The Future of Retail

Crystal Vilkaitis: One hundred. It is episode 100. Yay! Wah, wah, wah, wah! I am so excited you are here. This is a special episode today for a couple of reasons. I will be answering the resilience round, which is a rapid fire Q&A that I ask every single guest. So you’re going to hear my answers. Pauline Blasetti, my COO. She is the host.

She turns the tables on me, and I answer those questions at the end of today’s episode. Plus, I pieced together some of my favorite answers of past guests who answered that question. What do you think the future of independent retail looks like? I have 10 guests that we’ve pieced together that will air in this episode, because I know that sometimes you might not make it all the way to the end and there’s gold. There’s gold in how people answer those questions.

And that question always the very last question asked. So you’ll hear that in this episode. Plus, I’m going to be sharing what’s in store for Rooted in Retail. It’s game changers, I hope, for you and your store. So let’s dive in to this episode.

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. All right, here’s today’s episode.

Rooted in Retail Merch Winners

Crystal Vilkaitis: Hey, real quick, before we dive in to episode 100, we did a contest, a giveaway. If you were in our Facebook group for Rooted in Retail, we submitted a link and you could win some Rooted in Retail merch. So I have three winners to announce. If you are one of the lucky winners, Someone on my team has emailed you on how to redeem your gift.

And you can pick from a hat sticker mug or t shirt for Rooted in Retail. Our winners are Stacy Rude, Donna McAuliffe and Linda. O’Boils. So congratulations, ladies. You are our winners. Thank you so much for listening to the show and entering to win. And don’t forget to take pics with your rooted merch.

Cause I want to see it. All right, let’s dive in.

Celebrating 100 episodes of Rooted in Retail

Crystal Vilkaitis: Okay. So before we get into all that good stuff that I talked about that we have going on in 100, I have to first say, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening, for participating in this community. It means the world, if you know me, if you’ve been a listener, you know I absolutely love doing the show.

It’s fun that I’m actually filming 100 right now. It’s August of 2024, which this comes out August of 2024. I’m filming it a couple of weeks in advance, but I just got done going to several conferences and summer markets and have had the chance to talk to so many. So many listeners, and that has just made me feel so grateful.

I love talking to listeners. I told many of you that I got to talk to. It means the world to hear your feedback because you work really hard at doing a show. I want it to be valuable. I want to find really great guests for you. I want to have conversations that we bring to you. That changes you, your business, your team, and you find really helpful.

And so when I get that feedback from you, it makes it. Worth it, right? Like it makes it so worth it that I’m creating this and you’re listening and you’re enjoying it. So thank you so much for listening. It truly means the world to me. And I have some really cool things in store for the show that I hope will be very beneficial to you.

But before I talk about that. Because it’s episode 100, I have been very reflective. I’ve been thinking about all these past episodes and all the conversations I’ve had. And there is something that stands out significantly through these episodes and future ones coming because as we sit right now in August of 2024, I have content done through February of 2025.

Yes, you heard that right. I was just in New York city and I did eight full sit down episodes that were awesome. Oh my gosh. I can’t wait for these to come to the podcast. Like you’re going to love my guests and what we talk about. Oh my gosh. So good. Also, it was just so fun to be in person.

It’s just such a different energy. So I got a couple of months down there and I’ve just been like on a roll with filming because there’s so many amazing people, both retailers and retail pros that I’ve been connecting with and having them on the show and having these incredible conversations. So we’re planned out here and so what’s coming, I’ve done over a hundred episodes and that number one thing that I keep hearing from my guests.

Why independent retailers need this key strategy to outperform big box chains

Crystal Vilkaitis: And the reoccurring theme is experience. It’s experience. And I mentioned this, I went a little bit deeper on experience when I did after the show on Kathy Cruz’s episode. So we’ll link to that episode in the show notes. Because that after the show, I wanted to like dive in more with experiences and give some ideas on how you can create incredible experiences.

And there are just so many things that independent retailers can do. And this is often the answer to people’s question. What is the future of independent retail look like they say experiential. It’s the way that you beat big box e comm. You know, our friends at Amazon, we are winning through those experiences.

