Main RMI Number
408-554-4960
SCU - St. Joseph's Hall
Room # 108
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Retail Management Institute Newsletter - Spring '06
RMI Reception at the GAP
by Colleen Carr
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top: Lynda Firey-Oldroyd, vice president of Consumer Insights, Gap, Inc.
below: Retail Studies students, alumni and advisory board members listen to presentation by Lynda Firey-Oldroyd. |
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RMI alumni, the Advisory Board, and Retail Studies students gathered at Gap's San Francisco headquarters for the annual reception on April 26. The occasion marked an opportunity to share industry insights, exchange ideas, and catch up with old friends. The event featured a presentation by Lynda Firey-Oldroyd, a pacesetter of marketplace research who has designed strategies for companies such as R.J. Reynolds, Frito-Lay, Pepsi Cola, Taco Bell, Levi Strauss and Company, and presently, Gap Inc.
Oldroyd spoke on “The Age of Experience,” highlighting how Gap Inc. defines, measures, and manages customer experiences while fostering consumer engagement and delivering value. She described Gap Inc.'s highly collaborative and comprehensive method using the metaphor of “Participatory Theater” to capture the notion of experience that permeates modern retailing. In addition, Oldroyd described what she called “Moments of Truth” as a reflection of customer perceptions and values. By evaluating the customer's experience, the "Moments of Truth" philosophy became the foundation for Gap Inc.'s on going CE survey, a monthly-reported Internet survey launched in 2005. By and large, Oldroyd's presentation reminded that a nuanced understanding of the customer is the first step to increased profits as well as revealed how the right data translates into the blueprint for competitive advantage.
Following the presentation, a brief reception allowed alumni, board members, and students to mingle, chat about internships, and share their own retail experiences.
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top: Retail Studies students meet with Joe Tomaselli, former vice president of global apparel and sourcing, Nike at the RMI Advisory Board reception.
bottom: Retail studies students at RMI Advisory Board reception.
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Retail Management Institute - Santa Clara University
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