BELLEVUE, WA—It's not the number of retail centers that bring success, it's the quality of the experience, Kemper Freeman Jr. told an audience at the CREW Network annual convention held here late last week. Freeman, the third-generation developer whose Kemper Development Co. has transformed Bellevue into a luxury retail destination, discussed his views on “experiential retail” as part of a panel moderated by Faith Hope Consolo, the chairman of Douglas Elliman. Also joining the panel was Amy Hughes, corporate counsel at Starbucks.
Kemper said his success in crafting a great retail experience is the result of partnering with his merchants, maintaining a long-term approach, and taking a relentless research-based approach to fully understand customer needs. “I think some developers fall in love with the epiphany they had in the shower,” he said.
It's also this focus on research that uncovered the potential for higher-end multifamily apartment space in the Bellevue Collection mixed-use expansion project. And it's the same focus on the customer has resulted in the Bellevue Nordstrom being ranked as the top-performing store in its entire network.
The focus on the customer is critical, he said, because consumers today walk into stores knowledgeable and possibly ready to buy, so retail operations need to be prepared to deliver on their promised experience. “The customer is coming in informed, so if the clerk is half-asleep or not engaged, they're going to say, 'Why did I even bother?' and walk out of the store.”
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
