Interactivity in stores has come a long way. Remember listening stations at the record store? While technically speaking they still count as an interactive experience, they don’t really compare to walking into a store and creating your own music on a table-top touch screen device that will help you build a song and record it onto your MP3 player.  While the recent financial crisis may have forced many businesses into retreat, others are going the other way entirely, using this time to develop sophisticated new ways of luring customers back into their stores. 

“If being creative and innovative in attracting and retaining customers is a good quality to have when times are good, it is imperative when times are tough,” says Cristiane Ross, Retail Performance Business Development Manager for Synovate. “In the midst of the gloomy economic scenario, retailers need a fresh set of ideas – from store location, layout, interior design, visual merchandising and product mix – to attract consumers, increase footfall and get the tills ringing again.”

The recent news that none other than Steve Jobs has been asked to spearhead a reboot of Disney’s 340 stores in the United States and Europe shows that, if anything, the economic downturn is indeed more of a reason to start pushing the envelope.

As part of the Disney collaboration, Jobs shared proprietary information about the development and operation of the Apple stores, which can largely be thanked for raising the bar in high tech in-store interactivity.

The interactive experience is at the heart of this evolution – out with endless aisles packed with toys and in with singing trees that know it’s your birthday. Hidden computer chips will trigger Disney’s most iconic characters to talk to you directly when you pass by, and the store could well smell like Christmas trees if one of Disney’s Christmas movies is playing in the attached theatre.

“Engaging the senses in a shopping environment is an important precursor to securing shoppers’ commitment. So, anything the shopper can touch, smell, taste, hear and see contributes to this,” says Dr Stephen Saunders, creator of The Shoppologist blog (shoppologist.blogspot.com) and a Sydney-based consumer scientist who works with marketers on how to open shoppers’ wallets.

“At a more fundamental level, shoppers want to engage with the products or services they are buying. There is a growing focus on understanding the origin of purchases, the conditions under which products were produced and how they fit into changing technology,” he says. “Being able to experiment with products in- store enables them to get comfortable with brands and reduce their perceived risk of making the wrong choice, especially in technology decisions.”

Some technological touches familiar to the Apple stores will also be included in the Disney reboot, like mobile checkout devices carried by employees, who can also use their iPhones to control various functions around the store. 

The iPhone, it appears, is quite a handy tool for the interactive experience in other places too. Ralph Lauren’s iPhone application lets you design your own rugby shirt (or view other people’s creations and share through Facebook Connect), and once completed purchase your creation – which may just be displayed on the giant iPhone sitting in the Ralph Lauren store window for passers-by to peruse.

The overall goal, of course, is to entice customers to come in, browse and spend more time exploring and testing the products. And while you’re checking out in the store, the store is more than likely checking you out too.

“Companies that work with retailers have also evolved, offering not only traditional dome-hidden cameras but also ‘camouflaged’ sensors built into the store shelves or ceiling, tracking and monitoring the level of interaction of customers with a featured product or display – how many customers, and how long did each of them spent in front of the new Lenovo laptop, compared to the new Sony Vaio,” says Ross.

The big question, naturally, would be: does it work? Does interactivity proactively drive sales? According to Ross, it sure does.

“It’s a win-win situation. Customers like to touch and get a ‘feel’ for the products they’re coveting. For the retailers, this strategy does increase the likelihood of a purchase,” she says. “Customers tend to feel more ‘welcomed’ and more likely to make a purchase in a store environment that puts the customers at ease. A key to this is having experienced sales consultants available for questions, offering a non- intrusive sales pitch, but also educating the customers about key products’ benefits and features.”

Saunders also believes that in-store interactivity works because it helps make the customer feel comfortable while being engaged, and as such, is another natural step in giving the customer what they want. 

“Historically many retailers had a fairly direct approach to shoppers, and many shoppers found this a bit intimidating,” says Saunders. “All people like to feel welcome and relaxed, so being invited to ‘play’ with the brand taps into a deep-seated need. Savvy retailers have come to realise that increased time in the store translates into increased opportunities to make the sale.”