Twice today I heard speakers talking about authenticity. The need for people, especially in the service industry, to eschew the traditional problem solving nature of customer service and develop a lasting positive connection with their customers. While Soledad O’Brien focused on authenticity in our interactions on a cultural and social level, Sandy Shugart spoke of authenticity within higher education institutions.
Shugart focused his talk of building authentic whole person relationships, specifically with students. To create this relationship, service leaders need to step back and think how the student thinks. “don’t make me feel stupid” says the student customer, and says this as they attempt to unravel the often cryptic and poorly explained textbook organization system in many college stores. “Anticipate what I need” and “make me feel that I have a friend inside” are other student customer demands, reinforcing the need for personalized systems and turning the customer into a person rather than a problem to be solved.
Shugart’s comments are reinforced when we consider that our core student customers are what Shubert refers to as the first Post Modern Generation. A terms that illustrates how this generation thinks and acts is remarkably different than that of the boomer generation.
As the boomer generation, we see ourselves as problem solvers. Problems must be investigated, analyzed and corrected. For the post modern student, there is an ingrained acceptance that “stuff happens”. Boomers look for movement forward, progress must be made. On the other side of the coin, post moderns see events as random. Movement is not always forward, progress is not guaranteed.
When applied to our attitudes of institutions, we see these institutions and big organizations as being fundamentally moral. For the post modern student, the focus is suspicion, and that institutions are manipulative. A scam. This applies throughout any educational institution , and the bookstore, often the public face of the campus, is viewed with a suspicious lens by the post modern student.
Yet, regardless of this new set of attitudes with today’s students, creating authentic relationships, building trust and delivering value are effective responses for the college bookstore in order to succeed now and in the future.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Mall of Millenia
Strolling through the Mall of Millennia, I was reminded of how many clever ideas exist in the shopping mall if you keep your eyes open. From the total shopping mall landscape, right down to individual store display elements. What I noticed most of all though was some strong retail themes that are in vogue right now.
Found item seems to have a great presence in a number of stores. Reclaimed and recycled wood benches, desks and tables are extremely popular as many retailers quietly emulate the Anthropologie visual esthetic. Old leather covered display tables and cash desks. A single 1940’s bicycle was the display element in a retailers window. Cupboards and drawers used as merchandising units. Recycling and reusing materials for display purposes.
Urban Outfitters seems to take this concept to the extreme in their Mall of Millennia store. Deconstructed and warehouse styled, the use of plywood as the singular design element is prevalent. Many wondered at copying this style at their own stores. While it certainly looks appealing, it is a reminder that to emulate the Urban Outfitters style means going big or gong home. You can’t do it piece meal. It seems to only work if you plan on transforming your entire store presence into these trendy urban retail barns.
In terms of color, Green is the color. Shades of vibrant green (and some orange) dominate in store merchandise and visual identity. So frequent was this color throughout the mall stores, you begin to wonder if perhaps green is now too popular, too common to be an “in” trendy color. After all, Pantone has moved on to turquoise as the color of the year. Perhaps retailers are just about ready to move onto this new color palette and leave green in the dust.
Overall visual design for retailers right now is on simplicity. Oneness. Simplicity in product placement and visual presentation. The one bicycle in the window was a sample of this, as was the large steamer trunk in another. Simple and arresting. Once again, Apple leads the way in their visual design. Disciplined and engaging. Simple cardboard cutouts of Apple reps greet you from the window. As we stood there, customers ran in to stand with the cutouts at their partner took pics. A good example of customer engagement.
And the total mall itself? An amazingly comfortable and community focused structure. A sense of height over the two levels. Wide open center courtyard areas for sitting and visiting. A vast glass atrium runs the length of the mall. I wondered how much inspiration could be gleaned from this mall when constructing Student union buildings on campus.
Found item seems to have a great presence in a number of stores. Reclaimed and recycled wood benches, desks and tables are extremely popular as many retailers quietly emulate the Anthropologie visual esthetic. Old leather covered display tables and cash desks. A single 1940’s bicycle was the display element in a retailers window. Cupboards and drawers used as merchandising units. Recycling and reusing materials for display purposes.
Urban Outfitters seems to take this concept to the extreme in their Mall of Millennia store. Deconstructed and warehouse styled, the use of plywood as the singular design element is prevalent. Many wondered at copying this style at their own stores. While it certainly looks appealing, it is a reminder that to emulate the Urban Outfitters style means going big or gong home. You can’t do it piece meal. It seems to only work if you plan on transforming your entire store presence into these trendy urban retail barns.
