Blurring - Leisure Blog

What.

More shops and restaurants are giving their customers an experience because customers also can buy stuff online. For an experience, customers have to go to the shopping streets. The boundaries between restaurants and shops fade away, it's called blurring. Therefore, you see a performance, workshop, creation, technology or a special environment in shops or restaurants. European consumers want to experience, comfort and quality in shops and restaurants. Furthermore, they find these aspects more important than the price of products. (Retail News, 2016) Many restaurants and shops are using this advice and are creating more experience in their company to meet the customer requirements. Retailers can meet these requirements by adding more lights, sound, image, smell and retail technology. (projects, 2016) I will give you a few examples of experience in restaurants and shops.

Image: http://vsco.co/archive/journal/rethinking-the-experience

Where.

First, there is a new restaurant in the Wall in Utrecht. Dinner In Motion is a culinary experience where guests by means of a 360 degrees digital theater are going on a trip. The guests are sitting with 37 persons at a long table and they are experiencing the journey. They will see a casino, underwater world, and art from Dutch artists. The restaurant serves seven courses, whose are adjusted to the light. Because otherwise, a tomato has a blue color in the light. The light ensures the experience in this restaurant. (Simon, 2016)

But supermarkets are also involved by the blurring trend. The Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn has little restaurants in its shop. So customers could not only buy their products but also eat a little dish. It is made by a collaboration between Albert Heijn and activation agency Young perfect and was set up to let customers join the restaurant stamp action. With a full savings card, people can have dinner at a restaurant. Albert Heijn did put a pop- up store in its shop so that people can have an image about the restaurant stamp action. Customers who were in these shop can sit there for a while and get three courses. It is a real experience for people who are shopping in the AH. (Leeuw, 2016)

Eventually, there is a pop-up restaurant in Amsterdam called All in Kitchen. Customers can, after they had dinner, play a game of poker for the bill. If they have more chips then the waiter in the fifth round, they don't have to pay for the bill. But what's also special about the restaurant, is that it looks like a film set from a new series on RTL comedy. So customers get a real film experience when they have dinner. (Posthumus, 2016)

Why.

In 2016 the sales volumes from restaurants are increased by 4,7%. And it will increase more in 2017 and 2018. This is because of more spendable income, but also because of that customers want to eat out-of-doors. 18% of the customers eats in a restaurant at least once a week. This is a good sign because customers are going for the experience. (Driessen, 2016)

Customers are not only paying for a product, but they are paying for the service and the experience. We now live in an experience economy. Because many products are committed, which is the process where the value is expressed in money instead of intrinsic value. Therefore, restaurants and shops have to be different and offer something new or extra and this is the experience. (Barnard, 2014)

When.

In the future, you will only find shops and restaurants which give you an experience. The experiences in these will be much bigger. You will see many lights, sounds, smells and more technology. There are going to be things with virtual reality, 3D printing, flying in the sky and on weird locations. I hope people are not only buying stuff and food on the internet but that they keep coming to the cities.

Bibliografie

Barnard, B. (2014, Juli 3). Bart Barnard. Opgeroepen op November 21, 2016, van www.bartbarnard.nl: https://www.bartbarnard.nl/blog/?p=90

Driessen, S. (2016, - -). ABN Amro. Opgeroepen op November 21, 2016, van www.insights.abnamro.nl: https://insights.abnamro.nl/en/branche/restaurants/

Leeuw, M. d. (2016, Juli 21). Out of home shops. Opgeroepen op November 21, 2016, van www.outofhome-shops.nl: http://www.outofhome-shops.nl/nieuws/algemeen/ah-plaatst-mini-restaurants-in-winkels

Posthumus, W. (2016, Oktober 28). Misset Horeca. Opgeroepen op November 21, 2016, van www.missethoreca.nl: http://www.missethoreca.nl/restaurant/nieuws/2016/10/pokeren-om-de-rekening-bij-restaurant-all-in-kitchen-101250765

projects, R. b. (2016). Romar. Opgeroepen op November 15, 2016, van www.romarled.nl: http://www.romarled.nl/winkel-beleving/

Retail News. (2016, Juli 25). Opgeroepen op November 15, 2016, van www.retailnews.nl: http://www.retailnews.nl/nieuws/kha9_VIrQnWjmnphfMHhhQ-0/winkelervaring-belangrijker-dan-prijs-in-supermarkt.html

Simon, M. (2016, November 18). Misset Horeca. Opgeroepen op November 21, 2016, van www.missethoreca.nl: http://www.missethoreca.nl/restaurant/nieuws/2016/11/dinner-in-motion-culinair-en-digitaal-theater-in-the-wall-utrecht-101252455

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