It’s your unfair advantage because you’re a brick and mortar retailer, it’s your unfair advantage. And so of course, that’s going to be one of the top themes, right? But hands down when I was in New York, a few of my guests mentioned the five senses and really going through your store and the experience of your store and looking at it through the lens of the five senses.

And so I wanted to bring that up on this episode because it’s been the number one theme.

Crystal’s call to action for retailers

Crystal Vilkaitis: I really want to encourage you to look at the experience that you provide to your customers. And that’s going to be in a lot of different ways, right? It could be the five senses. It could be the events that you’re providing.

It’s the in store experience. It’s the online experience. It’s the social media experience. what’s the experience with you and your team? What’s the team’s experience with your customers? What’s your experience with your vendors? I really think there’s an opportunity for you to almost have this like experience bootcamp where for two days you block your calendar.

Maybe you even go away somewhere. You airbnb a place, and you’re really analyzing the experience of your store and your events and your relationships, and how you’re really showing up for your customers. Because this is your unfair advantage. And I just see so many opportunities that I get really, really, really excited talking about experiences because that’s also great content for your marketing and for social media. Like we often feel stuck. What should I be posting? And I post the same thing. But when you’re doing cool experiences and you’re really connecting with your audience, that’s the content. And then your customers are posting about that experience and they’re tagging you.

So you’re curating content from your customers. It just really has so many ripples. There’s so many advantages. So I wanted to say experience, experience, experience. That’s where it’s at. That’s my call to action to you on episode 100 for you to be a resilient retailer. You need to be providing incredible experiences, thoughtful experiences.

And like we’ve talked about in the show. They can also be very simple. It can also be small things that you’re doing. You don’t have to throw these massive parties every single week to provide an incredible experience. So have a focused effort and on that, like focus your attention on your experiences.

Now, speaking of experiences, something that I’m always doing and wondering and thinking about is your experience with the show. And I care a lot about you loving the show. You listening to the show, you sharing it with your retailer friends, you showing up in our Facebook group and sharing. I love when you post like your full page of notes or that you’re listening, the picture of here you are in my car or listening with my kids or on my walk.

I love just this whole experience. Experience that we’re creating and to make this experience even better.

Stay Tuned: A new Rooted in Retail segment you won’t want to miss

Crystal Vilkaitis: I am launching an entirely new segment on the show through Rooted in Retail. It’s launching September 5th. So you’re going to want to mark your calendars. This is a brand new segment called: Retail Therapy. That’s right. We’re going to give retailers therapy on Rooted in Retail. Now, hear me out. I was on a walk. I walk a lot and I listen to books and podcasts and there was a story and I had these questions like, Oh, I just really wanted this person to go deeper into what that, the challenge that they were having and like, how did they overcome that?

Like I wanted more information and I just started, my brain just went crazy for a second and was thinking about therapy. Retail therapy. Therapy for retailers. Let’s flip the script on retail therapy instead of shopping therapy. It’s actual therapy for retailers. I have gotten so much out of therapy for my business.

And I think this would be so fun to film because so many of the problems and challenges that we go through as entrepreneurs. Other people are going through too. We are not alone in our problems. We feel alone. We feel like this is so unique to me, but that is often not the case. So I’m like, let’s find some vulnerable, open, amazing retailers to talk about a challenge they’re having.

Let’s film it. And I’m going to bring on a therapist because I don’t think I’m fully qualified for that job. But I will be a part of it so I can also ask questions and help guide that, that conversation. And then we’re going to share it with you. So my first therapist that I have coming onto the show, Rhonda Renee on September 5th, you’re going to hear from her.

I’m going to interview her. You’re going to learn more about Rhonda and how she helps businesses. She’s a business and life coach. I’ve personally worked with her. I have friends who have worked with her. She’s pretty bad ass, like she’s awesome. And you’re going to see that from this. And then starting September 5th, we’re going to go bi weekly.

So September 5th is a Thursday. So every other Thursday. For it’s gonna be a total of six episodes, including Rhonda’s, we will do retail therapy and it’s my beta test to see how you like it. If you’re loving it you know how it goes with my guests. I’m really looking, I’ve already have the five guests lined up.

