I first wrote about Central Market, in Austin, TX four years ago. It's an upscale grocery store on steroids. The store is arranged in enclosed sections; as you walk through you feel like you are discovering new stores within a store. A fabulous take-out cafe. Incredible flowers. Amazing produce. Bulk foods that go on for aisles. While I was intrigued, I told myself, “I’ve seen this stuff before. They just have more of it.” If you're a museum that has very similar exhibits to other museums in your category (science center, children's museum, natural history museum), read on to learn how this store wowed me.
And then I found the Fresh Spa Bar.
It’s set up like a salad bar, with chilled pots of moisturizers, masques, foot polishes, and sugar scrubs. It smelled heavenly and luxurious, and the chilled cart reinforced that everything was freshly concocted. How could you take a "typical" exhibit and give it a twist that sets it apart?
I could choose a cute one-ounce pot of anything for $2.99, stick on the label, and fill it up. Now, I don’t usually buy anything that costs $48 per pound! But at that moment I wasn’t interested in doing the math; this was fun and special. Even though I didn’t need anything, it was sweltering outside, and I was getting on a plane, I mixed up three containers, and then continued shopping.
Some Central Market staff members, called Foodies, are encouraged to open any product for a taste, and it’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Austin. They got me excited about spending $25, because the experience was so enchanting, so different. Note that this grocery store is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Austin! This is your competition, museum people!
This is an excerpt from Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries
. Thanks to Kevin Blessing, General Manager of the North Lamar store, for the interview and permission to use photos.
