As online shopping becomes increasingly popular, the death knell of the physical retail industry might be expected. However, the industry is tenacious and innovative, and alternative models are being considered and implemented across the globe.

Experiential retail is one of the new forms of retail that has popped up in recent years. But what is it, and what does it offer businesses and consumers? In this post, Adventa explores the concept of experiential retail, how it works, what it costs, and which retailers are doing it well. Keep reading to understand what experiential retail is.

What is Experiential Retail?

Experiential retail, also known as “retailtainment”, is a marketing strategy in which a physical retail store offers its customers experiences that go beyond browsing and buying. Through exclusive in-store events and services, as well as engaging staff and technologies, the customer is given a memorable experience that elevates retail shopping. 

Experiential retail is a reconstructed take on retail that focuses on the customer's experience. As the ease of online shopping becomes an increasingly important feature of retail, brick-and-mortar stores have been required to adjust how they do things. Creating engaging, tactile experiences that customers cannot experience online is the cornerstone of experiential retail.

How Does Experiential Retail Work?

Retail experience works by offering the customer something out of the ordinary. The way that this is done can differ from store to store or shopping centre to shopping centre. However, there are a few things to focus on when creating a retail shopping experience.

Experiential retailing prioritises customer engagement over sales. Businesses achieve this by stimulating the senses and defying expectations, creating an in-store experience that is immersive and interactive. 

Another important element of experiential retail is that it should be shareable. So much of our lives are spent and shared on social media, and creating opportunities where customers can share their experiences on these platforms will make your experiential retail strategy that much more successful. An easy way to do this would be to set up an amazing photo opportunity. 

An omnichannel approach is another important element of experiential retail. It allows for the integration of various marketing channels and touchpoints that aim to create a consistent and immersive customer experience. 

Offering omnichannel options for purchasing allows the customer to buy from wherever they are, for a simple and seamless shopping experience. Statistics show that 73% of consumers use multiple channels to shop, making an omnichannel approach an important strategy for any business.

Some examples of an omnichannel approach in experiential retail include using mobile apps, creating in-store digital and interactive displays, offering click-and-collect options, using virtual or augmented reality, and leveraging social media to engage customers. 

Lastly, experience retail focuses on the consumer's needs and nurtures communities. While technology may make our lives easier, they also make us more isolated. If a retail store can focus on building a community within its target audience, they are more likely to create return customers and a valuable community.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Experiential Retailing

Experiential retail can serve as a powerful strategy for attracting and retaining customers; however, it also comes with financial, logistical, and strategic challenges. Successful experiential retailing requires a well-thought-out plan that aligns with the brand's identity and customer expectations. You should carefully consider the pros and cons before implementing such a strategy. 

Advantages of Experiential Retail 

When experiential retailing is executed successfully, it can lead to numerous benefits, such as greater customer engagement, differentiation from competitors, improved brand loyalty and much more.  

Customer Engagement

By creating a unique and memorable shopping experience within retail stores, you can develop emotional connections with your customers. This will result in more time spent in-store (more engagement), which creates opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.

Differentiation 

In today's crowded market, standing out from your competitors is essential. Experiential retailing offers an effective way for you to demonstrate your brand's uniqueness and attract more attention, differentiating yourself from your competitors. 

Increased Foot Traffic

Experiential retailing will draw people to your store, resulting in new customers, increased foot traffic and higher sales. 

Brand Loyalty

When you create positive experiences with your customers, you foster an emotional connection with them. This should result in the development of stronger brand loyalty. Loyal customers are a priority for most businesses, as they tend to spend more (67%) than new customers and act as brand advocates, sharing positive reviews about your business. 

Social Media Buzz

Shareable experiences encourage customers to promote brands on their social media. This is known as user-generated content. This organic marketing technique will help you reach a wider audience and boost your brand’s visibility. 

Data Collection

Experiential retailing often incorporates technology, which can be used to collect customer data, such as their preferences and behaviours. This information can then be used to facilitate targeted marketing campaigns and drive product development.  

Disadvantages of Experiential Retail 

While experiential retailing offers endless opportunities, it doesn’t come without its challenges. 

High Costs

The cost of experiential retail can differ hugely. Large companies with big budgets can typically do more, but small retailers have plenty to offer, too. Focus on offering a personalised experience that resonates with your brand and customers. 

Resource-Intensive

Besides financial resources, experiential retail often calls for resources in the form of staff and time. It’s important to balance the needs of the campaign with the operational needs of the business. 

Inconsistent Experiences 

It’s all good and well trying to execute an experiential retail marketing strategy; however, as with all things in business, consistency is key. So, if you’re considering running a campaign at multiple stores or more than one campaign in the future, be sure to maintain a consistent brand experience for your customers. 

