On Britain’s hottest day of the year, I stood, cradling a chilled water bottle in the shade of a tree, at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, wondering if I had been transported to the future. For around me were artisans, retailers, brands, and entrepreneurs selling garden lifestyles at show prices as fast as ice cream and Pimm’s were being consumed. This commerce sat alongside inspiring garden designs, lectures, and celebrity speakers that had drawn the crowds in. Pensioners mingled with families young and old as a social shopping experience came to life.
This got me thinking: Why can’t the high street be more like this? How might they create events that inspire the public to come in droves and seamlessly join in a shopping experience that gives people a memorable day, one that they might even happily pay to attend? One that’s worth bringing a memento home from? Of course, once I moved from the shade, I quickly parted company with my money and now am the proud owner of this garden art! Well, it was on show price: a great motivator to act on our impulses.
Contributed by Ian Foulds, Integer London.