Retail Consulting

NYDJ opens first stand-alone retail locations in New York and Arizona

This summer, NYDJ, the "original slimming jean" brand, opened its first full price retail stores in Garden City, NY and Scottsdale, AZ. These two locations represent a new channel of distribution for the company, in addition to its current wholesale, e-commerce, outlet store, off-price and international distribution. TGC is proud to have had the opportunity to work with NYDJ in developing the business plan and real estate strategy for the full price retail stores including the development of a data driven prioritized list of target locations. As NYDJ's exclusive real estate adviser, TGC helped identify and secure locations, negotiating the business terms of each lease. "TGC has been a great partner in helping us develop a realistic business plan and a well-defined actionable real estate strategy. Their extensive use of key selling and customer data metrics allowed us to identify and secure prime locations for our new stores." - Mark Peters, Director [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:20-04:00

Listen to Steve Goldberg quoted on Marketplace’s broadcast, “Retailers already scrambling for holiday workers”

Retailers already scrambling for holiday workers by Reema Khrais Wednesday, September 14, 2016 | 11:34 PM The holiday season may still feel far away, but it's already started for retailers and delivery companies.  Many of them have been on the hunt for seasonal workers since the summer. Companies will need to hire extra  “warehouse drivers, transportation individuals, logistics professionals, and then all of the technical experts,” said Jim Link, chief human resources officer at the staffing firm Randstad. At some distribution and fulfillment centers that handle online orders, hiring quadruples during the holiday season. Most weeks, the staffing agency Hire Dynamics places about 4,000 people in jobs, said CEO Larry Feinstein. During the holiday season, that number is closer to 6,000. “My biggest worry is can we fill all the orders? Can we get the right talent for the demand that’s out there?” he said The right talent--and often the most difficult [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:20-04:00

Lovesac Unveils New Generation Store Design Concept!

Lovesac recently opened its newly redesigned concept store at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, with two more underway at Kenwood Towne Center in Cincinnati, OH and Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, MI.   TGC is proud to work as Lovesac's exclusive real estate adviser, helping to identify and secure new locations, as well as negotiate the business terms of each lease. "The new Lovesac branding is totally focused on telling one clear story: 'Our couch will blow your mind.' We've always had a great product but were hiding it in plain sight utilizing all of the same merchandising and communication strategies that other specialty retail furniture companies do. This is totally different. Working hand-in-hand with The Grayson Company to redefine our strategy, allowed us to quickly and clearly identify the real size of our opportunity and create a credible plan to get there. We are living to that plan today."  - [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:20-04:00

Listen to Steve Goldberg quoted on Marketplace’s broadcast, “What was behind Macy’s decision to cut more stores?”

  What was behind Macy's decision to cut more stores? By Sally Herships August 11, 2016 | 4:41 PM Macy's says that its plan to close 100 locations across the country will give the company a chance to elevate its "total customer experience across all methods of shopping." But don’t go blaming the internet. “Eighty-five percent of purchasing happens in a brick-and-mortar environment,” said Steve Goldberg, president of The Grayson Company, a consulting firm focused on retail, wholesale, brands and investors. “The Macy’s story and Macy’s closing is not terribly surprising,” he said. During the course of its growth, Macy’s acquired stores, many of which were not productive. The real problem he said, is that retail in the United States is bloated. “The American retail landscape has far too many stores.” Or as the industry says, we are over-stored. Josh Pollack, an associate partner at the Parker Avery Group, a retail consulting firm, [...]

2016-09-15T09:41:36-04:00

TGC at the 2016 Wharton Graduate Retail Conference

The Future of Retail and Brands is Truly Exciting!! Each year, the Wharton Graduate Retail Conference draws upon the best and brightest from the worlds of retail and brand to share their experiences and insights with Graduate students who truly represent the potential of our retail and consumer businesses. This year, Steve Goldberg, President of TGC, had the privilege to moderate a panel focused on customer loyalty through innovation. The conference also featured extraordinary leaders and entrepreneurs from retail and brands who shed light on the fundamental issues surrounding our consumer world today.  Discussion topics included breakthrough technology, the concept of connecting with customers through “authentic experiences”, and the process of inventing and reinventing businesses; all of which reveal important leadership lessons of how to succeed in business in today’s hypercompetitive, multi-channel marketplace. We left the conference optimistic that the future of our brand and retail leadership is very bright indeed. So [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:21-04:00

Kevin Mullaney quoted in Crain’s New York Business article “Why C. Wonder, Kate Spade Saturday failed”

Kevin was asked to comment on the spate of middle-market retail closures in 2015: "Being average in the middle is death," said Kevin Mullaney, president of retail consultancy the Grayson Co. "The high end and the low end—those two businesses are thriving. If you're in the middle, you'd better have a darn good reason for being there based on product and freshness." Check out the rest of the article at Crain's New York.

2018-03-26T08:55:21-04:00

Kevin Mullaney Named CEO of The Grayson Company

The Grayson Company is proud to announce the appointment of Kevin Mullaney as its new Chief Executive Officer.  Kevin joined the company 13 years ago and previously served as President. "I have known Kevin for more than 30 years," said Bob Grayson. "Over the last 12 years we have worked side-by-side, leading the business to its current position as a premiere consulting firm focusing on all aspects of consumer and retail businesses." "Bob founded the company with the idea that a consulting firm should have both firsthand experience with running a business and a personalized, highly-operational approach," said Kevin. "I believe that the company's remarkable growth is a testament to the work of the individuals that make up this truly talented team." Kevin has an extensive background in merchandising ranging from department stores to specialty stores.  As alum of the famed Macy's (Federated) training program he quickly rose to Divisional Merchandise Manager.  [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:21-04:00

Firepower – the more, the merrier

Many retailers check the box on omni-channel once they have retail stores and an e-commerce site. But a true omni-channel strategy encompasses so much more than those two channels. By The Grayson Company's estimation, there are at least 27 different channels of distribution applicable to consumer goods companies today. While not all of the 27 channels are appropriate for each company, leveraging more than two or three channels certainly can create significant advantages as customers continue to seek product however, whenever and wherever they want it. When two companies go to battle for consumers' dollars, who will win? The advantage is almost certainly with the one that makes itself available in more ways than its competitors.

2015-10-13T13:39:58-04:00

The Grayson Company Congratulates Citizen on the Opening of its First Global Flagship Store in North America

Last week, Citizen Watch Company of America opened its first global flagship store in North America in the heart of Times Square. Located at the corner of 43rd and Broadway, the flagship bridges the gap between the brick and mortar and digital worlds, bringing a physical store environment to life through a variety of interactive technologies and displays. The new Citizen flagship store truly represents the convergence of retail channels that is quickly becoming the norm in today's retail environment and represents Citizen's commitment to "Better Starts Now." "We felt that a store in Times Square was the best stage in the world for domestic and international customers to interact with our brand," said Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watch Company of America. "We wanted to create a venue where customers could experience our brand like never before and establish an emotional connection with our products. The look, feel and state of [...]

2018-03-26T08:55:21-04:00

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We would be happy to discuss how we might be of assistance to your business. Do not hesitate to call or send us an e-mail if you'd like to speak in more detail about any of the services we provide.

Phone: 212.661.6262
Email: inquiry@thegraysoncompany.com
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