Being good in store is rarely sufficient as standards seem to climb inexorably. What is it therefore that puts one store ahead of another?

Ever wondered what makes a retailer better than good? Being good is relatively straightforward providing you have a modest competence as far as product acquisition and visual merchandising are concerned. But exactly what is it that marks out one retailer as being better than the herd?

For a possible answer, look no further than Eataly, the Italian food retailer that makes an event out of buying pasta, balsamic, prosciutto, or parmesan cheese, to name just a few items of interest. It is not, however, the sheer profusion of Italian goodies that make this a way above average shop, although this certainly helps. Neither is it the fact that every branch of Eataly, whether it’s in New York, Istanbul or, most recently, Milan, looks amazing and is different from every other branch. Much less is it the delicious in-store dining options that mean when you’ve had enough you can sit down and have a pizza, a piece of focaccia with mozzarella or maybe something rather more formal.

All of these individually would add up to something worth crossing the road for. But it is rather the fact that taken in combination these various elements equate to a formula that has real appeal and to which that much overused word “experience” can be applied. The whole really is greater than the sum of the parts. And Eataly’s products are not for the faint of wallet – don’t expect to visit and have anything less than a wallet-voiding moment.

Yet you’ll not feel bad about it, because you’ll be enjoying yourself. ‘Le patron mange ici’ – the small French restaurant’s commendation of its wares on the basis that the owner eats in-house can sometimes be taken with a large dose of organic sea salt. Yet the principle holds good at Eataly. Talk to founder and owner Oscar Farinetti and he does exactly this most of the time.

And, frankly, if you were the owner of an emporium of this kind, you might be inclined to do likewise. The interesting point about all of this is that what raises an enterprise above the retail parapet is its ability to shine and entertain, while providing a level of attention to detail that marks it out as being a well-managed labour of love.

The real question is what about the UK? When are we set to be able to enjoy the experience provided by Eataly without the need to head off to the nearest airport?