Dopamine is involved in reward-seeking and motivation. It’s often called the “feel-good” hormone because it’s released after pleasurable experiences, which can make you want to repeat those experiences. And… Dopamine is involved in addiction because it’s released after pleasurable experiences, which can lead to habits. – thanks Google

A retail brand is nothing more than an extension of the vibe in the store. Recently, I’ve been watching from the sidelines as a few longstanding retailers have played ad agency musical chairs, looking to revive their brands. Once, their stores were celebrated, bustling hubs of shopping joy. Now, they’re not. Branding won’t fix that. Ads won’t either.

It’s far more important for these retailers to do some soul-searching and rediscover what they’ve lost: the vibe that makes going to their store exciting. The dopamine supply. Little feel-good sparks that make you glad to be there.

It’s easy to point fingers at Amazon, to pine for a time before COVID, or commodification courtesy of Costco. But Costco doesn’t reduce shopping to a cold transaction. Why is it now a well-worn cliché that you go to Costco for toilet paper and come home with $600 worth of stuff? Because the vibe catches you every time. Big TVs! Dopamine. Huge boxes of stuff! Dopamine. Free samples! Dopamine. Good deals! Dopamine. Giant sized bags of dopamine.

For a strong contingent of middle-aged males, Canadian Tire is a wonderland of dopamine hits. The first one hits as you walk in and low front aisles give you enough scope to survey your shopping domain. Wander from kitchenware to automotive supplies, from camping gear to housewares, barbecues, wiper blades, and toys for all ages catching one little pleasure charge after another.

For primarily Gen Z or millennial woman, Sephora. Anthropologie stretches to Gen X and beyond. Those of the outdoorsy variety? Cabela’s. And when on its game, MEC. Mechanical? Princess Auto. The point is: retailers that aren’t soaking their experiences in dopamine charges aren’t offering much that you can’t just get anywhere – and anywhere is mostly online.

Many of us have been loyal to a store at some point in our lives. It’s cynical to say so but retail loyalty carries a measure of addiction. Because loyalty is a quantity that transcends products or prices. It is an extract of how a store makes us feel.