Why Dwell Time is Retail Gold

Retail isn’t just about transactions anymore. It’s about attention.

With foot traffic harder to secure and online competition constant, retailers are under pressure to make every second in-store count. That’s where dwell time becomes the new gold standard.

Why Dwell Time Matters

The longer someone lingers, the greater the chance they’ll buy, share, or return. Deloitte research shows that engaged shoppers are almost twice as likely to make a purchase. For retailers, that’s a direct line from experience to revenue.

Interactive Experiences That Work

At Watch This Space, we’ve seen retail dwell time increase dramatically when audiences are drawn into something unexpected:

• Telstra Interactive Windows – Six windows, three weeks, 762,000+ interactions. Families stopped, laughed, played, and shared. The average dwell time went from seconds to minutes.

• Montblanc Summit 3 – An interactive replica watch in a flagship store that delivered a 31% uplift in customer engagement. Not just a window display, but a story told through interaction.

• Samsung John Lewis, London – Passers-by turned into active participants, creating moments that were photographed, posted, and remembered.

These activations turned casual strollers into customers — because they didn’t just see a brand, they experienced it.

Return on Experience (ROX)

Retailers have always measured sales. Now the smart ones measure something bigger: Return on Experience. That includes dwell time, emotional response, shareability, and conversations sparked long after the store visit.

When customers are part of the story, they don’t just buy — they belong.

What This Means for Brands

If you’re planning your next campaign, the question isn’t “What will people see?” It’s “What will people do, feel, and share?”

That’s the power of dwell time. And that’s why the most forward-thinking retailers are turning to interactive experiences as the core of their seasonal strategies.

Planning your next seasonal campaign? Let’s talk about experiences that sell. Contact us at hello@wtsagency.com