Retail Theatre Example - Pike Place Fish Market

The Pike Place Fish Market, founded in 1930, is an open air fish market located in Seattle, Washington's Pike Place Market, at the corner of Pike Street and Pike Place. It is known for their tradition of fishmongers throwing fish that customers have purchased, before they are wrapped. After nearing bankruptcy in 1986, the fish market owner and employees decided to become "world famous", changing their way of doing business by introducing their flying fish, games, and customer performances. Four years later, they were featured repeatedly in the national media and television shows. The store is now a popular tourist destination in Seattle, attracting up to 10,000 daily visitors, and is often billed as world-famous.

This is a great example of how a retail store can actually incorporate theatrical performance into a store rather than on stage. Not only is the store acting in engagement, they are also evoking a number of emotional reactions by yelling and throwing the customer’s order around the store.