In this episode of The Retail Experience Show, Chiara Figueroa, Senior Manager of Global Retail Experience at Benefit Cosmetics, shares her dynamic journey through the retail and tech sectors. She discusses the critical integration of technology to enhance customer experiences and the importance of education and training for retail staff in the cosmetics industry.
Chiara also emphasizes the need for building strong relationships with global teams to ensure a consistent brand experience across locations. She offers her unique insights and innovative strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of retail and delivering exceptional service to customers.
Topics discussed:
- The importance of leveraging technology to optimize customer journeys and enhance overall business operations in the retail sector.
- Strategies for creating exceptional customer experiences, focusing on the initial customer journey and the booking process.
- How the value of ongoing education for retail staff is crucial for effectively introducing new products and improving customer interactions in the cosmetics industry.
- Why building strong relationships with global teams is essential for ensuring consistency and understanding the unique nuances of different markets.
- Insights from Chiara’s market research experiences, emphasizing the value of understanding customer needs and preferences for successful retail strategies.
- How social media and digital engagement are reshaping customer interactions and influencing purchasing decisions in the cosmetics industry.
- How equipping sales teams with the right tools and technology is vital for delivering best-in-class service and driving revenue growth.
- Potential future innovations in retail, including live shopping experiences and personalized customer engagement strategies.
Guest Quotes:
“When I started learning more about the brand and some of the ways that they were paving the way from a technology standpoint and initiatives and the company culture that they had, that’s what really led me to apply, because for me, that’s so important. If I’m going to come back to retail with all this newfound knowledge and expertise, I want to make sure I do it right and be very selective.”
“I don’t think I would be where I am at today if it weren’t for the leaders before me who were not only like, paving the way and really teaching me, but also granting me the permission to make mistakes. I think that’s really where all the learning comes from and really being able to manage my business, even if it’s a store or managing, something at Salesforce or even right now, it’s really the leaders that I attribute all to my success to, because without them, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“I would say the biggest one would be when I switched from cosmetics to tech, because even from the beginning, during my time at Mac, I realized how explosive social media and the tech industry, and I noticed that very, very early on, how it was going to completely shift the way that we shop, how we engage with companies, especially in the cosmetic industry.”
“We have actually a virtual brow try on, on our website, which is really, really good. I have found in the various companies I’ve worked there who have tried to roll it out, as a consumer, I don’t love it. I don’t want to use it. It doesn’t make sense. I want to actually go in-store and try it out, see the swatch. And I’d much rather go to TikTok and see the swatches on someone’s arm than do a virtual try-on online.”
“I would say for the cosmetic industry, specifically, it would be focus on education and your people, because I have just seen in every cosmetic company that I’ve been to, the ones that perform top tier, their education is chef’s kiss.”
Get in touch with Chiara Figueroa:
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Get in touch with your host, Bobby Marhamat:
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