Retail therapy for action junkies

I came across a new action sports retailer that seems to be tapping into several powerful trends and insights.

Adrenalina sells gear and fashion for extreme boarding and biking sports. That's not new -- many stores cater to surfers, skateboarders and mountain bikers. But what sets Adrenalina apart is that they've tapped into the trend toward retail entertainment.

Their store design is centered around the Flowrider (normally found in water parks) where customers can pay to surf on a simulated wave. (This creates a revenue source from people who want to surf and great entertainment for those who want to shop.) Adrenalina is tightly connected with the extreme sport TV show of the same name to create a highly authentic connection with Millennials. And, because the TV show airs in both English and Spanish, Adrenalina is positioning its brand within the large and growing Latino market.

Adrenalina has only a few locations in Florida but is planning to expand to Georgia, Texas and Colorado.

Retailing is increasingly about fun and experimentation. This can be as simple as a Trader Joe's store that offers free coffee and food samples or as intense as Land Rover retailers (a past client of mine) that feature an off-road track to demo the SUV's capabilities. What all these retailers have in common is the knowledge that customers increasingly see retail as a source of entertainment.