They’re incredible. Each of them have their very own unique challenges they’re going through. Like different from each other that you’re going, I think you’re just going to get so much out of retail therapy. And I’m really, really excited to do this segment, it’s my goal that this is a ongoing forever segment, but we’re going to beta test it.

So I can hear from you. So here’s the deal when you’re listening to retail therapy, if you’re enjoying that segment, you gotta tell me, cause it’s going to be based on your feedback, your reviews, your downloads, you telling me in the group, I need to know. Okay. Be on the lookout that starting September 5th, every other Thursday going into November, we’re going to have retail therapy.

So I’m thinking about the experience of the show and the experience of my retailers running their business. And that’s one way I think that I can really support you through this, through the show.

How Crystal plans to bring Rooted to Retail to life with in-person experiences

Crystal Vilkaitis: Another experience that I’m looking to do more with Rooted in Retail is more in person experiences. So, like said, I just got back from New York. I was at NY now, New York. Now. And I sat down, I did 29 total interviews while I was there. Eight of them were full episodes that will air on the show. The other 20, all 29 were resilience round. I got some information. Oh my gosh. The content I got from these 29 people, every single time I was talking to somebody and listening to their answers, I just kept thinking we all have such incredible knowledge and experience.

I want to bring that to our retailers. I want to build a platform to really have these incredible human beings who all have their own stories and their own experiences to share and help make us all better. And so we’re going to be doing some stuff with that information, but it was really, really fun to be in person.

And as you may or may not know, I’ve done in person interviews at the Dallas market center, at the Las Vegas market center. I am looking to do more. If you are on a board of an association, if you plan content for conferences and you think that in person interviews or panels that we can air on Rooted in Retail would benefit your conference or your event, please reach out.

My email is crystal at crystalmediaco. com. And I would love to brainstorm that with you. I also would love it if we could get like a big sponsor on the show that could pay for me to go to a retailer stores and we could create like a whole like B roll behind the like, we’re in different parts. It’s almost like Anthony Bourdain who went to these restaurants, like we go to three different retailers and we just get some really great content.

I’m thinking future here, nothing like that is planned today, but it goes back to the experience of my listeners.

Special Announcement: After the Show returns in September

Crystal Vilkaitis: I think that there’s just so much more to this podcast. And to be honest, this podcast is almost just becoming its own amazing platform. It’s more than just a weekly episode is dropped and that’s what I want it to be.

I wanted it, I want it to be more. I want to connect with our retailers to connect with our community. And I’m thinking about the experience. And so in person is a way and retail therapy is a way and then after the show, I did some after the shows, I beta tested those in the beginning of the year.

We took the summer off to be honest. I need a little bit of a break. And I also was just measuring and people love after the show. So those are coming back starting September. In case you’re new to what After the Show is, these are aired on Tuesdays where I go deeper on something that was mentioned in that week’s episode.

It is not a recap of the episode, it is me picking something that really stood out and I go deeper on After the Show. They’re meant to be more bite size versus full long episodes, but a chance for you and I to connect in a solo episode and go a little deeper on a point that my guests talked about in that week’s episode.

So be on the lookout for after the show. Those are coming back in September too. Again, all a way to just be a part of your world and create a really amazing experience. I’m also working on something that I love to tease. I can’t really say anything other than I’m working on something behind the scenes.

That really is exciting. And it’s another way to just really connect with our listeners and to just be more involved in your business. I don’t know if you want that, if you want me more involved in your business or not, but I would like to, and I’ve got some fun ideas and some fun ideas on how my guests could be more involved in your business too, how we could connect more.

So I’m working on some stuff because I’m looking at the show through the lens of experience. And that is something that can really create. A strong, long lasting show exactly how you can create a strong, long lasting store through looking through the lens of experience. So that’s our theme for 100 this year, this year, this episode.

And now I want to pivot a little bit. We’re going to jump into the 10 bite sized pieces of some of my favorite answers for the resilience round question. What is the future of independent retail look like? So we’re going to dive into those 10 next. If you have somebody’s answer that you love that we didn’t air.

I would love to know you could share in the Facebook group, go to facebook. com, search for rootin retail, join the group. Let me know. You can also leave it as a review, but these are some of my favorites. And then after these 10, you’re going to want to stick around because then I’m going to go into the resilience round with Pauline, my COO, and you’ll get to hear my answers there.

