Skechers' Food Spot Drives Foot Traffic to the Footwear Store
Laura McQuarrie — September 26, 2023 — Business
References: foodandwine
At the Gardena Skechers store, Skechers opened the Food Spot and the food court-style setting quickly became a viral sensation. Inspired by a popular warehouse store's own food court, the Food Spot offers up affordably priced comfort food favorites like hot dogs, hamburgers and pizzas by the slice.
Although 900 square feet of the retailer's floor space was taken to create the commercial kitchen for the Food Spot, the new destination for food is driving foot traffic to the restaurant and the attached footwear store. Skechers co-founder Michael Greenberg told KTLA that he’d “always thought” having a concession stand at that particular store would work out well, and now, the Food Spot serves around 2,000 customers every week. "I think it just took everybody by surprise," said Greenberg, "I think in the beginning, there were people that were scratching their head saying, 'What is Michael doing?' And I could understand, you know, but this was my vision."
Although 900 square feet of the retailer's floor space was taken to create the commercial kitchen for the Food Spot, the new destination for food is driving foot traffic to the restaurant and the attached footwear store. Skechers co-founder Michael Greenberg told KTLA that he’d “always thought” having a concession stand at that particular store would work out well, and now, the Food Spot serves around 2,000 customers every week. "I think it just took everybody by surprise," said Greenberg, "I think in the beginning, there were people that were scratching their head saying, 'What is Michael doing?' And I could understand, you know, but this was my vision."
Trend Themes
1. Food Court-style Retail - The success of Skechers' Food Spot demonstrates the potential for food court-style retail concepts to drive foot traffic and enhance the customer experience.
2. Integration of Food and Retail - The integration of a commercial kitchen within the footwear store showcases the opportunity for retailers to combine food offerings with their products to attract customers and increase sales.
3. Viral Sensation Marketing - The viral success of the Food Spot highlights the power of creating unique and buzz-worthy experiences to generate excitement and attract customers.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear Retail - The Food Spot's success in driving foot traffic to the attached footwear store demonstrates the potential for innovation in the footwear retail industry through the integration of food concepts.
2. Restaurant/cafe - The Food Spot's commercial kitchen and popularity among customers indicate an opportunity for restaurants/cafes to explore unconventional locations and partnerships to attract a diverse range of customers.
3. Retail Design/construction - The creation of a food court-style setting within a retail store presents an avenue for innovation and specialization in the retail design/construction industry to cater to unique customer experiences.
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