7 Retail Store Marketing Examples That Drive Foot Traffic and Sales

1 LEGO: Turning Stores Into Storytelling Stages

LEGO has been on a roll creating stores that feel less like retail and more like live entertainment.

At its Battersea Power Station store in London, shoppers have walked into a flower shop made entirely of LEGO bricks, a full spaceship landing, and even Santa’s chair with a fireplace. Each installation is temporary, designed to delight and surprise customers who never know what might be waiting next time.

At first glance they look real, but every bloom here is part of LEGO’s Botanical Collection. [img credit: lego.com]

Beyond the spectacle, LEGO has reimagined its stores as media channels. Employees host livestream shopping sessions directly from store floors, leaning on their day-to-day product knowledge and authenticity instead of influencers.

At its personalization studios, shelving has been pulled back to make space for stations where shoppers can design their own custom LEGO Minifigures, adding text, drawings, and decorations to make them one of a kind.

Why It Works

• Retail as storytelling: LEGO treats stores as narrative spaces where the brand comes to life, not just as places to move product.
• Multi-sensory immersion: Shoppers can see, touch, and even co-create, which keeps them coming back.
• Authenticity at scale: Employees, not polished celebrities, are the face of LEGO livestreams, making the brand feel approachable and human.
• Appeal across ages: Adults are now nearly half of LEGO’s buyers, so in-store experiences that engage beyond kids broaden the customer base.

Steal This Idea

You do not need to transform your store into a spaceship to take inspiration here. The lesson is to think of your space as a stage. What story are you telling the moment someone walks in?

Start small:

1. Swap a corner display for a themed installation tied to a holiday or product launch.
2. Add a personalization station where customers can co-create something on the spot.
3. Turn staff into brand storytellers, whether live in-store or hosting an online demo.

For retailers looking to make these moments feel bigger, tools like fabric backdrops, custom inflatables, or branded demo tables can help create zones of surprise without a permanent build-out.

2 Perfect Bar x Costco: Sampling That Scales

Perfect Bar needed a national Costco demo program that looked the same in every club and held up to nonstop sampling. The brief was simple to say and hard to do. Build a kit that travels, sets fast, and stays on brand every time.

After reviewing free fabric swatches, the team chose our durable 600 denier polyester for both the 10x10 pop up tents and custom table covers. The fabric is water repellent, flame retardant, and UV fade resistant. We Pantone matched their brand colors, ran printed fabric tests, and produced a full prototype table cover with a dual zipper back for clean under-table storage.

Uniform kit, fast setup. One look and shoppers know it is Perfect Bar.

The rollout included 12 custom tents and 67 custom table covers across more than 20 Costco locations. Every item was tailored for real demo life, from unique table sizes to 360 degree full dye sublimation print. The result was a consistent, high-visibility footprint that made it easy for teams to sample and sell.

Why It Works

• Consistency builds trust: The same look in every club helps shoppers recognize the brand and say yes to a sample.
• Speed matters: A modular kit cuts setup time and keeps teams focused on engaging customers.
• Built for the grind: 600 denier polyester with proper finishes stands up to spills, travel, and UV.
• Color accuracy: Pantone matched prints keep packaging, tents, and table covers in sync.

Steal This Idea

You can borrow this playbook for any in-store demo or roadshow. Start with a standard kit and lock the specs.

1. Pick one fabric and finish that will survive travel and repeated cleanups.
2. Prototype once, then scale the same layout to every location.
3. Use zipper-back table covers for clean storage and faster resets.

3 Somebody Cares Scotland: Retail as a Community Classroom

Aberdeen charity Somebody Cares Scotland has opened special things, a small shop that doubles as a training space for local pupils from Bucksburn Academy and St Machar Academy. Students aged 16–17 get real retail experience with mentoring, skills checks, and rotating roles on the shop floor.

Somebody Cares Scotland special things charity shop storefront in Aberdeen with a seasonal window display. [img credit: somebodycaresscotland.org]

The store runs seasonal themes starting with Christmas. That keeps the merchandising fresh and gives students new problems to solve: customer service, stock handling, and simple visual merchandising. The space is open to the public at 1–3 Great Western Road, Wednesday to Friday.

Why It Works

• Purpose with proof: Retail becomes a place to build employability, not just ring up sales.
• Community connection: Partnering with two schools makes the program real and local.
• Always new: Seasonal themes create a reason to return and give learners variety.

Steal This Idea

You can bring this spirit into any store. Think about one concrete way to serve your neighborhood while driving traffic.

1. Partner with a school or nonprofit for a short, themed pop-up that gives students hands-on roles.
2. Set up a small mentoring station or demo table where staff teach a simple skill tied to your products.
3. Use rotating themes to keep the project fresh and highlight different community partners over time.

Even a modest setup with clear signage and a single display table can spark goodwill and repeat visits.

4 Stanley x Pendleton: Collaboration Pop-Up That Sells the Story

This setup is a simple shop-in-shop that spots the collaboration fast and makes it feel special. One hero banner, one feature table, one tight wall of merch. Shoppers know exactly what is happening the moment they step in.

The banner does the heavy lifting with a clear event callout. The table carries the collab SKUs in a small footprint. The back wall anchors the story with color and texture from the Pendleton line. It is quick to build, easy to restock, and hard to miss.

Co-branded pop-up station that turns a collaboration into a destination inside the store.

