“The City That Never Sleep” is also the city that never disappoints! Though I have visited the Big Apple countless times, I have never had such an eye-opening and thrilling experience. The 6 days that we spent in New York City on our Market Tour have most definitely been the highlight of my time as an M.B. Zale Leadership Scholar. I left the city feeling more immersed in and integrated with the field of retail than ever before. The executives and professionals we interacted with painted an amazing picture of what a career dedicated to retail is like, while patiently answering our questions, encouraging thought provoking conversation, and sharing the ins and outs of their exciting occupations.
While in New York, 10 of my closest retail-loving friends and I observed a number of innovative and experiential flagship retailers, engaged in reflective learning, listened to highly informed and knowledgeable speakers, and dreamt of what life in NYC might actually be like post-graduation. While fostering new friendships and building upon those that already existed, I was able to look at the world of retail through a new, exciting, and analytical lens- one of awe, wonder, and occasionally criticism.
Madison, Shannon and I toured the city as a trio, visiting all of our flagship stores together including Nike NYC, Glossier Showroom, Timberland, North Face, Adidas, Amazon 4-Star SoHo, Coach House, FAO Schwartz, Macy’s Herald Square, and Sephora. As we applied knowledge gained in the classroom, we were able to identify strengths, weaknesses, and ways to improve the customer experience at each of these stores. Nonetheless, despite some logistical errors and opportunities for growth, we were amazed by the huge strides being made to revolutionize retail, remain relevant, and transform the in-store experience whether it be through new and improved technology, a large product assortment, knowledgeable salespeople, or a massive amount of square footage.
Though I left each of our intriguing appointments with numerous, valuable takeaways, Kate Spade and Vince were among my favorites. I was blown away by the investment that our former Aggies, Maggie, Diandra, and Paige, opted to make in us, the future of retail. I loved being able to hear from numerous firm employees across a wide variety of departments, ranging from CSR to merchandising to PR, and everything in between. The diversified topics of conversation allowed me to develop a wholistic view of each business from product development to the final consumer.
However, I also, found myself incredibly interested by the design process that was exquisitely shared with us by Rebecca at the JCPenney Design Office in SoHo. Though I don't necessarily see myself becoming a handbag designer, I am intrigued by the analytical, creative, and mathematical approach that is required to design a new product from scratch. I love the idea of being able to see a vision through from conception to completion. Before hearing this presentation, product design was not on my radar, but now, it is something that I intend to investigate further as a potential path towards my dream career.
All in all, I can’t say thank you enough to the many individuals who made this trip possible, much less the overwhelming success that it was. I wish we could go back and do it over, and over again, because the thought of being a “has-been” here in a couple of months is heart wrenching. I cannot believe that my time as a Zale Scholar is coming to an end so quickly, but my heart swells at the thought of another student, who is equally as passionate about retail, being able to participate in such a high impact learning opportunity.
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