Constantly evolving: how retail and entertainment can merge in order to attract more customers

One of the best ways to stay relevant and successful is to adapt: take a look at the most renowned companies in any sector and you'll see that their branding is a product of adaptation over the years.

In particular, over the last decade especially, the retail and entertainment industries have capitalised on a mutual relationship by learning from one another and adopting new, innovative techniques to appeal to wider audiences.

By changing up their respective games, there's been scope for unique, exciting, and most importantly, profitable concepts like the freebie model and collaboratively owned physical stores.

Working in tandem can boost sales and overall client engagement. So, how are the retail and entertainment industries learning from one another?

The Bangor Mall 

A recent instance that highlights the combination of entertainment and retail can be seen in the Bangor Mall, which has confirmed it will be turning into an entertainment centre. 

Many moons ago, the mall itself was practically full of thriving retailers; however, this is no longer the case. Fewer individuals are heading out in order to go to bricks and mortar shops and are instead conducting their shopping online, from the comfort of their own homes.

Consequently, 22 stores are set to close in Bangor Mall. With this new shopping climate in mind, it seemed appropriate to reinvent the space for a new audience in order to secure footfall.

The proposal for an entertainment centre means utilising the empty stores for the likes of theatre companies and comic conventions. 

In addition, adventurous activities that can be enjoyed by a wide, non-niche demographic, e.g. laser tag, live music, and ax-throwing, will be available.

It's believed that Bangor Mall is going to see a huge increase in the number of people that will pass through its doors as it brings the public an array of music, theatre, and gaming events. 

The mall is thriving as a result of these integrations, and this only acts as one example where the combination of retail and entertainment can work together. 

Casinos taking lessons from e-commerce 

Whilst the mall is focusing on offering customers elements that they can’t get online; online entertainment businesses are staying on the top of their game by learning from their retail counterparts.

This can be seen in the online casino industry. Naturally, these operate strictly in the realm of entertainment, but that does not stop them from adopting the methods of online retailers when it comes to driving customers to their site. 

An example of this can be seen in how online casinos market themselves, essentially by offering freebies to customers. For example, online casino sites cater to new customers by enticing them with the promise of value for money entertainment options or ludicrous promotional offers that simply can't be turned down.

Through the use of directories, which rank online casinos based on factors like customer reviews, the quality of their offers, and diversity of payment methods, reputable casinos rank higher than others and establish themselves as the go-to option on the market.

Also, promotion-specific lists are utilised by online casino directories to make it accessible and convenient for players to find the right site/deal for them.

The bonus casino no deposit option is a prime example of a term that pulls up the best contenders in the online space, and once customers have selected their chosen website, they're more likely to loyally return due to their positive experience with a "money-off" scheme.

Evidently, the online casino space has taken note of retail/commerce success as a result of promotional offers and has adopted this technique to further enhance their industry.

Discount wheels and other ad types 

There are also a lot of different retailers who are operating online by enticing customers with interactive elements such as discount wheels, having drawn inspiration from the entertainment industry. Discount wheels can be found on a lot of different websites and social media apps.

Essentially, retailers will provide whoever is browsing with a discount wheel they can spin, before giving them a call to action to claim their discount from their website.

These entertaining means of advertising are incredibly appealing to customers as they are fun, so immediately get people’s attention, and then take them to the site which they are now interested in browsing. 

Social media ads are also becoming more entertaining as they evolve because they incorporate the likes of VR, AR, and gaming. This is only going to be used more as the likes of Facebook are constantly coming up with new types of ads.

Will the merging of entertainment and retail continue? 

In short, yes. There are already many benefits that come with the merging of entertainment and retail that are proving to be effective.

Whether this is using old space to offer customers something they can’t get online, or entertainment and retail industries learning from each other and incorporating those lessons into marketing.

All in all, this is likely going to be something we see a lot more of moving forward.