Last time, we took an overview of the massive retail business at Walt Disney World (link). This effort, known as “Merchantainment” is designed to meet the shopping interests of every Guest who visits their parks and resorts in Central Florida.
We also outlined four different styles of shoppers, what they’re like, and how they express themselves in a retail environment. In this article we want to showcase the “Disney Difference” when it comes to handling these types of shoppers. We also solicited your experience in shopping there. So we’ll share that as well. Let’s take a further look.
Analytical: These are people who want information and data. They want to know the “why.” In any retail environment, needs like this include clearly marking the merchandise and grouping that merchandise in a way that makes it easy for them to assess their choices. That would be minimum. Disney clearly goes beyond that in some very easy-to-apply ways.
One important way is that people expect you to know where something is and to have answers. “Why does this Mickey golf polo cost so much.” As a cast member you should be able to discuss the quality of the fabric, the double lining behind the collar, and so forth. Sometimes the question is more practical. A cast member can be asked, “Where can I find Nemo?” You should not only know where to find Nemo merchandise, you should know who Nemo is. If you’re a fan of Disney, you know who Nemo is. So the cast member better know as well. There is nothing worse than pointing to the plush of a fish, only to be told by a small child that the fish isn’t Nemo, it’s Flounder.
link). Magical Moments are opportunities to create magic on a continual basis for a guest. Expressives love the magic, so anything that makes them feel special is right up their alley.
