Master Your Retail Marketing with Amy Loewenberg

Crystal Vilkaitis: In today’s episode of Rooted in Retail, I am sitting down in person with somebody who I so look up to. She’s such an inspiration. She has so much retail experience. She is definitely Rooted in Retail. And that is Amy Loewenberg with New York now.

Now, if you have the opportunity to watch this, I mentioned we are in person because I partnered with New York now and I had a podcast studio at their summer market. I actually did 30 interviews at that market, but eight of them were full interviews that we’re going to air here on the show between now and December.

Amy is kicking us off. And Amy is no stranger to Rooted in Retail. She was here in episode 14. And if you haven’t listened to that, I highly recommend going back and listening to her.

Whoa. That episode was. packed We talk so much about community building and social media marketing and retailers that are great inspirations for you to look at on who are really just doing an incredible job with their store. And in this episode today, we go deeper with community. We’re talking about marketing.

We’re talking about trends. Amy gets retail really understands the importance of relationship building and how retailers can really use that and leverage that to grow their business and connect with people in their community. It was just such an awesome conversation. And of course, even extra special because it got to be in person.

So I just want to give a huge thank you to you. New York now for having me at your market. We also generated a really amazing resilience report out of the 30 interviews that I did. So stay tuned for more information about that report. Cause you can learn from these interviews. I mean, we all just have incredible knowledge and expertise and experiences.

And I got the opportunity to tap into that at market and we’ll bring it to you through this report.

Now new York now registration is open for winter. So in the show notes, you can go register. I’d love to see you there. And I know Amy would too.

And actually, let me just tell you real quick, a little bit more about Amy before we dive in.

Amy Loewenberg is the director of buyer relations at New York. Now, Amy’s a results driven senior leader with a proven track record in enhancing client relationships, driving business growth, and leading high performing teams. She’s upped in strategic thinking, business acumen, and partnership development with deep expertise in Social sector, she’s skilled in guiding mission driven organizations and fostering cross departmental collaborations.

Collaboration is so key word there with Amy. And I’d also say community. You’re going to love her and this interview. So let’s dive in.

Welcome to Rooted in Retail. I’m your host, Crystal Vilkaitis. Here, we have engaging and informative conversations with successful indie retailers and industry experts. Together, we learn, connect, and grow. Don’t miss our live after the show every Tuesday night in the Rooted in Retail Facebook group.

Alright, here’s today’s episode.

Amy, welcome back to Rooted in Retail.

Amy Loewenberg: Crystal, thank you for having me here.

Crystal Vilkaitis: I’m so excited you’re back. Our first conversation was loaded with information, and so we’re just going to carry that conversation through to so much more. Like I’m so excited about this. Yeah. First, we’re in person. I know.

In New York, at NY NOW. I know, it’s so great to be here. Welcome to New

Amy Loewenberg: York NOW, by the way. Thank you. Not your first time. time. No, it’s uh,

Crystal Vilkaitis: and I’m thrilled to be here. We’re here in person. If you sell gifts, you’ve got to come to NY Now. They’ve got markets twice a year, but you can also shop online.

Be sure to check them out nynow.com. And we’re going to talk about some stuff that you’re seeing at the show a little later, but first. For those who maybe didn’t hear your first episode, will you say who you are and share a little bit about your retail journey? No,

Amy Loewenberg: absolutely. I’ve had a crazy wild journey.

My name is Amy Loewenberg, and I am the director of buyer relations for NY NOW. I’ve been with Emerald for six years now. But prior to that, I was on the other side of the aisle, and I was a buyer. And I purchased for a couple of known entities like Kate’s Papery back in the day. I bought for another large chain like store called Blue Tula.

Both are not around anymore, but I learned so much about just the buying venture and I learned how to be a merchant. I learned how to merchandise and display and look at products and figure out how they’re going to affect my store and my business. I took ownership out of anybody who I worked with.

And before that I was running districts. So I’ve kind of been around, I’ve been around the field a couple of times.

How to reach untapped audiences in your local market

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah, you have. I know you have a lot of great experience to share with us, which is so great. And I know on our first podcast, we talked a lot about community, so I want to keep talking about it because you emphasize the power of connection and the role of community in retail.

