This Sunday, Michael Barbaro of the NY Times discussed the cleverness and implications resulting from Samsung’s introduction of ‘experience stores’ and subsequently, the introduction of similar outlets (or plans for them) from AT&T, Motorola, Apple, Sony, Maytag and Verizon. Now, what’s interesting is that while some of the stores will offer product for purchase, most don’t. This concept of brick and mortar experience stores is about putting product into the hands of consumers and having them try it out, get used to it, etc. with the expectation that it will gently (or not so gently) urge said shoppers to go out and buy what they like.

Barbaro points to drawbacks including: “All those demonstrations and seminars require longer shopping trips, which customers may have little enthusiasm for. And because each store carries its own brand, but not those of competitors, they limit consumers’ options, making the big-box stores more appealing.” Here, we start to get into the meat of what separates online shopping from in-store.

For Web storefronts, the entire business has always been about experience shopping. These physical stores encourage customers to come in, try things out and “loiter.” But at the core, what they’re asking consumers to experience is product-focused…and then in most cases they aren’t providing the opportunity for fans to bring that product home. For online stores, the customer experience is brand-focused and relies on the actual act of browsing and (hopefully) buying. Long visits aren’t an issue because shoppers can log on anytime they want. Not offering competitors’ options is less of a concern, too. In many cases, a consumer visits a website because she is drawn to the brand due to successful marketing campaigns, or is already loyal to it as a result of past experiences.

The online experience is about finding the right products, navigating the store, connecting with the messages and voice of the brand and when done correctly, communicating a relevant call to action so a browser feels compelled to take your brand home.

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