In-Store Retail Fun from Dick’s, REI & Bass Pro Shops
Confession: I recently had a dream about Dick’s Sporting Goods. Why did I dream of the place that supplied the gear for my decade-plus career as a remarkably mediocre youth athlete? Well, Dick’s opened a new location at the Prudential Center in Boston this April, and it wasn’t just any new location. It was a whole new concept for Dick’s, called Dick’s House of Sport. And they advertised aggressively — I remember seeing a blimp! Clearly, my subconscious mind took notice, because I had a dream about playing basketball at the new Dick’s location (where I had never been before), and I got myself to the Prudential Center the next week to see what the fuss was about.
The new Dick’s House of Sport is a great example for today’s article about positioning strategy marketing. Today, I am discussing retailtainment as a positioning strategy. I will explain what retailtainment is, and then give three examples of retailtainment stores benefitting from this positioning strategy in the outdoor/athletics sector: Dick’s, REI, and Bass Pro Shops. In each case, we will see how combining retail with entertainment can lead to a unique and successful positioning strategy. This is the latest in a series of Insight to Action articles about the sports/outdoor space. We’ve already discussed “Customer Segmentation Examples for Outdoor and Active Brands,” “Sports Growth Strategy Examples: How to Encourage Beginners to Become Committed,” and “9 Positioning Strategy Templates for Outdoor Brands,” which has an accompanying chart.
Retailtainment is Shopping Made Fun
What is retailtainment? And how might we consider it an example of positioning strategy marketing? In short, retailtainment is when a retail store uses entertainment experiences to draw in customers. Retailtainment, also known as experiential retail, can be very broad as a concept: you could imagine anything from a typical Lego Store, with its imaginative exterior and in-store play stations, to something more subtle, such as the Cold Room in the Canada Goose store (essentially a walk-in freezer with a powerful fan, the Cold Room lets you try on a Canada Goose jacket and put it to the test, right in the store). Including these features is a great example of how these retailers use positioning strategy marketing. Instead of simply positioning themselves as retail, now they can boast that they also offer a fun experience, hopefully drawing in customers.
Positioning Strategy Marketing that Boosts In-Store Retail vs. Online
In an era where journalists regularly discuss the retail apocalypse, retailtainment represents a new way forward for retailers. In his article on thedrum.com, Garry Williams argues that rumors of the death of retail are greatly exaggerated, at least when it comes to retailtainment. He writes:
“it’s time to redefine how we measure ‘impact’ in the retail space – brands gradually realize that evoking emotion from shoppers via fun, enjoyable experiences can be just as valuable as streamlining efficient sales.”
One challenge faced by retail brands is the shift to online shopping, which was only intensified by the pandemic. Retailtainment is a natural response. If shopping is only about selecting products, then there is no reason for a customer to go to a brick and mortar store as opposed to ordering their goods online. But if a retailer wants to keep its brick and mortar stores in addition to online shopping, retailtainment is a good solution, because it differentiates the in-store experience from what is possible online, making retail shopping enticing once more.
Furthermore, the kinds of experiences available at a retail location can alter or even create the identity of the retailer: retailtainment is a powerful tool in positioning a retail brand. All of my three examples below do just this: using retailtainment as a positioning strategy, they make their retail brands seem vibrant and exciting, though each retailer uses retailtainment differently. (For more information on the future of retail, see our article on “8 Brand Strategy Examples Fueling Growth with Bricks-and-Mortar.”)
Retailtainment Positioning Strategy Marketing:
Dick’s House of Sport
Let’s first turn to the retailtainment location of my (literal) dreams: Dick’s House of Sport. Digging into the history of Dick’s Sporting Goods, I learned just how flexible and adaptable this retailer has been throughout its 76 years of existence. A big part of this flexibility and success has been its shift to e-commerce, which is not my focus here but is a noteworthy element of Dick’s business strategy. Here, however, I want to focus on its new retailtainment stores. Dick’s House of Sport is a great example of retailtainment positioning strategy marketing in two ways.
- It positions the brick and mortar store as a distinct alternative to online shopping, highlighting the natural benefits of in-person shopping and adding on extra experiences as well.
- The new Dick’s House of Sport updates the shopping experience.
First, by offering experiences, Dick’s House of Sport differentiates itself from online shopping. Writing for Masslive, David Ciffareli reports that in the Boston DHS:
“when athletes step into a Dick’s House of Sport, they get more than just an opportunity to buy a new bat or fresh pair of cleats. They get to play, shop and test out equipment before entering the checkout line.”
Ciffareli hits on the way that Dick’s House of Sport is able to use retailtainment to differentiate itself from online retail: it is no longer “just” about buying sports equipment.
