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.
Restaurants give shoppers the chance to slow down and relax without leaving the premises.
If you have the necessary space, and space is money, beverage or food can enhance profitability per square foot. Last year, the 400-unit company debuted the first Torpedo Joe's restaurant in the Old Navy unit in downtown Chicago. In the store, bright lights, loud music and displays spilling with cargo pants and sweatshirts dazzle young shoppers. A swift escalator deposits shoppers at the cafeteria-style restaurant on the second floor that reminds one of a Quonset hut. Eye-catching menu boards pop with color and bold type in red on gray.