So how can independent retailers identify and engage with the segments of their community they may be missing out on?

Amy Loewenberg: Yeah it’s really interesting because that’s what I do here. I’m reaching out to the retailers. But the retailers need to reach out to their communities. So there is definitely a lot of, not transitional, but parallel entities and actions that we can take.

And really the most important thing is understanding your data and whatever data that is, you should have data. So whatever your CRM system is, or however you’re doing it, bringing information in. The best thing to do is to really look at that and be super, super creative. We want to think that if you’re a business owner that you know your business. You know what sells, it doesn’t sell.

That’s great because we need to generate revenue. But who’s buying it and why are they buying it? And we ask those questions all the time because we do know who our customers are. Get to know them better. So you definitely want to look at who’s coming into your store. You want to understand more about them, but definitely take some opportunities to be creative and host a focus group. Create something interactive in your store. Make it a monthly event.

You’re going to be building community, word of mouth is going to get out, people are going to want to join. It becomes incredibly interactive and an experience that people are going to speak about.

And you’re going to learn more about people who want to come and see who you are. You can partner with people. Partner with like businesses or not like businesses, on down your street,. Connect with the school down the street. Figure out what kind of activities you can create to invite them into your establishment.

On their path, on their level. Yep. Because that’s going to bring in a new demographic for you. You connect with students. All students have a parent or a guardian, right? That conversation, I had this experience. They might want to understand that,

right?

Amy Loewenberg: There’s a hotel. A spa down the road or a hotel. A hotel spa.

Yeah, I guess, a spa resort. There you go. And connect with them and see what kind of cross events you can do. Share your customers, talk about that, partner with people. It’s nonstop networking, nonstop asking questions, but figure out what your process is for saving that information, whether it comes to you in a report.

Or you’re picking it off of like data analytics from Instagram, but you have to get the data and then you have to be super creative.

Crystal Vilkaitis: I love it. Okay, you just gave us so many ideas. It was so good. I really love the focus group. I’m

Amy Loewenberg: a big fan of the focus group.

How retailers can stay ahead of changing technology

Crystal Vilkaitis: I’m a big fan of that too, so good. Now let’s talk about branding, which that’s so kind of ties into a lot of what we’re saying as well.

In today’s fast paced communication environment, what are some innovative ways retailers can maintain a strong brand presence while keeping up with the rapid pace of change? How can they ensure that they get noticed?

Amy Loewenberg: Okay. First of all, I really need to say I’m not an expert. I really am not. I can definitely share what I think is important. I can share what I’ve seen successful retailers emulate and it has resonated with me. Even the same with NY NOW, right? Our branding has changed, right? We all need to evolve.

We all need to move forward. And we all look at things differently, right? Technology has changed everything. The way we shop, the way we eat, breathe, everything is different. So for me, it’s about leaving like some moment of consistency so that people can feel like they’re getting to know you.

I can speak for the brands here. It takes two to three shows for a retailer to feel confident in making a purchase. Yeah, so if you keep changing your brand and the way you look to market to market, you’re never going to start to create that relationship with somebody and to create that trust factor.

Exactly. So bringing it back to yourself as a retailer, as a store owner, as a business, as an e comm site, right? There needs to be some sort of consistency, but it’s okay to evolve, in my mind, what’s around it. And again, I use NY NOW as the example. You will always see NY NOW. The font may change a little bit, but it’s so recognizable.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yes.

Amy Loewenberg: You know what it is. You can see it high in the sky and be like, that’s NY NOW. I know where to go, right? But maybe we have clouds one year. Maybe that goes and something else comes in. Maybe, like I said, the font shifts. But there’s always a level of consistency. I would definitely say that for is major.

But then really be aware of what’s happening socially and through technology, which you’re a super expert in. Take advantage of engaging. You’re going to hear the same things from question to question, Crystal. Because it’s so important. You need to really engage. Continue the conversations that you are having with people, even if you’re not in front of them.

So you can do that socially, right? And they need to be able to recognize you. So keep that engagement going. And then like I said, interactive experiences, that’s going to help build your brand as well. Word of mouth is everything. Word of mouth is everything. Somebody is going to hear about that focus group that you did in your store.

