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Wehavemoved!Ourfabulousnewspaceislocatedat424W.WalnutStreetinMilwaukee'sKingDriveBusinessImprovementDistrict.We'reveryexcitedtojointheBID,asitwasrecentlyregisteredasanofficialWisconsinMainStreet.Welovethatwecanbepartoftherevitalizationofthisarea.

Ournewofficehas2.5timesmorespacethanouroldofficeshadtogether,allowingourteamtocollaborateunderoneroofandprovidingourcompanywithampleroomtogrow.Weareoccupyingtwoofthethreestoriesinsidethisgreathistoriccreamcitybrickbuilding.Thenewspacewillincludealargewarehouse/workshop,designandmarketingstudios,aconferenceroom,creativelounge,andshowroomfeaturinginnovationsindesignanddisplayproducts.We'rebusypickingouteverythingfromfixturestofinishesthatwillmakeastatementinournewoffice.

ThebuildingwasoriginallybuiltasaliveryfortheSteinmeyerGrocers'horses,andironically,ourolddesignofficewaslocatedintheSteinmeierGrocersbuildingjustafewblocksaway!Today,thebuildingisownedbyGrinkerRestoration.

Clickheretoreadourpressrelease.Keepaneyeonoursocialmediaforupdatesandsneakpeeks

atournewspace!

Retailerscontinuetofindinnovativewaystoleveragetechnologytoenhancethecustomerexperience.FashionretailerZara,forexample,recentlylaunchedanappthatusesaugmentedrealitytohelpcustomersengagewiththebrandonadeeperlevel.Zaraistakingadvantageofthefactthatmanyshoppersusetheirphonesin-store,astheappwillallowcustomerstoscandisplaysandproductpackagingtoviewimagesofmodelswearingfeaturedZaraclothingandaccessories.AnothercompanytakingthereinswithretailtechnologyisNeimanMarcus.ThebrandhasinvestedinMemoryMirrorsthatrecordshortvideofootageofshoppersviewingoutfitstheyhavetriedon.Themirrorssavethevideoforthecustomertoaccess,allowingthemtocompareside-by-side"reflections"ofoutfits.Themirrorsalsomakeiteasyforcustomerstosharethe"reflection"videoswithfamilyandfriendstoreceivetheiropinions.Whenusedstrategicallytoimprovethecustomerexperience,technologyisagreatmethodforretailerstobridgetheonlineandin-storeshoppingexperience.Videosource:CBSThisMorning

AccordingtoForbes,onlinereviewsareoneofthebestmethodsforpromotingsmallbusinesses.Whiletoday’sconsumersareoutandabout,theyusetheirsmartphonestodecidewheretogonext.Seventy-fivepercentofpeople

Next,smallbusinessownersshouldseenegativereviewsas

whodoamobilesearchforbusinessesnearbywillendupvisitingalocalbusinesswithinaday.Smallbusinessescancapitalizeonthisbyensuringtheyhaveapositivepresenceononlinereviewsites,suchasYelp,asthesesitesarethemostprominentplatformsfor“nearme”searches.Consumerswillgenerallyvisitabusinessifithasatleastfourstarsonareviewsite.So,howcansmallbusinessownersensuretheyhaveenoughfavorablereviewstoswayconsumers’decisions?Thefirststepiseasy—simplyaskcustomerstoleaveareview!Sixty-eightpercentofconsumerswillreviewabusinessifasked.Increasethatnumberbyofferinganincentive,suchasenteringeveryonewhoreviewsyourbusinessinadrawingforafreegiftorservice.

anopportunitytolearnandmakeimprovements.Whilemostcommentsleftonreviewsitesarepositive,allbusinesses(andcustomers)havetheoccasionalbadday.Thegoodthingaboutonlinereviewsistheycanopenbusinessowners’eyesuptoaproblemtheymightnothaverealizedexisted,providingthemtheopportunitytofixitbeforeitaffectsanothercustomer.Businessownerscanalsousenegativereviewsasasecondchancetoengagewiththeircustomers.Seventypercentofcomplainingcustomerswillgiveabusinessasecondchanceifthebusinessresolvestheirconcerns.Bytakinginitiativetorightawrong,abusinessownermightevenimpressacustomermorethantheyinitiallywouldhave,hadthenegativeexperienceneveroccured.Wanttolearnmoreaboutusingreviewsitestoyouradvantage?Clickhere.

