GGP - Retailvisory - Modern strategies for building brand value

Modern strategies for building brand value

Partnering with The Business of Fashion, we’re exploring how brands are rethinking retail strategies to create loyalty and drive value for consumers

Brands and retailers are facing a unique set of challenges. As the economy fluxes, consumers are becoming more mindful about where they shop and spend their hard-earned dollars. These challenges present equally unique opportunities for physical retail stores to capture consumers’ eyes, attention, and loyalty.

In this third installment of a four-part series by GGP's Retailvisory and The Business of Fashion, we explore how businesses can use physical retail as a powerful model to communicate brand value and build community. By examining The Business of Fashion's very own case studies and GGP’s brick-and-mortar expertise, we’ll see how successful retailers leverage emotional connection, personalization, and tailored interactions to keep savvy shoppers coming back.

The Business of Fashion: Elevating Physical Retail Strategies to Engage Brand Communities

Let’s get experiential

One of the strongest ways retailers can connect with their audiences is to engage with them in meaningful, memorable, and tactile ways. At GGP's retail locations across the U.S., this means utilizing storefronts to express brand missions and values.

Kirsten Lee — Executive Vice President,
Retail Leasing

Kirsten Lee, executive vice president of retail leasing at GGP, shared one of these success stories. She states, “At Oakbrook Center in Chicago’s suburbs, lululemon brought ambassadors for a three-part community workout, including a private, in-store event. Customers had the opportunity to engage with the brand in a way that was both aspirational and personal — experiencing the apparel in the exact environment it was designed for.”

By offering this unique experience, lululemon is creating a positive association between the brand and its audience. These activations transform retail from transactional to relatable. They help customers feel seen, heard, and appreciated. The best part is, you don’t need to operate a brand as massive as lululemon to engage with your audience in meaningful ways.

Consider how your brand fits into the community in which it operates. Are there local organizations that you can work with to host events at your store? Can you offer in-store demonstrations of your products or allow customers to try out merchandise? These are just a few simple ways you can create memorable and tactile experiences that make customers feel a little more special than they would if they were shopping online.

Personalization

Another unique opportunity brick-and-mortar retailers have to connect with shoppers is to offer personalized experiences. One way to do this is to train staff to provide personalized service that connects with customers on an emotional level. According to “The State of Fashion 2025,” “Younger shoppers are 1.5x more likely than their older counterparts to seek out styling advice from staff — yet many encounter undertrained teams and inconsistent service.” tailor illustration

Nordstrom has this service down to a science, offering personalized styling, tailoring, and curated recommendations. The company trains staff to understand their customers’ unique needs and preferences. The shopper might value discovery or just want a convenient experience, so Nordstrom’s store associates adapt each interaction to match each individual’s needs, creating loyalty and making the purchase feel one of a kind.

Kristen Lee reinforces the importance of creating a personalized experience by stating, “Personalization isn’t only about the product — it’s about the entire experience that surrounds it.” For Marc Jacobs’ 2025 launch of its “Bark Jacobs” line at The Shops at La Cantera, shoppers’ dogs were invited in and treated to pup cups, making the experience personalized and unique for even the furriest of patrons. Whether it’s pup cups or Pilates, staff training or brand storytelling, offering unique in-store experiences and connecting emotionally to shoppers helps brick-and-mortar businesses stand out in overcrowded markets.

If you’d like to learn more retail strategies that create loyalty and drive brand value, read The Business of Fashion's full article: Elevating Physical Retail Strategies to Engage Brand Communities. It includes tips on brand storytelling, how to expertly convey your product’s value to customers, and even more examples on how to express brand ethos utilizing Business of Fashion and GGP’s proprietary insights and industry expertise.