Retail display lessons learned from Las Vegas

Bold, brassy and over the top, Las Vegas is the world capital of garish excess.  But retail display lessons learned from Las Vegas are of no little value.

Las Vegas is like an adult theme park, featuring all the favored vices of those who’ve reached the age of consent.  But how does the dizzying array of fun to be had get sorted by the visitor?  What makes people walking the Vegas Strip decide to stop at the Bellagio, as opposed to Cesar’s Palace?

Take an imaginary stroll down that infamous promenade with us and let’s talk about what retailers can learn from Sin City.

Beyond gambling.

To learn our retail display lessons from Las Vegas, let’s start with famed casino magnate, Steve Wynn.  Wynn contends that people don’t really go to Vegas for the gambling, saying “A roulette table is a roulette table, anywhere on earth”.  Americans can now gamble close to home, so the slots and roulette tables have lost some of their allure.

So, if visitors to Las Vegas aren’t going for the city’s fabled gambling scene, then what is it they’re after?  Why are they jumping on planes and enduring security line ups at airports to find themselves in America’s capital of games of chance?

For the experience. 

Las Vegas, more than anything else, is an experience.  People go there to see the fountains at the Bellagio burst skyward; to see a replica of the Eiffel Tower soaring over the Strip.  They go there to have an adventure that may or may not involve gambling and that adventure is all about experiences they can bring home to share with friends.

An in-store experience.

What Steve Wynn and other Las Vegas moguls understand is that it’s all about the experience.  They’ve created conditions in which non-gambling revenues now largely support their enterprises, because they offer outstanding experiences to their customers.

We’re not suggesting (for a minute) that you install an explosive fountain, or build a replica of the Eiffel Tower in your store.   And neon is the furthest thing from our minds.  What we’re saying is that beyond your outlet’s products, your customers need to know they’re going to experience something when they come see you.  The best way to provide them with those desired experiences is with your displays.

Your in-store displays are where you can let your imagination run wild, creating an experiential treat for your customers.  Layer the experience with the right kind of music, appropriate scents and lighting and your customers will be going home and telling their friends about “that store that’s so amazing to shop in”.

Re-creating your store with displays that transcend your products while taking them to a whole new level is what Steve Wynn was talking about.  Your roulette table may be a pair of slacks, or stationery products.

Whatever it is, looking beyond the roulette table to the experience people are seeking as part of their customer journey is what’s going to set you apart. Displaysmarket.com brings you leading edge POP retail display supports. Contact us for more.