Culinary concierges, increased salaries, and even celebrity greeters are on retailers’ wish lists.
SFA News Daily asked a trio of retailers to dream about how they’d improve their stores if cost wasn’t an issue. They are Bill Mignucci, Jr., president of Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia, Joe Cardonna, CEO of Caviar & Bananas Gourmet Market in Charleston, South Carolina, and Katie Quinn, owner of Mullahy’s Cheese Shop in Hudson, Massachusetts.
Q: If money were no object, how would you change or improve your store?
Bill Mignucci, Jr., president, Di Bruno Bros.
I would begin improving our stores by investing in innovative, creative, visual merchandising displays, fixtures, and product information. Lighting, music, culinary concierges, and storytellers would walk the store and talk with customers and guests, bringing together hospitality and food in a magical way. This spirited, well-trained staff would make sure shopping at Di Bruno Bros. was filled with many different food experiences throughout the store. I would see such a shopping experience more like a visit to an art or history museum. The products would come to life with great staging, visual components, storytelling, and of course, abundant sampling and pairing. As a result of interacting with product experts and technology, guests would leave with full bags, full stomachs, and full minds, inspired and wanting to share their experience with others. Through such a unique approach to food shopping I would hope to create an emotional connection and lasting memory with a customer.
As a result, the shopping experience would become an adventure, not a chore, and a form of entertainment, not just a task. It would be a culinary journey, not a race just to eat or get what you need and move on. Integrating eating, shopping, and learning would be the basis for our customers’ experiences and the price of products would be secondary. As a matter of fact, they would be expected to be expensive because of the experience. It would fuel an energized community of food lovers, seekers, and enthusiasts of all kinds!
Joe Caradonna, CEO, Caviar & Bananas
Our market on campus is overrun with college students and tourists day in and day out. How neat would it be to have a “walk-thru” window? Drive-thrus are so efficient that I think most people would definitely take advantage. With the hot real estate here in the Charleston market, I’d need to pay off the college for a pricey piece of dirt, to put in place a fancy (gold?) walkway that would wow the most Charlestonian clientele in town (looking at you Bill Murray!). Speaking of Bill Murray ... why not hire him as our concierge to say hello to each and every customer that walks thru? No budget? No salary cap? No problem!
Katie Quinn, owner, Mullahy’s Cheese Shop
I would look to move to a larger space and perhaps even buy the new space outright. I would hire more team members and be able to offer them all a significant increase in salary above the living wage. I’d spend more time and resources educating my team about our products and services. I would encourage and assist them to attain certifications such as a Certified Cheese Professional designation. I would consider adding a social media/marketing manager as this is something, although crucial today, that tends to get put to the backburner in our day-to-day operations. I would look to add additional services such as a delivery program and shipping. Next, I would look to increase our inventory of artisan cheeses, wine, and specialty products. For our customers, I would like to have a small resource library where they could learn more about artisan cheeses, specialty foods, and fine wine. For myself, I would like to be able to have the time and flexibility to venture out more across America and to other countries (post-COVID) meeting artisan cheese makers and wine producers, learning their stories, and being able to share them first-hand with my team and customers. I would continuously be on the lookout for new and interesting products to add to our current lineup. And of course, we would continue to look for more ways to make it easy for our customers to make their lives more cheesy.