The Power of Play in Retail Experiences
From Shopper to Snapshots
I visited the Samsung store in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, with my family, temporarily shedding the designer’s mindset to simply be a shopper. Truth is, I can’t fully switch off. Instead, I enlist my kids as undercover agents, little ‘cultural probes,’ as they unwittingly seek out the most engaging experiences in the store.
What struck me was how my kids bypassed all the carefully curated ‘experiential’ displays, with products staged in perfect little household scenes, and made a beeline for the Galaxy Z Flip’s selfie station. There, a wonderfully enthusiastic staff member helped them dress up and take selfies from all sorts of angles. Now, I’ve never been one for dress-up games, but I found myself caught up in the moment, laughing, posing, and pulling faces. For a few minutes, I forgot we were even in a store—which is definitely the hallmark of a truly great retail experience.
The display nailed it, capturing the essence of a high-end photo booth and turning it into something memorable. The real proof of its impact? The photo printout my youngest proudly pinned to our fridge the next morning. That’s when you know a brand experience has hit home—it leaves a mark, even after you’ve walked out the door.