What Makes Stores Worth Visiting?

Aug 22, 2025

Kate Fannin, a retail consultant and analyst, shares insights on transforming store experiences. She explains why Return on Experience (ROE) is vital, emphasizing that memorable visits foster customer trust over immediate sales. Fannin showcases brands like SKIMS and Rituals, where immersive environments enhance engagement. She also highlights pop-ups as experimental spaces for brands to connect with customers, demonstrating how clear storytelling can differentiate successful stores from those that fail to resonate.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

ROE Beats Immediate Conversion

Return on Experience (ROE) values engagement over day-one conversions and accepts multi-visit customer journeys.
Trust and repeated visits drive long-term conversion for investment and luxury purchases.

ADVICE

Use Pop-Ups To Test And Attract

Use pop-ups as brand laboratories to test concepts, gather feedback, and create shareable moments.
Keep pop-up assortments focused and avoid overwhelming customers with too many SKUs.

INSIGHT

Attribution Is Narrow For Experience

Stores often aim for immediate attribution but many in-store experiences produce halo effects that are hard to measure.
Brands must accept longer, fuzzy attribution windows for experience-driven retail.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Retail realist Kate Fannin joins Future Commerce to explore how today’s leading brands are redefining the store experience. Spearheading Field Notes, Kate is analyzing in-store experiences at SKIMS, Swatch, Rituals, and more. In this episode, she explains why Return on Experience is becoming a critical metric, how pop-ups act as brand laboratories, and what makes some stores unforgettable while others fall flat.

Key Takeaways:

Return on Experience (ROE) trumps immediate conversion: Great retail experiences build trust and engagement over multiple visits rather than forcing day-one purchases. Customers may visit four or ten times before converting, especially for luxury or investment pieces.
Know your brand story—and tell it consistently: The most successful stores have crystal-clear brand identity. Swatch excels because they know exactly who they are across generations, while other brands confuse customers by mixing messages or defaulting to celebrity associations.
Sensorial brands must commit fully: Stores like Rituals in Dublin create immersive experiences (offering green tea, trial sinks, strong scents) that keep customers engaged, while half-measures feel clinical and forgettable like many current luxury retailers.
Physical retail is about experimentation, not just sales: Pop-ups and flagship stores serve as brand laboratories where companies test market reception, gather customer data, and create shareable moments—even when immediate sales aren't the primary goal.
"People buy stuff, they buy things, but they pay for an experience." - Kate Fannin
"If you like their stuff, go online"—the worst possible thing someone could say about a store experience. - Kate Fannin on SKIMS
"I wish marketing would change their name to engagement because that's really what companies and brands and stores should be focused on." - Kate Fannin

In-Show Mentions:

Field Notes: Future Commerce's new premium retail analysis product measuring in-store return on experience
SKIMS flagship store: Clinical Fifth Avenue showroom experience
Swatch Times Square: Interactive, multigenerational retail experience with hands-on elements

Associated Links:

Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce
Kate Fannin Consulting: katefannonconsulting.com

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!