Retail Review: Amazon Style, Columbus

Retail Review: Amazon Style, Columbus

During the International Retail Design Conference in Columbus last week, our team took a side trip to the second-ever Amazon Style store at Easton Town Center. Hot takes below:

Where is the Wow?

I was expecting more. After all, this massive and disruptive company had the opportunity to go much bigger with this first foray into bricks and mortar fashion. The exterior was cold and uninspiring—with no distinctive aesthetic vibe. The closest attempt was the show windows housing massive LED backdrops which unfortunately overpowered the mannequins with bright, abstract animations. The interior was competent, but there was a conspicuous lack of signature experience elements that said, “we just turned retail on its head”.

Fitting Rooms are the Hero

It turns out the only real wow, and it was a good one, was waiting for me in the back. Shopping with the Amazon app in-hand, there were clear and helpful messages about the items being brought to my fitting room. Anticipation and intrigue were escalated when the app indicated that additional surprise items would be waiting for me. Arriving at the fully stocked fitting room was convenient, memorable and the most compelling aspect of the experience.

Misaligned Value Proposition

Despite several merchandise vignettes that featured $200+ items, the finishes and details in this store were very basic and projected a value vibe not befitting of the premium brands on display. A clearance-style fixtures system suspended products from the ceiling with straps, making them sway disconcertingly as I paged through the options. Wall racks had a utilitarian “bought at IKEA” aesthetic but showcased triple-digit fashions from Vince and Tommy Hilfiger.

Zero Storytelling

We all know less can be more, but in this case, I wanted (and expected) better information and engagement with products I was shopping. There I was with my hand-held video storytelling device (phone) shopping in this tech-enabled experience, yet I learned nothing about the brand I was buying. In my case the BLANKNYC shirt/jacket was amazing, but what else about the brand’s background, purpose or mission could have really connected with me?

Happy it was Meh…

It could have been way cooler, better, stronger but it just felt like a 3-D version of their app. From a consultant’s perspective, I was encouraged that the mighty Amazon didn’t bring their retail design “A” game. Perhaps the goal of these shops is to sell retail tech to everyone else. For now, it simply means that truly great store designs will continue to come from brick-and-mortar retailers and designers that understand how to engage customers with a immersive and memorable brand experience.