On the second day of the World Retail Congress in Berlin, Gordon Segal, chairman and co-founder of Crate & Barrel, which specialises in housewares, furniture and home accessories, laid stress on the importance of human touch in retail. He talked about the importance of loving the customer and having an intuitive eye for beautiful, world-class products to stand out in “new retail”.
Reflecting on the early days of the business, Segal said his team had to learn about retailing and shared that it was about getting key human skills right. Success was about a great idea, common sense, hard work and ability to turn on the customer. “The aim wasn’t to grow a huge retain chain, but to share love of design and great products. It’s easy to create profits in retail if you love what you do and can delight the customer,” he said.
Looking forward, the business has embraced new technologies and channels and a youth-orientated brand. It was in Segal’s words “a new retail, a new norm” and while accepting the undeniable importance of new technology to the future of retail, Segal also reminded the Congress that the human side of retail will always be king – understanding and talking to your customers and having the eye for the next big opportunity.
The World Retail Congress is one of the most important and high profile gatherings of the retail industry across all sectors. The only truly international meeting of the global retail industry, leading figures from across the sector are drawn together to resolve the most crucial global issues.
The World Retail Congress is taking place in Berlin from 25 to 27 October and has at its heart a three-day agenda of plenary sessions, business streams and networking events. In 2009, the event was attended by over 1,000 people with more than 100 speakers representing some of the biggest and most important names in retailing around the world. The Congress is organised by Emap Communications.
– IndiaRetailing Bureau