Word of mouth is going to bring somebody in. And then they’re going to learn more about who you are, and your brand. And know who you are, and know what your brand stands for. Know your values, know your mission statement, know why you do what you do because that’s one of the most important aspects of any brand is representation of who we are.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yep.

Amy Loewenberg: Why are we doing it?

Crystal Vilkaitis: It’s so true.

Amy Loewenberg: So important now to make those purchases that resonate with your consumer so that they’re helping the mission that they want to help

Crystal Vilkaitis: through you.

Yes, exactly. Exactly. And you can tell like I strong retail brands, they do, they know their mission, they know their why, they know where they’re headed, and their customers know that because they’ve done such a good job with branding.

And so if anyone’s listening to this. And you don’t feel like your customers get you, you don’t feel like they, you might not know that your team might not know that it’s so critical. And some of this is so foundational, but it’s like we skip over those. Or we evolve and we haven’t caught up to where we want to be.

So we have, we’re not

Amy Loewenberg: there

Crystal Vilkaitis: yet.

Amy Loewenberg: That’s an excellent point too, because especially if you have a team working with you. Usually, it really could be different generational, representation on your floor. Yeah, they’re all gonna see and hear different things. And if you’re not bringing in that information, if you’re not engaging with your own staff,

That’s like the first like, you know.

Crystal Vilkaitis: yes. You have to know what’s going on. It’s going to be a disconnect and your customers are going to feel it. You also said something that made me really, that clicks for me a lot, and I bet it will for our retailers. Being here at the show and you’re saying it’s going to take a couple times for them to trust the brand, right?

So they walk. They get to know, they come back, then they maybe buy, then they come back a third time. They’re like, you’re consistent, you’re friendly. I’ve stayed in contact with you. Now I feel comfortable to place an order. I want our listeners to think about that with their customers. Because they’re so afraid to be on social media or they don’t put themselves out there, or there is that inconsistency.

And they, as the buyer, knows what it’s like when we’re putting our faith and trust in a brand and why we’re choosing to shop with somebody. So I feel like that is going to resonate.

Amy Loewenberg: Yeah. It’s really the same thing. It’s you’re just reaching out to a different consumer. Exactly. What that retailer comes into your store once, how do you get them in again?

If you don’t ask, you will never find out. Something else that I think is really super cool are very quick surveys. I think anytime you can ask somebody a series of questions, it’s easy to answer very quickly. You’re going to, again, get more information. It can be so much as, what do you want to see that I don’t have?

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yes, exactly.

Amy Loewenberg: What’s missing?

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yep. I love the easy questions.

Amy Loewenberg: I mean, QR codes all over the place, right?

Amy’s advice for staying adaptable in retail

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yes. Yeah, exactly. So good. All right. So retail is ever evolving, like we’re talking about, and you touch on the challenge of knowing how one should be doing their business today.

We were having a conversation leading up to this and we were talking about today. So what advice do you have for retailers on staying adaptable and evolving their practices? What trends or shifts should they be paying attention to in order to remain competitive and relevant?

Amy Loewenberg: Yeah, I think that if you’re not connecting to any sort of social platform, you’re just gonna unfortunately continue to fade.

And that’s harsh, and I don’t mean that in, I really don’t mean that harshly. But I mean it as important as that sounds. You’re going to have incredible establishments like Stanley Korshav, right? And we know who they are.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Exactly.

Amy Loewenberg: They engage socially. They’re out there. They’re a one store wonder, right?

And they’re going to bring people in. It’s a huge amazing event. Then you’re also going to have the smallest of retailers and all of a sudden you found like 10 new customers because they found your product online because you just went out there. What I will say is shifting is the acceptance of it not being like professionally reported.

Do you know what I mean? Yep. They want realness. You can hiccup on there and just laugh about it and be like here we go. We’ll keep, we’ll repeat that. You don’t have to cut it and edit it.

Crystal Vilkaitis: No.

Amy Loewenberg: So I would definitely say do your best to really push yourself forward. I had to do that and I still have to do that sometimes, just get yourself out there.

