The Five Senses of Merchandising | Aaron Noveshen speaks at RestaurantSpaces

Summary

This video explores how sensory experiences—sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound—can elevate customer interactions in retail and dining spaces. Through examples like interactive ice cream experiences, immersive candy stores, and customizable boba tea setups, the video demonstrates how businesses can engage customers in fun, memorable ways. The key takeaway is the importance of creating intentional, multi-sensory environments that immerse guests and enhance brand identity, making the customer journey seamless, enjoyable, and distinctive.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sensory engagement is essential for creating memorable consumer experiences, particularly through sight, touch, and taste.
• 😀 Active merchandising, such as using fresh ingredients in a visible and interactive way, helps build a connection between the customer and the brand.
• 😀 Incorporating 'drama' in the customer experience—through visually engaging displays or theatrical food prep—can enhance brand appeal.
• 😀 The M&M store's success lies in its ability to engage customers through customizable touch experiences, like blending M&M flavors.
• 😀 The concept of self-directed, hands-on engagement (like building your own tea or boba drink) resonates with modern consumers seeking control.
• 😀 Transparency in food preparation—like seeing the ingredients or process—helps customers feel more connected to their meals.
• 😀 Frictionless experiences, such as Sweetgreen's digital ordering and easy pickup, simplify the customer journey and enhance convenience.
• 😀 Providing tastings, whether for chocolate, charcuterie, or even cannabis, can increase customer engagement by directly involving them with the product.
• 😀 Giving consumers the opportunity to customize or blend their own flavors is an effective way to create an engaging and interactive experience.
• 😀 Businesses should focus on creating an immersive environment where customers can feel, touch, and taste the brand at every touchpoint.
• 😀 Empathy for the customer is crucial—understanding their needs and how they engage with your brand helps refine the sensory experience and make it exceptional.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Aaron OverShank's presentation?

Aaron OverShank's presentation focuses on enhancing customer experiences in retail and dining through the use of the five senses—sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell—by utilizing sensory-driven merchandising strategies.

How does sight contribute to creating a memorable customer experience?

Sight contributes to the experience by engaging customers with dynamic and interactive displays, such as active merchandising in bakeries, where customers can see the process of bread making, or in ice cream shops, where they can witness chocolate being poured into their cones.

What is meant by 'active merchandising,' and how is it applied in retail settings?

'Active merchandising' refers to creating an interactive, engaging experience for customers rather than a passive one. This can include live food preparation, visible ingredient displays, or other interactive elements that involve the customer directly in the process, such as at bakeries or ice cream parlors.

What role does touch play in enhancing customer experience according to the presentation?

Touch plays a critical role by allowing customers to physically engage with products, such as customizing their own boba tea or blending different M&M flavors, which gives them control over their experience and makes it more personal and interactive.

How does the M&M store create a unique, interactive experience for customers?

The M&M store allows customers to blend their own M&M flavors, interact with various M&M products, and physically engage with the store's layout, making the experience highly personalized and fun, especially for younger customers.

Why is the concept of self-directed dining important in modern food experiences?

Self-directed dining, like the experience at Fredamame or Sweet Green, is important because it caters to customers' desires for more control over their meals, allowing them to create customized dishes quickly and efficiently while also promoting transparency in the food preparation process.

What impact does the Sweet Green outpost model have on the customer experience?

The Sweet Green outpost model enhances the customer experience by offering a frictionless, easy-to-navigate digital ordering system, which allows customers to order their meals in advance and quickly pick them up in high-density urban areas, merging convenience with the brand's signature clean and simple aesthetic.

How does taste factor into the sensory experience at stores like C's Candy and charcuterie shops?

Taste is crucial in creating memorable experiences by offering free samples, allowing customers to try different flavors before making a purchase. C's Candy, for example, provides samples to every visitor, ensuring they engage with the product directly, while charcuterie shops offer customers a chance to taste and discover new cheeses and meats.

What is the role of drama in the sensory experience discussed by Aaron OverShank?

Drama, in this context, refers to creating an impactful and engaging atmosphere within a retail or dining space. This could involve dramatic visuals, exciting food preparation processes, or sensory-rich experiences that captivate the customer’s attention and create a memorable visit.

What advice does Aaron OverShank give regarding customer empathy in creating experiences?

Aaron OverShank advises businesses to put themselves in the shoes of the customer, deeply empathizing with their needs and desires. This approach helps brands to intentionally craft experiences that are engaging, memorable, and perfectly aligned with customer expectations.