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
Carlos Arámbula
Principal, Growth Genie Partners
Doug Garnett
President, Protonik
Jeff Sward
Founding Partner, Merchandising Metrics
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.
Marketing is fluid and constantly evolving, and storytelling evolves with it. As new media and personalized targeting reshape how consumers discover brands, storytelling has become more important than ever. With discovery now happening largely online, stores and brand channels are no longer where consumers learn that a product exists; they are where meaning is created. Through visual merchandising, product adjacencies, and emotionally resonant campaigns, brands show how their products fit into real lives. In a crowded marketplace where differentiation is essential, storytelling is what gives brands relevance and the ability to build lasting consumer relationships.
At the same time, consumers are increasingly resistant to one-way, highly polished brand messaging that declares values or superiority. They expect authenticity—stories rooted in real experiences and reinforced consistently across in-store environments, social platforms, and community touchpoints. This shift has made tighter alignment between merchandising, marketing, and brand experience critical.
Today, storytelling is less about telling consumers what a brand stands for and more about inviting them to participate. The brands that succeed treat storytelling as a lived experience—emotional, credible, and culturally aware—rather than a scripted message. In that sense, storytelling hasn’t been rediscovered; it has become the central way brands earn trust, differentiation, and long-term loyalty.
For Lululemon storytelling is visual merchandising, at Five Below it’s social media. Under Armour leans into TV commercials. Circana talks about “organic romancing”, whatever that’s supposed to mean, and The Gap is working to rebuild emotional relevance, which frankly, makes sense. So in other words, storytelling is just a fancy word for marketing.
And curating…
Storytelling, at some point, is emotional connection. Good books are read more than once. Good movies are watched more than once. Good stories are revisited because there was a connection. And good storytelling stores are revisited because there is a connection. Every fixture in every store tells a story. Some are utterly boring and ignorable after a slight glance. Another rounder or 4-way with a “Save 40%” sale sign. Yawn. It doesn’t even have to be a sale fixture any more. And some are fun and engaging and prompt a purchase that was never planned or intended. Because something connected.
Storytelling is a differentiator. It can create an emotional reason to buy where there might not be a logical reason. I think the Swing campaign at the Gap many years ago was brilliant storytelling. They created fun and energy around the world’s most boring garment. Khaki pants. Who’d a thunk…?!? But it worked. Macy’s was the best storyteller in the middle market for a while. And then not so much for a long while. Which is why they are desperately trying to rekindle that former talent.
So maybe “rediscovered” is the right word. Or maybe it’s that we’ve realized that great stories are being told both in stores and on social media, and those stories are attracting shoppers and their wallets. So part of the competitive arsenal these days has to be your own great storytelling.
Storytelling has not become less important. It has become more precise and more personal. The real shift is technology. AI and strong data foundations now allow brands to tailor assortments, recommendations, and even tone of voice to individual shoppers. Conversational shopping and personalized merchandising ensure the story meets the customer where they are.
In today’s competitive market, the brands that win are not simply great storytellers. They are the ones that make each customer feel like the story was created specifically for them.
Nordstrom and Lululemon show that the store is evolving from a place of broad discovery to a platform for curated narrative. The difference today is that storytelling is no longer mass messaging. It is informed by data, shaped by local relevance, and increasingly personalized.
Consumers are not rejecting storytelling. They are rejecting generic brand narration. Traditional brand monologues are giving way to contextual dialogue. When Five Below aligns merchandising and marketing around curated product stories, or when Under Armour sharpens its emotional message, they are pairing narrative with relevance.
Storytelling hasn’t become less important — if anything, it’s become more essential than ever, but the medium has fundamentally changed. Retail storytelling today lives across an omnichannel ecosystem that includes in-store experiences, digital content, social platforms, creator partnerships, and user-generated content. The narrative is no longer something a brand simply “tells” through polished campaigns; it’s co-created and experienced across touchpoints. Consumers encounter stories through product pages, short- and long-form video, influencer content, and even peer reviews — all of which shape perception far more dynamically than traditional advertising ever did.
I do agree, however, that consumers are less responsive to traditional, one-directional brand narration. It’s not that storytelling itself has lost effectiveness — it’s that the old format of controlled, top-down messaging has given way to a more authentic, participatory model. Shoppers today tend to trust stories that feel real, unscripted, and validated by others, which is why creator content and UGC have become such powerful forces in commerce. Brands that cling to overly polished, static messaging risk feeling disconnected, while those that embrace transparency, community, and real-world use cases are more likely to resonate.