Risk of Fads

Sometimes, experiential retail trends or concepts may be short-lived. This is why it’s essential to conduct thorough research before executing a strategy.

Examples of Successful Experiential Retail Campaigns 

If you’re looking for a little inspiration, here are the five retailers that are making waves with their retail experiences. 

1. Apple

Apple stores do not only sell products and services; they also offer interactive learning experiences by hosting workshops, classes, and live events. In doing this, they turn their stores into a space where people can learn and connect, fostering a sense of community and establishing Apple as a leader in innovation.   

2. IKEA

This brand is well-known for its retail experiences. One of their best-known campaigns is their “in-store sleepover.” In 2011, IKEA allowed 100 customers to sleep over at their store in Essex, where customers were allowed to personalise their sleepover experience by selecting the bedding, pillows and even the beds they wanted (all from the IKEA catalogue, of course!). 

3. Farfetch

The luxury fashion brand brought experiential retailing to life by introducing advanced technology to their store in London, where they installed connected clothing racks, touch-screen-enhanced mirrors and sign-in stations. 

This allowed Farfetch to pull data collected from customers' online store experiences and personalise their in-store shopping journey. Additionally, the smart mirror allowed customers to search for alternative products or sizes and even pay for their goods, all from the comfort of their changing rooms. 

4. Huda Beauty

This beauty brand successfully implemented an experiential retail campaign to launch one of its new products, an eye shadow palette called Mercury Retrograde. Huda Beauty set up a pop-up store in the middle of Covent Garden, creating an immersive sci-fi-themed experience for customers. 

5. House of Vans

The House of Vans brand is another top experiential retailer, combining retail with live music, skateboarding and art events. At their 30,000 square feet London retail store, you can find everything from vans’ shoes to a cinema, an art gallery and, perhaps most importantly, a full-on skateboarding course. In doing this, they encourage customers to spend extended periods of time in their store, connecting and interacting with people who have shared interests.

Ready to Dip a Toe into the World of Experiential Retail?

While online shopping continues to grow in popularity, experiential retailing offers brands a chance to engage consumers and entice them to visit their brick-and-mortar stores. 

By creating immersive experiences, brands can engage customers in a completely new way. It can also lead to stronger brand loyalty, increased sales, higher engagement and a host of other benefits. However, it also comes with challenges, such as high costs and the need for consistency. 

So, while experiential retail marketing holds significant promise, it’s important that brands weigh up the pros and cons, and also draw inspiration from successful campaigns, such as those led by Apple, IKEA, Farfetch, Huda Beauty, and House of Vans. If you can do this, you will be able to create memorable shopping experiences that captivate your customers and set you apart from the competition.

How To Package A Canvas 

Updated 31/03/2023

Wondering how to package a canvas quickly and easily while providing it with enough protection to make any journey safely? Adventa explains how to package and ship a canvas painting so that it arrives at your customers' door undamaged. Find out more and buy canvas and packaging below. 

Packaging and shipping canvases

Brand sentiment doesn’t end once a customer hands over their money. A seller's job isn’t done until the customer has the product in their hands and is happy.

That's why we've designed the QuickPro Mail Safe Packaging to guarantee that your canvas art will be delivered to your customers safely and securely. Shipping art is almost, after all, an art form itself, and we want yours to be successful and your customers happy!

What are flat boxes?

Flat boxes refer to boxes that haven't been built yet. All our art canvas boxes come unassembled (or flat), but don't worry, the 'fold and lock' function means your boxes can be ready for shipping within minutes, without the need for packing tape or special tools.  

The compact design of flat boxes also means you’ll save on shipping costs, whether you ship them flat or in their completed form, as they fit snuggly around the canvas. 

How to package a canvas

This stress-free box is straightforward to build, so if you are making canvases in large volumes, then it's ideal. Just follow these instructions:

• Lift the lid upwards and over.
• Slide the lid's tab into the slot at the front of the box.
• The box is then ready for labelling & dispatch. 

Why buy your canvas packaging from Adventa?

If you're looking for cost-effective packaging boxes for canvas prints that are easy to assemble and dispatch for your production staff, look no further than the QuickPro ArtWrap Mail Safe Box from Adventa.

The extra side supports keep canvases safe from crumple zones and promise durability thanks to their thickness. No need for protective packaging like bubble wrap - the thick cardboard and clever design provide maximum protection.

The side of the boxes has been designed so that the three smallest boxes can hold multiple canvas sizes. Either pull over the flaps flat to hold the largest size or fold over into a square tube to create thicker sides for the smaller sizes.

This economical packaging box for canvas prints is ideal for swift packaging and sending your customers prints safely so they can hang their memories easily.