All right, let’s dive into these 10 answers.

What makes independent retailers special with Dane Cohen

Dane Cohen: I love, love, love this question. And I think that this is Probably the toughest pill to swallow for a lot of independent retailers. You’re never going to compete with Walmart. You’re never going to compete with Amazon. They’re going to ship faster than you. They’re going to outprice you.

What you can deliver on is what makes independent retail amazing. The customer service, the relationship you have, your understanding of the needs of your customer and the product that they’re looking for. So I, I really think that as technology becomes.

You know, more and more accessible as you’re able to use some great, great retail technologies to maybe start to compete. We have to always bring it back to the tried and true principles that make independent retail great. And that’s keeping connected with your customer and really understanding their needs and then delivering it in a personalized way, right?

Our goal should never to become a big box, you know, Vacant no face store. We want to keep that, you know, intimate connection we have with our customers. We just want technology to enhance that.

How retailers can stay relevant with Jacqueline Snyder

Jacqueline Snyder: I think it’s exciting, always going to change and it always has changed. So my grandpa owned, I think it was like seven different grocery stores in London, back in the fifties and sixties. And then he ended up changing. And people might say grocery stores are dead, but then look at Erewhon and it’s a couple that have launched this amazing brand.

So I think as long as we’re always pivoting, staying on top of information and saying like, how do I continue to stay relevant? I’m really excited to see what happens. And I think the other big thing I see is experience. Experience is so important to retail. What is the experience your customer is going to have when they come in?

If you think of how drugstores are, and then a modern drugstore where it feels like, “Ooh, I can discover products. I can shop around.” It’s the experience of the customer. And I think that’s the thing that’s going to keep certain retailers growing and expanding

 

Why there’s never been a better time to own a business with Wade Tonkin

Wade Tonkin: I think that the potential for the future is massive. I think there’s never been a better time to be launching a business online. Because it’s so approachable. It used to be that you had to have some kind of tech savvy or, had to be willing to throw down a bunch of money for, an established site or an established commerce tool or for people to build one for you.

But now, with a couple hundred bucks, you can Pick up your domain, pick up your e com account and all that. You can be out there doing your thing. And I think that’s amazing. It makes me sad to hear people in like my kids generation say American dream is dead.

I don’t think it is. I think it’s, there’s so much opportunity. If you’ve got that idea in your world to hustle for and go and put it out there, I’ve seen so many cool projects that come out from a person just having a cool idea and being able to throw it up on a Shopify or something like that, or throw it up on TikTok shops, you know, it’s wherever your audience is, you don’t have to be everywhere.

Just find, how do I best connect with my audience? Let’s get it out there and see what happens. And, try it until you get it right.

The biggest advantages independent retailers have over big box stores with Susan Negen

Susan Negen: Oh my gosh, it’s so incredibly bright for you guys. I think I alluded to it earlier that all the technology that’s been developed really like in the last just five years, even, has flattened the competitive landscape. The technology that all of the big boxes and big tech players, all the advantages that they had, it’s starting to flatten.

So that you, independent retailers, have all of the opportunities, all of the tools, all the technology, all the abilities that these guys have. And what you have is your own unique personality, your face, your connection with your customers, your connection with your communities, your ability to move and maneuver and shift and change more quickly than these guys can.

So you have so many advantages. And so I think the future of indie retail is super bright. I just,

Crystal Vilkaitis: I love it.

Susan Negen: I’m excited.

Embrace the mindset of “I don’t know what I don’t know” with Paul Erickson

Paul Erickson: I think it’s bright, I really do. I can’t go from Birmingham, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama and if I walked into a mall, I would see essentially the same stores. It’s so homogenous out there with the chains, the same inventory.

And it’s the same old. Independent retail is growing. It has been growing. It continues to grow. And the future I think is very bright. I really do, for people who want to get into this business. And when, again, a rewarding thing for me, and everybody at Management One, is to talk. I had a meeting this morning with someone who just opened the store 2 months ago, and she was smart enough to know, and her dad owned, I think, 25 McDonald’s franchises. And she came back to her hometown and she’s opened the 1st store she’s already signed a lease for a 2nd store.