The opportunity for retailers and brands is to think of storytelling not as a campaign, but as a continuous, omnichannel experience. In-store environments can still play a critical role — through merchandising, design, and service — but they must connect seamlessly with digital and social narratives. The most effective brands today are those that orchestrate storytelling across channels, allowing customers to see it, hear it, experience it, and ultimately share it.
Compelling retail storytelling does three things extraordinarily well:
1. It places the customer at the center of the narrative. People aren’t just browsing products; they’re participating in a journey where the brand helps them express identity or fulfill and aspiration.
2. It creates emotional resonance. Storytelling builds trust and loyalty because emotions create memories. A customer who feels something during their visit is far more likely to return, advocate, and spend more over time.
3. It can unify experience touchpoints. From signage to staff interactions, to digital engagement and in-store tech, if done well, every element reinforces the brand’s story so it feels consistent, authentic, and meaningful.
I see storytelling not as a trend, but as a strategic compass that turns retail spaces into experiences that matter.
Stories are an important part of marketing. Of course I prefer real stories as opposed to made up ones. People don’t want to be blasted with a one way marketing message today, so this is becoming ever more important.
The idea that storytelling is a “rediscovered” art reflects a deeper shift in the role of the physical stores. For decades, retail relied on discovery. The store was simply where you went to see what existed. Today, being “in stock” is the bare minimum, not a competitive advantage. When a customer walks through our doors, they aren’t looking for a sea of options; they are looking for a reason to choose one.
This is not about grand brand manifestos or traditional marketing narration, which most shoppers have learned to tune out. Real storytelling in a modern operating environment is tactical. It shows up in merchandising that brings the right products forward and how they actually fit into a customer’s life. It is the shift from selling commodities to creating a curated space that confirms what the customer already came in looking for.
The challenge for leadership is ensuring story telling does not live only in slide decks. If visual execution on the floor fails to match the digital promise, the story breaks. Success now depends on the ability to participate in culture while delivering a clear, human point of view that a generic digital scroll cannot replicate.
Retailers who treat the sales floor as a media platform will find that a well-edited shelf is often the most persuasive story they can tell.
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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.
Marketing is fluid and constantly evolving, and storytelling evolves with it. As new media and personalized targeting reshape how consumers discover brands, storytelling has become more important than ever. With discovery now happening largely online, stores and brand channels are no longer where consumers learn that a product exists; they are where meaning is created. Through visual merchandising, product adjacencies, and emotionally resonant campaigns, brands show how their products fit into real lives. In a crowded marketplace where differentiation is essential, storytelling is what gives brands relevance and the ability to build lasting consumer relationships.
At the same time, consumers are increasingly resistant to one-way, highly polished brand messaging that declares values or superiority. They expect authenticity—stories rooted in real experiences and reinforced consistently across in-store environments, social platforms, and community touchpoints. This shift has made tighter alignment between merchandising, marketing, and brand experience critical.
Today, storytelling is less about telling consumers what a brand stands for and more about inviting them to participate. The brands that succeed treat storytelling as a lived experience—emotional, credible, and culturally aware—rather than a scripted message. In that sense, storytelling hasn’t been rediscovered; it has become the central way brands earn trust, differentiation, and long-term loyalty.
For Lululemon storytelling is visual merchandising, at Five Below it’s social media. Under Armour leans into TV commercials. Circana talks about “organic romancing”, whatever that’s supposed to mean, and The Gap is working to rebuild emotional relevance, which frankly, makes sense. So in other words, storytelling is just a fancy word for marketing.
And curating…
Storytelling, at some point, is emotional connection. Good books are read more than once. Good movies are watched more than once. Good stories are revisited because there was a connection. And good storytelling stores are revisited because there is a connection. Every fixture in every store tells a story. Some are utterly boring and ignorable after a slight glance. Another rounder or 4-way with a “Save 40%” sale sign. Yawn. It doesn’t even have to be a sale fixture any more. And some are fun and engaging and prompt a purchase that was never planned or intended. Because something connected.
Storytelling is a differentiator. It can create an emotional reason to buy where there might not be a logical reason. I think the Swing campaign at the Gap many years ago was brilliant storytelling. They created fun and energy around the world’s most boring garment. Khaki pants. Who’d a thunk…?!? But it worked. Macy’s was the best storyteller in the middle market for a while. And then not so much for a long while. Which is why they are desperately trying to rekindle that former talent.
