Recently while enjoying the current Cirque du Soleil show, Kurios, it struck me that many of the principles behind their success could be applicable to the world of retail. Behind the wildly creative costumes, clever sets and spectacular performances lay some very simple ideas that create some of the magic that is Cirque du Soleil: in particular 5 simple ideas that retailers can learn from to make their own magic. 1. Change it up From their beginning in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has never rested on their laurels, instead continuing to reinvent and innovate year after year. They have constantly[…]
Making retail personal
Retail should be personal. To be successful, a retail brand needs to make retail personal by connecting personally with each and every customer. Regardless of the retail channel – bricks & mortar, mobile or on-line – a brand’s personality and actions must speak to each customer in such a way as to tap into his or her secret desires and aspirations. When retailers occupy a niche market, where a bricks & mortar presence may not be feasible, and their chosen retail channel is on-line, making that connection can be difficult. There is no physical environment to engage and experience, no[…]
Differentiate or Die: Lole takes on Lululemon
In the retail world, the words “Differentiate or Die”, devised by Jack Trout over 13 years ago in his book of the same title, still ring as true today if not more so. With increasing international competition and customers overwhelmed with choices and bound by time constraints, now more than ever, retailers need to take these words to task. That’s particularly true in the active lifestyle sector where the ubiquitous Luluelemon owns the lion’s share of the market. Another Canadian success story, Lole, is going up against them not by being a “me too” retailer but by carving out their[…]
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[…]