Canvas packaging FAQs

Do you still have questions? Here are the queries we get and answer most regularly:

How do I post a large canvas?

We provide canvas packaging of varying sizes, so all you have to do is order the size appropriate to the size of the canvas you plan to create and dispatch to your customers.

The outer box is big enough to enable a 3.9cm thick canvas to lie neatly and securely within the box. Here’s a full list of sizes and product references we can supply:

• BXMS8 - 8x 8 & 8 x 12
• BXMS16 - 16 x 20 & 16 x 24
• BXMS12 - 12 x 16" & 12 x 18"
• BXM12S - 12 x 12" 

Why does our packaging design work so well?

The QuickPro Auto Canvas and Mail Safe Packaging are designed for rapid production with its semi-automatic machine, ensuring efficient packaging techniques. Premium quality corners are guaranteed every time, which makes us stand out in the manufactured art community.

What type of packing materials are recommended for protecting a canvas painting during shipment?

We recommend using durable packaging materials to ensure the superior "can't sag" properties of the canvas are maintained. The lightweight and compact nature of our packaged art makes it easy and safe to dispatch.

Do I need to worry about size and weight restrictions?

The lightweight and compact design of our packaging makes it suitable for shipping, and they comply with standard size and weight restrictions imposed by most shipping services.

When shipping artwork, how can you guarantee safe shipping?

Both the QuickPro Auto Canvas and Mail Safe Packaging are designed for durability. The black backboard accessory (QPB812) contributes to climate resilience during shipment. The engineered packaging also boasts extra strong side supports that keep the canvas safe from crumple zones. So whether you’re shipping fine art or your business's most recent offering, our packaging can ensure maximum protection for your canvases.

Adventa highlights how personalised equipment helps businesses connect with their remote workers while providing what’s needed for effective working

 

 

7 essential home office supplies for businesses

When you sell office supplies to businesses, you must choose something that makes you stand out from your competitors' offerings. With the rise in remote working, you have a fantastic opportunity to help your customers provide their employees with home office essentials with a difference.

Home office supplies with a difference

Historically, most office supplies have been personalised with company branding, mainly the logo. This was, and still is, a fine idea, but some home-working employees may not want company branding everywhere at home. Instead, they may prefer something that's tailored to their tastes and home office decor.

When you partner with Adventa, you can help your customers go one step further and provide their employees with office equipment that they will really appreciate.

Here's how you can help your customers level up their employees home office supplies:

 

7 home office supplies employees will love

 

1)  Personalised notepads

From taking notes during a Zoom meeting to jotting down creative ideas and more, who doesn’t love a notepad? For employees who are often out and about, there’s our Notebook Classic, and for office-bound employees, there’s our Designa Journal which includes both lined and unlined pages. There’s also our Notebook with a spiral spine for easy use.

Businesses can invest in these for their employees and either leave the insert blank so that the employee can personalise it themselves, or send in a picture of them at a recent work event, for example, for you to insert on their behalf.

Shop our full range of notebooks here.

 

2)  Post-it note holder

In addition to a high-quality notebook, every home office needs a supply of post-it notes, perfect for jotting reminders while on the phone and placed where they are easily seen and actioned the next day. They also make a great visual if you have to break a large project down into smaller steps.

In addition to every office needing post-it notes, they also need a post-it note holder so that they are always at hand when needed. Whether business owners want to invest in a short or tall post-it note holder, you can find it here. Again, a business can add an image themselves, such as an encouraging quote, request you to do this for them, or leave this blank for their employee to fill themselves.

Shop our full range of post-it note holders here.

 

3)  Pen pot

While the office pen thief may no longer be a problem for home office workers, employees still need a place to store their pens and pencils.

We have a stunning slim pen pot that holds pens and pencils as well as post-it notes, the perfect choice for anyone short on desk space.

We also have a trio pen pot which is a fantastic choice for employees who are pen hoarders and need a place to house them all. If businesses want to personalise these to their employees' tastes, there are three opportunities with this particular pen pot.

Shop our full range of pen pots here.

 

4)  Pens

Of course, businesses could fill the pen pot themselves, providing their employees with truly everything they need to start work. This snazzy little pen will give a three-sixty view of any image, whether chosen by the business or employees themselves.

Shop our full range of pens here.

 

5)  Mouse mats

Mouse Mats are a must for essential office supplies, and there are plenty to choose from at Adventa. Employees can tailor their mats to their deskspace with three different sizes available.

The wipe-clean surface and non-slip backing make our mouse mats as functional as they are beautiful.

Shop our full range of mouse mats here.

 

6)  Coaster

What home office is complete without a coaster? Square ones, round ones, we have the lot. You also have the option of purchasing assembled and unassembled boxes to safely and securely post them to your customers (a must for our glass coasters).