So maybe “rediscovered” is the right word. Or maybe it’s that we’ve realized that great stories are being told both in stores and on social media, and those stories are attracting shoppers and their wallets. So part of the competitive arsenal these days has to be your own great storytelling.
Storytelling has not become less important. It has become more precise and more personal. The real shift is technology. AI and strong data foundations now allow brands to tailor assortments, recommendations, and even tone of voice to individual shoppers. Conversational shopping and personalized merchandising ensure the story meets the customer where they are.
In today’s competitive market, the brands that win are not simply great storytellers. They are the ones that make each customer feel like the story was created specifically for them.
Nordstrom and Lululemon show that the store is evolving from a place of broad discovery to a platform for curated narrative. The difference today is that storytelling is no longer mass messaging. It is informed by data, shaped by local relevance, and increasingly personalized.
Consumers are not rejecting storytelling. They are rejecting generic brand narration. Traditional brand monologues are giving way to contextual dialogue. When Five Below aligns merchandising and marketing around curated product stories, or when Under Armour sharpens its emotional message, they are pairing narrative with relevance.
Storytelling hasn’t become less important — if anything, it’s become more essential than ever, but the medium has fundamentally changed. Retail storytelling today lives across an omnichannel ecosystem that includes in-store experiences, digital content, social platforms, creator partnerships, and user-generated content. The narrative is no longer something a brand simply “tells” through polished campaigns; it’s co-created and experienced across touchpoints. Consumers encounter stories through product pages, short- and long-form video, influencer content, and even peer reviews — all of which shape perception far more dynamically than traditional advertising ever did.
I do agree, however, that consumers are less responsive to traditional, one-directional brand narration. It’s not that storytelling itself has lost effectiveness — it’s that the old format of controlled, top-down messaging has given way to a more authentic, participatory model. Shoppers today tend to trust stories that feel real, unscripted, and validated by others, which is why creator content and UGC have become such powerful forces in commerce. Brands that cling to overly polished, static messaging risk feeling disconnected, while those that embrace transparency, community, and real-world use cases are more likely to resonate.
The opportunity for retailers and brands is to think of storytelling not as a campaign, but as a continuous, omnichannel experience. In-store environments can still play a critical role — through merchandising, design, and service — but they must connect seamlessly with digital and social narratives. The most effective brands today are those that orchestrate storytelling across channels, allowing customers to see it, hear it, experience it, and ultimately share it.
Compelling retail storytelling does three things extraordinarily well:
1. It places the customer at the center of the narrative. People aren’t just browsing products; they’re participating in a journey where the brand helps them express identity or fulfill and aspiration.
2. It creates emotional resonance. Storytelling builds trust and loyalty because emotions create memories. A customer who feels something during their visit is far more likely to return, advocate, and spend more over time.
3. It can unify experience touchpoints. From signage to staff interactions, to digital engagement and in-store tech, if done well, every element reinforces the brand’s story so it feels consistent, authentic, and meaningful.
I see storytelling not as a trend, but as a strategic compass that turns retail spaces into experiences that matter.
Stories are an important part of marketing. Of course I prefer real stories as opposed to made up ones. People don’t want to be blasted with a one way marketing message today, so this is becoming ever more important.
The idea that storytelling is a “rediscovered” art reflects a deeper shift in the role of the physical stores. For decades, retail relied on discovery. The store was simply where you went to see what existed. Today, being “in stock” is the bare minimum, not a competitive advantage. When a customer walks through our doors, they aren’t looking for a sea of options; they are looking for a reason to choose one.
This is not about grand brand manifestos or traditional marketing narration, which most shoppers have learned to tune out. Real storytelling in a modern operating environment is tactical. It shows up in merchandising that brings the right products forward and how they actually fit into a customer’s life. It is the shift from selling commodities to creating a curated space that confirms what the customer already came in looking for.
The challenge for leadership is ensuring story telling does not live only in slide decks. If visual execution on the floor fails to match the digital promise, the story breaks. Success now depends on the ability to participate in culture while delivering a clear, human point of view that a generic digital scroll cannot replicate.
Retailers who treat the sales floor as a media platform will find that a well-edited shelf is often the most persuasive story they can tell.