ATLANTA—There's been a lot of talk about experiential retail. Yet CoreMedia reports only 11% of retailers have an experiential commerce strategy in place. At the same time, up to 75% of companies are still talking about the concept.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Matt Simon, the retail operator who is credited with elevating the profile of The Grove in Los Angeles, and the newly-minted vice president and senior general manager of Avalon, to get his take on experiential retail success. Specifically, we asked him how to authentically wrap experiences into traditional retail settings.

“The key to successful 'experiential retail' is that it must be guest focused,” Simon tells GlobeSt.com. “Avalon's Concierge sets Avalon apart from any other shopping, restaurant, and entertainment destination.”

When a guest steps into the world of experiential retail, he says, there is a level of hospitality and service that is typically found only at five star hotels. This is incredibly important to our guests and this is what inspires loyalty.

“Equally important, at Avalon we have partnered with retailers that truly share our vision for unique and pleasurable experiences,” Simon says. “Bonobos, opening in Spring 2015, allows its guests to discover clothing through the use of technology.”

Simon offers one more example: Avalon's partnership with Tesla, which will be an innovative way for a guest to view, drive and purchase a vehicle. In short, he says, all of Avalon's partnerships involve personal interaction with guests and superior services. You can still read the last part of this series: Avalon's New VP: 'Much More to Come.'