Stores Look To Create "Experiences" To Lure Shoppers Back

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The growing trend of online shopping has retailers looking for way to bring shoppers back into the stores.

Ralph Lauren has added a library in some of its stores. Origins, a cosmetics company, has created a specialty wall for selfies.

Retailers are testing "The Slow Shopping Theory" that says the slower you shop the more you spend.

"We're losing a lot of foot traffic from that online business," said Westfield Broward Mall Marketing Director Andrew Martineau.

Cynthia Cohen, president of Strategic Mindshare which consults to retailers said, "The last two years with so much smart phone penetration at your fingertips, a store has got to entice you and engage you so you come here for the experience."

For years retailers made shopping fast and convenient but when online buying took over retailers have had to pivot, according to Cohen. Stores are no longer focused on selling, they are now aiming to create an experience.

At KARE Design in Miami, shoppers are greeted with a cookie and espresso before they stroll in the show room. Sometimes they're even challenged to a game foosball or cards.

"People are still multi-dimensional. You can engage the five senses in a physical location. The hearing, the smell, the touch that's what the store is all about," said Cohen.

According to 2015 survey out of Boston, consumer prefer to indulge on experiences. Retail strategists say statistics show that engaging shoppers that way eventually leads to spending.

"We're trying to create experiences that bring people to the mall apart from just shopping," said Martineau.

At Westfield Broward Mall, they've added an art gallery, renovated the food court, added a movie theater adjacent to the mall – all to entice shoppers to stay in the mall longer.

One shopper said, "I got a massage. You find things to do. You stay longer probably spend more money."

Studies show that the longer consumers stay, the more money they spend - in some cases as much as 40-percent more.

"We really engage in the community. We work a lot with community organizations, use the mall as a venue to give them exposure" said Martineau.

Retailers say it's about creating a relationship with the consumer even offering free yoga classes.

"We create a connection with customer. It's not about shopping here. It's about 'you are part of Everlast'," said Everlast's marketing director Andrea Martinez. "We create a connection with brand and the customer."

The slow-shopping theory is an attempt to capture consumers growing preference for experiences. Look for your favorite retailer adding more interactive displays, offering food and free products – all in the an attempt to gain your loyalty, keep you in the store longer and spending more money.