The narrative strategies of retail spaces: a semio-ethnographic approach

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how narratives are generated in stores. Design/methodology/approach: The study design is based on ethnographies documented in 10 sports stores in the Paris region. The ethnographic method enables a precise and in situ observation of how narratives are structured. Narrative structures develop from the accommodation of the narratives specific to retailers and narratives specific to the customer. Findings: The findings of this study identified four main narratives in retail spaces (the serial, the tale, the epic, the legend), each of which is distinguished by the commercial/non-commercial orientation of the narratives and by a superficial/in-depth modification of the narratives produced outside the store. These four narratives are characterized by the vendors’ roles and by the distinct interactions between customers and retail stores. Research limitations/implications: The originality of this study is to propose a narrative framework for retail structures. It illustrates the fact that the narrative is not solely a product of experiential marketing, but that it may be found in any retail store. From a practical point of view, it highlights other less costly experiential narrative strategies. Practical implications: From a practical point of view, it highlights other less costly experiential narrative strategies. Originality/value: The original value of this study is to apply structural semiotics to analyse narratives in the store.