Experience Counts

Designing an in-store retail experience that’s truly memorable is the goal of the most successful retailers. In this episode, we chat with Sam Gean, the marketing director of the Japanese goods retailer Rikumo in Center City. Walking through the store is a multi-sensorial journey that invites discovery — but they don’t stop there. Rikumo’s workshops and digital efforts are prime examples of how to extend those experiences in inventive ways.• How Rikumo conceived its store as a product showcase • A deep dive into the design of the store, which deliberately touches on all the senses from the store aroma to the complimentary tea tastings• Rikumo’s workshops and events allow customers to experience the retailer’s philosophy and design values in new ways• How to maintain your brand identity in partnerships and other opportunities• Examples of the retailer’s techniques to creating compelling storytelling, including on social media • Why Rikumo designed a Philadelphia city guide• Experiences as the No. 1 factor most important to brands and retailers• Tech’s near-future role in retail and what consumers will gain• How Rikumo leverages digital strategies from its online store to its social media to amplify and extend its retail experience• The importance of offering diverse digital and high-quality content • Consumer trends in lifestyle to heedConnect with Rikumo: • https://rikumo.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/rikumo/ •• https://www.facebook.com/rikumojapan/ •• https://www.pinterest.com/rikumojapan/ •• https://twitter.com/rikumojapan •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

Shopping centers and other innovative retail concepts are some of the most exciting playgrounds for consumer experiences. For this two-part episode, we talk to leading real estate investment trust PREIT and MSC Retail about how they’re curating experiences designed to fit their target market. This episode of Part I features PREIT’s Senior Vice President Heather Crowell and Marketing Director Erika Erb, who both share fascinating insights into the type of information that goes into PREIT’s decision-making, the consumer behaviors they’re tapping into and a special look into the exciting new Fashion District, slated to open to the public in September this year.Heather Crowell, Senior Vice President, chats: • New diversified model to the traditional mall• Bridging the online-offline experience IRL, by catering to those who love the hunt of the deal PREIT’s Cherry Hill project as a testing ground for new retail concepts, including a new partnership with incubator 1776 that focuses on retail innovation• The opportunity for retail tech to reveal new insights about consumer shopping behaviors• Examples of how PREIT is offering consumer experiences through its various properties, including pop-ups • Insight into how PREIT curates its retail mix and experiences to different consumer targets (hint: data)• The resurgence of brand loyalty • Trends driving retail, including the click and collect model, and how retailer engagement can have a payoff • Spending stats around multi-channel shoppers vs single-channel shoppers• Discovery as an important component to influencing retail sales• Why malls and retail centers need to be flexible and creative Erika Erb, Marketing Director, on:• Variety, convenience and accessibility as inspirations behind PREIT’s upcoming Fashion District project in Philadelphia• The four pillars of the Fashion District — style, dining, entertainment, arts & culture — that makes it a 360-degree lifestyle destination• The Fashion District’s Uniquely Philly incubator program: Showing off the best of Philadelphia- bred businesses • PREIT’s $1 million investment in public art• PREIT’s philanthropy partnership with local nonprofits as a way to engage the community• PREIT’s learnings from The Gallery that they’re using to inform the new project• Variety and customization as a major consumer retail trendsConnect with PREIT: • https://www.linkedin.com/company/preit/ •• https://twitter.com/PREIT • • https://www.preit.com •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

In Part II of this episode on innovative retail concepts, Matthew Stein, who runs MSC Retail’s MSC University division as its director and vice president, shares insights about the commercial districts around higher-ed spaces, the desire of consumers wanting to connect as a major trend driving retail experiences, and why it’s all about being aspirational. • How the ground level of any commercial space defines the spaces adjacent to it and what it reveals about the community where it’s located • Bringing the uniqueness of Philadelphia to higher-ed institutions in the city• Food & beverage as the main driving components of the consumer experience in higher-ed spaces• Why curating a mix of aspirational retailers is important and what this communicates to students, faculty and staff• The thinking that went into the Franklin’s Table food hall concept, including the unusual tenant mix• Critical data points that brands should be looking at to help them create better customer experiences — and where to find that data • Trends in experiential retail that are being led by the behaviors of Millennials and Gen Z• Consumer demand for interaction is impacting in a big way what retailers are offering beyond straight-up shopping• How developers are designing physical spaces in ways that engage consumers and the urbanization of cities as an indicator of this consumer desire• A new dawn of retailers and landlords working together to create points of connectivity Connect with MSC:• http://www.mscretail.com/ •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/mscretail/ •• https://www.instagram.com/msc_retail/ • • https://www.facebook.com/MSCRetail/ •• https://twitter.com/MSC_Retail •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