In terms of color, Green is the color. Shades of vibrant green (and some orange) dominate in store merchandise and visual identity. So frequent was this color throughout the mall stores, you begin to wonder if perhaps green is now too popular, too common to be an “in” trendy color. After all, Pantone has moved on to turquoise as the color of the year. Perhaps retailers are just about ready to move onto this new color palette and leave green in the dust.
Overall visual design for retailers right now is on simplicity. Oneness. Simplicity in product placement and visual presentation. The one bicycle in the window was a sample of this, as was the large steamer trunk in another. Simple and arresting. Once again, Apple leads the way in their visual design. Disciplined and engaging. Simple cardboard cutouts of Apple reps greet you from the window. As we stood there, customers ran in to stand with the cutouts at their partner took pics. A good example of customer engagement.
And the total mall itself? An amazingly comfortable and community focused structure. A sense of height over the two levels. Wide open center courtyard areas for sitting and visiting. A vast glass atrium runs the length of the mall. I wondered how much inspiration could be gleaned from this mall when constructing Student union buildings on campus.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Online Learning and Campus Retail
The New York Times had an interesting discussion on their "Room for Debate" blog yesterday. The discussion was focused on the value of online learning on college campuses, and who benefits - the college or the student? A number of education pundits weigh in, and the majority of authors were of the opinion that nothing beats the classroom experience.
I thought what was missing from this discussion was the adult lifelong learning experience, as well as career centered learning. Often we have the opportunity to take advantage of educational sessions at conferences and seminars. However, there is a growth in online learning opportunities these days. This is a great way to get some valuable advice and education in a cost effective way. I found these online sessions at the www.camex.org website:
"Creating Retail Events" is a good basic primer on integrating the campus store into college life. A number of examples, from sustainability to student choirs, show how a campus store can create excitement and traffic in the store through special events. There is not a one size fits all model for every campus and college store. Rather, the store needs to seek out the activities and desires of their unique customer base, and develop relationships that create unique and engaging events.
"Visual Merchandising" is a well developed and smart introduction to the basics of VM, not only at campus stores, but also at trend setting general retailers. You can tell that Patty McCray-Roberts knows her stuff, and she walks us through all the visual merchandising principles of balance, color, themes, and focal points. I cheered out loud when she talked about simplicity in display. So important - remove the clutter!
So impressive, I would take this presentation and show it to all my staff at orientation, when talking about the power of merchandising and in store marketing.
"Creating a Team that Delivers" is another good basic primer on developing strong and powerful teams with your store. Once again, the power of good recruitment, orientation and training is emphasized as the cornerstone of creating a strong positive team culture. I liked the reminder to celebrate employee success - the need to say thanks, and value each employee's contribution to the store's success.
There are more sessions to watch and hear. Check them out, and make an employee lunch out of it, creating a quick on site educational moment for all.
I thought what was missing from this discussion was the adult lifelong learning experience, as well as career centered learning. Often we have the opportunity to take advantage of educational sessions at conferences and seminars. However, there is a growth in online learning opportunities these days. This is a great way to get some valuable advice and education in a cost effective way. I found these online sessions at the www.camex.org website:
"Creating Retail Events" is a good basic primer on integrating the campus store into college life. A number of examples, from sustainability to student choirs, show how a campus store can create excitement and traffic in the store through special events. There is not a one size fits all model for every campus and college store. Rather, the store needs to seek out the activities and desires of their unique customer base, and develop relationships that create unique and engaging events.
"Visual Merchandising" is a well developed and smart introduction to the basics of VM, not only at campus stores, but also at trend setting general retailers. You can tell that Patty McCray-Roberts knows her stuff, and she walks us through all the visual merchandising principles of balance, color, themes, and focal points. I cheered out loud when she talked about simplicity in display. So important - remove the clutter!
So impressive, I would take this presentation and show it to all my staff at orientation, when talking about the power of merchandising and in store marketing.
"Creating a Team that Delivers" is another good basic primer on developing strong and powerful teams with your store. Once again, the power of good recruitment, orientation and training is emphasized as the cornerstone of creating a strong positive team culture. I liked the reminder to celebrate employee success - the need to say thanks, and value each employee's contribution to the store's success.
There are more sessions to watch and hear. Check them out, and make an employee lunch out of it, creating a quick on site educational moment for all.
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