Sensory shopping: Music makes you stop, makes you go.

It's amazing how the tiniest things affects your decision to enter a shop or leave.

This happened to me twice over the weekend. Two made me enter, two made me wonder.

Let's talk about the good ones first - Topshop and Mango. Surprising huh... Mango.

Today I was just shopping around in Isetan, a Japanese departmental store which has a few of these outlets both in central (urban) shopping areas and the heartlands (suburban). I've been to the one in Tampines (heartlands) like just last week but the ones in the central area usually stock a larger variety with more higher end brands. For example, Isetan Scotts just held their Designers' Week and showcased local designers' collections and their collaborations with local illustrators, which was the main reason why I dropped by. After I browsed through those, which I was trying extremely hard to control the urges to buy, I walked around looking at other displays when I heard Bruno Mars's 'If I was your man'. Somehow, my legs just naturally steered towards the direction of the music; towards MANGO. And I went in, found a top I liked and stayed on until the end of the song ---> (Slightly disappointed afterwards 'coz they just played his album instead of a mix. Clearly, they could have put in a lil' more effort?)

Of course, this, you might say, is very much dependent of every individual's music taste. Well, taste in fashion is unique too. How to combine these two to attract the desired customer group is key. Topshop, for example does a fantastic job in this. I was there on Saturday to browse through their in-store Visual Merchandising, and especially see their fixtures and fittings, and also of course, personally see how the stocks here vary from that of London. Then I heard a song I liked. Used track ID and found Smallpools' 'Over & over'. Now I'm in LOVE with Smallpools! See what happens is, I'll be back for more and will walk in every time this song plays!

Look what a great job Topshop has done here!

Thing is, if I'm not wrong, the customer group Topshop targets are 17-25ish students or young adults. So their clothing styles, the models, the sale assistants all display "that" attitude. In addition to strengthen the customer loyalty and attract the right crowd, they made good use of music that these group of customers liked: from Indie bands! that these teens listen to which make them feel unique and different. So Topshop DOES IT WELL, DOES IT RIGHT.

The other two. I don't know really. Leave it for another time.

xoxo,
Yuhan