In a candid tete-a-tete with Retail4Growth, Matthew Brown, popularly known as a Retail Trend Futurist, unfolds his unique initiative—Retail Safari—that portrays the meaningful consumer experience in retail and a lot more besides. Here are a few excerpts from the discussion.
More than 20 years ago, Matthew Brown pioneered the concept of 'Retail Safari', believing that experience truly is the best experience. He curated store tours for retail clients to see best-in-class examples of store design and experience from around the world.
Retail Safari, born out of customer demand, these days makes up nearly 60 percent of Matthew's business. He is now back to work properly as Retail Safari has reopened after all the setbacks caused by the pandemic, now reviewing the special needs of the clients and checking big-box categories in savannahs around the world from London and Paris to New York.
Curated experiences, meanwhile, could be adjusted as necessary for the customers, from individual retail categories to much larger ideas around sustainability and innovation. Each experience will be initiated by a visual presentation from Matthew to frame the context and set the objectives for the journey.
In a post-pandemic world, the implications are significant as there is an increase in the value formats and a decrease in the mid-segment retailers; it marks the first perceptible change in the retail landscape. As online brands open physical stores and offer premium experiences by value players are kept at competitive prices, mid-market retailers increasingly struggle to distinguish themselves.
Matthew emphasized that in a world where retail is about offering uniqueness, for a physical retailer to stay in the game, today the retailer has to be unique. While value players sell premium experiences at cheap prices and luxury brands sell pure products and services, the challenge is to innovate towards the middle of the market.