Say hello. Ask somebody to say hello back. Being connected socially is definitely going to help you because then you’re going to see like the things that are going viral, and the little things that you can play with, and like a cute little video that you can do that. It’s going to put you in front of a world of people that you had no idea.

So that jumps back to our first question of how do I build community? This

Crystal Vilkaitis: is

Amy Loewenberg: a

Crystal Vilkaitis: cycle, right? It’s all connected. It’s so true.

If you’re looking to amplify your results: things like get more people to your events, more foot traffic, grow your email lists, more website visitors, more local awareness, then we can help you at Crystal Media. We have a Facebook and Instagram ads agency. This is a done for you service and is typically best for retailers that have a physical storefront because we are pros at driving foot traffic and local awareness that are doing about $600,000 a year in revenue or more.

So if this is you, if you’re looking for those results, you want that support, you want a dedicated person to help you grow your store. Then you can go to crystalmediaco.com/ads and learn more about our ads management offering right there. You can secure your seat. We are boutique, so we only work with a small amount of retailers.

So you could secure right there, or you could book a call with Pauline and she can learn more about your stores. Goals and what you’re looking to achieve to make sure that we can help you get there. So go to crystalmediaco.com/ads to learn more.

So with your experience here at NY Now, you’ve created long lasting relationships with everyone that you’re connected to. Can you share some personal branding tips and relationship building techniques that retailers can use to foster loyalty and create a lasting impact with their customers?

Amy Loewenberg: Yeah, I can. Cause I can talk about NY NOW and I can also talk about myself, right? Because I have my own social platform that I’m trying to connect with as many people as possible.

It all comes back to being authentic, right? If you really don’t want to meet people, it comes across, right?

Crystal Vilkaitis: It does.

Amy Loewenberg: It’s like my most favorite aspect of my job, is that I get to meet so many people. All across our nation, globally, different businesses, different levels of business. I’m actually living vicariously through a lot of people.

I really wish that I had my own store at one point. So you really need to be authentic. If you’re just doing it to like check something off like, okay, I spoke to somebody. Everybody’s going to see that. So you’re not going to build community. You need to be genuine. And then I’m going to jump back to jumping over social so they get to know who you are.

I have people coming up to me that are like, “Amy, I saw you online I want to see that brand you spoke about.” Like I’m trying to connect as many buyers and brands as I can all the time, but people feel comfortable to come up to me and say, “I follow you.”

Crystal Vilkaitis: Exactly.

Amy Loewenberg: And so after every market, I’ll tell you my following goes up by like hundreds and hundreds of people because I’m on the floor and they’re seeing me. And that’s authentic because I do, I love it. And then I guess really I would say is you need to follow up. And I know that’s really hard because we’re all doing so much all the time.

And I also know that everything I’m saying is another job, right? But you have to figure out how to put it in your job. You have to figure out how to have somebody do it in their job in your store. You have to figure it out if you want to move the needle forward. Yes, so I do a lot of follow up. I’m constantly trying to bring people into market in whichever way that I can.

I want to make that connection. So they see these are the brands or these are the collections that are going to be growing next market. And I want to make sure that you’re here or even the people who haven’t been able to make it. I’m like, “Hey guys, this is what you missed. I want to make sure you see these brands and connect with them. You would have seen them if you were here.”

Crystal Vilkaitis: Exactly.

Amy Loewenberg: And now I’m building this like anticipation and major FOMO, like I missed it. Right. So it’s a lot. It’s definitely a lot. And I get to concentrate on the communication part of it. I’m not running a store. So I give everybody massive props for doing it, but you got to figure out how to fit it in or who’s going to help you fit it in.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yep, I’m glad that you said that. Cause I can see a listener right now thinking like, I’m glad that she said that because it is another job and it is another job. It’s hard. It is and it is possible. There are so many retailers who are, they’ve got a follow up system in place. If you can have technology help you as much as you can.

That would be great. The personal touch is even better, right? Yeah, 100%. Yeah.

But I just listened to your session over there and I use AI. Yeah. I use that to help me because I’m trying to communicate with so many people in so many different ways, I need help. Yes. And I’ve been able to leverage AI to communicate in my voice, right?

