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Vineyard Vines at Target.. got there early on Saturday, May 18th to see the collection in person. Lines started way before store opening at 8. The good news.. the shop in shop presentation was excellent. The merchandise, what little of it was left, looked good. Customers were clearly excited. The bad news.. customers were allowed to buy without limitation (just look on E-Bay), and were very, very disappointed. Those we spoke with just left the store. Sales associates were frustrated.. no information about replenishment. So, who benefits? Vineyard Vines gets a fabulous "capsule collection" presentation, and sells a lot of product. Their brand name gets exposed to a new audience. Target gets a coveted brand to present to its customer. But, this capsule collection, like the Lilly Pulitzer brand, is likely to have little long lasting positive impact, and only serves to frustrate the loyal Target customer and drive customers to E-Bay. [...]

Retail Innovation at its Very Best: Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Hudson Yards By Steve Goldberg   It’s so exciting to see Retail Innovation continue to evolve and respect consumer’s natural desires to be entertained and immersed in true merchandising experience at the same time. Over the past several weeks, we visited some of the most dynamic Retail Innovations launched in one of the most demanding retail markets on the planet: New York City. Bloomingdale’s: has always been the “IT” store for fashion leadership combined with immersive, theatrical presentation. Bloomingdale’s has doubled down on that commitment. This month, for example, Bloomingdale’s launched a provocative array of Fashion Windows facing Lexington Avenue with a dramatic nod to Earth Day and Sustainability. Bloomingdales partnered with Windex, which has now committed to plastic bottles that are made of recycled ocean waste products. These presentations not only continue Bloomingdale’s tradition of breakthrough statements, but brilliantly align with multiple [...]

Learnings from the 2019 Cowen and Company 5th Annual Future of The Consumer Conference Kevin Mullaney, CEO, and Steve Goldberg, President of The Grayson Company, attended the April 2019 Cowen and Company 5th Annual Future of The Consumer Conference in New York City This Conference included an exceptional group of brands, retailers, wellness and hospitality innovators, both emerging and legacy, as well as critical thinkers and experts in supply chain, and transportation technologies. Since this Conference is about the future of the Consumer, a thematic thread through almost every presentation was the race to engage today’s consumers with not only compelling product, but extraordinary and relevant frictionless experiences in the future. The stakes to acquire and retain customers and earn their loyalty has never been higher and the tools to reach and transact with consumers never more sophisticated. The economic backdrop to this conference was still very positive. Employment is at high [...]

"At The Grayson Company (TGC) we have the privilege of working with some of the most exciting retailers, brands and investors in the world. Some are well established world class companies whose names you would instantly recognize. Others are digital natives or early stage companies all growing at a blistering pace." Read more from Steve Goldberg on JGA's blog: CLICK HERE  http://jga.com/commentary/knowing-how-to-pivot/

Our client, National Geographic, continues it's successful expansion, winning the 2019 InAVation Award for Visitor Attraction for Ocean Odyssey in NYC........................................................................................................................................... Click here to read article  

The United States Polo Association, USPA Global Licensing and the International Polo Club Palm Beach hosted an exclusive media day on Wednesday, Jan. 16 sponsored by the Palm Beach Sports Commission to unveil the highly anticipated Gauntlet of Polo trophy. Click here for full article

Steve Goldberg, President of The Grayson Company, attended the January 2019 ICR Conference in Orlando. The Conference provides highly efficient opportunities to learn about major consumer and retail brands, as well as emerging digital natives, brands and industry sectors, both public and private. This year’s conference came on the heels of a very unique year where Consumer sentiment and confidence was high, and overall retail performance was in positive territory. However, at the same time, it was against the backdrop of some major changes in the Consumer marketplace, and the political environment as well. Here are the Top Learnings from ICR: Consumer Experience counts! Companies like Tilly’s, Lovesac, Yeti, Salt Life, Aritzia, Faherty, Five Below, Tommy John, Urban Outfitters are all outperforming largely because they have created unique ways of engaging the Consumer with unique product and shopping experiences while building fierce loyalty. Speed to Market is crucial The most successful companies [...]

Watch Kevin Mullaney's interview with AP discussing how a charity can rebound after retail closings. Click here

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201811/29/WS5bfec41ca310eff30328ba2c.html

Kevin Mullaney tours stores with Beauty Independent's Lindsey Unterberger.  Read his take on several nutritional supplement stores. https://www.beautyindependent.com/new-supplement-store-concepts-the-vitamin-shoppe-gnc/