Inspired – Guy Smith

We all know what it’s like. You’re in a store, weighing up a purchase, trying to find that something that will convince you it’s worth parting with your hard-earned. All the more frustrating when a key part of the equation is missing and you discover that the staff simply don’t know their product.

As retail designers we are used to managing this process, presenting the information consumers want in a way that they will enjoy. So imagine my delight when I found myself chatting to a local tailor. Here was someone with an innate, personal knowledge of his product and a real love for his trade, who is able to provide exceptional service with an offer that combines quality and value.

There is a lot of talk in the business at present about using service to gain customer loyalty and accentuate brand differential. Here we have an offer constructed quite literally around the wants of the customer. Here is a wake-up call to many brands.

As someone who spends his life thinking about retail, my best in-store experience in recent years has come from dealing one-to-one with someone who cared. In both design and retail, people matter.