The Future of Shopping Podcast: The secret to a good store experience

This podcast is part of our new editorial package, The Future of Shopping, in which we predict how the retail landscape will be shaped over the next decade. Click here to read more.

Vogue Business is delighted to announce the launch of our latest podcast series: The Future of Shopping. The Future of Shopping podcast investigates what the new era of shopping will look like, presented by Worldpay.

In each episode, Vogue Business editors will unpack what comes next for e-commerce, social commerce and Web3, what will happen to malls and high streets, and how consumers will shop in the future.

In the fifth episode, we discuss customer service. For the Future of Shopping, executive Americas editor Hilary Milnes explored how stores drifted away from investing in good customer service: people with knowledge of the product they’re selling, with nicely appointed fitting rooms and breezy transactions without the hassle of online shipping and (potential) returns. As department stores like Macy’s find themselves in even more competitive hot water, they’re going back to basics to draw customers back, through both good service and fun can’t-get-online experiences.

To go deeper on this topic, and what makes a good store today, Hilary is joined by Reformation CEO Hali Borenstein, who shared how the fashion brand — mostly known for its online assortment of wedding guest dresses, as well as its sassy email marketing — made a big jump into physical stores. As of now, the brand has 43 stores, and plans to open up to 10 more this year. Moving forward, the company says it will open between 10 and 15 stores annually.

Why is Reformation so bullish on stores? Borenstein says they work. The company introduced an in-store technology concept early on, called Retail X, that brings the online selection into store spaces via screens that customers can browse while they shop the racks, and turns each location into a mini distribution centre. Items are sent straight from the back into fitting rooms, where lighting can be adjusted to make for a better, more welcoming experience. The emphasis on technology doesn’t take the store associates out of the equation: Borenstein says that the brand has found the most sales happen when customers have interacted with both the screens and a store employee. The secret sauce, she says, is hiring the right people.