“'Active Merchandising’ is going to be the future of real-world retail.”     The rack is not the best place How many Pro Shops do you walk in and see racks of wedges? I’m always curious about sales inspired by those wedges. Are they just there so passing golfers know that you have wedges. Maybe then when they decide to change their 10-year old, grooveless wedge, they’ll know to come to the rack? What about finding a way to take the wedge to the golfer? Four Professionals sold 97 wedges in less than 21 days after holding an event that also filled their bars.       It stops being about the product   The retail world is going through a period of dramatic change. It is fundamentally and structurally changing driven by two trends you should be very aware of: First, digital connectivity means that a brand or retailer can now be omnipresent in the consumer's lives. That changes the relationship from transaction to journey. They are no longer trying to satisfy an immediate requirement for a product, but a lifestyle desire for a better future. The leading brands and retailers now ought to have an SVP or Director of Monetization to exploit these relationships. Then, the consumer has evolved. They want “experience”. The commodity isn’t enough. You can see it in the advertising you watch. It’s never about the commodity anymore; it's about something far, far more important to your life. I watched a Carling Lager advert this weekend that never mentioned the beer once. It was all about your local community and how important that is. Think about that. The experience they were talking about was even bigger than drinking the beer. It was about belonging. A wedge in a rack isn’t an experience. It’s a commodity. A pretty shabby presentation of what the golfer is actually trying to buy.     Subscribe       Legally Privileged Disclaimer Internet communications are not secure and therefore RetailTribe does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. The information in this email and any attachment to it is confidential and is intended for the addressee only. Any unauthorised disclosure, use or dissemination of the contents in part or whole is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please return it to the sender and delete it. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of RetailTribe unless otherwise specifically stated. This email and attachments have been screened and are believed to be free from any virus. However, it is the responsibility of all recipients to ensure that they are virus free. This email was sent to you by RetailTribe. RetailTribe will not accept any liability for any damage caused by a virus. If you no longer want to receive this email, please unsubscribe here.