I use it as a runway. I use it as a runway. And then I make it my own. And it has helped me in a number of ways. Yep. And then, look at those platforms. I will say, I’m going to jump back to the first question you asked.

How to tap into new demographics of consumers

Crystal Vilkaitis: How do you tap into these new demographics of a consumer for you? I use platforms, right? So I’m using LinkedIn. I’m using like ZoomInfo and I can plug in certain, like I want to go after the spa resort group so that I can bring them in so they can see our wellness areas and the gift and lifestyle.

How do you do that at store level?

Amy Loewenberg: Like what is your store? Are you a specialty? Are you a niche store and you do wellness? Then yeah, you should be reaching out to the spas. You should absolutely know every single massage therapy place in the nation in the world, right. And you need to be able to communicate to them and say, “Hey, you don’t know I’m here, but I know you.” exactly, come visit us.

Yes,

Crystal Vilkaitis: you know, yes

Amy Loewenberg: Yes,

exactly that doesn’t hurt a little

what’s in it for them. Come on in

Your first purchase.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah, exactly. You mentioned ZoomInfo. Yeah, I’ve heard of that before, I think, but tell me what that is.

Amy Loewenberg: So ZoomInfo is really just another platform that’s out there. There are different tiers.

You can buy into it. There’s a free level. You can probably do a certain amount of lookups a month. Okay, before they cut you off. But for me, looking for a segment of retailer to come in, a buyer, I use that platform and I plug in certain data points.

Okay. And it literally pulls me a list and I would say it’s, you know, about 75 percent accurate. These things are never a hundred percent. I use LinkedIn all the time and then the power of who do you know? So like I want to invite them. And so then on a store level, you would still be able to pull up lists of a certain type of retailer.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah.

Amy Loewenberg: And find out who they are. And then that goes to your second question, build that relationship with them. Find some sort of partnership or collaboration that you can do, that will then maybe begin to share your customers. And you can bring, a gift buyer, somebody who’s coming into your store to buy gifts for people with, again, I don’t know why I’m in the wellness kick, but I’m going there.

Yeah, but then they’re going to have a certain demographic of consumer that comes in as well. Exactly. And we can invite them into both entities. Yep. So sometimes I find that the most odd mix up is the most like fun, right?

Well, It

Crystal Vilkaitis: can’t, I think it creates a lot of innovation and creativity because it is different and you have worlds collide.

And I think what you’re saying here is use technology to help find leads, follow up leads. Be creative and really find a way to maybe do something different or to connect, but it’s about how we’re spending our time and prioritizing our time. And these are working on the business. These are bigger picture things that really help support the store.

And we can get some tide in the weeds and working in that we want our retailers to get out.

Amy Loewenberg: Yeah, that’s really important. I get stuck in the weeds all the time, and I even have a joke with one of my friends. They’re like, where are you? And I’m like, in the weeds. And she’s like, stand up, stand up, just look over them. And just really divert your attention somewhere so you don’t fall into that spiral. It’s easy to.

It really is because we then see all the things that we want to do that we can’t do, we write it down and we go down and around and around. I do it all the time. Yeah. It’s okay. It just means that you’re passionate about what you do. Yeah, exactly. And that you’re super creative and just put it on your wish list.

Yeah. But like hit your priorities.

Recent trends Amy sees in retail buying behavior

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah, awesome. I love it so much. All right. Now you’ve attended all the major gift and home shows this summer. What trends have you noticed in the retailers and their buying behavior?

Amy Loewenberg: I’m going to tell you that people are buying differently and they are more confident in their purchasing, which is really great.

We come through a number of years where it was a little topsy turvy. So there’s more confidence in buying. But people are still not necessarily going to as many markets as they did. So they’re being super selective. So for us again, it’s our communication and how we’re reaching out to people to make sure that we get the consumers over here.

We get the buyers over here, but every market is doing that. So I am seeing strength in buying and I’ve been talking to a bunch of people on our floor today and they’re like the market opened and they’re like, I already have six orders. And so that’s always a really good sign when order writing happens right away.

