vivid streets. upscale markets. government rigid architectures. iconic neighborhood.
What matters in a seamless, unique customer experience?
Well...
Quality over quantity
Simplicity
Customer service & experience
Having a purpose/supporting a cause
Convenience
LUSH Cosmetics
Meet Gabby.
an animal rights activist & a LUSH enthusiast.
also a women's rights advocate, a political grassroots mobilizer, a Human Rights Campaign employee, a George Washington graduate student, and an aspiring lawyer.
What is Lush Cosmetics?
Lush Cosmetics is a beauty and skin care store that specializes in hand-made cosmetics. What makes them stand out from other cosmetic companies is that almost all of their ingredients are natural, and all their products are hand-made with little to no packaging. This is because the company puts a large emphasis on the values and ethics they hold. They support the LGBT community and human rights in general, and they are against animal testing and animal cruelty. This would appeal to the new generation because as people are becoming more open-minded and more accepting, customers that share the same values would want to buy their products. The store as a whole focuses on simplicity and quality, which also appeal to the new generation because now people are choosing quality over quantity; they are willing to pay more for better products. Even the workers there are passionate about what the business and they themselves stand for. For example, the worker we interviewed is a graduate student majoring in public policy and is interning at a human rights campaign. This helps create a better experience for the customers as the employees are able to provide more information and knowledge beyond the products sold in the store. Other cosmetic companies can be inspired by Lush and change to using natural ingredients as well, and they can also inspire customers to become more aware of issues in our society and do something to fix it.
Warby Parker
Warby Parker is an online retailer for prescription glasses and sunglasses, but recently started opening up physical locations as well. What makes them different from other retailers is that customers are able to have five frames sent to their homes to try on for free before actually buying the glasses, making it more convenient and less time consuming for the customers. Another way they improved the customer experience is by including eye exams in many of their stores. In the past customers had to get an eye exam done before they went to buy glasses, but Warby Parker combines the trips into one. Customers could get an eye examination and buy a pair of glasses in one place and in a single day. Most of their glasses retail for a price of $95, but they implement a "buy one, give one" model, meaning that for each pair of glasses bought, Warby Parker will pay for the production of another pair for people living in third world countries that cannot afford to pay for glasses. Giving back to the community and making a difference (even if it's one pair of glasses at a time) really matter to the new generation, so even if another retail store sells glasses for cheaper, customers will be willing to pay a little more for the convenience and to help those in need. Any company or organization can implement these ideas to inspire customers and employees to go out and make a change.
and a casual quick snack @Georgetown Cupcakes (with a stupendous hour long wait)
Georgetown cupcake was our last stop of the trip, and definitely the sweetest. The line outside the small shop was almost wrapping around the block, but after hearing everyone talk about it we knew we had to go in and try it. Georgetown Cupcakes was started by two sisters who liked to bake but they were both in the fashion industry. When they quit their jobs in fashion and started Georgetown Cupcakes, they combined their passion for fashion and baking to make very pretty and aesthetically pleasing cupcakes which is why they are so popular today. Their attention to detail, and their small iconic flowers they put on some of their cupcakes, is what sets them apart from their competitors. Also they have over 30 different flavors everyday, so there is a large variety to choose from. In addition, Georgetown Cupcakes only sells cupcakes, not cakes. They can make cupcake masterpieces where they use cupcakes to make different symbols and statues, which are very cool. The number one lesson that can be taken away from Georgetown Cupcakes is how they reinvented the cupcake industry by combining baking and fashion to create a new uncontested marketplace. Companies should aim to combine two different industries to create a new one of their own, and maybe we will wait an hour in line for their product as well.