Fashion brands, including Zappos, have been stepping further outside of their wheelhouses and turning to non-retail ways to heighten the consumer experience.
The footwear e-tailer announced that it’s collaborating with Caesars Entertainment, a global casino and entertainment company, to rename The Axis, a 7,000-seat live entertainment venue in Las Vegas, as the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The partnership, which aims to provide a special concert experience, could enable Zappos create memorable moments outside of the fashion sphere for its consumers.
“The next evolutionary step for Zappos is going to be about bringing our service to life in new and experimental ways. We want to mix what we know about service with what Caesars Entertainment knows about putting on an amazing show,” said Tyler Williams, “fungineer” at Zappos. “Zappos Theater will let us create fun, a little weirdness, and an opportunity to wow people through rocking out.”
The idea, for the footwear and clothing e-commerce company, is to demonstrate its core culture in unexpected formats and commit to the consumer experience both on and off line. Zappos chose Caesars Entertainment for its access to consumers who already enjoy live entertainment, music artists and the city of Las Vegas.
The new theater will feature a dance floor and VIP table-seating concept with nightlife-focused service provided by Drai’s Management Group. Additional concert features of the Zappos Theater include 60 ultra high-definition projectors and 21-inch subwoofers designed for an interactive live music experience.
Zappos’ collaboration comes on the heels of other retail-focused companies that have turned to businesses outside of their sphere to improve consumer experiences. Westfield shopping centers has collaborated with rideshare company Uber, to open a new Uber lounge at the Westfield Century City mall in California. The lounge was created with the aim of taking concierge services to the next level, providing consumers with easy access to Uber transportation services and premium hotel-like amenities.
Simon, another large mall operator, added TheEdit@RooseveltField, a digital and physical brand experiential retail space at the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island in New York. The space enables consumers to interact with products in person and stay up to date on the latest fashion trends.