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Emotional Experience

Do more than sell – teach, inspire and care

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As I sat on the U.S. Airways Airbus, en route back to New York from Austin, Texas, my mind was swirling with inspiration. The International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) was a rousing success. After my many years in the visual merchandising and store design industry, I still maintain that this is one of our industry's most important events.

Aside from the dynamic networking opportunity the conference provides, it's a true educational resource as the industry and our culture evolve. Of course, the overarching theme of so many professional conferences across almost every conceivable field or discipline, are the effects of technology in the workplace, in industry and in society at large. We've heard all of this: The impact of technology is fostering incremental change across all facets of life. I think, however, the recurring message at IRDC wasn't that things are changing, but how we must respond to that change. 

Retail is changing faster today than ever before. Today's retailers want to do more than just sell: They want to teach, they want to inspire, and they want to create a relationship with their customers. 

In today's technology-driven environment, enticement takes on new meaning. Now, we are not merely selling dreams; but rather, today's retailers, designers and merchandisers are in the business of selling experiences; they're in the business of connecting with the customer and moving emotions. 

Caring about your customer has to be part of the retail equation. Connect with the community, show them that you care. Celebrate with your customers, get involved, stage community events, support community events. Understand your customers' wants, needs and likes. Know what they read, what they listen to, where they work and where they play. Their concerns should be your concerns. Your store should be their store. Do more than sell, and they will come.

Stores must add the human touch. These are the stores that will succeed. 

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Eric Feigenbaum is a recognized leader in the visual merchandising and store design industries with both domestic and international design experience.  He served as corporate director of visual merchandising for Stern’s Department Store, a division of Federated Department Stores, from 1986 to 1995. After Stern’s, he assumed the position of director of visual merchandising for WalkerGroup/CNI, an architectural design firm in New York City. Currently, he serves as the chair of the Visual Merchandising Department at LIM College (New York), and was also an adjunct professor of Store Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition to being the New York Editor of VMSD magazine, Eric is also a founding member of PAVE (A Partnership for Planning and Visual Education). Currently, he is also president and director of creative services for his own retail design company, Embrace Design.

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