When the pandemic elevated online shopping, some predicted the demise of brick-and-mortar stores—the thinking being that even when in-person shopping felt safe again, the convenience of e-commerce would render stores irrelevant.

But that’s not what’s happening. At their best, a new crop of stores have become destinations, beckoning shoppers with creative displays that encourage testing products, design flairs that have them reaching for phones to snap photos for social media, and activities that reconnect them with neighbors.

A new Radio Flyer store outside Chicago, for instance, has a racetrack for kids to test bikes and scooters, while a Petco in New York has a pet-grooming area that looks like a classic barbershop, transforming what can be a messy service that’s often shielded from view into entertainment.

Snarkitecture, a New York-based design practice founded by architect Alex Mustonen and artist Daniel Arsham, is known for introducing elements in retail environments that are artistic, elegant, and lapel-grabbing.

“We come from the artistic perspective where…We look at problems in a different way that’s a bit more playful, that’s a bit more interactive, that’s a bit more immersive,” Alexander Buckeridge, Snarkitecture’s director, told Retail Brew.

Here are four examples of what Buckeridge refers to as artistic or architectural “interventions” that Snarkitecture has included in its retail store designs.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Wish you could see inside shoppers’ heads and know what they really think? Well, here’s a sneak peek courtesy of NewStore—no X-ray vision required.

Hot off the presses, it’s the 2024 Omnichannel Leadership Report. This doc sizes up 700 different brands in 10 countries and focuses on the online, mobile, and in-store shopping experience, all from the customer’s perspective.

Download your copy of the report to get valuable insights on:

• the leading omnichannel brands
• the current state of omnichannel capabilities
• a deep dive into the customer shopping experience overall

Dig into the deets to see how digital transformation can take your biz to the next level.

Best Buy is planning an experiment. In the next fiscal year, the electronics retailer will test its ability to retain its customer base by closing large stores and opening smaller ones in the same area.

The company introduced its “small-format, digital-first store” concept back in 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 5,000 square-foot location promised a “curated selection” of products, Geek Squad services, and scan-and-go capabilities.

• Relatedly, Best Buy recently struck a deal with Bell Canada to rebrand and operate 165 small format consumer electronics stores previously known as The Source. Best Buy will provide the products and the supply chain, marketing, and e-commerce expertise, while Bell will offer telecommunications services and operate the stores.

The embrace of small format is just the latest instance of Best Buy’s efforts to reimagine its physical footprint.

Keep reading here.—AV

As consumers continue to face higher prices at the grocery store, state governments are looking at new ways to lower the cost at checkout. Three of the 13 US states that currently tax groceries have made recent efforts to possibly eliminate or lower these taxes. Here’s what to know:

• Oklahoma: Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed into law last week a bill to eliminate the state’s 4.5% grocery tax.
• Illinois: Governor JB Pritzker supported cutting the state’s 1% grocery tax, which was temporarily suspended in 2022, during his budget address last month.
• Tennessee: Republican lawmakers in Tennessee introduced a bill in February to allow government leaders across its counties and municipalities to lower the local 2.75% grocery tax rate.

Keep reading here.—EC

Win their hearts. Ready to take things from “like” to “love” with your consumers? The LTK Most Loved white paper will show you how to do it. It lays out the elements that win the LTK Most Loved awards for top brands, with tips and tricks on winning consumer hearts. Get the insights.