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The keyword within the retail industry today is experience. Shoppers have access to most of the products they want and need at the click of a button thanks to e-commerce. Retailers have learned the hard way that in order to drive traffic to stores they must create an experience, a reason for customers to leave the comforts of home for their shopping.
These seven retailers have done just that, combining digital and physical elements within their showrooms to meet customers' needs and pique their interests.
Ford
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Virtual reality tech, interactive exhibits and even a personalized card where visitors can save their experiences online. This is what shoppers get when they go to Ford’s new FordHub store in the Westfield World Trade Center mall in New York. Ford is not your typical retailer, but its showroom boasts a VR balance-controlled racing game, includes a large wall filled with 5,000 mini die-cast cars and also features a kinetic mobility sculpture in the center of the room. The brand is planning to open a series of FordHub locations, with one slated for San Francisco.
Rent The Runway
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This favorite formalwear and shoe rental company goes all out for its in-store customers. The retailer has two showrooms in New York, each of which allows shoppers to rent designer clothes for major events like weddings. The perks? Stylists are on hand to give visitors the full glam team experience, including facials and help with jewelry and accessory selections.
Restoration Hardware
The furniture retailer announced plans in early March to open a 58K SF four-story showroom in Edina, Minn. The showroom comes in the form of a restaurant and rooftop patio that encourages guests to come, eat, browse and linger in a room filled with the retailers’ product.
Lowe’s
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What better way to decide on future bathroom tiles for a renovation or new wall colors for a newborn’s bedroom than to test it out up-close and personal? Lowe’s showrooms offer customers the opportunity to explore and touch the different materials used to make counters, cabinets, flooring and more. The home improvement chain also launched its virtual designer program, Holoroom, last year; it uses augmented and virtual reality technology to allow customers to design kitchen and bathroom layouts on their tablets and see a 3D mock of their finished designs using Oculus Rift VR headsets. At present, the Holoroom is only available in certain stores.
Amazon
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Though e-commerce behemoth Amazon.com has been breaking into the brick-and-mortar game for a while now, launching physical bookstores and announcing plans for convenience and grocery stores with curbside pickup options, this store in particular breaks the mold. The Seattle-based company launched a showroom in Beijing in December that features U.S. and UK-based products from the site, allowing customers to browse, play and make online purchases while in the store.
Rebecca Minkoff
This New York-based trendy apparel retailer received much praise when it brought "magic mirrors" to its stores. The boutique's futuristic fitting rooms include interactive mirrors that allows customers to order drinks, flip through catalogs and communicate with sales associates should they want a different size or color clothing to try on. The retailer said the innovative fitting rooms have helped boost both traffic and sales.
Apple
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Apple stores are often praised for their integration of digital with physical in stores. The iPhone, iPad and Mac creator has managed to create a destination where customers visit throughout the life span of their purchasing journey — from research to purchase to repairs, customers rely on this brand’s in-store presence and customer service to make big buys.
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