Footfall falling? How retail brands can win the fight for attention
By Ellie Simmons
Brick-and-mortar retail faces a clear obstacle: footfall is, well, falling. In late 2024, footfall averaged 2.2% less than in 2023, leaving retailers grappling with rising costs and shrinking returns on traditional stores. For brands with big ideas but limited budgets, retail now requires a radical rethink. The old playbook, storefronts as mere points of purchase, is no longer fit for purpose.
Incumbents may be focused on bringing in footfall, but for a Challenger brand their priority is attention. For those with a Challenger Mindset, retail isn’t just a physical channel, it’s a strategic marketing tool.
Challengers understand that blending into the retail landscape isn’t an option – dull simply doesn’t cut it. In our research for the Cost of Dull project, we’ve found that being dull costs brands roughly 2X as much as being interesting when it comes to their advertising, but instore experiences can be just as important (and just as dull!)
Hus of Frakta, credit: IKEA
So, how do Challengers fight dull in retail? One way is by utilising the element of surprise to deny the assumptions of their audience and create memorable (and shareable) pop-up experiences.
Take IKEA, for example. The brand recently went beyond its traditional furniture shopping experience, transforming their new retail space into something extraordinary. The Hus of FRAKTA on London’s bustling Oxford Street reimagines their iconic blue bags (which retail for a mere £0.75) as high-value design pieces, celebrating them through art installations and interactive spaces.
The pop-up’s aim is to get shoppers excited for their new store’s opening later this spring. As Matt Gould, IKEA London City Store Manager, said, “When we open our doors, customers will discover well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices that make them accessible to as many people as possible. There's no better product to demonstrate this commitment than our FRAKTA bag with its small, 75p price tag. A staple in our range for over 30 years, and in so many households, we wanted to pay tribute to this household favourite, and bring IKEA a little closer to our customers before next spring’s opening.”
Hus of Frakta, credit: IKEA
Similarly, Benefit Cosmetics has taken a bold leap by merging beauty with quirky convenience store aesthetics, creating the cheeky Benemart concept. And while this playful reinvention started as a physical shop, it now lives online too with a virtual walkthrough on their homepage. By using the packaging styles and design cues of grocery store products, Benefit are able to deny the assumptions of their customers about what beauty products should look like and engage them in a deeper (and more fun) way – a surefire way to get talked about.
Benemart, credit: Beauty Bible
For brands with a Challenger Mindset, this is an opportunity to rewrite the rules, to create unexpected experiences, and transform retail into a stage for fame and a platform for interaction. The lesson? Traditional retail isn’t dying – it’s evolving – and Challengers are leading the way.
Here are three ways you can inject surprise into your retail experience:
Embrace play – Make retail engaging by introducing unexpected elements that captivate and delight your shoppers.
Aim for Fame – Create experiences that spark buzz and become the talk of the town – online and offline.
Deny assumptions – Challenge expectations of customers and reimagine how your brand and products can be presented.
For more on this topic check out December’s Challenger Spotlight on festive ‘chaos retail’.
