Now we have a date in the diary for the reopening of non-essential retail, and whilst we at O12 believe in the exciting opportunities for the re-imagining of the high street, there will still be some of us who may not feel as comfortable as others in returning to a retail environment. But here lies the opportunity of driving new means of connections with today’s consumer, building on the lessons learned over the last 12 months. Where some people may be cautious about visiting their favourite store, why not have their favourite store visit the people? Take the physical retail to the customer, where they can re-connect with brands by creating new and exciting experiences in familiar and comfortable settings.

Before the pandemic and Lockdown 3.0, the experience economy was on the rise – a trend that is only set to increase considering the lack of experiences we have all had to endure over the last year. We love retail in all shapes and forms, however, our passion lies within the retail environments that get people talking, that excite and stimulate individuals when they enter the space. In traditional retail spaces such as shopping centres or high street stores, spaces are slightly limited to change. Store windows or merchandising may change, or a new brand may enter once every six months, but without large investment the experience itself doesn’t change that much. There is of course opportunity to change this, but under the current circumstances, we need to focus on extraordinary ways to wow our consumers within the limitations of the pandemic. Outside, the environment is always changing: one day something’s there, the next day it isn’t, a continuous mixture of people and brands. This is where we see mobile retail coming into play.

The benefits of mobile retail speak volumes. There are significant cost savings compared to traditional bricks and mortar investments, not only on square meterage but down to inventory, purchasing of displays and overall overheads for physical space. Mobile retail also allows you to be more agile in testing – whether that’s the products, the offering or the place – before committing to something a little more permanent when you have the confidence that it works. We believe that mobile retail will provide unique opportunities for brands to evolve their brand that one step further.

By taking your brand to the people, you can be there when others aren’t, providing that competitive edge, added value and something completely unique. Let’s also not forget that this concept can provide a ‘element’ of free advertising; when seen, it sparks interest, word of mouth increases, and your brand reaps the rewards of earned media. The experience economy is set to boom, and we believe this is a great way to be part of it without the large investment.