When it comes to retail, the auditory experience is often the last thing brands are accounting for. It’s not easy to develop a space that considers the optimal auditory experience for your employees, or for your guests. Well, that is unless you’re Louis Vuitton.
For context, we spent a few days in Columbus with auditory accessibility leader and Akoio founder, Bill Schiffmiller. Akoio® is a premier consultancy specializing in innovative approaches to auditory accessibility in retail and auditory matters.
On our tours, the main goal was to observe retail spaces in different malls across the city and assess the auditory experience in totality. One brand cut through the noise (pun intended) to deliver a truly exceptional, accessible auditory experience on all fronts.
Enter: Louis Vuitton
From entry, the Louis Vuitton store atmosphere was the perfect balance of music to activity ratio. By no means was this the overbearing, nightclub kind of shopping experience we’ve come to expect. The music was sophisticated and on-brand for LV, while also maintaining just the right levels to keep communications smooth and consistent.
LV’s approach to retail is a mix between hospitality and client consulting. They assign each guest a client advisor if needed, and of course open the floor to general browsing otherwise. Their client advisors can get to know the guests closer, communicate through the shopping process, and assure a quality experience. Along the way, we noticed client advisors speaking Spanish, Mandarin, and English, which we noted as a nice nod to inclusivity and auditory accessibility retail for their guests.
From a design standpoint, LV created key zones for designated products in-store. These zones were separated by walls and displays that mainly serve a purpose of merchandising and customer journey planning. These walls also function as great audio buffers, allowing guests to communicate in detail with LV staff as shoppers move through one zone to the next.
Store audio levels peaked at 71db, with a net average of 66db throughout our stay on a busy Friday night. This noise level in luxury stores was surprisingly comfortable across the board and especially impressive for it being a weekend trip at Easton Town Center.
We understand not every brand has the cash to use like LVMH does, hence why they have such an upscale experience. However, there are three key considerations that Louis Vuitton executes, and it doesn’t cost anything to be mindful of them.
1. Be considerate of in-store communications.
Associates struggled, customers struggled, and we struggled on our store tours to actively listen in spaces. There were evident issues with in-store communications, and communication is crucial to good service and a good experience.
LV’s business model and in-store experience is a testament to good retail communications, and it was clear from start to finish that they prioritized this function to make shopping easier for the guest, and consulting easier for the staff.
A significant 82% of shopping decisions are made while customers are physically present in the store, emphasizing the critical impact of in-store dialogue on purchasing choices.
2. Auditory interference is everywhere.
Auditory interference operates in many different functions. From a barista yelling an order and a machine prepping a meal, to a simple conversation in a store. LV limits the ability for auditory interference through their design and their customer journey, allowing for guests to be completely immersed in the experience, and employees to do their job at a high level.
Interference is inevitable. It’s imperative for brands to recognize the areas where staff and shoppers may run into audio interference, so they can build a better experience that factors it in ahead of time. Many students within The Ohio State University’s Fashion Retail Studies program cite loud environments as a major deterrent to productivity, workplace enjoyment, and customer success.
Examples of interference:
Chatter – Music – Machinery – Surface Reflections – Foot Traffic – Technology – Shared Spaces – Lack of Audio Buffers
3. Auditory fatigue is real.
It only takes 80db to cause hearing loss over time and for employees, as well as shoppers who spend frequent amounts of time in-store, it’s imperative to find a sustainable, healthy solution to this issue.
LV does a great job keeping levels in-store healthy, but still on-brand and lively.
In the end, decibel levels don’t tell the whole story. Constant changes of environment, consistently noisy spaces and hours of shopping activity impose a direct correlation to mood, energy levels, and mental exhaustion.
Embracing auditory experience doesn’t need to be a chore. As a matter of fact, it’s critical to the safety and mental health of staff members and the betterment of the customer experience. Don’t develop a store and react—be proactive and foster an accessible, ownable auditory environment that enables your guests to give you their undivided attention. Your staff can grow into high performers, labor retention will grow, and before you know it, you’ll have consistently high-performing stores.
For more insight on auditory analysis, research and consumer behaviors, get our full report on audio experience in the retail environment.
