By George Anderson
Best Buy's new concept store, eq-life, is in the business of selling solutions to the needs of women.
The store is a place where technology and health merge, with consumers being able to purchase vitamins and prescription medicines as well as digital cholesterol machines and glucose monitors.
Mike Marolt, president of eq-life, developed the concept to help thirty- and forty-something women, who may be caring for kids and even their parents, learn how they can use health technology to simplify and improve their lives.
Consumers do not appear to be getting what eq-life is about, at least at first, but they are making repeat visits to the store. Company research shows it takes four or five visits for the "aha" moment to take place.
"It's a blessing and a curse," said Mr. Marolt. "The cool thing is, they want to come back."
While its success is far from guaranteed, a St. Paul Pioneer Press report suggests that eq-life is the beginning of a new wave of retailing, calling it "a perfect example of where shopping is headed: multipurpose, experience-oriented environments that provide a sense of enrichment, which inevitably inspires us to buy stuff we're certain will improve our lives."
Moderator's Comment: Is retailing headed to "experience-oriented environments"? What are your thoughts on the potential of the eq-life concept? - George Anderson - Moderator