Does in-store experience beat online shopping?

Last week I visited a very interesting shop - I would not have seen it without my niece and nephew choosing to go in because 'it was the coolest new thing in town!'

Weekday on Regent's Street blew my mind because downstairs they had an in-store printing and alternations section inside a glass box (as seen in the video). I believe this makes the customer experience so much more interesting, and it keeps them hooked rather than going elsewhere to get customisations done. It's a one-stop shop.

Aesthetics are hugely appealing. At my original KC store, because we are a heritage brand off of City Clothing, our store had original pieces from the factory over the years - from the Hermes 3000 typewriter that the secretary used to use, to the original cash register my mother used to cashier on in the '70s. I had clients revisiting because they loved the vintage yet commercial feel.

I believe customer's want to be part of the story. How products and companies come into fruition. This is why WeekDay's set up appealed to me so much. According to BBC's statistic of 48% increase in online sales during the pandemic, its experiences like this that will retain customers and bring them back into brick and mortar stores as a way to complement online storefronts. We need to bring those real connections back because we as humans buy with our feelings.

PS: I would have loved to have brought in an embroidery machine into my KC store as a key piece of vintage furniture but also as a weekly customer experience.

Sharing the gems I see in my walks through London.

-KC