I would also say this is not new information, but really being able to present a diverse Cross of exhibitors is going to speak very strongly to your retail buyers, right? And I think we do this exceptionally well. We have an opportunity for so many different groups to come in. And we help you all every step of the way, our incubator program.

And then I would also say on another funny, cheeky side. The llama is out and like the capybara is in.

Okay, and there’s gonna be like leopard print all over the place. Okay. If you haven’t seen it or cheetah galore. Okay. I’m seeing like bows and little details like that happening. Okay. But buyers are having fun again and that’s where we all markets are great at creating fun. Yeah, and it’s a good experience.

And I am proud of our competitive markets that we all work together and we all talk together to create a better experience for the brands and the buyers because we’re the ones that are helping both entities do their business. So we have to be really good at our business. We have to work together.

And so again, I’m really happy with the communication that we have with our competitive markets. Some are bigger, some are showrooms, right? We each have our flavor. We each have what we do best. But what we all do best is we talk to our customer and we give them a good time and that’s what they want. It’s experience.

The incubator at NY NOW

Crystal Vilkaitis: You really do. And will you actually talk about the incubator program? Cause I think that’s pretty cool. And I interviewed somebody for the resilience round and it’s just for retailers who haven’t been to the market before. Like, why would they? Why should they know about it? Yeah,

Amy Loewenberg: The incubator program came to us through our acquisition of bulletin.

Okay super proud of this. It has developed to this NY NOW incubator program where we work with new and emerging brands. Doing a trade show is expensive, right? And certain things States and certain convention centers are a little more expensive than others. And we know that. And we’re trying to do everything we can to make it really as easy as possible to not just have you at our show, but to highlight you and to educate you and to introduce you to all of our customers.

We have amazing retailers that walk the floor. The incubator program is a section on our floor. I couldn’t tell you how many, but there’s a couple hundred people here crossing over all categories. All categories. And instead of a booth set up, you’ve got a table set up. So it’s a smaller landscape. It’s easier to set up.

It’s less expensive. But it definitely is a targeted destination. Like we have, I’ll also tell you about our curated section. It’s a target of destination because also to stand out as a retailer, as a business owner, you want to have products that are new and just being, you know, seen on the scene.

So all of these brands cross over every single category. They’re new. They’re young. We have a mentorship program. Come in. Our goal is to have them do three markets with us. Okay. And then matriculate off into a booth because their business is stronger and they’re building. But did you hear what I said?

I said three markets. Exactly. It takes that long for somebody to actually have confidence to purchase from you. So we help them all. We help them every step of the way we have. I wonder if you’re helping us with that a little bit. I know. But we have an industry talent helping us help them.

And that is something that I’m super proud of. I don’t know anybody else who’s doing that. And we’re very, we’re a modern market. NY NOW is different. I used to shop it back in the day. I know what everybody remembers, but I also know what it is now and I know what we’re going to be. So our brand is evolving too.

We are a modern market and that is something that we have that super proud of. We have Curated, which is a section that lives in the luxury lifestyle section. And these are new and emerging jewelry designers. And so again, you’re going to see it’s a smaller landscape. But they certainly have prime real estate.

Their product is a little bit more expensive. You’re looking at real metals and gems and stones, right? Yeah, the process is a little bit different, right? And it’s another really great program where we’ve got industry talents that educate them on how to sell wholesale. Yeah,

Crystal Vilkaitis: Right, we all need that. So important.

Amy Loewenberg: There’s another section called Spotlight that you need to look up. Honestly, I’m super excited about all the newness that we have here. Yeah. And I’m just, I’m very happy to be a representative of NY NOW.

Crystal Vilkaitis: For sure. You guys do a great job. And since we’re in New York and I love Hamilton, something I say a lot, I say this at my conference, you got to be in the room where it happens.

Yeah, you’re in the room. They’re in the room. You’re making it possible for people to be in the room. And I’m happy to be in the room and do things like this with our podcast and sit down with people and have good conversations to help our retailers. And it’s just important. And that’s super important.

Amy Loewenberg: You really do. You have to be in the room. Don’t miss out.

Yeah, exactly. Really don’t miss out. And if you want to grow your business, you have to look at other ways. Yes, and trade shows are evolving. So why don’t you look at what they’re doing?

