We packed our bags, loaded up the van with all our gear, and hit the road on our very first retail road trip from June 21-25, 2010. We headed straight down I-70 to St. Louis, looking to gain new insights along the way into why, where and how people shop.
Vehicle courtesy:
WE'RE BACK!
After five grueling days in St. Louis on the first-ever Retail Road Trip, we’ve returned to good ol’ Lawrence. Along the way, we discovered a lot about how people shop and even more about how businesses connect with their shoppers to build lasting relationships that drive big sales.
Judy and Terry at Sunrise Soap in Parkville showed us that going above and beyond the call of duty for your customers can really pay dividends.
Kurt, from the legendary Shakespeare’s Pizza in Columbia, told us that he didn’t just want to give his customers a good experience – he wanted to give them a GENUINE one.
Ken, from Herbaria in St. Louis, taught us that a great product is essential to a positive shopping experience.
Maxine and Cindy from Build-A-Bear stressed the importance of making each shopper’s store experience great time after time.
But most of all, I think we came to realize on our trip that, in the end, a great retail experience is all about listening to your customers when it comes to your product, your store, your people and your brand. Once you do that, marketing is easy – because all you have to do is tell the truth. And what could be more simple than that?
Well, we don’t want to ramble. After all, these insights are already right here for you to check out on your own. If you've been following along on our journey since the beginning, then we’d like to send you a big thanks for reading, and we hope you look forward to following along next time. If not, then what are you waiting for? Check it out!
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by Nick Kinney, July 2, 2010 at 2:44 PM | Add a Comment
While in St. Louis, we had a great time visiting the Build-A-Bear store in The Galleria, but by far our greatest BAB experience came during our time with Maxine Clark.
Maxine, the founder and Chief Executive Bear, continues to build the Build-A-Bear brand. She shared some great insights with us about how she grew from one store to over 400.
Once again, our conversation centered around listening and catering to the customer. Unlike some of our other talks, though, this one veered toward social media, how it has changed the retail world and how it can effect a brand's status in the minds of consumers.
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by Nick Kinney, July 2, 2010 at 2:14 PM | Add a Comment
Sure, we set off for St. Louis on business, but all work and no play makes Cindy, Martine, Dustin and Nick a dull crew. We couldn't possibly leave town without seeing what makes the Gateway to the West famous.
Scroll through the photos above to see some shots from the Gateway Arch, Union Station, Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard and The Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which Nick and Dustin kept calling The Motherland for some reason - don't ask us why.
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by Nick Kinney, June 30, 2010 at 1:59 PM | Add a Comment
Herbaria Soap may have been the last stop on the Retail Road Trip, but it certainly wasn't the least interesting. This independently-owned outfit on The Hill makes wonderful all-natural, plant-based soaps that smell wonderful and are great for moisturizing the skin.
But soap wasn't the only thing we took home from Herbaria. We also gleaned a lot of new insights, and confirmed even more that we'd already discovered.
All in all, what really stuck with us after our hour-long talk with Ken, the impassioned founder and owner of Herbaria, was that they keys to success in retail are simple. It all starts with making a great product. Once you have that, the rest is easy. Just tell the truth about what you sell and show your passion for serving your customers.
Loving your product and loving your customers. What a refreshingly common-sensical approach to business. But why oh why isn't it always this easy?
Callahan Creek rocks. Lots of fun to have you visit us. Thanks to Jackie for suggesting us. We love what you're doing with this blog. Come back to St. Louis soon.
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by ken gilberg, June 30, 2010 at 2:07 PM | Suggest Removal
And we sure love your soap!!
http://www.herbariasoap.com/
While exploring The Hill on the final day of the Retail Road Trip, we stumbled upon a wonderful little boutique and design shop called SKIF.
Much like many, clothing labels, their business depends on independent boutiques and clothing stores being able to acquire and sell their product -- which is why we found their common-sense approach to online sales so amazing.
SKIF, you see, doesn't prefer to have you buy online if there's a store in your area that carries their products. In fact, they'll even point you to the registered retailers in your area so that you can get their gear while supporting your local economy.
A company that's as dedicated to its business partners (which they seem to fully realize are the lifelines of their business) as it is to its product and its customers. How refreshing.
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by Nick Kinney, June 29, 2010 at 2:12 PM | Add a Comment
No matter where we go, the Retail Road Trip is always on the lookout for eye-catching art. We found this HUGE collage/mural on a wall near the Gateway Arch.
Click the photo above to see a larger version, or check out a short video clip here.
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by Nick Kinney, June 25, 2010 at 3:33 PM | Add a Comment
Yes, that's what they are - soft surroundings. The atmosphere in this St. Louis specialty store is a perfect picture of their name. It calms all your senses - soft colors on the walls, soft plush linens, soft music, and soft beautiful clothes that you want to touch and wear.
Soft Surroundings started as a catalog retailer in 1999 and opened their St. Louis flagship store in 2005. They have done an excellent job of engaging their shoppers who they describe as "women of all ages, especially those who need to be reminded to put themselves at the top of their to do list."
When you walk into the store you immediately feel pampered. But their message is, "We don't use the word pamper, because wearing soft comfortable clothes, sleeping on fine linens and soothing your mind and body should be an every day occurrence."
Yeah, we agree, but since that's probably not possible, Soft Surroundings provides a nice break from the stressful shopping experience. And what were the shoppers doing? Spending lots of time there, trying on lots of clothes and having someone pamper them with luxurious skin care products. Great example of bringing their mission to life at retail.
I buy from them online and would add that their presentation - even in a ship box and their email follow-up is noteworthy.
