The recent opening of Starbucks’ Willy Wonka inspired store has once again raised the retail bar, providing us with another great example of retail theatre.

After two years of designing and restoring a 100-year-old building in its birthplace of Seattle, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room opened in December, 2014 and is part of a larger plan to develop a more premium coffee brand. Starbucks describes the new concept as an interactive, immersive space to showcase all the aspects of the drama, romance and theatre of roasting coffee.

While the store is visually impressive at first sight, it’s not until you watch the behind the scenes video below that the importance of all the small details becomes apparent. Details such as hand-stained wood finishes, leather handrails and stitching, overhead pipes for traveling coffee beans, wood beams and hammered copper create an authentic and engaging experience.

The video reminded me of a presentation by Matt Newell, Co-Founder and Strategy Partner from The General Store, about the creative vision behind the Shoes of Prey store, which was awarded ‘Store Design of the Year’ at the 2013 World Retail Congress. While the 2.4m flower sculpture created out of shoes is the stand out, it is the little details behind the scenes that create an immersive experience that engages the senses. A customised soundtrack intended to relax can be heard only when sitting down to design a pair of shoes, while an ambient scent infuses the space. The table and chairs are made out of the same material as the shoes, gentling brushing the forearm and calf as customers design on the iPad. What is most interesting about the store design is the team that was involved. The team included a theatre set designer, an architect, an interior designer, an advertising creative director, a fashion director and a musician to quite literally create retail theatre.

While on the topic of retail theatre, a few years ago I wrote a case study about Melbourne based Victory Motorcycles. While customising a bike is the main appeal of their proposition, it is the theatrics when picking up the bike that heighten the experience. To create intrigue and build excitement, the bike is covered and placed under bright lights, ready for a staff member wearing white gloves to unveil the finished product.

The Willy Wonka inspired Starbucks, Shoes of Prey and Victory Motocycles demonstrate how to create unique and memorable experiences using the store as a stage and the employees as performers. So when you lift the curtain to your store, what is the story you will tell to your customers?