Some members of our community don’t know that the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (RICE) started as a small, intimate event in New York City. Nearly eight years ago, we had a vision of creating a dynamic and collaborative space where disruptive DTC brands and forward-thinking heritage brands could come together to talk shop, get candid about their challenges, and learn how their peers were turning some of the industry’s most innovative ideas into action for their businesses.
This year, we had the incredible opportunity to bring this experience to the next level. But during this process, we knew we also wanted to keep the collaborative and interactive nature of our smaller event the same. That’s why activations and more immersive moments on the expo floor were a big part of our 2022 vision (and moving forward, too)! One of our incredible partners was goodMRKT, a new retail brand and concept from Vera Bradley designed to connect good people, great products and exceptional causes.
At the center of the goodMRKT experience is a café, which is designed to inspire organic and authentic connection in the store. Around this active hub is a dynamic merchandise strategy that educates and immerses shoppers in brands that are doing good for the world. We believe that social good and community connection are the foundation of impactful retail experiences, so we were thrilled to bring the goodMRKT concept to our floor. During the show, Retail TouchPoints’ SVP Andrew Gaffney got the chance to chat with goodMRKT Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Harry Cunningham to dig deeper into the company’s mission.
The Retail TouchPoints team were boots on the ground, interviewing a lot of our incredible partners and exhibitors. Stay tuned for more footage from the floor to see the big takeaways from 2022!
