AlabamaGroceryJan2017Final

VIEWPOINT

(Sometimes there are too many, to be frank. On a Saturday night at the end of the just-ended season, I was in Miami to see the Marlins play; it was the second-to-last ballpark on my list. But the Marlins had a Star Wars promotion that was way, way over the top. It made me want to take a light saber to whatever genius in marketing thought it up.)

I'm happy to say that four of my top-ranked ballparks are on the west coast – AT&T Park in San Francisco, Safeco Field in Seattle, Petco Park in San Diego, and, of course, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, which remains one of the best of the lot even though it is the third oldest in the nation.

I'm sorry to report that another west coast

“retailers have to create enticing, engaging and unique experiences that speak to the customer’s interests and desires.”

That's what retailers need to do, now more than ever. They can't just be places that stock other companies' merchandise and promote other companies' brands. They have to create enticing, engaging and unique experiences that speak to the customer's interests and desires. Sometimes, that means having the kind of nimble attitude that characterizes smaller companies. And sometimes it just means being innovative enough to make things fun. Now, before I sign off, I have to answer the question that I've been getting constantly since telling people about my achievement: Which ballparks did I like best? To be honest, I do have biases. I'm partial to craft beer and food that goes beyond the standard hot dogs and peanuts. (I'm big on fish tacos. And the Blue Smoke and Shake Shack stands at Citi Field are a major lure.) I like a little leg room, and I think high- definition displays and great scoreboards are really, really important. (A stadium without an out-of-town scoreboard that lists every game being played in the majors in real time loses points.) I dislike domes and artificial turf, and I like stadiums that one can walk to from downtown. (I also hate the designated hitter rule, but that's not a stadium issue...)

ballpark – the Oakland Coliseum – is my least favorite of the current stadiums. But I suspect that a lot of Athletics fans might agree with me, and yearn for something a little more modern. But here's the thing. Next time you go to game (it could even be football, basketball, hockey or soccer), look around. Ask yourself what the team ownership is doing to make it a unique and differentiated experience even beyond what is happening in the game. And then ask yourself if you are doing everything you can do in your store to make it a compelling experience. It is not like in “Field of Dreams”, where the premise is that "if you build it, they will come." These days, you have to do more. A lot more. You have to come ready to play hardball. ■

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