Unique and interesting products retailers should be excited about

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah, exactly. All right, as we wrap, can you highlight some of the hottest product trends you’ve seen this summer at NY NOW? What unique and interesting products should retailers be excited about adding to their inventory?

Amy Loewenberg: Okay, so super difficult because there are just so many people. I’m going to try not to ramble off too many because you really should come and the market is going until the 7th, if I’m not mistaken. I’m really fond of DeAndra Craigman, if I’m saying her name correctly. She’s in the incubator and she has, again, I talk about the experience and product.

That’s not just one level. So she has created her own scent of candle. Now here’s the deal. There are candles all over the place, right? So what makes her candles a little bit different? Yeah. She’s like a professor of scent. And so she’s literally created the most amazing, unique scents that are not found everywhere.

Okay. But she also has them matched with her own Spotify playlist. So it creates a mood, right? So what she’s looking for is if the candle burns for, you know, 30 hours, she’s got a 30 hour. I don’t know if it’s 30 hours, but she has a playlist that lasts as long as the candle does. When you go into her booth, you can put the headphones on and actually have that experience.

And I think that was really smart because it’s scent and sound. So she’s tapping into our senses and that’s what I find incredibly inspirational, frankly.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah. Oh, I love it so much.

Amy Loewenberg: I’ll also say that we’ve got some really goodies that are out there that have come to market for their first time. There is a Kitty Meow boutique and she’s paper over in the gift and lifestyle section and she too She’s created an experience where she’s got you know a wall with flowers and neon that says you’re very pretty and she has the what do you call those? The wheel, the boomerang lights so that Yeah.

She can do her Instagram moments there. Nice. Like we always want people to tag, but she is doing it right in the booth. You wanna talk about commanding your business. Yeah, right. Do that in your store. Yes. That’s an amazing entity to bring into your store. And then Yes, like you said, she’s got the wheel because everybody likes a present and a discount and stuff like that.

Yeah. So I would say definitely check her out.

And I guess the last person that I would just leave you with is Nature’s Collection. I think they’re from New Zealand. I really hope that I haven’t messed that part up. But a lovely woman who’s here for the first or second time. And she has an assortment of home furnishings and personal accessories that are highlighting materials that are indigenous to her area.

And they’re luxurious. You just want to wrap yourself in them and you want your home to be wrapped in them. And I’m just really excited about what’s happening in our home section too. So yeah, I’m just going to put the buzz out there that if you’re interested in seeing what’s happening at NY NOW, check out our home section.

It’s really cool. We’re doing it. We’re doing some really good work here.

Crystal Vilkaitis: That’s awesome. And I just want to tell our listeners that Amy had a very hard time picking people because there’s so many amazing people here. And then

Amy Loewenberg: you put me on the spot and I can’t remember. I know, but that

Crystal Vilkaitis: was so good.

Amy, you’ve done our resilience round before. We’re going to link to that in here too. so much for sharing your expertise. And talking about so many foundational things that our retailers really need. So I appreciate you spending some time with me. Oh my

Amy Loewenberg: goodness. I appreciate you and what you do. So it is a pleasure to be here and it’s always a pleasure to talk with you.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yes. Okay, tell people how they can connect with you.

Amy Loewenberg: Oh yeah! Reach out to me through LinkedIn, Amy Loewenberg, you can connect with me through our website, I’m online, and then, oh, definitely follow me on Instagram, it’s amy. nynow, so it’s Amy at NY NOW. And DM me, connect with me. I want to see your stores.

If I can get there, I will. I do store tours. I like to, I really do like to bring the brands and the buyers together. So help me do my job. I’ll help you do your job.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Exactly, I love it so much. So good. Thank you for being here. This is so good, so good. Everyone remember that I’m rooting for your success.

Have a great week ahead. Bye. Yeah. Love it.

Thank you so much for being here. It means the world to me. Don’t forget to join the Rise and Shine newsletter, which is social media news you need to know sent via email every Monday morning, go to crystalmediaco.com/rise to join and don’t miss the newest episode of Rooted in Retail, which drops every Sunday morning.