May 3, 2021, By: Allison Ames, President and CEO- In my last article, “Brick-and-Mortar Retail’s Innovative, Customer-Focused Rebound”, I looked at how brick-and-mortar retail has adapted and demonstrated resilience during the pandemic. Without playing spoiler (click here to read it, if you haven’t already), brick-and-mortar retail isn’t going anywhere, it’s actually getting a new lease on life that is spurring really exciting customer experience innovations that are likely to endure for a long time.

But how are other hard-hit industries innovating – specifically, consumer experiences, travel and even restaurants – to adapt now for the future?

Let’s start by looking at one of the most popular experiential pastimes in the world and one that took a particularly major hit during the pandemic – live music.  Socially distanced concerts have already begun and may offer a glimpse at the future of live music. In August 2020, the first socially distanced concert was held where Sam Fender performed for 2,500 fans in Gosforth Park in Newcastle, England. Fans arrived at the outdoor pop-up venue, the Virgin Money Unity Arena, to watch the show in groups of up to five and stood on one of 500 raised metal socially distanced platforms. Food and drinks could be pre-ordered and collected upon arrival. While live music is not expected to be seen across much of the U.S. until 2022, this certainly gives us a glimpse into what concert experiences will look in the future.

For those seeking to satisfy their desire to find a way to return to ‘live’ music now, online experiences are popping up more and more, providing safe solutions for concert lovers (I being one myself). Amazon is offering “Amazon Explore” a portal that includes dozens of live-music themed events online. These experiences range from guided tours of musical landmarks (like Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans) to interactive sessions with musicians and experts that include a private concert live-streamed to your home where you can pump up the volume.

Outside of music, the pandemic catapulted the travel industry to transport the trek into our homes. Unique virtual travel experiences have been embraced by travelers who can explore the world from their living room (there is something to be said for not having to pack your luggage, deal with TSA lines and airport delays). Airbnb is offering unique virtual “travel” experiences. Small groups of guests can participate in interactive online experiences with expert hosts. These experiences include guided walking tours of foreign locales, cooking classes with international chefs, learning about the histories of countries and places as well as mystery escape rooms. Amazon Explore also has 200 virtual experiences from which to choose, including guided tours of cities around the world, cooking classes and wine tastings.

Amazon and Airbnb aren’t the only enterprises offering virtual travel experiences. Earlier in 2021, The Metropolitan Museum of Art launched The Met Unframed for a limited five-week run. Guests were offered virtual access to the museum, with immersive digital galleries and AR versions of iconic masterpieces. Expect other cultural institutions and tourist hot spots to follow suit. While many of us sorely miss the ability to travel to new destinations, there is a silver lining to the digital experience. Bringing the world to virtual travelers allows us to explore a multitude of different destinations, both near and far, that would not be as easy given the cost and time commitment of long-distance travel. 

On the theme of virtual, retailers have and will continue to “virtualize” their stores to offer multi-sensory immersive experiences that interact more holistically with customers. Brick-and-mortar retail may have been the topic of my last article, but it’s also worth pointing out here that savvy retailers (and marketers) are creating experiential destinations to attract shoppers back and provide them with the type of retail engagement they’ve missed over the past year.

Recently in the news is Dick’s Sporting Goods opening of its first experiential store concept – House of Sport – in Victor, New York in April 2021. The store includes a 32-foot rock-climbing wall, a 17,000-square-foot turf field and track, golf pro shops (with simulator golf hitting bays), a putting green, a batting cage, yoga and wellness services. The sporting goods retailer is also opening nine redesigned Golf Galaxy stores and outfitting 62 other locations with more experiential technology, like golf simulators and putting greens.

As a very encouraging sign, CNBC recently reported that, for the first time in years, retailers are actually planning on opening more stores than they’re closing in 2021. As of mid-March, U.S. retailers announced 3,199 store openings and 2,548 closings. Last year, 8,953 stores closed – compared to just 3,298 openings. Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Old Navy, Five Below, Fabletics and Dick’s Sporting Goods are among the retailers that have new stores planned for 2021. This is very positive and may indicate that the right sizing of retail has finally plateaued.

With pandemic regulations beginning to lift around the U.S., many in-person experiences are reopening as well. Meow Wolf’s interactive and immersive art experience in Santa Fe, House of Eternal Return, has recently re-opened – with some changes. (And if you’re in Las Vegas, Meow Wolf’s second location, Omega Mart, is now open!) To safeguard the health and welfare of visitors and employees, Meow Wolf has capped occupancy numbers at 25%, upgraded the HVAC system and will require face masks, strict social distancing and temperature checks. It has also developed an app to allow visitors to learn narrative elements of the experience through their mobile devices. And don’t worry, Meow Wolf said in a press release that “visitors will still be able to take the perfect Instagram shot.”

Instagram has also been a major part of some restaurants’ survival plans during the pandemic, and it’s a trend likely to stay. Smart restauranteurs are using Instagram to drive sales by updating customers and keeping them excited about their food. As one restauranteur pointed out, “People don’t read signs – but they look at the internet.”

Few industries have faced as many challenges during the pandemic as the restaurant industry. Despite this, many restaurants have designed new ways to serve customers. Major chains are changing both their menu offerings and in-restaurant designs. They have also identified unique ways to bring their restaurant experience into customers’ homes that, most likely, would not have occurred had it not been for the pandemic. For the first time in its history, Arby’s now offers select meats for sale by the pound to allow consumers to recreate and customize their favorite Arby’s sandwiches at home. And Taco Bell’s newest restaurant design cuts back on dining room seating and adds a second drive-thru lane specifically for pick-up orders made on its app.

Expect these changes to physical spaces and indoor dining to stick around for a while, including fewer tables and less bar and open seating. When it comes to ordering and payment, many restaurants are using digital menus (accessed via QR code on a patron’s mobile device) or tablets to limit person-to-person exposure. With supply chain issues common during the pandemic, some restaurants have focused on using local ingredients while also trimming their menu to the most popular items and offering smaller portions.

And, given the meteoric rise of takeout and delivery over the last year, some restaurants are switching to the “ghost kitchen” model – professional kitchens solely dedicated to delivery-only meals. Others are adding options that traditionally weren’t available for delivery, like alcoholic beverages, grocery items, sundries and meal kits. Both of these trends are definitely here to stay well after the pandemic is over.

Meal kits have been a lifeline to keep customers engaged with restaurants by bringing the establishments into the the home (yes, you have to do the dishes, though) – from those with Michelin stars to local pizzerias. In London, James Knappett’s Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Table began offering DIY meal kits last year. The UK-based Pizza Pilgrims restaurant found great success with its “Pizza in the Post” meal kit delivery system – it was selling over 1,000 kits a day in late 2020!

Unique experiences and interactions with brands are the key to survival in the new world of retail. Smart companies and marketers will keep their finger on the pulse of creative and technological advances – and remember that customer experience is king. One thing is for certain – retail, experiences, travel and restaurants have all seen some really exhilarating and intriguing changes over the past year. And you can be sure there will certainly be more innovations that will evolve in the very near future.