When you read the headline, were you thinking, “Yeah right, I remember those weeks.” Did a big sigh well up from your toes? Now, remember, I am a publisher – not a florist – so my definition of a good week for retail will vary a bit from yours. My good week for retail was the simple serendipity of two major consumer publications recognizing the importance of retailing!
The Globe and Mail, Canada’s conservative national newspaper, recently underwent a major redesign, complete with new columns and sections. The one that florists will want to keep an eye on is Hannah Sung’s take on consumer culture and the stuff that surrounds us. This will be a weekly column in the lifestyle section of the Saturday paper. Her first column, which grabbed my attention, covered the launch of a new “greeter” service at Holt Renfrew, the nation’s leading luxury department store chain (that should read: only luxury department store chain!). It’s worth noting when a high-end luxury retailer takes a cue from the master of mass marketing that introduced customer greeters – Wal-Mart. The style of greeter service available at Holt Renfrew will differ from that of Wal-Mart on more fronts than just uniforms. Holt’s “hosts,” as they have been named, will greet customers and help to build relationships for the store. They will mingle, connect customers to the merchandise they are looking for and deliver them to a sales associate. This is an interesting investment in face-to-face retailing at a time when the trend appears to be towards online shopping. In fact, as Sung points out, Holt Renfrew doesn’t sell merchandise online. To read the full article, visit the web exclusive section at www.canadianfloristmag.com and click on “Take Me to Your Greeter.”
At the other end of the consumer publishing spectrum is Dwell magazine, whose tagline, “At Home in the Modern World,” says it all. This 10-year-old publication is about all things modern and sustainable. Judging from the success of the magazine and its media offerings, it has found many like-minded souls in North America. In the November 2010, issue, the editors have created a primer on retail design: 101 Retail Design. They present a short timeline on the many forms of retailing, from the ancient Greeks through to the advent of the first department stores, big-box stores, web shopping and pop-up kiosks; a guide to current retail lingo; and a great piece on the importance of shop-window design. Simon Doonen, Barneys New York window designer for the last 25 years, says to go with low-tech funky home-made, crafty window displays to compete with the web. Gadget-savvy retailers will want to check out the piece called “Just Browsing,” which explores the future of shopping with our hand-held PDAs. The concept of customers pointing their phones at a product and seeing all of the pertinent information on their screens holds great potential for the sharing of care and handling tips. Visit www.canadianfloristmag.com for a link to the digital edition.
Are you excited yet? Maybe these words from Ikea’s U.S. communication and interior design manager, Linda Fossman, will help: “We have a website and catalog, but the store is important as a place to meet the customer.” Retail spaces continue to evolve, and the experience the customer looks for will change through the ages, but it’s still a good week for retail.
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