Every city in the world is now familiar with the latest phenomenon: TikTok snakes. Long lines of mostly young people traveling to visit and buy something at a specific restaurant or shop after it went viral on TikTok. Social media is the new hype marketing tool for companies that know how to market themselves and their products. Even though the ritual of seduction has changed dramatically in the digital age, the eye remains the first and merciless judge on the crucial path to purchase. It is the subsequent steps after the first eye contact that have completely changed and are of crucial importance. How do you play this new game as a company?
From Tiktok to shopping hype
In the pre-digital shopping landscape, people physically walked past your store. The shop window was the figurehead to lure customers into the house. Today, this is increasingly being done remotely via a small smart screen. You may suddenly see an excited Toronto teenager standing in front of you because your chocolate chip cookies are going viral on TikTok, or because your fashion phone accessory is glittering on a cell phone on ‘Emily in Paris’ on Netflix.
In the past, hype was triggered by a movie, a paparazzi photo or a media ad. Except that a viral trend can take a little longer because it “sticks” on the internet longer than when the movie leaves theaters, the tabloid ends up in the trash, or the advertising campaign ends. With the viral attention, the hype surrounding your product and your brand also remains, which in turn guarantees your shop or pop-up a lot of traffic over a longer period of time. A certain amount of crowd control is desirable because customers rush in when the hype goes viral. They’ll buy what’s hot as soon as possible, snap a selfie or reel of their latest acquisition and your store, and even tag your location as proof they were actually there. A veritable hype mob is racing through your business. The viral clientele hardly has time to think about the purchase. It’s about being there. It is a pure impulse that can hardly be tamed.
The sales model that companies use in this regard is based on the motto: switch fast and buy fast! The quick look is done online and the quick purchase – often – in the stationary trade. So that means a rapid throughput time with – usually – somewhat lower profit margins. This is intended to accommodate the budget of the often younger target group. Indeed, the concept of “hype to hyper-shopping” as a marketing strategy is particularly interesting when targeting a very young demographic: Gen Z and the younger millennial cohort. As digital natives, a very large part of their life takes place online.
Incidentally, the viral attention is not only limited to the online area, but also spills over into the physical world: the long queues and fans taking pictures of themselves with the goods they have just bought attract the attention of bystanders, who come out of curiosity also connect. So the long queues are also part of the marketing strategy. They signal that there is something special to buy there!
Slow shopping as an alternative
Contrary to hyper-shopping with its principle “See now buy now”, a new phenomenon is emerging which is about “look in peace and buy in peace”. This is slow shopping, or “slow shopping.” During the initial online shopping boom (2005 – 2015), physical stores focused on speeding up the in-store shopping process. This is how they wanted to compete with the internet. Over time, retailers realized that it was better to keep customers in-store and entertain them longer. Especially since the need of the new generations for experiences is growing. This is how the “slow shopping” movement was born, designed to get people to spend more time in stores in order to have a fun and enriching experience without focusing too much on buying products. The main goal is to increase the commitment and loyalty of customers to the brand and thus create an emotional preference for online shopping.
As a result, concept stores emerged with cafes, event spaces, galleries and even skate parks. Today we see them evolving into experience hubs, branded flagship stores and indulgent experience salons. Meanwhile, the commercial value of experiences is very high. A US study by the Wall Street Journalthat customers sitting in an Origins experience salon spend up to 40 percent more than if they were in a regular Origins store. Based on this realization, some stores have been converted into experience salons with more seating to test and experience products in workshops. In addition, a study by Fashion Institute of Technologythat customers who stay longer in the store also spend more.
However, the slow shopping concept has also found its way into stores from a different perspective: conscious living and sustainability. According to a scientific article by Prof. Dr. Brigitte Wolf and Maria Saba dos Reis – its origin in the slow shopping movement. It is a philosophy that redefines the values of our daily habits, proposing a new strategy to make our consumption more sustainable and conscious. This is also reflected in the design of the store concepts, which work according to this principle.
In addition, the interiors tend to use more natural tones and elements that have a calming effect. In addition, there is plenty of space for comfort, facilities such as changing rooms and corridors are spacious and pleasant. In the interaction with the customers, much more value is placed on personal service in the form of individual adjustments in order to extend the lifespan of the products. Of course, the offer is also supplemented by repair services. In the Mall of The Netherlands, the Tomo department store was recently opened, which mainly works with this concept.
Smaller shops with a handicraft and local character are also adopting this concept with the focus on a more conscious life. In Barcelona, for example, there is a shoe store that only lets a few customers in at a time in order to offer them a very personal service. In its very nostalgic ambience, there are three spacious armchairs with stylized footstools – all made of glossy mahogany. It is a very pleasant place to stay, with authentic stories about how the moccasins are made in local workshops and how they are family run and represent ‘quality time’.
The sales model for slow shopping – whether commercial or sustainable – is geared towards long-term customer loyalty, i.e. a longer lifespan with slightly higher margins. The target audience tends to be slightly older than hyper-shopping: the older millennials, Gen X, and the boomers—in short, 30+.
This is how your business becomes a shopping destination
Whether you choose hyper or slow shopping, put yourself and your offering in the spotlight. It is useful to know that hyper shopping benefits from an authentic concept where you are selling a specific product. This will help you stand out on social media platforms. Of course, the visual features of your store interior and your product should also stand out. And when it comes to slow shopping, authentic and personal interaction with your customers works best when supported by a sizzling interplay of sensory stimulation and storytelling. The dreaded “just look, don’t buy” then occurs less and less.
This is a contribution from Melvin van Tholl, Customer Experience Architect, of BLOODY BELIEVERS. The strategic creative agency that helps brands and businesses create breakthrough solutions for their customer experience. He does this for companies in the Netherlands as well as abroad. In this series, he takes you into the wonderful world of consumption and shows you how you can future-proof your company in terms of customer experience.
This article was published on FashionUnited.nl. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