In May, The Bay is set to launch a Kleinfeld Bridal shop in their downtown Toronto flagship – the first of its kind in the world. If successful, the retail concept could pave the way for additional locations helping to position The Bay as a leader in the bridal market. But, will The Bay be able to successfully recreate the brand retail experience that customers expect? Although 10% of Kleinfeld’s customers are reportedly from Canada, for the majority of Canadians their understanding of the brand comes primarily from television. For viewers of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”, Kleinfeld is known[…]
Customer Experience: The web, evolution & where we are now
As the 25th anniversary of the web passed last week, I considered how the retail world had morphed since 1989. Aside from the obvious birth of e-commerce and the eventual dawn of omnichannel retailing, what fundamental change did the web incite in retail? With the ability to source information (& products) from virtually anywhere in the world, the consumer became more knowledgeable, sophisticated and in-touch. Their expectations were raised to a new level and retailers needed to respond. For retailers, what emerged was an era focused on customer experience. In their book, The Experience Economy – Work is Theatre & Every[…]
Retail is alive and well
Retail is a living breathing thing that is constantly reinventing itself, morphing to meet the needs of an increasingly savvy consumer; a consumer that has now become a collaborator rather than a mere customer. From Harry Selfridge in the early days of the 20th century who transformed shopping from a menial chore into an engaging social activity, open to all classes, to Steve Jobs who has redefined the customer experience, creating a tribe of Apple brand advocates, retail is in a constant state of change. At its heart, successful retail, through all of the changes, has always been about emotionally[…]