And her dad told her, who’s a successful businessman. He said, I want you to find a consulting company to guide you in terms of running the business from where you’re weak. You don’t need help in terms of fashion. You don’t need help in terms of how the store looks. She gave us a tour today online of the stores, gorgeous, absolutely beautiful store, merchandise displayed perfectly.

But he said, he told her, he goes, you need help on the financial side. And your accountant is not going to give it to you. I think the future of independent retail is bright for those people who know what they don’t know.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Mm hmm.

Paul Erickson: There’s an old saying in business, I don’t know what I don’t know. And I think people who understand that and don’t reject something just because they don’t understand it right away, those are the people that are generally successful.

The demand for independent shops is increasing with Karen Walsh

Kareen Walsh: I think independent retail has such an advantage because that’s where creativity lies. And I think big box stores are there for large consumption at a very low rate, but I don’t know that anyone who has independent retail really wants those buyers.

You want to know who you’re serving and if you can really like almost embody them as you’re making your business decision around what gifting you want to bring to the world, like the type of retail experience you want them to have. The products that only you get access to, or that you’ve created yourself, whatever that looks like.

I think it’s going to be in higher demand. In these coming years, more than anything, because, sustainability and the desire to support people in our community is rising. Because we’re all in a little bit of a struggle, right? It’s just a matter of tapping into that. And again, know your neighbor. Who else is doing something that you can compliment and start coming up with some joint ventures together, I think, is really, to feel less isolated in your independence. But also feel independent in the creativity you bring into the world, I think, is the direction that’s headed.

The power of automation in the future of retail with Thad Price

Thad Price: I think it’s fantastic. And the reason is because we are entering an age where a lot of what we can do will be automated

Crystal Vilkaitis: Mm hmm.

Thad Price: more than ever before. And I look at the successes in retail over the last few years. And there’s one thing that continues to shine and that is customer service.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Mm

Thad Price: And I think that retailers are at a great point to be able to provide, independent retailers, be able to provide a great service connected to the community.

And something that you can’t find it through a marketplace that makes it easy to buy. And I think that if we focus our energy as a industry on all the ways in which we can provide great service and great connection to a community that we can fill a void of course hire the right people.

And through that, I feel I’m very bullish, long-term, in retail, because I think that even with all of the experiences that have moved online, there’s still an opportunity to provide in those important aspects. And when you look at like a company like Shopify and what they’re doing you know, with a local retailer, and then you fuse that at a larger scale online with great service connection to a community, that’s to me where the magic happens.

What will keep customers coming back to small business retail with Beth Rich

Beth Rich: I am thinking is so strong. I think Amazon and online shopping are here to stay. And I think it’s fabulous. There’s nothing like buying a S hooks at a stoplight, you know, because I like Amazon, like I need those and I don’t have time to go to Ace hardware. So I’m, an Amazon shopper.

Okay. But I think it’s the relationship. I think it’s the connection. And I think that’s the thing that will keep people coming boldly back to small business retail. I think if you can set yourself apart as someplace that genuinely cares and it’s almost like walking into the store.

It feels like just like a big hug and people, people, they want that.

Why retailers should take care of their regulars with Matt Harris

Beth Rich: I think it’s going to be coming back to personal relationships, which is why I’m in it, which is great. So I think silver lining, go back to Augmandino again, right? Life isn’t about what happens to you.

It’s about the way you perceive what happens to you, right? There’s no good or there’s no bad. It’s the way you perceive these things. I think one of the good things that came out of COVID was you had all these closures, the mom and pop’s businesses sadly going out of business. A lot of them, you know, you know, Amazon, the big companies took over, but I think there’s a big retake of that going on or that will go on.

I think that customers want to know you as a business owner. They want to see you and believe it or not, they want to come in the store and just say, hi, you know, even if it’s not buying something. And I realized that at my store that almost every day I had multiple people, just, I was in the neighborhood, thought I would come and say hi.

And whatever, whether they buy or not. I think the personal relationships is what’s coming back and people love, love, love to support local business and they always, people would always say yeah, but the prices are higher. I can’t compete against Amazon, but you know what? Who cares? I will buy myself.

