THE CONVERGENCE OF RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY

As you know, I am fascinated by retail. If any industry has changed over the last 10 years even more than advertising, this is it. One company that does it right is RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware). Remember when their stores were in malls and sold everything from a temperature gauge to a pocket knife, along with a sofa or outdoor umbrella? They were quirky, offbeat and to a certain extent attention-getting— and some of these same attributes still define their brand today. I recently went to their newest location in the Meat Packing District of Manhattan. Quirky yes, 5 floors of retail theater, Venetian statues, items curated from vintage shops and on-line at Kings Lane that are not even for sale, a restaurant with a 1 hour wait time, a cappuccino bar, a concierge desk, multiple design rooms and ateliers. With not a cash register in sight it really does turn retail as we know it on its head. Talk about thinking outside the box… they do it and do it like no one else. I would be curious to know the average time a consumer spends in their stores.  I am sure it is triple the national average.  I am also interested in knowing the average spend per customer. Aspirational and inspirational are words that embody their very unique brand.  When the naysayers say that retail is dead, to that I say not at all;  you just need to breathe the right air into the brand. Had Restoration Hardware remained what is was 20 years ago, I have no doubt it might not be around today. Instead it has visionary leadership that inspires its customers and employees to Be Brilliant.