The Thrill, Not the Digital, is How Retail Keeps its Customers

Retail continues to be a hot topic in the industry. And yet, much like with television, industry analysts still tout siloed thinking about the industry rather than looking it in a broad way. The media—and now Wikipedia—have dubbed this era in retail, “The Retail Apocalypse.” However, I would posit that the changes in retail are less an “apocalypse” and more a Noachide Flood—washing away the old, outdated and outmoded retail methods to make way for budding stores and concepts. The rainbow in the sky tells us that retail, in all its forms and across all channels, is alive and well. And this week, I had the pleasure of visiting one such new venture, indicative of retail’s vast potential and growth.

The concept, called Showfields, opened its doors on 11 Bond Street in New York City last week. Self-described as “the most interesting store in the world,” its interior, products, and experience did not disappoint. Israeli entrepreneurs Tal Zvi Nathanel and Amir Zwickel are responsible for the creation of the store, which focuses on bringing products that have begun their life online (interesting how some now see that as traditional) to a physical retail space (not unlike Warby Parker, Away, Bonobos, and others).

About the concept, Zwickel has said: “Showfields is designed to bridge the gap between discovery and physical experience, representing a new model and the future of brick-and-mortar retail.” And that it does. The space integrates digital and physical interactivity, using screens and apps to peruse, personalize and purchase an array of products like Quip, Frank Body, and Nuria.

While at the store, I seamlessly ordered a bespoke shampoo regiment (many of my readers know why this could be of importance to me), tried out an awesome new blanket concept called Gravity, arranged flowers for which I could order a monthly subscription, tried out a new exercise machine, and tasted incredible vegan fare, By Chloe—and that was just the first floor. The space is designed for discovery and interaction, marrying digital efficiency with the intimacy of experience and personalization.

Interestingly enough, my experience in this innovative retail space brought to mind the history and experience of another fantastic store—one that happens to be more than a hundred years old—Selfridges.

The British store, which was opened in London in 1909 by American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge, aimed to transform the shopping experience from one of necessity to one of leisure. Many describe Selfridges as the first store to “sell shopping as a pastime rather than a chore.” Today, we’d call that an experientially driven store. Even in an era of digital transformation and Amazon, a good store, a customer-focused and experience-focused store, can thrive.

The DNA of both Showfields and Selfridges is the understanding that customer—not commodity—is the priority, and it begs the question of how exactly retail lost its way in the first place. The answer to that question is a complicated one, and there are a variety of different factors ranging from financial mismanagement to real estate instability, but the long answer short, I believe, is that retail gradually became more about the product and price than the person. After the days of bespoke retail creation, unique experience, and customer attention, department stores and malls just became empty vessels to house products. It became about materialism over humanism. Eventually, the model stopped working completely (See: my recent piece on Sears). Listen:

“It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages” – Henry Ford

It’s as simple as that. Customers make or break a company. The minute you forget about them, you’re doomed. I know I bring up Amazon a lot, but it’s because they understand—and have always understood—that retail isn’t about selling. It’s about the customer. Jeff Bezos gets that, and so do the founders of Showfields. As Tal Tzvi Nathanel told me, "There are many things that make Showfields unique, but the one thing that defines us and is at core of everything we do is the commitment to the consumer. Looking at commerce from that 'unique' prism inherently leads to disruptive design, experience, technology and business model."

Walking around in Showfields this week, I felt the lesson of “customer first” put into practice. We have entered an age where we are comfortable with our digital selves, and we don’t have to prove how digital we are (because, in fact, digital is everything but not everything is digital). Showfields' interactive merging of digital and intimate is introducing us to an innovative, different way to shop using digital while keeping it personal. It’s a model I hope to continue seeing and writing about throughout the year. What do you think?