OurteamrecentlyvisitedfourMainStreetsaroundWisconsintoadvisetheirbusinessownersonhowtousevisualmerchandisinganddisplaytechniquestomaketheirbusinessesandmerchandisestandout.

HerearesomeofthedisplayTIPSweshared:

-Oddnumbersareattention-getting(arrangementsofone,three,five…)-Includeanattention-gettingelementorfocalpoint-Displaysshouldhaveathemeandwell-balancedcomposition-Playwithcolor,shapeandrepetitiontocreateanaestheticlook-Changedisplaysonaregularbasisifyouhaveloyalpatronswhovisityourstoreoften

Theseashell-shapedRapanaLibraryisoneofthenewestpublicspaceslyingalongtheseasideofVarna,Bulgaria.RapanaLibraryisanopen-conceptstreetlibrarythatprovidesshade,seating,astageforperformancesand1,500booksforvisitorstoenjoy.Itwasdesignedtorevitalizepeople’sloveforbooksinthedigitalage,andtorepresentVarna’shistoryas“theMarineCapitalofBulgaria.”Anexampleofbiomimicry,Itscurved,airydesignwasinspiredbytheorganicshapesfoundinnature.Thelibraryprovidesapublicspaceinwhichpeoplecancometogether,accessliterature,andappreciatethearts.

We’reexcitedtobeworkingwithRamsey’sJewelersagain,thistimehelpingthemopenastorethatwillhousethelargestselectionofengagementringsinLouisiana!Ourteamiscreatingastunningdesignfortheirnew5,000squarefootspacethatwillreflecttheuniqueRamsey’sbrand.Ourworkincludescreatingalayoutofthesellingfloorwithkeyfocalpoints,developingacolor/finishpalette,designingcustompiecesandcasework,selectinglightinganddecorativeelements,defininginteractiveand“wow”elements,and

creatingsignageandgraphics.Swingbytoseetheirnewlocationnexttimeyou’reinNewOrleans.

WerecentlyhelpedourfriendsatRiverValleyCo-opcelebratetheir10-yearAnniversarybydesigningnewversionsoftheirlogofortheoccasion.RiverValley’slogofeaturesaBearnamedUrsulaandhasbeenadaptedtovariousversions,sometimesincludingUrsula’scubs.ThegraphicswedesignedfortheirTenthAnniversarycelebrationincludeUrsulaandhercubsholdingballoons,throwingconfettiandenjoyingcake.Checkoutourgraphicdesignerinactionasshebringsthebearstolife!

We’reexcitedaboutthepotentialofScribit,atinyrobotdesignedbyCarloRattithatuseseithererasableornon-erasablemarkerstoreproduceanywrittenmaterial,drawingsorimages.Scribitcanbeusedtoreproduceanythingfromgraphstoarttoasimplehappybirthdaymessagedisplayedintheoffice.Whendesigningtherobot,Rattiwantedtofindawaytomakevisualcontentavailabletopeoplewithouttheuseofascreen.ClickheretolearnhowScribitcouldbeusedtomakeartmoreaccessiblearoundtheworld.

Talkaboutexperientialretail—AmericanGirlistakingtheirbrandontheroadwithatravelingmusical.Themusicalwilltellthestoriesofthe

AmericanGirldolls,bringingtheproducttolifeandhelpingfansbuildanemotionalconnectionwiththebrand.AccordingtotheMilwaukeeBusinessJournal,AmericanGirlhopesthemusicalwillhelpAmericanGirlDoll-loversandtheirfamiliesmakememorieswhileengagingwiththebrand.

OurSeniorDesigner,Holley,tookatriptoAmsterdamwithherhusband.Theirfavoriteexperiences?Theart,theambiance,andofcourse,thefood.CheckoutthephotosbelowofOurLordintheAtticsecretclandestinechurch,theRembrandtHouseMuseum,andtheprintmakingstudiowithinthemuseum.