Why Consumers Crave In-Store Experiences

In general, however, products that require a certain amount of "customer intimacy" will require some kind of in-store experience. This could include new or unfamiliar products as well as products that need to be touched, tried on or tangibly experienced prior to purchase. Many retailers, including a growing number of online-only brands, are starting to see that there's no substitute for the live experience of interacting with their products.

Dr. Gary Edwards is the chief customer officer at Empathica. Gary can be reached at gedwards@empathica.com.