Show, don't tell
Early this year The Conservatory, a new fashion boutique from New York City, opened its doors to customers.1 Unlike most other retail locations however, creativity instead of commerce lies at the heart of its operations. The retailer carries a range of 50 fashion brands, housed in a location filled with art and plant life, aiming to create a thematic experiential store for customers. But strangely, the store is a transaction free space- none of the products can be bought, only experienced. Customers register an online account with the retailer when they visit the store, the only way to open an account at all, and order the fashion and lifestyle products that capture their interest on The Conservatory’s website for home delivery.
Operating in this showroom format places the key benefits of the brick-and-mortar shopping experience front and centre. While online shopping brings convenience, physical retail is an opportunity for consumers to indulge in all of their senses, interacting with a tangible product instead of an intangible on-screen concept. Curating a particular atmosphere and visual appeal within a retail environment goes a long way towards contributing to perceptions of shopping value.2 Through transforming a store into a dedicated showroom where the focus is on understanding and not transacting, consumers don’t merely browse the products on display, they experience them.
Closer to home, another brand has embraced the principle of showrooming. LiTMUS LABS is a showcase of cutting edge consumer devices, from smart home devices to motorised skateboards.3 Located in the central plaza of Melbourne Central, LiTMUS LABS gives innovations typically distributed through online stores a presence in physical retail, allowing customers the chance to discover new products they wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.