February 18, 2026
TanyaFrolova/Depositphotos.com
Has Storytelling Become a Rediscovered Retail Art?
For Nordstrom, department stores have moved beyond discovery to places where new brands establish connections with consumers and grow fanbases through effective storytelling.
“In the old days, we would go to a brand and buy their top two items and that’s how customers discovered them,” Jamie Nordstrom, CMO, recently told WWD. “Today, they don’t need a department store to introduce themselves. What we can do is tell their story. We have a role to play in helping them navigate the dynamic world we live in.”
Other retailers and brands ranging from Lululemon to Macy’s; Amer Sports, parent of Arc’teryx and Salomon; Capri, parent of Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo; Five Below, and Under Armour on recent quarter earnings calls cited favorable paybacks storytelling is having on results.
Retail Execs Reiterate the Value of Storytelling, Narrative in Exciting Shoppers
Meghan Frank, Lululemon’s CFO, told analysts the yoga-themed retailer plans to reduce the density of assortments on a local basis to better highlight styles that are most relevant. She said, “This will enable improved visual merchandising for the styles we know are most important to the guests in each local market. And we are working to improve our in-store storytelling by shifting product to adjacencies and category flow to ensure the guest is seeing the versatility and coordination across our assortment.”
Five Below increased its storytelling in social media to better reach its younger audience while better highlighting “newness and curated product stories” jointly-developed by merchandise and marketing teams. Winnie Park, CEO, told analysts, “So while we were doing social, for instance, before, we’ve distorted the spend in social and really gone after better curated storytelling in conjunction with our merchandising team. It’s really merchandising and marketing working in unison. That has actually been terrific.”
Kevin Plank, founder and CEO at Under Armour, said “sharper” storytelling in recent commercials is helping improve awareness, consideration, and engagement with U.S. consumers. Plank told analysts, “One thing is certain is that the world does not need another capable apparel and footwear manufacturer. The world needs hope and they need a dream, and that means that it’s our job to make them feel something when they participate with our brand.”
Jonna Parker, Circana team lead, fresh foods group, recently told Organic Produce Network that for food sellers, messaging about organic growers and their farming methods can be powerful purchase trigger.
She said, “Organic customers want what is good for them and what is good for the environment. It is a feeling and a story. What many retailers miss is the need to do organic romancing.”
Anthony Coppers, founder and head of innovation at Gradient — an agency focusing on beauty, spirits, and luxury — believes the recent hiring by Gap Inc. of Pam Kaufman, formerly of Disney and NBCUniversal, as chief entertainment officer reflects the growing importance of brand narratives. He wrote in a column for Retail Insider, “Gap is not trying to become a studio. It is trying to relearn how to participate in culture, how to collaborate with creators, and how to rebuild emotional relevance with consumers who no longer respond to traditional brand narration.”
BrainTrust
Tom Ryan
Managing Editor, RetailWire
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Has storytelling become any more or less important within stores, and in broader branding efforts, in recent years?
Do you agree that consumers “no longer respond to traditional brand narration”?
Poll
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The consumer world is crowded with choice. The marketing world is noisy. Brands and retailers are looking for ways to cut through and create connections. Storytelling helps with that. People are naturally drawn to stories because it’s how humans have passed on information and meaning for thousands of years. But, more than that, storytelling also helps create a sense of community and belonging – which is something many people crave. Of course, for it to work, brands need to do this authentically and have compelling things to communicate.
Consumers don’t need storytelling. They need to discover the meaningful value products offer. Sadly, marketers ignore how “storyteling” implies a “lie” beginning with “once upon a time a retailer…” In fact, many brands exaggerate and stretch so far that their storytelling loses connection with customers.
Consider Nordstrom. They are the physical location where people engage the physical products — perhaps products they’ve learned about online or elsewhere. Their question, then, must be how that physical experience of product delivers the most value for customers. In most cases, that isn’t through story telling.
I suppose some will claim that REI succeeded by storytelling in their stores. I’d disagree. Being in an REI store or a tool store or a clothing store usefully reminds me of experiences I’ve enjoyed outdoors, in the shop, or by looking good. That’s what they need to do — not tell stories.
I tried to add some realism and grounding into both experiential ideas and storytelling a few years back in this blog post: https://www.douggarnett.com/retail/experiential-retail-is-overhyped-misunderstood-the-good-and-bad-of-rei-barnes-noble-ross-orvis-ace-and-catching-your-dinner/
Stories sell… That is as long as they resonate with the customer. There needs to be a connection. A story without a connection means very little to customers. Know your customers, know what excites them, and know what is meaningful to them. If your story incorporates those three, you have the bones of a story that could drive interest and sales.
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The consumer world is crowded with choice. The marketing world is noisy. Brands and retailers are looking for ways to cut through and create connections. Storytelling helps with that. People are naturally drawn to stories because it’s how humans have passed on information and meaning for thousands of years. But, more than that, storytelling also helps create a sense of community and belonging – which is something many people crave. Of course, for it to work, brands need to do this authentically and have compelling things to communicate.
Consumers don’t need storytelling. They need to discover the meaningful value products offer. Sadly, marketers ignore how “storyteling” implies a “lie” beginning with “once upon a time a retailer…” In fact, many brands exaggerate and stretch so far that their storytelling loses connection with customers.
Consider Nordstrom. They are the physical location where people engage the physical products — perhaps products they’ve learned about online or elsewhere. Their question, then, must be how that physical experience of product delivers the most value for customers. In most cases, that isn’t through story telling.
I suppose some will claim that REI succeeded by storytelling in their stores. I’d disagree. Being in an REI store or a tool store or a clothing store usefully reminds me of experiences I’ve enjoyed outdoors, in the shop, or by looking good. That’s what they need to do — not tell stories.
I tried to add some realism and grounding into both experiential ideas and storytelling a few years back in this blog post: https://www.douggarnett.com/retail/experiential-retail-is-overhyped-misunderstood-the-good-and-bad-of-rei-barnes-noble-ross-orvis-ace-and-catching-your-dinner/
Stories sell… That is as long as they resonate with the customer. There needs to be a connection. A story without a connection means very little to customers. Know your customers, know what excites them, and know what is meaningful to them. If your story incorporates those three, you have the bones of a story that could drive interest and sales.