If you were to distill what consumers want from any retail transaction down to two factors, it would be convenience and experience. And these two factors may even outweigh value and price if you deliver a meaningful experience that is imaginative, innovative and convenient. What is the glue that holds both together? Forward-thinking, cutting-edge tech solutions. So, here's a dreamworld scenario: You are in the unique position to blend your personal passion for art and creativity into a holistic program to enhance the retail experience …
Field Notes from the Midwest
There was a bright light shining during the post-holiday mall doldrums in St. Louis, Missouri. This midwestern city (full disclosure, my hometown) is constantly reinventing itself. It is a modern-day Phoenix lifting itself again and again out of the ashes of a forgotten, marginalized downtown, which was once the commerce epicenter of a rich history that opened the West to an emerging United States. The majority of St. Louisans live in the western suburbs, a sprawling county that houses the wealthy, country clubs, private schools, shopping …
Kohl’s Returns to Manhattan
One thing you can guarantee, put a pop-up in New York City, and they will come. In droves, actually. Kohl's came to town, albeit briefly, to showcase some of its holiday gift suggestions and festive clothes. An attractive street of shops with nostalgic holiday storefronts greets you as you enter the space. The weekend promotion offered lots of incentives for influencers and shoppers to visit the place, not the least of which was complimentary chestnuts pre-roasted over an open fire and decadent hot chocolate served in a cup rimmed with crushed …
When Will You Take Back Control?
What business are you in? This has become the existential crisis of retail. Talk to digital natives and they'll tell you in no uncertain terms that retail is a tech platform delivering digital experiences and products electronically. Steve Jobs said, "Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves." That requires a genius sense of intuition blended with significant machine learning that plays to the expectations of next-gen customers and their parents looking for …
Nordstrom’s Love Song to New York
Nordstrom's first day in business on Manhattan's West Side was a well-behaved, well-dressed mob scene of customers who were making the most of every shopping moment. The store is evocative of a European emporium; Au Bon Marche comes to mind sans the Belle Epoque architecture. That being said, the dramatic escalator atrium opening up five stories high might rival those iconic stores in modernity. The typical Nordstrom customer is a self-confident shopper, and the New York outpost caters to a savvy consumer with a curated collection of apparel …
Immersive Retail
First there was Sleep No More, an immersive production of Macbeth that redefines theater, staged in the multi-storied McKittrick Hotel on West 27th Street in Manhattan. It opened in 2011 and ever since, Venetian Carnival masked guests wander around the stage set on four cavernous floors, mostly lost and frequently confused, becoming the accidental audience of various scenes of Shakespeare's noir tragedy. It is fascinating and somewhat unsettling. The cast of actors transport you directly into the heart of the play, as you watch invisibly on the …
Field Report on Startup Culture
How do you know when you're in the vortex of a retail tech summit? You're surrounded by stylishly dressed, enthusiastic, happy millennial-youngish men and women and their slightly older investors. These entrepreneurs exude optimism, possibility and irrepressible energy. They are living the dream of making their vision -- whatever it may be from customized haircare products and self-designed apparel to repurposed luxury handbags and sustainably sourced and produced home products - a reality in both a digital and brick-and-mortar marketplace. …
I Want It Now
We have been reporting about the customer service experience for years - following the arc of the neighborhood store in the 50s where everyone knows your name to the AI-infused tech age of drone delivery where, when and how our demanding customers want it. The mantra of "I want it now" has ushered in a generation of startups fueling the customer's self-imposed sense of urgency for product delivery that is actually an imposter for a valuable customer experience. Speed has replaced a meaningful personal experience that, at one point, actually …