Jess Christie, Chief Brand Officer of MatchesFashion.com, joined FashMash Pioneers to discuss how she is reimagining the retail experience.
Last night we welcomed Jess Christie, Chief Brand Officer of MatchesFashion to our monthly speaker series.
When MATCHESFASHION.COM opened its grand 5-storey Carlos Place townhouse in late last year, it brought to life the retail experience that the industry had been waiting for. Its vibrant cultural calendar ranges from in-conversation events to art installations via exclusive designer collaborations and bespoke private shopping experiences. Jess has lead that change.
This is a business that opened with a single shop over 30 years ago, yet has evolved into an online destination. We discussed how they balance the physical and digital experience for a global audience, what exactly it takes to execute such high quality experiences with the regularity that the team does, how the digital and physical worlds combine, and just what the business has in-store on a global level ahead.
In conversation with FashMash co-founder Rachel Arthur, Jess revealed just how the 30-year established business is reimagining retail.
Listen back to the conversation here: Entale | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS
Here are a few of our highlights:
ON CARLOS PLACE
“Physical engagement is a key drive to enhancing digital metrics. That’s why we founded our townhouse 5 Carlos Place last year. The store is judged on lifetime value and engagement of the footfall and visitors, not on physical transactions through the till. That’s a new approach for us in retail.”
ON LUXURY
“Luxury is time & service. Customers now expect brands to serve them & engage them in the way most suited to them personally. Tech offers that convenience. But there will always need to be a human element to personalise that seamlessness. That’s the true luxury.”
ON EXPERIENTIAL CULTURE
“The word ‘experience’ has become jargon and therefore meaningless. Yes, everyone should be doing it but you have to challenge yourself to know your customer and what would inspire them. It can’t be used as a blanket silver bullet term.”
THE ONE THING SHE WANTS TO CHANGE IN THE INDUSTRY
“Collaboration. This covers everything from genuinely listening to the customer to designers working better with suppliers. And of course, larger companies working with smaller brands to be more sustainable.”