Shopping in the Moment

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Buddha

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.

Henry David Thoreau

Celebrate the moments of your life.

General Foods International Coffees

Important authors, major philosophers and TV Commercial Ladies With a Penchant for Sharing Flavored Coffees agree: moments matter. These deep thinkers and relentless hostesses see moments not as units of time, but as elements of life; precious and transformative.

A rich existence is crafted from collected moments, those interactions that are revealing and weighted with emotion and meaning. Moments, gathered and polished over time, create the story of a life, and the perspective of the person living it.

Retail marketers would do well to share the viewpoint of these truth-seekers and makers of tasty, memory-reviving Café Vienna. In-Store Shopper Moments matter.

The shopper continues to have a strong voice in the shaping of her retail interactions, and I believe many are now finding that a mere experience is no longer enough. She wants more – and more meaningful.

We are seeing the shopper experience evolve into the shopper moment.

The differences between the two may be subtle, but they are distinct. An experience is something one goes through; a moment is lived and relived. Experience happens. In-Store Shopper Moments materialize. Experience is on a resume; a moment resides in the heart.

In retail marketing, an experience is something a shopper has. A moment is something she feels.

Some may think I’m being too ardent or overly poetic. And that’s great. Because it means that the emotional, almost romantic undercurrent of the word “moment” is resonating. Flowery language and a “storybook” perspective feed the mindset that is critical in the understanding and creation of a true in-store shopper moment.

Want more florid, flowery words to set the mood? Here are 41 things a shopper moment is (and an experience isn’t):

1. Eternal
2. Heartfelt
3. Fiery
4. Dreamy
5. Fleeting
6. Transcendent
7. Magical
8. Touching
9. Wondrous
10. Emotional
11. Amazing
12. Personal
13. Fragile
14. Surprising
15. Ownable
16. Intimate
17. Revealing
18. Soul-touching
19. Shimmering
20. Glistening
21. Moving
22. Provocative
23. Tender
24. POV-changing
25. Shining
26. Resonant
27. Telling
28. Exposing
29. Enlightening
30. Startling
31. Illuminating
32. Seductive
33. Cheeky
34. Beguiling
35. Cunning
36. Delicate
37. Powerful
38. Talkable
39. Exquisite
40. Delightful
41. Enchanting