I’ll spend 110 bucks on something local rather than going to Amazon for 100. happy to do it. And I’ve seen a lot of studies about that, too. People are okay and expect to spend a little bit more money because they have the personal experience. That’s what I see as the trend. And take advantage of it as a business owner, you know, get to know your customers because that’s the other thing that’s also going to help you last through recession is that you can still sell and you can sell at higher prices with inflation if you have that good of a relationship with these people that come in on a regular basis.

So take care of the regulars, especially.

How can we engage with customers in a different way with Kelly Bennett

Kelly Bennett: I think the future of independent retail looks promising and cool and creative. And I think the brands that are going to stand out are going to do things differently. I’m working on two retail brands right now that are opening up brick and mortar, and that’s part of what we’re looking at of what different partnerships we can incorporate in the stores. How can we engage with customers in a different way?

And just really looking at things from a new perspective, and just seeing what we can utilize with digital with social, and just seeing how can we niche down and create a really unique brand experience within that retail space that people would want to come back to. I think it’s all about creativity, thinking outside the box, leveraging social, and just really being mindful of the overall brand experience you want to carry for your customers.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Okay. What did you think? I hope you got some good value out of those 10 guests and their answers to that very important question. I just love that question so much and I love hearing what people say.

And these were some of my favorites, so I hope you enjoyed that.

Episode Sponsor: Crystal Media Co. Ads Management Services

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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, a D S 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 slash ads to learn more.

And with that being said, it’s coming from the resilience round. It’s my turn. It’s my turn for the tables to be turned. So Pauline is joining me and we are going in to rapid fire Q and A with the resilience round. Here we go.

Pauline: All right. Crystal, host of Rooted in Retail, founder of Crystal Media, top rated international speaker, astrology loving, mustard eating, generous, curious, future New York Times best selling author. Are you ready for the resilience round?

Crystal Vilkaitis: Oh my gosh. Yes. What an

Pauline: your last name.

Crystal Vilkaitis: love it. Yes, let’s go. Let’s do

Best business book

Pauline: Best business book.

Crystal Vilkaitis: So this was hard for me to narrow down. I am going to list four, but I will say my number one, that’s been the most influential on me in my career is the go giver all about showing up and just giving every time we give we get. And I feel like I have really integrated that into my business and it’s always worked out.

I just so love that book. The other three. Story brand by Don Miller, good to great, and the e myth classics. They’re so

Best retail technology

Pauline: Very good. I can’t believe you narrowed it down to just four. I was curious about that. Okay, best retail technology, like an app or software.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Okay. So Shopify is such a obvious one. I feel like the, how easy it is for retailers to build e comm sites now is pretty incredible. And then this isn’t necessarily retail specific, but I got to go with Chad, GPT, how it is just saving retailers time. It’s insane. So those are my top two.

How do you keep up with the ever changing retail landscape?

Pauline: How do you keep up with the ever changing retail landscape?

Crystal Vilkaitis: So being, one of the, I feel like I’m lucky because I have the show. So I talk to a lot of people and that’s a really good way for me to keep up in a lot of different areas of retail. So that makes it a little bit easier on me. Also, as a speaker, I get to go to conferences and participate where I’m speaking.

And I’m researching. So research keeps me up to date, but I also get to listen to the other speakers and hear from retailers. What are their challenges? What’s working. So I really feel like being out there. Also subscribing to newsletters. Retail brew is a favorite of mine. I also get the NR, the National Retail Federation, their email newsletter.

Yes, it’s for big box, but there are a lot of great things that we can learn from big box and it gives us a little bit of a idea of where some of the industries are going, what technologies are coming. So those are some of my top ways.

What’s a retail foundational best practice?

Pauline: those are great. And to help retailers be stronger, more rooted in success. What’s a foundational best practice?

Crystal Vilkaitis: I would say, you know, I’ll take a marketing angle because that’s my background and it would really be solve your customers pain points. Talk about their pain, and in order to know the pain, you have to know your customer. So really, I feel like the businesses, not just retailers, but the businesses that really understand their customers, what they need, what keeps them up at night, what those pain points are, you are better equipped to serve them.

