The display greeting you at the doorway is a huge geode of crystal amethyst; the asking price is $2000. Behind it is a mannequin wearing an American Museum of Natural History T-shirt. Even for a museum store, the amethyst was impressive. “How many blocks have you sold?” I asked. “Quite a few,” the store manager answered. “You’d sell more if there was a sign next to it that said: Happy to ship.” “Done,” she said. The New Museum Store The museum store has gone through a seminal evolution over the past 20-some years. When the renovated …
Hidden Opportunities
Over my career, I’ve worked with a lot of clients that had hidden opportunities to market their products and services, hidden in plain sight. These opportunities come as a surprise to the retail executives I consulted with, and I have noticed that there are still so many ways to deliver meaningful experience to customers that seem elusive to even the most sophisticated and experienced executives. So, I offer some of these observations as food for thought. Anatomy Lessons + Design In 1977 I published my first article on public design in a …
What Are Screens Doing to Us?
At age 16 my first step towards independence was a driver’s license. I failed the first test and was mortified – parallel parking in a manual shift Dodge Dart wasn’t easy. Most of us boomers have similar stories of lusting for that license and the freedom we imagined came with it. How times have changed. Neither of my 20-something stepdaughters has any interest in driving. Part of the reason is ecological concerns, but more importantly their familiarity with Uber. Coming of Age in a Digital Age The first step towards independence for my …
A Perspective on Luxury from a Global Citizen
Let’s talk context. The origins of luxury goods go back to the 18th century when the retail model was developed for an aristocracy – the landed gentry with money to spend. In France, Italy, Spain, and England, aristocratic wealth spawned a category of high-quality expensive goods. Jewelry and clothing were just the entry points. Look at the history of Gucci, Rolex, LVMH, Rolls Royce and you will see the clear link between money and privilege. In their brand origin stories, money had a peaches and crème complexion. First Generation …
Reimagining the Supermarket
Note: The following has been excerpted from “How We Eat, the Brave New World of Food and Drink.” Copyright © 2022 by Peckshee, LLC. All good businesses gaze into their crystal ball in an attempt to arrive at the future an hour or two before everyone else. In Italy, “The Supermarket of the Future” has existed for some time. It was the name of a project that the design firm Carlo Ratti Associati created in 2015 for the Milan World Expo. The experimental store was part of a “future food district pavilion” sponsored by Coop Italia, the country’s …
The Evolution of Shrink
Shrink is trending up. News reports from cities across the country document what loss prevention specialists are calling a huge increase in “organized theft.” Walgreens and CVS have closed stores in San Francisco and LA as a result of ongoing store losses. The looting in Nordstrom in Walnut Creek was shocking with police reports that some 80 people were involved. As a new industry standard, store security personnel are being asked not to pursue or confront thieves because of the risk of violence. Theft is one of the most corrosive issues in …
Drugs, Wellbeing and Finance
Last month the broader retail world applauded two of the nation's largest drugstore chains when they moved women into senior management roles. The gender divide rooted in the tradition of the male pharmacist's early 20th century small-town location was finally overcome. Up to now, male leadership of beauty, OTC and first aid products was skewed and often curiously inept. The drugstore has made huge strides and taken major steps forward in the interest of female empowerment. One could argue that female management has more empathy and …
Reflections from an Ex-Urban
Suburban Stories In our post-pan world, the choices of where and how we spend our money have changed. The inequities of our American culture are stark. In spite of Covid, the stock market is up. Some Americans are doing just fine. Any of us with Fortune 50 stock holdings are richer today than we were a year ago. We may not be buying fashion or going on vacations, but we are revisiting our homes and our kitchens. Suburban contractors are busy; Home Depot, Tractor Supply (a personal favorite) and Ace Hardware are all booming. The wait time for …