All things digital and tech, which are both necessary components of experiential retail. We spotlight Keith Fitzgerald, VP of Tech at Honeygrow, whose kiosks presaged how customers order food and since has become a pioneer in bringing new technologies into the food experience. UBIQ’s Brand Director Kyle Riggle and Marketing and Social Media Manager Dariel Harris also stop by the studio to chat about how they’re using content across their platforms from in-store to social media, and making online-offline experiences seamless.Keith Fitzgerald, VP of Technology of Honeygrow, on:• How kiosk technology is an integral part of the guest experience• Personalization through tech• Building engagement through the Honeygrow app• How Honeygrow is optimizing moments when customers are waiting for their food to build brand loyalty• Creating a seamless experience between the kiosks, the mobile app and the store visit• How Honeygrow is using data to serve up better customer experiences • How new technology like augmented reality could be used in a restaurant environmentConnect with Honeygrow:• https://www.honeygrow.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/honeygrow/ •• https://www.facebook.com/honeygrow/ • • https://twitter.com/honeygrow •UBIQ’s Kyle Riggle, Brand Director, and Dariel Harris, Marketing and Social Media Manager • How the Atlas wall at its Walnut Street location is a platform to showcase its in-house-created content • How UBIQ learned to speak with their consumer in a way that best engages them• How the brand leverages social media to build conversations and excitement around its products• What happens when you use social media as an extension of the store• The secret to building followers (hint: it’s a domino effect)• Using tech & digital as a complementary aspect of the curated store experience• How digitally focused retail experiences are the future of retail• The promise of data and serving customers better• Online retailers opening brick and mortars as a sign of retail’s resurgenceConnect with Ubiq: • https://www.ubiqlife.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/ubiqlife/?hl=en •• https://www.facebook.com/UBIQLife/ •• https://twitter.com/ubiqlife •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

In this episode around building community, The Sable Collective founders Shanti Mayers and Syreeta Scott (of renowned hair salon Duafe) invite us to sit in on a workshop held at their boutique in North Philadelphia. After the event, we chat about:Three major pillars that The Sable Collective builds its products around Why community is so important and what The Sable Collective has been able to contribute to theirsHow the event element became an integral part of their retail modelCreating a space where facilitators can come to The Sable Collective to help carry out their missionsHow Mayers and Scott ensure that events stay aligned with The Sable Collective’s pillarsExamples of how they adapt events to participants, including offering childcareIntentionally becoming a resource for the community with mental and financial health eventsWhy consistency mattersHow social media is the horse for the messagePersevering as an owner through the inevitable challenges that come upA call to action for facilitators A special announcement for 2019Connect with The Sable Collective: • https://squareup.com/store/sable-22 •• https://www.instagram.com/thesablecollective/ •• https://www.facebook.com/Thesablecollective/ •Connect with Duafe: • http://new.duafephilly.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/locsbyduafe/ •• https://www.facebook.com/DuafeHolisticHairCare2/ •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

Part II of an episode on brand mission and purpose. We hang out with Founder Tiffany Easley of NV My Eyewear and then head over to Blue Sole Shoes to talk (retail) shop with President and Founder Steve Jamison and a special customer.Tiffany Easley, Founder, NV My Eyewear talks about:• The origins of Easley’s sense of mission• Why she chose to open her first business in Philadelphia on the 52nd Street retail corridor• How NV My Eyewear finds opportunities to align its mission with the community • The first topic Easley discusses with potential employees before she brings them on board• The financial investment she makes in employees • “If things don’t feel right, don’t do it”• What the number 33 means to EasleyConnect with NV My Eyewear:• https://nvmyeyewear.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/nvmyeyewear33/ •• https://www.facebook.com/nvmyeyewear/ •Steve Jamison, President and Owner, Blue Sole Shoes on:• How his first pair of shoes changed his life forever• The power of fashion on self-esteem• The main tenets of customer service that Jamison teaches his staff• When mission is a truth vs. a fad that companies jump on• Jamison’s outreach efforts focus on young peopleConnect with Blue Sole Shoes:• https://bluesoleshoes.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/bluesoleshoesphilly/ •• https://www.facebook.com/Blue-Sole-Shoes-1392032861096335/ •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •

Part I of two episodes on brand mission and purpose. Nick Bayer, CEO and Founder of coffee company Saxbys, discusses:• Setting a culture for your business• What truly exceptional companies have and do• Saxbys’ six core values (hint: one of them is “be weird”)• The No. 1 question that entrepreneurs should ask themselves that’s essential to success• How social media helps Saxbys expresses its mission• Saxbys’ Experiential Learning Program: The high risk — and high payoff — that Saxbys took when it decided to put its cafes into college students’ hands• Nick’s favorite mission-driven companies• B-corps as the future of business• How Gen Z differs from Millennials, and how organizations are adapting in order to cater to themConnect with Saxbys:• http://www.saxbyscoffee.com/ •• https://www.instagram.com/saxbys/ •• https://www.facebook.com/SaxbysCoffee •• https://twitter.com/Saxbys •Connect with The Enterprise Center: • https://www.facebook.com/TECCDC/ •• https://twitter.com/PhilaTEC •• https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-enterprise-center/ •• https://www.instagram.com/westphillyfoods/ •• http://www.theenterprisecenter.com/business/the-grit-studios •Learn more about the Fashion District here:• https://fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com/ •Don't know how to subscribe? Watch this short video walking you through the process:• https://youtu.be/VBRzKZhW8j8 •