Against a backdrop of 15,000 predicted store closures this year, the mathematics of physical retail have become unforgiving. The 5,800 new openings Coresight Retail forecasts aren't just expansions; they're acts of defiance against the gravitational pull of digital commerce.

But what separates the brick-and-mortar leaders from the laggards?

It’s about so much more than a PR blitz, influencer support, or listings on “must-visit” lists on travel sites. It’s about intentionally embracing all sensory components in a way that aligns with your brand and resonates with your consumers. 

Field Notes is a benchmarking tool and analysis report series designed to help you understand the approaches emerging brands and legacy retailers are embracing to thrive in this new era of physical retail. Developed in partnership with design expert and “Retail Realist” Kate Fannin, Field Notes also offers an actionable framework for plotting key elements of a store environment to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity: The Senses Matrix. 

With our first round of Field Notes, Fannin and Future Commerce analyzed a series of brand environments across different sizes and categories: SKIMS, Swatch, Printemps, Rituals, and Aedes de Venustas. Future Commerce Plus members can get anytime, anywhere access to these helpful field guides, but you can get an exclusive look at our SKIMS assessment below. 

GET FREE ACCESS TO THE SKIMS FIELD NOTES AND SEE OUR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS 

Sights of Splendor 

Physical store environments help visualize a brand and what it represents. This isn’t just about store merchandising and layout, although that does make a difference. It also accounts for the use of specific materials, textures, lighting techniques, and more. And perhaps most importantly, how all these elements combined make shoppers feel. 

The Printemps department store in NYC’s Financial District is a great example of how a store can equally serve as a venue for commerce and as a source of aesthetic beauty. Each dedicated space within the store, from the shoe salon to the couture area and even the beauty and fragrance nook, all have a distinct look and feel. These stylistic shifts help guide shoppers through the space and make it clear when they’re venturing into a new product category. 

The Printemps store is also, generally speaking, a feast for the eyes. With such a rich combination of colors, textures, and patterns, it feels more like you’re in the luxe Parisian apartment of a rich heiress than a US department store. We outlined why we believe the store’s opening could spark America’s Department Store Renaissance in a recent Future Commerce Plus Member Brief.

But of course, not every brand is going for that vibe. For example, the SKIMS location on Fifth Avenue is very minimalist, with “wow” moments like the enormous nude statue in the main foyer. 

That’s why having a clear brand mission and vision is key. This is the North Star of all decisions, including how you want your stores to look. 

A Touch of Immersion

Despite the ubiquity of digital, most consumers (57%) still prefer to visit stores to touch and feel products before they buy them. In some cases, these tactile moments are self-guided, but as our first round of Field Notes stores indicates, associates play a key role in this journey too.

In fact, store service was an indicator separating the more effective store experiences from the rest. The employees at Swatch were helpful and personable, encouraging shoppers of all ages to tinker, play, and customize watch creations. SKIMS associates were also extremely knowledgeable of product offerings, adding context to sometimes-technical product offerings.

Not Just the Sound of Cashiers Clanging

A store can be a source of solace, even joy. Or, it can be a source of relentless stress and anxiety. Auditory pollution is a leading cause of this stress, whether it be through music, machinery, crowds, or other sources. That is why sound is just as central to your brand identity and your in-store experience as visual elements. 

Studies have shown that both music volume and tempo can influence shopper dwell time and consumers’ overall sentiment as they travel through the space. Sensory designer Ari Peralta argues that retail sound strategies should include a mix of intricate compositions, curated playlists, and sound installations to best reflect the retail atmosphere and even product and service mix. 

Despite being in such a busy, even chaotic area of NYC, the Swatch flagship manages to create an environment that is equally dynamic and engaging yet relaxing to browse through. That is primarily due to the music used to complement the visual storytelling. As we noted in the location’s Senses Matrix, the music is subtle and matches the ethos. It doesn’t compete for attention to the point of overwhelming visitors. Conversely, the music used in the Aedes de Venustas store on the Lower East Side didn’t match the high-end visual aesthetic of the space nor the high-end service provided. This conflict creates unease for visitors, ultimately hurting their experience.

Make Your Brand a Palate Cleanser 

The palate incorporates both taste and sound, making it a powerful vehicle for brand differentiation. Taste, of course, aligns with only a distinct type of brand experience; typically one that has food and beverage services, complementary hospitality experiences, restaurants, and more. These are notable additions to many store environments, especially high-end luxury spaces like Printemps. In some stores, like Whole Foods, it’s integral to the business model. 

While taste isn’t a possible addition to every store, smell is certainly a noticeable (if not unavoidable) trait. For stores like Rituals and Aedes de Venustas, scent is central to the product offering. Scent is the literal gateway to help customers determine whether they want to buy something. So while it’s important to provide a hint of what you’re offering, it’s important not to completely overwhelm people with competing or abrasive scents. 

In some cases, our Field Notes assessments noted customers saying they had to leave stores because the smell was so overpowering.

Embracing the Sixth Sense

In the Senses, the Sixth Sense represents our increasingly digitally connected world. Smart technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and other capabilities have the power to make in-store environments more immersive and seamlessly connect physical spaces to long-term digital engagement. 

With our Matrix, we explored the brands that looked at the holistic customer journey and used technology most intentionally to serve both associates and customers. For example, Rituals’ store experience included thoughtful touchscreens and tech elements to bring customers into deeper product storytelling as they ventured throughout the store. 

This is a small sample of the in-depth analysis and tactical takeaways uncovered in Field Notes. As a Future Commerce Plus member, you can get access to our full library of notes as well as in-depth reporting and industry analysis to help you and your team see around the next corner.