Anybody with kids knows that when you take them out to a store, it’s not long before they start playing with stuff. They’ll bounce a basketball up and down the aisles, press every “try me” button they can find, take goofy selfies at the camera displays, and more. As we get older, this urge to touch and play with things before we buy them never really goes away.
“Experiential retail,” as its been coined, has been the driving force behind stores like b8ta, the revamped Toys R Us, and even Nationwide’s Marketing Group’s Tiny Home that made its debut at PrimeTime last summer. The interactive smart home was a centerpiece of the show, and sparked tons of conversations among retailers about how they might incorporate something similar into their own strategies. But since a 370 square foot smart home was a bit unrealistic for many retailers, Nationwide turned to retail activation firm, Gorrie to help their members create an in-store solution on a bit of a smaller scale.
The 135-year-old company has a rich history of bringing retail experiences to life through their dynamic team of designers, engineers, program and project managers, warehousing and distribution specialists, installers and services technicians.
“Gorrie has been supporting independent retailers for over 40 years,” says CEO Ashley Gorrie. “Members of Nationwide are uniquely positioned to tell the connected home story across multiple brand and product categories and to clearly educate the consumer on the benefits of the smart home. Our solution requires little real estate within the retailer’s store and helps them tell a big story.”
Gorrie’s presence at PrimeTime gave Nationwide members a glimpse at the possibilities for their stores. Smart TVs, smart speakers, smart lighting, and more lined the mock-displays, which represented a living room, kitchen, and laundry room. Along with Nationwide’s offerings like the Google Nest Prime Retail Program, Nationwide members can create a fully functioning connected home experience right in their showrooms.
“In tapping into the longstanding expertise of a company like Gorrie, we’re providing members with a streamlined and simplified process for merchandising the connected home experience in their stores,” says Derek Mattila, VP of Nationwide’s Connected Home Division. “The same way the Nationwide Tiny Home showcases this technology in a meaningful way, Gorrie installations — like the one displayed on the show floor at PrimeTime — present these products in a manner that makes sense and is educational and engaging for the customer.”
