{"id":19438,"date":"2020-04-13T04:48:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T03:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/demolucia.eurolab.es\/?p=19438\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:17:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:17:02","slug":"howard-saunders-we-already-have-enough-stuff-if-you-dont-believe-me-ask-greta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flameanalytics.com\/en\/howard-saunders-we-already-have-enough-stuff-if-you-dont-believe-me-ask-greta\/","title":{"rendered":"Howard Saunders: “Treat me like just another customer and I probably won\u2019t come back”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Howard Saunders<\/strong>, known as The Retail Futurist, thinks that many of our legacy retailers will disappear. Writer, speaker and designer, Howard sees retail future as messy but also remarkable.<\/p>\n

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Howard, you are known as Retail Futurist, so let\u00b4s start this interview talking about future… How do you think will be\u00a0our high streets like in two thousand years from now? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Well… First, let\u00b4s travel to the past… Two thousand years ago we would have wandered down to the Forum, dressed in our finest toga to see what\u2019s new, meet a friend or colleague for a drink, have a haircut and maybe treat ourselves to a new bedside candle. I believe that in two thousand years time we\u2019ll be doing something very similar. The only question will be what sort of shops and services will be in the Forum of the future.<\/p>\n

And how is our Forum (or Hight streets) now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nowadays, our high streets and shopping centres offer us so much more than access to stuff. They are the places we meet and hang out, browse and learn and play. It\u2019s where we have our hair cut and our shoes mended. In fact, too many stores still hang on to the belief that we need their stuff – it\u2019s the supermarket model: long rows of merchandise laid out for easy access but with barely any explanation and utterly lacking in meaning. Clever online brands have grasped this to their advantage by wrapping their products in wit, wisdom and heritage. After all, it\u2019s meaning that we\u2019re really looking for. We want to furnish our lives with things that we believe add meaning to our lives and increase our social status.<\/p>\n

Our high streets and shopping centres offer us so much more than access to stuff. They are the places we meet and hang out, browse and learn and play<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What is the biggest problem fro this business model?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the biggest problem is that, in the mature west, we already have everything we need. Most people reading this will have wardrobes so full they can\u2019t find what to wear in the morning. Our bathroom cabinets are precarious to open because of the amount of potions and lotions we have collected. And the cupboard under the kitchen sink rattles with the number of cleaning fluids and soap powders we keep there. We already have enough stuff! If you don\u2019t believe me, ask Greta.<\/p>\n

In this context you are describing, what role does technology play in retail?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Technology<\/a>\u00a0has a unique way of engaging us by opening our minds and imaginations to endless possibilities: customising and designing, trying and testing things virtually, creating a direct dialogue with brands and even the product designer – technology is a window into a world that is yet to be conceived. We cannot imagine what tech-treats the likes of Nike or Samsung have in store for us…\u00a0But I can guarantee they\u2019ll be impressive. But don\u2019t get me wrong. I don\u2019t want a virtual haircut preview or a butcher\u2019s counter that livestreams to the farm…\u00a0Not yet anyway.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want a virtual haircut preview or a butcher\u2019s counter that livestreams to the farm…\u00a0Not yet anyway<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Can you highlight a current technology or innovation that you believe is setting a trend? <\/strong><\/p>\n

If there was a technological innovation that was clearly trending I wouldn\u2019t want to encourage it as if it\u2019s some sort of techno silver bullet. And that\u2019s the point of customer focussed<\/a> technology: it must always innovate and change. However, in a more holistic sense, I\u2019m encouraged by what I see from new brands and store designs that focus very much on building authenticity. It seems the message that this is the \u2018post-stuff\u2019 era is getting through. Innovative brands innately understand that they must present and merchandise their products to persuade us of their perfect provenance and interesting heritage…\u00a0Even if they\u2019re new to market!<\/p>\n

What does it take for a store to work? Is there a magic recipe? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes of course there\u2019s a magic recipe, and it\u2019s very simple: You must be really, really excellent! And that\u2019s in everything you do from making the store feel fresh and inviting through to after sales service and product returns. If I had to boil all that down into one word I\u2019d say \u2018hospitality\u2019. Make us feel special and we\u2019ll be keen to connect and add you to our retail universe. Treat me like just another customer and I probably won\u2019t come back.<\/p>\n

Loyalty shouldn\u2019t have to be always about discount. That\u2019s so unimaginative<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How is customer loyalty achieved?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Loyalty is a two way street. Too many retailers look for their customers to be loyal by offering them \u2018micropence\u2019 savings. How about instead they prove their loyalty to us by asking us things, inviting us to product launches etc? It shouldn\u2019t have to be always about discount. That\u2019s so unimaginative. Make us feel appreciated, wanted and respected and I\u2019d say we\u2019re all yours. Easy to say but not so easy to do. To be a little more pointed I would say if your store manager is the sort that sits in the back office all day poring over digital spreadsheets, get a new one!<\/p>\n

We started talking about future and we want to finish this interview with the same topic… How do you see the future of retail?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the 64 million dollar question! And one that I\u2019ve dedicated my life to… But in one paragraph I\u2019d firstly remind you that the future never arrives as it\u2019s a constantly changing picture, of course. But like most things, the future of retail is sure to be mixed, messy and remarkable. I like to be specific so here goes:<\/p>\n