You've built it beautifully. Digital walls that dazzle, perfectly curated product displays, and ambient music that sets just the right mood. Yet somehow, your net promoter scores are stuck in the 30s. At RetailSpaces, DBSI's Chief Experience Officer EJ Kritz delivered a wake-up call that many retail leaders needed to hear: Your employees might be sabotaging your carefully crafted customer experience.
The Gen Z Plot Twist
Forget everything you think you know about Gen Z. While millennials tried to "kill" brick-and-mortar retail, Gen Z is actually trying to save it. But here's the catch – they want experiences that feel authentic, not just Instagram-worthy. And that's where most retailers are dropping the ball.
Take Lululemon, for example. As Kritz candidly shared, "This brand intimidated the crap out of me." His fear? Walking into what seemed like a women's yoga store where everyone was impossibly fit and a spontaneous workout session could break out at any moment. Yet their success isn't built on their sleek store design or premium products alone. It's their people – employees who genuinely live and breathe the brand's lifestyle. They're not just selling yoga pants; they're sharing a passion.
Four Keys to Not Sucking
Kritz laid out four essential elements that make or break retail experiences:
- Hire for Authenticity, Train for Skills
- Stop trying to train people to care
- Look at Trader Joe's – they don't have fancy tech, but their employees genuinely love every product they sell
- If your HR team isn't in your store planning meetings, you've already failed
- Make it Instagram-Worthy (But With Support)
- Royal Caribbean's "Pearl" installation proves people will line up for the perfect photo
- But without staff to help capture and share these moments, you're missing massive marketing opportunities
- Your employees should be experience enablers, not just sales associates
3. Bridge Digital and Physical (The Right Way)
- Don't assume customers will naturally adopt new technology - Hudson News learned this when confused customers stood outside their "grab and go" stores
- Innovation without introduction often leads to hesitation - your staff is the bridge between great ideas and actual adoption
4. Enable Customization (With Guidance)
- Under Armour's direct-print shoe experiment showed customers need invitation and guidance to embrace customization
- The magic happens when tech and human touch combine
- Train your team to choreograph these experiences, not just operate them
The Trader Joe's Paradox
Here's the mind-bender: The retailer crushing it with Gen Z doesn't have a single digital wall or interactive kiosk. Trader Joe's success comes down to people who are genuinely passionate about their products – employees who can't help but share their enthusiasm when they spot your ricotta and spinach ravioli selection, and who'll send a colleague sprinting down the aisle to grab that perfect marinara sauce pairing. That authentic excitement is worth more than any tech investment.
The Real Revolution
The future of retail isn't about choosing between digital innovation and human connection – it's about finding people who can bring both to life. As Kritz puts it, "Work with your HR departments to design the persona of the person who's going to make your retail experience not suck as much as you work to design the physical brick and mortar space."
For retail leaders, this means a fundamental shift in priorities. Yes, build your beautiful stores. Yes, invest in technology. But remember: A passionate employee with authentic enthusiasm will always outsell a disengaged one in a perfect environment.
Watch the full talk below 👇
Comments