And when you talk about those pain points in your social content, in your email, in your store, in your signage, it becomes about them. It becomes about the customer. And so you have to be adding value. It has to be about them, not about you. So solve the pain

points.

One thing Crystal would do differently if she had to start her business over again

Pauline: good one. All right, and if you had to start your business all over again, what’s one thing you’d do differently?

Crystal Vilkaitis: So I said this at evolve on the retail pro panel, and we aired it on the show. We’ll link to that episode if you haven’t listened yet, because I loved that panel conversation. But for me, I wish I would have listened to myself more. I not that I’ve cured myself of this.

I still do it, but I. Very much in somebody who I want to get ideas and feedback from other people and sometimes even permission. And I will get a lot of ideas and a lot of information and I’ll join Masterminds and I’ll read books and I’ll ask friends and I’ll see what other people are doing. And I have.

I’ve gotten lost. Sometimes that’s taken me off of my own brand, off my own way of doing things. And then you kind of like wake up and you’re like, wait, why am I here? Why am I doing it this way? This isn’t even what I wanted to do. And that can actually, you know, you’re almost looking for a shortcut or just speed things up, but it can actually slow you down.

So I wish. And I think this is part of just growing up to, I started my business in my twenties. Like I just didn’t trust myself as much and I really wish I would have listened to my gut more. Cause I think it knows what’s best for

me.

What Crystal thinks the future of independent retail looks like

Pauline: That’s great advice So what do you think the future of independent retail looks like?

Crystal Vilkaitis: So I am very optimistic about it for the retailers that are providing experience, which we talk about a lot on this show for the retailers who are really taking care of their customers. Where they really feel like they feel valued. They feel supported. They, the convenience aspect, and I’m not necessarily saying Convenience like Amazon, because in some of those situations, we just can’t compete as independents, but the ones that are really taking care of them and providing convenience.

Perfect example of this. One of my favorite boutiques is Pilar here in Loveland and Fort Collins. I’ve had Anna on the show and in April she texted me and said, Hey, I know evolve is coming up. Do you need me to pull some outfits for you? And she knew this because last year. I bought outfits for evolve.

And so she’s checking in on me. She texts me and I’m like, actually, I’m going to be in Loveland today. Can you pull them today? So she frantically goes into the store, pulls me a rack of clothes because she’s incredible. And I’m last minute and I go in, I did a quick swirl around the store, but I knew she already picked stuff for me.

So I just went to the rack and boom, we tried on stuff. I got outfits. I felt great. I felt taken care of. They also offer champagne. You know, it’s the. It’s the experience, it’s the convenience, it’s the customer service, the retailers that really lean into those things. The future is so bright, like online just can’t compete with that big box is not going to compete with that.

You know, they could try. But I just feel like turnover with employees can happen so fast that it’s very hard. We want relationships. We want humans, we want people. And that is like, I’ve always said, our retailer superpower is themselves. So as long as they’re putting themselves out there, being there for the customers, it’s very bright.

Pauline: Thank you and where can people find you?

Crystal Vilkaitis: Yeah one place I hope everybody listening is in our Rooted in Retail Facebook group. I’m in there almost every day, just seeing what retailers are posting and people are posting pictures of their stores or of them, and they’re asking questions and I just want retailers to share, connect, engage with each other, but as well as with me, so that’s a really great place.

And personally, I am most active on Instagram. So just my first and last name, Crystal Vilkaitis is where you can find me. Yay. You did it, Pauline. That was so fun.

Pauline: And thank you for being my first guest.

Crystal Vilkaitis: Oh my God. I am happy to be your first guest. That means the world to me. And that was really fun to have the tables turned. So thank you for doing it.

All right. So before we sign off for episode 100, I have my Rooted in Retail mug here where I’m having my coffee on my coffee burner. I want to give you a big cheers to 100. I have just gotten started. Lots of exciting things coming for this show. Thank you for being here. It means the world. I’m looking forward to a hundred times a hundred more. Let’s go. All right. Cheers. I’m rooting for you and your success. I’ll see you on 101.

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 crystal media, co. com slash rise to join and don’t miss the newest episode of Rooted in Retail, which drops every Sunday morning.