To utter the word e-commerce is to strike fear in the heart of any mall developer, or bricks-and-mortar retailer.  But there’s a new e-commerce in play and it has the potential to make or break any brand — experience commerce.

Let’s face it, nothing beats going into a store, smelling the smells, seeing their displays, being greeted by a smiling face and touching the product you are about to make a commitment to.  It all works together to create an experienceand brands are paying more attention to that experience than ever before. 

Experiences now include DJ’s, coffee bars, custom embroidery, personal shoppers and the list is growing.  So is the roster of retailers that just have not kept up: Dean & DeLuca and Barney’s, have just been added to the list.  Why ? Because they just did not keep up with changing expectations.  I felt like if you were not willing to drop $20 on a sandwich or $1,000 on a pair of pants then you just did not belong there.  Wow, what an experience.  

Change in retailing is hard. You have to re-think and re-engineer old ways into new opportunities. You have to constantly stay in touch with your consumers’ wants and desires. You have to show them that you care that they are spending their hard-earned dollars with you.