The Theater of Retail
By Maria Weiskott, Editor-in-Chief -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 3/1/2007
"All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
Isn't that the truth? There is just no quibbling with this morsel of Shakespearean philosophy, immortalized in the comedy As You Like It. The world really is a stage where infinite adventures are being played out.
As a high school senior when I first read the sentence — which opens a key monologue within the play — little did I know the extent to which it actually applies. As a professional in the theater of retail, it's come back to me from time to time as a metaphor for the gift business.
The Bard's viewpoint seemed particularly relevant during the winter market season, as I sat in on workshops and conferences in which a recurring theme was what we in the industry like to think of as "retailtainment."
"It's not enough to be a good merchandiser anymore," advised one presenter. "Today, retail is about the experience," added another. "A store needs to have good lighting, with products placed strategically," noted a third retailer panelist.
"And don't forget about events. A store should have lots of events. If your customers enjoy your event they'll come back again," advised yet another. "And the events need to be well-planned. They need to go off without a hitch, with every employee doing their part to make sure that the event is a success."
If retailtainment isn't a new spin on Shakespeare's centuries-old concept, I don't know what is. And we are all players on that stage.
