What’s the Future of the Store? Design & Experience Luminaries Share Hot Takes

Over the past two years, ecommerce has gotten a lot of attention. It’s obvious why: the volatility of the pandemic urged everyone to minimize their store trips and be more thoughtful about when, and how frequently, they were venturing out of their homes. But now, we’re seeing an exciting resurgence of the store. Consumers are not just willing to venture out—they’re excited to! They want to interact with experts, touch, feel and experience products and get up close and personal with the brands they love.  
 
Brands and retailers are taking note, and they’re doubling down on their brick-and-mortar strategies. Throughout the entire Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, we’ll have brand leaders across categories reflect on how they’ve invested in physical experiences and, most of all, how they’re looking to the future. They will share how they’re pushing creative limits by embracing new design strategies, community-driven models and cutting-edge technologies to create a harmonized experience (thanks for the great phrase, Steve Dennis), and foster brand loyalty.  
 
Register to learn from some of these incredible creative minds: 

Michelle Collins

Michelle is the President and Chief Experience Officer for A Non-Agency, a consumer experience marketing consultancy based in New York. She’s also the brains behind the Brand Closet Showroom Social platform, a new concept that blends hospitality, influencers and retail to create a lifestyle- and culture-driven experience. In this new era of retail, Michelle has an enlightening perspective on the role that partnerships (between brands and individuals) play in retail experience strategy, and how technology can be used to drive immersive physical experiences, too!

She’ll be speaking on the Brand Closet Showroom Social platform and how retailers can embrace core hospitality methods during the design:retail Conference. She also will be hosting a workshop on May 10 about how brands can partner with influencers to amplify store success with Kyle Hjelmeseth of G&B Digital Management.

Giovanni Zaccariello

Giovanni Zaccariello

A t-rex made of purses. A pop-concept that doubles as a diner. Immersive digital screens that surround products. In the world of Coach, there are no design ideas that are off limits. At a time when innovation and experimentation are key, some execs need to get inspired to take the leap. That’s why we brought in Giovanni Zaccariello, SVP of Global Visual Experience at Coach. 

He and his team are in the midst of an incredible innovation journey and are embracing the best of technology, localization, pop culture and so much more. Get an exclusive look inside this journey and get some incredible lessons for your brand by checking out his session on May 11 in the design:retail Conference

Mimi Swain

Mimi is the Chief Revenue Officer of Ring. Yeah, that Ring. You’ve probably seen the products online and especially in its series of retail partners. Mimi has helped create continuity between all these different channels and has blended digital technology with physical design practices to create a turnkey, modular strategy for store merchandising and activations. 

If wholesale partnerships are big for your business, and you’re looking for more efficient and modular ways to inspire initial engagement and long-term interaction across channels, her fireside chat during the design:retail Conference is for you!

Harry Cunningham

Harry Cunningham

If you’re in the store design and visual merchandising world, you definitely know Harry. He is an active member of the community and supports up-and-coming professionals through his contributions with PAVE. He’s also the Vice President of Retail Brand Experience at Vera Bradley and now, the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of goodMRKT, the innovative retail concept. (He’s a busy man, we know.) 

With goodMRKT, he has implemented an authentic and immersive community concept that brings consumers closer to brands with incredible products and that are making an incredible impact on the world. At the center of the experience is a café, which Harry believes is the heart of the store community and inspires true connection. 

We’re thrilled to have Harry on board to speak during our Retail Innovation Summit. He’s also bringing along Vera Bradley CEO Robert Wallstrom and Bob Dalton, CEO of Sackcloth & Ashes. Together, they’ll have a dynamic conversation about the role of “community-driven commerce” and how goodMRKT closely aligns with its brand partners to drive its mission home. 

Melissa Gonzalez

If you have an event that talks about the future of the store and Melissa Gonzalez isn’t there, did it even happen? All jokes aside, we consider Melissa one of our go-to experts on store experience and design, and we’re thrilled to have her kicking off the design:retail Conference. She will be spotlighting the key trends shaping the future of the store and how technology, brand storytelling and community can drive differentiation for brands and retailers. 

She has incredible research and first-hand work under her belt, so this is bound to be a robust and tactical session.

Rich Fulop

Rich Fulop

Brooklinen is setting its sights on growth and brick-and-mortar is a big part of its vision. The brand started as a DTC darling, building its passionate following online. But you may have noticed more Brooklinen stores popping up, which is why we asked Rich Fulop, Co-Founder and CEO, to share his perspectives on this journey, and what lessons he has for other direct-to-consumer brands. 

During the DTC Innovation Forum, which is part of the Internet Retailer Conference, he will join senior leaders from Brilliant Earth and Alvies Boots to chat about the shift from URL to IRL. For some brands, it’s about events and activations. For others, strategic pop-ups and showrooms are key. And for others, it’s a combination of all of these! During this session, our experts will dig into their learnings and offer some sage advice to help DTC brands get their store strategy going! 

Believe me when I tell you, this is only the beginning! Other brands that will be digging into new design trends and store strategies include Foot Locker, New Balance, Interior Define, INDOCHINO, YourStudio, Popeyes, Neighborhood Goods, SmileDirectClub, Parachute and so many more.

If you want to get in on all of these amazing sessions, an All-Access Pass is your best bet! Early Bird pricing is available until April 12, so register now to join the fun!

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