Hopes are rising for the high street with retailers eyeing new openings where they wow shoppers with dazzling digital displays and immersive experiences, new research from workspace tech expert Aura Futures has found.

While lower consumer spending is viewed as the biggest challenge, 50 per cent of shop businesses said they intend to expand in new locations over the next two years. Investing in consumer experiences was seen by 68 per cent as the best way to counter declining footfall, attract new key customers such as Millennials (late 20s to early 40s) and Gen Z (12 to 27-year-olds) and encourage brand loyalty.

Around 30 per cent have already adopted solutions involving AI. Among the choice of crowd pleasers are interactive touch screens where customers can browse, displays with tools helping them make choices such as make-up shades and lift-and-learn tech which delivers information shots when a product is picked up. Big internal and external digital walls are proving effective for creating a viral stir and sensory marketing, where viewing a display about perfume triggers a release of the scent, is becoming increasingly popular.

“Physical retail stores are vital to building brand loyalty,” says Aura chief revenue officer Adam Wilson. “By creating an engaging environment, retailers can make stores a destination enhancing both in-store and online sales. Many of the retailers in the survey have confirmed they wish to increase in-store footfall and desire to appeal to new demographics. We have proven in the past how interactive, engaging and meaningful digital experiences can assist with this. 

‘We specialise in technology beyond just the display and ensure our solutions are intelligent, interactive, and multi-sensory, to drive a real-world ROI. They’re also scalable on a global basis. Retailers are under pressure in an environment where consumers are spending less, and more of what they are spending is going online. The survey highlights the necessity for retailers to consider investment in new technologies to enhance customer engagement and conversion.

 ‘By creating an engaging and enjoyable retail environment, retailers can make their stores a destination, which will drive loyalty – enhancing sales both in-store and online.”  https://aurafutures.com  https://retail.aurafutures.com