Once again, personalisation is extremely easy and can be done yourself on behalf of the customer, themselves, or their employees.

Shop our full range of coasters here.

 

7)  Water bottle

Water is miraculous. It keeps us hydrated, feeling refreshed, energised, and can even help us concentrate. And so, a water bottle is the perfect gift from an employer to an employee. What makes our water bottles even better is that they are easily customisable with the photo of the employer's or employee's choice.

Shop our full range of water bottles here.

 

Invest in our perfect home office kit

We’re offering retailers and suppliers a ‘home office kit,’ which includes:

 

6 x 9” blank notebooks

This notebook is a perfect choice, with an easy to personalise cover which takes only ten seconds with a 6 x 9" photo or print. This notebook contains 120 pages of quality ruled paper; there's more than enough space for notes and diagrams, ideal for busy professionals. Thanks to the protective front cover, the inserted image will be safe from wear and tear.

Available in boxes of 30.

 

Trio pen pots

This distinctive personalised pen pot with plenty of display area holds three images and is a must-have for a home office! It takes only 30 seconds to make without the need for any machinery.

Available in boxes of 180.

 

8 x 10” mouse mats

Suitable for 8 x 10" prints and a perfect way for companies to stay connected with your employees at home. Fast and easy to create in ten seconds without any equipment. These mats come with a wipe-clean surface and non-slip backing.

Available in boxes of 30.

 

Black glass coasters

Our stylish contemporary glass coaster has wide appeal and high priced value with customers. Ensuring the highest level of safety for your customers, we use toughened, heat resistant safety glass.

This coaster holds an 80 x 80mm photo and takes eight seconds to make.

The black coaster is included in our fabulous home office concept; alternatively, you can purchase it separately in boxes of 50.

 

 For more information regarding any of the individual products in our list of essential home office supplies or the Home Office Kit, please feel free to contact our sales team at [email protected] or call us on 01686 625 100.

Our NEW Keyring and Magnet video is now live! Ready for you to watch and discover how they help you upsell and add value to your print range! Showcasing our durable and luxurious range with a combination of our stay-clear™ plastic and matt stainless steel materials.

Watch it here now: https://youtu.be/_B9k7AZNkho

One of our bestselling just add print product ranges is our blank keyring range. Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes these durable keyrings are manufactured in the United Kingdom, with the highest attention to detail using patented locking nylon connectors and wear and tear, scratch resistant material. The stay-clear™ plastic option comes in an amazing 13 shapes and sizes and takes as little as 5 seconds to make! Our video also features the new metal keyring range including its 2 different designs, made from high quality material it is also tough and hard-wearing, with a matt satin finish, it is a luxury item that is a premium gift!

Also highlighted is our reclaimed keyring, this recycled alternative comes in 3 wonderful colours - blue, graphite and red. However, a number of colour variations is possible due to its recycled content. The main body is made up of 50 - 90% recycled content. Manufactured in the UK they come available in box quantities of 500 and take as little as 13 seconds to make.

The magnet range features contemporary designs that have a high quality finish and use tough durable plastic. They are easy to assemble with print and work both portrait or landscape. With a variety of different sizes to choose from, this versatile magnet range is perfect for adding uniqueness to your print range, or for craft or business promotional use. Manufactured with bespoke robotic technology, keeping human handling to a minimum and ensuring a high quality standard. Available in 8 shapes and sizes plus 1 high quality metal magnet, all of which are easy to assemble and take as little as 5 seconds to make, simply insert your customers print, add the window and press securely to clip it in place!

With keyrings and magnets for every occasion, they are ideal for family and friends photos and birthdays, father’s day gifts, business promotions, souvenirs for theme parks and attractions and much more… the possibilities are endless!

For more information about a product highlighted in our video or for more information about using our videos on your website please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call us on +44 (0) 1686 625 100

A major customer that traditionally only bought blank Adventa products came to us with fulfilment production issues due to high demand and staff shortage caused by Coronavirus, creating an exciting opportunity for us to think outside of the box. Having recently vacated our old office site we were in a great position to set up ‘social distancing’ fulfilment and within 72 hours from go ahead, we had gone live with our own in-house printing and assembly production line! This combined with an efficient and hardworking team lead to excellent results! This client has told us that out of 5 different 3rd party suppliers, we outperformed them all, in terms of both set up and ongoing quality of service!

FROM START...

... TO FINISH!

So from this experience we have decided that our core business remains the manufacturing of products that are easy for you to personalise. However, if you have fulfilment requirement needs, plus speed, quality and accuracy are important to you then please get in touch!

For more information please do not hesitate to contact us! Our contact details are +44 (0) 1686 625 100 or email us at [email protected]