The idea of dining in a retail store is not new. Before Old Navy arrived in the retail port, there were lunch counters at the old Woolworth's and S.S. Kresge stores, both of which have long since vanished from the scene. When IKEA opened a warehouse in Sweden at the turn of the 19th century, shoppers, weary from travel, refreshed with a bite at the store. For more than 100 years, Marshall Field's in Chicago has made dining in the Walnut Room, where ladies once wore hats and gloves at tea, a social event. And starting in the 1950s, warm popovers and a demitasse of steamy chicken broth have been served, gratis, at the restaurants of Neiman Marcus.
Food is still a powerful drawing card.
With it, retailers can maximize sales opportunities by enticing shoppers to stay longer and spend more. Retailers who can do both equally well have a strong fix on their particular customers and their ever-changing preferences in fashion and food. Just as it is with tight jeans and custom shirts, the fit is critical. You've got traffic and an environment where people linger and hang out. It's perfect,'' says Whalin.