; they grab attention through the most basic of movements.
Harnessing the Power of Colour
Different colours have been shown to evoke specific emotions and psychological responses in consumers. For instance, the colour red has been linked to increased appetite and impulse purchases, making it a popular choice for food retailers. In contrast, the calming blue tones used by brands like Ikea and Walmart are believed to promote a sense of trust and reliability.
Consider the curation of colour for your next brand activation. From something as small as the Tiffany blue box to the golden arches of McDonald’s on a long road trip, colour is key contributor to a successful brand campaign.
Lighting for Atmosphere and Ambiance
Lighting has the power to set the tone and atmosphere of a retail space. Subtle, warm lighting can create a cozy, inviting ambiance, while brighter, more directional lighting can highlight key product displays and draw the customer's eye.
London luxury department store, Harrods, is renowned for it’s exceptional use of lighting to cultivate an extravogant shopping experience. Strategically placed spotlights on select premium merchandise with soft and diffused lighting evokes a sense of exclusivity throughout the store.
Louis Vuitton
Virgil Pop Up, Sydney
Playing on both scale & Colour to great visual effect the space is saturated in rainbow tones creating a backdrop that colour codes the product.
A tribute to the late Virgil Abloh the space both recognises his inclusive values as well as portrays him as the central icon to the curation of the space. The two story high 3D printed replica of his figure both fills and seamlessly blends with it’s surroundings. Mirrors over the central void of the store elongate the space blurring the colours further and creating a sense of vortex above.
The interior walls of the space are built out using LV Shoeboxes to create a ‘childlike’ structure that again reinforces the idea of Abloh’s play and whimsical approach to design - creating visual impact from both inside as well as the external view of the store from street level.
Hermès
HermèsFit Activations, Global
Utilising their signature orange as the base Hue across the string of global pop ups, HermèsFit was launched as an instantly recognisable part of the French Maison’s brand of stylish wit.
Saturated in colour the retro chic interiors replicate gym settings of a golden era, Hermès collided their luxury fashion sensibility with a tongue in cheek range of fitness classes to explore the new product range. Guests could sign up to Silk Yoga using the brands signature scarves, Belt Stretching, Bracelet Boxing, Shoe HIIT and more, with each session run by local fitness influencers styled in matching orange uniforms to create the HermèsFit playground.
All elements carried their weight, with the boxing ring doubling up as a stage for evening events including line up’s of DJ’s and entertainment, photo opportunities at every turn and of course product display areas to try on and purchase.
Hermès delivered a humorous visual feast with their iconic colour palette and interior design that not only feels modern, but completely unique to their brand.
Footlocker
Triple Black Challenge, London
Giveaway activations are a core tool of brand awareness, loyalty and a memorable experience. Footlocker took their Triple Black Collection to the next level with this guerrilla marketing activation.
Customers signed up to navigate their way through a warehouse maze and be in with the chance of winning their own own pair of sneakers from the collection.
Once briefed in, the lights go out and the rest of the journey is undertaken in pitch black, exploring each themed room to locate the shoes and escape within the time limit to win.
Drawing directly from the collections all black theme the darkness and lack of sight helps to amplify all other senses for a heightened memorable experience.
Gucci
Cosmogonie, Sydney
As part of the Gucci Cosmogonie campaign the Sydney Store activated the Cosmogonie pod - A futuristic Mirror Illusion that almost blends into it’s store surroundings on first look.
This cleverly avoids obstructing the store architecture while discretely housing a space that takes customers out of this world and into the stars.
The interior of the pod makes use of mirrors to create an endless sprawl out into the cosmos. With lights that are sensor activated on entry, the space ship like structure comes to life, inviting the customer to use the interactive digital displays to create their own personalised star chart map that can be printed on site as a take home gift.
Seibu
Art Meets Life, Tokyo
This ever-changing installation at Japanese department store, Seibu, acted as a month long Christmas advent count down.
Knitted tapestries are gradually unravelled to expose secondary pattern layers and finally Christmas gifts are revealed one by one as motorised spools at the base of the display reel in the threads over time.
The slow methodical movement allows for a completely new window display to be explored on every visit in the run up to Christmas, creating multiple opportunities to engage with the brand; while the added excitement and mystery of what will be revealed ensures that cusomers come back time and time again.
Sight Insights:
AR Visual Enhancement
AR experiences with products lead to a 94% conversion rate
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is transforming the way we experience and engage with products through virtual try-on’s and product interactions.
Strategic Storefronts
Themed storefronts increase foot traffic by 71%.
The visual appearance of a retail store's exterior is crucial for attracting customers and driving foot traffic.
Dynamic Digital Signage
Dynamic digital signage leads to almost 32% increase in sales
Incorporating dynamic, digital signage transforms the visual landscape with real-time product information, interactive content and personalised messaging to captivate shoppers.