Second, and somewhat more abstractly, Dick’s House of Sport is a clear update to the environment of a Dick’s Sporting Goods. When I think back to visiting Dick’s Sporting Goods in the 2000s and 2010s, I envision a warehouse store crammed with items, with little attention to visual appeal. Visiting the Dick’s House of Sport is a completely different experience, and it acts powerfully to reposition the Dick’s brand. Where before, visiting a Dick’s was a utilitarian experience, undertaken for an unglamorous purpose such as buying middle-school gym shorts or a reasonably-priced pair of yoga pants (Dick’s, after all, is no Lululemon), Dick’s House of Sport seems designed for a younger, trendier consumer (indeed, even possibly the sort of person who shops at Lululemon). Part of this experience is simply due to the layout and the products being showcased. The store experience focuses less on functional products and more on trendy items like Stanley Cups (see my article on the trendy Stanley Cup), with an entire hydration station in Pittsburgh dedicated to Stanley Cups.
Or take the rock climbing wall. Rock climbing is trendy: according to IndyWeek, the number of rock climbing gyms has seen a “76% increase in less than a decade.” As far as I can tell, every Dick’s House of Sport has a climbing wall. These products and experiences seem to be aimed at younger consumers, like Millenials and Gen Z, among whom things like Stanley Cups and rock climbing are popular. This is a great example of positioning strategy marketing, because it is allowing Dick’s to position itself as a more dynamic, modern brand.
Retailtainment Positioning Strategy Marketing:
REI
Dick’s is not the only brand using retailtainment to spice up its retail stores. Our next positioning strategy marketing example is REI. While REI doesn’t have a specific name for its more experience-oriented locations, nonetheless it also experiments with new store concepts. For example, according to I&S Magazine, its store in North Conway, NH,
“seeks to connect co-op members with nature rather than solely focusing on commerce.”
Adrian Schley writes,
“the heart of the store [is] the experience and rental bar anchored by a service desk of reclaimed wood clad in hot rolled steel. Long workshop tables, metal stools and benches are convenient for guide and workshop use.” Furthermore, they also have a space in the back of the store with “inviting lounge seating [to] spur conversation or book browsing.”
From a positioning strategy marketing perspective, REI’s choices here have similar brand effects compared to Dick’s House of Sport.
- By making their stores a distinct in-person experience, they differentiate themselves from online shopping.
- This new retailtainment store concept can subtly shape REI’s brand identity: REI is a co-op, but in a normal REI store, you would not hang out with other co-op members. Here, the goal seems to be to develop a community around the REI co-op, and to position REI as a supporter of that community.
Retailtainment here could be seen as an attempt to help consumers develop brand loyalty for REI. Learn more about REI in “9 Positioning Strategy Templates for Outdoor Brands.”
Retailtainment Positioning Strategy Marketing:
Bass Pro Shops
There is one more retailer we simply cannot omit. The former two examples are recent concepts from Dick’s and REI, but in the outdoor equipment world, there’s a much older player in the retailtainment game: Bass Pro Shops. Indeed, retailtainment is a major part of the brand identity of Bass Pro Shops, full stop. It markets its retail stores as tourist attractions, writing on the website that each location is:
“so much more than a store. It’s an immersive, interactive experience tailored to your region’s unique natural landscape and habitats.”
Bass Pro Shop is arguably the king of retailtainment in the outdoor space, with some truly mind boggling attractions. For example, in an excellent article on WhiteHutchinson.com, Randy White describes the amenities in one Bass Pro Shop. White writes that the store, located in Altoona, Iowa, has:
“a 15,000-square-foot nautically themed bowling area with 12 10-pin lanes located in Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill… a state-of-the art, upscale ‘Black Widow Billiards Parlor’… archery ranges, miniature shooting ranges, aquariums and a heavy dose of theming with 3,500 area artifacts, antiques, pictures, mounts and memorabilia of hunting, fishing, camping and outdoor recreation.”
Again, these amenities serve the same two purposes, from a positioning strategy marketing standpoint, as with the other two retailers.
- They provide a robust reason for consumers to come in and spend money on these extra experiences at Bass Pro Shops, as opposed to buying something online.
- Retailtainment in this case more or less defines the Bass Pro Shops brand identity. The positioning of the Bass Pro Shops brand is determined by retailtainment.
In this article, we have discovered two ways that retailtainment can affect positioning: first, it can differentiate a brick and mortar store from an online store, and second, it can help to define or reshape a retailer’s brand identity. Insight to Action can help you to develop a positioning strategy that makes sense for your business, in any market from activewear to prepared foods. Our blog has the articles I list above, and so much more. On our website, you can connect with our team. Lastly, our newsletter has all the latest and greatest information on market strategy.
