The lower right hand corner of the triangle is Retail. While the importance of the retail experience varies with different industries, it is often a critical factor in how people view the brand. Is the retail experience branded, and if so, by whom? The retailer or you?  If by the retailer, how does that affect a customer’s view of the brand? Does the retail experience enhance the purchase experience, or is it a handicap to be overcome?  Can your customers find your product? Are you well represented in the store?  What does the store look like, and what does it say about your brand? Being sold in Saks Fifth Avenue says one thing; being sold in Wal-Mart makes an entirely different statement. Both are perfect for certain brands and won’t work at all for others. Are the people who represent you in the stores well trained and highly motivated? Do they do a good job of representing your brand? Do they do a good job with after-sale service? Do you sell on the Internet? Does your Internet activity support your physical retail activity and vice-versa? The questions can go on and on and on—and should.

To be in business you must sell something. Yet not all businesses include a retail component. In a business to business operation you can substitute the word sales for retail. The same questions are relevant: how do your customers experience the purchase of your products, and how does that affect their view of your brand and products?