Why It Works

• One clear story: The banner, table, and wall all point to the same message so shoppers do not have to guess.
• Speed and flexibility: Retractable banners and a rolling table make this activation fast to deploy and simple to move.
• Discovery and basket building: The station bundles drinkware with soft goods to encourage add ons.
• Event energy: A limited time callout gives people a reason to stop now, not later.

Steal This Idea

Use a three piece recipe to launch a collab or limited run without a full reset.

1. Plant a retractable banner as the hero for instant recognition.
2. Stage a feature table with tight facings and one small sign for the offer.
3. Back it with a support wall or rack that repeats the palette so the story reads from across the aisle.

Round it out with a QR for RSVP or giveaway, floor graphics for wayfinding, and a branded table cover for a clean finish. MVP can supply the banner stand, floor decals, and covers so your team can focus on merchandising and traffic.

5 Michaels: Shop-in-Shop Concepts That Capture Category Demand

Michaels rolled out two in-store concepts across its full fleet. The Knit & Sew Shop and The Party Shop are now chainwide with bigger assortments and added services that make the store a first stop for crafting and celebrations.

The Knit & Sew Shop features co-branded JOANN and Michaels signage and brings threads, sewing notions, yarn, and fabric together. Fabric is now in more than 840 stores with plans to expand to over 250 more locations. Space dedicated to fabric increased by nearly 25 percent, yarn selection is expanding by 25 percent, and fabric cutting tables will be available in more than 650 stores by mid October. The assortment adds JOANN private labels like Big Twist, plus Gütermann threads, and new machines from Singer and Brother.

The Knit and Sew Shop pairs Michaels and JOANN under one roof with expanded yarn, fabric, and sewing essentials. Source: Michaels press release.

The Party Shop adds a dedicated Balloon Bar and expands in-store party supplies by 700 products, while 79,000 balloon and party items are available online. Shoppers can build custom balloon bundles online, reserve a pickup time in store, and schedule delivery up to four days ahead, including same day options. Value plays include balloon bundles starting at $9.99 and party supplies starting at $0.99. In-store birthday parties now start at $149, and Michaels has already hosted more than 4,200 parties for over 36,000 kids this year.

The Party Shop Balloon Bar adds a service anchor and makes celebration planning a quick in-store stop.

Why It Works

• Clear category ownership: Shop-in-shop zones make it obvious where to go and what is new.
• Service lifts conversion: Fabric cutting tables and a Balloon Bar turn browsing into buying.
• Omnichannel convenience: Online bundle building and scheduled pickup connect digital planning to store visits.
• Borrowed equity: Co-branded JOANN signage reassures migrating shoppers and speeds adoption.
• Price and assortment moves: Deeper selection and sharper price points create a reason to switch.

Steal This Idea

Create a focused shop-in-shop when you add a category or respond to market shifts.

1. Define one hero service that anchors the zone, such as a demo counter, cutting table, or build station.
2. Use bold, co-branded signage to welcome new customers who are switching from a competitor.
3. Link digital planning to store with QR aided bundles, pickup scheduling, or on the spot customization.

Simple assets like retractable banners, aisle blades, and floor graphics make the zone easy to find and fast to set. MVP can supply the banner stands and wayfinding so your team can focus on merchandising and staffing.

6 Outlandish: Live Shopping Studio Meets Brick and Mortar

Outlandish opened on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica to blend TikTok Shop livestreams with a physical store. Hosts film live shows on the ground floor where passersby can watch or join. Upstairs, shoppers browse and buy the same products they see on stream. See it on camera, scan, and buy.

Grand opening of Outlandish in Santa Monica, built for live selling and in-person shopping.

The store also trains creators on live selling basics and runs a clear schedule of shows so foot traffic can plan to stop and watch. It is a small footprint that does double duty as content studio and shop floor.

Why It Works

• Show, then shop: Live demos answer questions in real time and create urgency.
• Creator led selling: Hosts feel authentic and drive on-the-spot conversion.
• Short path to purchase: Watch, scan, and check out without friction.
• Modular format: One small set and a focused assortment deliver most of the impact.

Steal This Idea

Start with a creator corner near a feature table and schedule one daily live.

1. Set a clean backdrop, ring light, phone mount, and a simple mic.
2. Post a live schedule so shoppers know when to stop and watch.
3. Add a QR on the table that jumps to the product or bundle page.

For polish, use a retractable banner, a fabric backdrop, and floor decals so the set is easy to find and film.

7 Giant Product Replica: Parking Lot Beacon That Drives Walk-ins

A supersized inflatable of your hero product is a simple way to catch eyes from the road and pull people to the door. It works for launches, weekend promos, and grand openings, and it sets up fast with power, tethers, and a clear offer at the entrance.

A product replica turns into a landmark. Drivers notice. Shoppers head your way.

Why It Works

• Stopping power: A 10 to 15 foot object shaped like your product is hard to miss from the street.
• Wayfinding: It becomes the meet-up point and guides people straight to your entrance.
• Shareable: Shoppers snap photos, kids point it out, and your reach grows without ad spend.
• Quick setup: One outlet and four tethers and you are live for the day.

Steal This Idea

1. Pick one hero item and place the inflatable where passing traffic can see it without blocking signage.
2. Add a small sidewalk sign with a simple offer and a short code so you can track redemptions.
3. Follow a short SOP: daily visual check, wipe down, confirm anchors, power off at close. Get landlord approval and check local rules before you deploy.

Tip for tracking impact: compare door counts and POS during inflatable hours to the prior two comparable days. If lift holds, make it a standing weekend play. MVP can build photo-real replicas with color matching and complete tie-down kits so your team can focus on traffic and sales.