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by CClock, June 25, 2010 at 2:59 PM | Suggest Removal
TRADER JOE'S: A SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
I've heard people talking about Trader Joe's for some time. Advocates, every one of them. So, we were happy to stumble upon one on our St. Louis Retail Road Trip. And now I understand what all the buzz is about. Beyond great product (mostly Trader Joe's brand), beautiful produce and a pretty large selection of nice wines, Trader Joe's is an experience.
What makes it so special?
1. The store is active – more people packed into aisles, talking to one another and to the store associates, early rock and roll music playing, people almost dancing in the aisles. We heard lots of laughter – it felt more like a party than a trip to the grocery store. Store associates in fun attire, people of every age in the aisles. Who wouldn't want to shop there? It makes you happy.
2. The signage is even fun and seems hand written and localized. It has a definite personality that matches the whole experience - colorful, fresh, local.
3. Knowledgeable store associates ready to answer health conscious and curious shoppers questions. We noticed more people reading the labels of packaged goods than we've observed in other grocery stores. More shoppers were engaging store associates and asking them questions. In the wine section, a young woman who was purchasing a large selection of wines asked the store associate to describe every wine she was considering. He was clearly a subject matter expert, because he clearly articulated what each wine was like - telling her what wine would go best with what food. He did it patiently and made it fun.
4. The shoppers seemed very loyal - about 60% of the shoppers had their Trader Joe's reusable shopping bags when they walked in the door.
5. The Trader Joe's big selection of prepared gourmet meals and snacks are every busy shopper's dream. They seem to be all about making your like easy, healthy and fun - all the way down to their value priced beverages like "Two Buck Chuck."
Trader Joe's - a grocery store? No, a shopping experience that delights shoppers and makes grocery shopping fun. (Check out more pictures from Trader Joe's on our Flickr)
It seems like they have learned how to fit into the local culture in which they operate - using all the cultural cues at their disposal: visual, auditory, proxemics, etc. You know, I just love retailers that take their passion all the way down to individual associates. I'd love to hear about their hiring and day-to-day HR practices. I'll bet they are really good at finding people who will love working in that environment. Sounds like this was an awesome experience!
What did you notice about people's demeanor as they were leaving the store? Hurried? Happy? Lingering? Just curious...
During our recent ethnographic work in Portland, I sat and observed shoppers leaving a Trader Joe's market. Per your comment, I was struck by the fact that everyone seemed to just stroll (vs rush) out of the store and with content smile, no less. How different than the demeanor one more typically sees at a grocery store! Shopping at Trader Joe's is obviously not a chore but a pleasant experience for people.
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by Holmes, June 25, 2010 at 11:22 AM | Suggest Removal
WANT TO MAKE YOUR CALL TO ACTION REALLY SING?
Then really sing.
Thanks to the guys at The Fudgery for a great show and some tasty rocky road fudge.
I love this place. Been there a couple of times. And end up buying a lot of fudge when we go. Did you know Coldstones employees sing on request, too? Specialty Retailers that have special things they do create an environment unlike a big box retailer ever could. Kind of like the surprise in every box Cracker Jacks promises!
While on our visit to Build-A-Bear in the Galleria, we chatted with this lovely mother and daughter, who gave us some great insights into not only their experience at Build-A-Bear, but about their shopping lives in general.
Our favorite moment from this short interview is by far the one where mom explains how she enjoys shopping, even if it isn't for herself. Making her daughter happy and rewarding her for living up to expectations (in this case, making good grades) is highly satisfying in and of itself.
Do you think you are getting peoople that prefer to shop in store to those who prefer online shopping because you are in the malls?
I much prefer online and to that end rarely shop in actual stores!
Just a thought!
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by CClock, June 24, 2010 at 3:20 PM | Suggest Removal
Couldn't agree more about generally preferring to shop online - I'd rather have instant access to broad selection and quick price comparisons, with the purchase delivered to my door in a few days, rather than fighting traffic, parking, etc. The times I do enjoy shopping are when the actual shopping EXPERIENCE is enjoyable - like browsing the musty stacks of a quiet used bookstore with the store's cat strolling. And although I don't necessarily enjoy the experience per se, going to a specialty store (e.g. Ace Hardware) for expert advice can often save time and prevent poorly advised "do it yourself online purchases."
It seems pretty typical that as the daughter grows up, her preferences gear more towards brand name/specialty stores, rather than the big box stores. But I’d guess a lot of parents may not be as willing as this mom to shop brand name as quickly as their childrens’ tastes change. It would be interesting to see how brand name stores leverage this when determining whether to target product purchasers (parents) or product demanders/end users (kids).
I'm thinking that as we continue to emerge from this recession, there is actually a very big opportunity for specialty retailers. A segment of the population really cut back on all of their spending, while many households reduced extraneous or "fun" spending. I do doubt we're going to see a return of spending to things that were "just for fun" or "looks interesting, I'll try it." What I do think we'll see is a return to spending on experiences that deliver beyond just the product. As one person recently told me about why they bought a more expensive mountain bike from a specialty bike shop instead of a cheaper brand at a mass retailer: "You are buying more than just the bike. I bought support, expertise and advice."
So, I think we're going to see parents willing to spend on brand names during a child's development, knowing those preferences will change. But ONLY if buying those brands contributes something beyond just being a brand. Is it an experience with the child they'll always remember? Does it help the child grow in some way - personally, emotionally, spiritually? And let's don't forget the life cycle of brands. If a parent is able to recycle that brand back into a community (giving it to a family member, selling it at a garage sale, selling through a consignment shop), that has tremendous value. I think they will spend on that.
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