When should a retailer hold true to their brand vs. adapting to the local market? Do you think some localization is always required? If so, how much?
Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust :
Yes and no. Look at what the folks from Fixer Upper have accomplished with their Magnolia brand. It is local and national at the same time. They remain true to their brand while also creating a destination in Waco which was a place very few people wanted to visit before. Their look/brand seems to work in many diverse areas of the country.
We had dinner with friends in one of the four restaurants that have opened inside of the brand new Nordstrom’s women’s store in NYC. The experience was unique, but the layout and the merchandise was also very unique. My point here is that what works in NYC may not work in Peoria. In fact, what works in NYC may not even work in Yonkers or White Plains or New Jersey. Politics are local and so is retail. Amaro has become very popular in NY. Try finding it in some liquor stores just outside of the metro area and the answer will be, “what’s that?”
Read the entire article from RetailWire: