CEO Matt McCauley and Senior Vice President Stores/HR Marina Armstrong of Gymboree with Associate Director RMI Cynthia Gamage and past Gymboree intern Caitlin Hastings ’08 at NRF conference in New York.

Retail’s “Big Show” created quite a sensation in New York City. The buzz was incredible, with over 18,500 retailers and vendors attending.

However, one presenter stood out amongst the crowd: Matthew McCauley, the 33-year-old CEO of Gymboree. He spoke about many interesting aspects of the business, but one in particular stood out in my mind. He emphasized the importance of spending time in your stores. McCauley and his team did just that, and they discovered that ideas from corporate did not always transfer seamlessly to the stores. Through McCauley’s presentation I started to realize the importance of creating an experience for the customer. Further, there is a lack of connection between headquarters and the stores of so many retailers today. Stores are the retailers’ connection to their customers, and although the retail industry is becoming increasingly multi-channel oriented, the brick and mortar store will continue to be a vital part of a store’s brand. It is the retailers’ ability to leverage this channel that will create value for the customer.

Beyond the National Retail Federation conference, we had the opportunity to experience the “Big Show” of New York City. We were able to witness retail at its best; New York City has a pulse unlike any other and that pulse beats strongly in the heart of retail. Retail in New York sets a precedent. The shopping experience, which has become the aspiration of so many retailers today due to the increased emphasis on customer lifestyles, was in full swing in Greenwich Village. We got the tip about Greenwich Village from Chantel Waterbury, one of our alums who is now the VP of Kenneth Cole jewelry at Mariam Haskell. Chantel’s passion for the retail industry was contagious and her career path was inspiring to us all. It was time spent with people like Chantel that made the New York trip truly valuable.

We were short on time on our last day in New York, but our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Greenwich Village for a stroll by “Carrie Bradshaw’s” house and a cupcake from Magnolia’s Bakery. Bleeker Street, a quaint street running through Greenwich Village, was a window into what the retail experience is meant to be. Each store was charming and inviting in its own right—each format personified the brand that it represented.

A visit to Bleeker Street may include…a quick stop in Lulu Guinness, where the sales associate ties the customer’s shopping bag with satin black ribbon finished with a spritz of her choice of elegant perfume (which lingers for the rest of the day)… a quick stop at the Coach Store, where customers receive a coupon for Magnolia’s Bakery, a sweet treat with their new pair of shoes. A shopping trip on Bleeker Street is all about detail, a lost art in many retail formats today.

For me, it was a light bulb moment. I thought to myself, “This is what retailers are striving for.” I just had to have something from Bleeker Street; the product had more value because it was associated with this fairytale experience. Every time I look at my Lulu Guinness purse or my Coach ballet flats, I will remember the experience and I will never look at those brands in the same way. This is what retail is all about.

Retail Management Institute - Santa Clara University
rmi.scu.edu