Just like with everything else the brand builds, Lush thoughtfully builds their customer journey from the inside out (and only with the freshest ingredients)!
From transforming their communications during the global pandemic, to ramping up for their next wave of ambitious growth, the brand has been constantly prioritizing customer engagement… and they believe that begins with the store associate.
Here are a few ways that Lush is growing to new heights (and how Zipline will help Lush to reach them):
Growing physical retail spaces & experiences
According to Marketing Week, Lush plans to add new shops and expand/relocate existing spaces to accommodate growth. And this tracks with what we’ve seen in retail. Physical stores are still a vital part of the retail experience… and they aren’t going anywhere. Here at Zipline we call it the future of retail: brick-and-mortar stores that are thoughtfully placed and reinvented as part of a true omnichannel strategy.
Lush is affirming that retail success in this new era means making physical locations work harder than ever-in the physical and the virtual worlds. And while the brand’s physical footprint expands, the carbon footprint won’t! Focusing on carbon and emissions insetting (rather than offsetting), the international brand will continue to make a difference.
In addition to expanding physical offerings, Lush is connecting powerful experiences to those new-and-improved locations. We love this new in-store bath-bomb-party experience that Lush locations are offering… In fact, we got to co-host an event during Shoptalk last month with our friends at Lush! Check out Lush Parties– we thought it was a total blast.
People-first, always
Big thank you to Zipline family Lush North America for hosting our event during Shoptalk 2022! You’re the (bath) bomb.
Lush has been invested in supporting store teams since long before COVID-19 brought the operational need for retail communications to light. The organization carries its mission to better the world all the way down to frontline employees. With Zipline, the brand has a direct line to in-store staff, connecting in-store operations to the greater mission, and engaging employees directly.
On a recent episode of the the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Sandra Byrne, senior manager for Lush Cosmetics shared her insight:
“I’m a believer that you put the team, your people in the front, in the center of everything. Then they treat your customers how you want them to be treated. So I don’t put the customer right in the center. It’s all about the people. So we’ll look at their development, making sure that they’re on the right track. Even making sure, if it’s a few days before payday, have we got a nice, hot lunch for them. And getting to know them, knowing what their skills are, knowing what their talents are.”
And sure enough, by aligning their entire fleet, Lush ensures those powerful brand values can be reflected at every level of their organization.
Fresh & ethical social entrepreneurship
There’s no question- we are in a world of social revolution. Today’s most remarkable leaders aren’t just innovating, but stepping into a role as stewards of important causes that create a better future. We’ve been dreaming of an era where the collaboration of purpose and profit brings about lasting and systemic change. That change begins with organizations that are dedicated to progress.
Lush is on a mission to provide fresh and organic products with a powerful ethos– and they are communicating that message to consumers. ZIpline is here to help the beautiful brand on their mission by providing a platform for real-time communications between headquarters and store teams, who are then conveying product stories to customers.
And as Lush accelerates their growth… they, in turn, accelerate their mission.
At Zipline, we’re dedicated to providing resources to socially-minded brands that are innovating solutions and scale for maximum impact. Whether your cause is saving the planet, creating a culture of unity and inclusion, or social activism, start making an impact today.
Fortune, in partnership with Great Place to Work, has released its latest list… the 100 Best Companies to Work for. Of course, the first we did was check to see how many retailers made the top 100. The final count? Only 7.
Given what we’ve learned after surveying 512 full-time in-store retail associates and representatives to understand how their jobs influence their mental well-being, this makes sense.
The “Great Resignation” signaled a major turning point of our volatile labor market and retailers have had to pivot in order to navigate the new rules of talent acquisition and retention. At NRF this year, every retail leader joined the conversation about how to better support employees, boost morale, and engage and retain talent.
As we pass the two-year mark since COVID-19 altered the ways that we work and shop, it’s more important than ever to pay close attention to the ways that retailers can support employees, stop the drain, and create empowering work environments. On top of that, the retail sector faces a series of unique, built-in obstacles that lends itself to poor employee retention and a high staff turnover.
All that being said, there is a particular retail vertical that continues to lead the way as we charge into a more employee-centric future: grocery stores.
Grocery remains innovative & resilient
It hasn’t been easy to be a frontline worker in a grocery store during the last few years. From supply chain shortages, pandemic-related adaptations, to the changes in the labor market… grocery frontlines are taking the brunt of every crisis we’ve faced. Despite all of this, supermarkets are increasingly innovative and resilient. RIS’s Grocery Tech Trends Report shows that more than half of grocers are increasing their YoY tech spend in 2022.
That’s why we’re not surprised that 3 of those 7 retailers who made the Top 100 list are grocers. (Wegmans, Publix, and Nugget markets).
And really, grocery chains have a special hold on our hearts. Our beloved hometown supermarkets are integral to our homes and communities. At Zipline, we LOVE talking about our favorite grocery stores to shop at. Really! We have an entire Slack channel dedicated to sharing their Trader Joe’s finds and you can catch us in an occasional Zoom breakout room dedicated to debating about the best aisles at Costo. Check out Alyson Kitter, Executive Administrator at Zipline, enjoying a cupcake in front of one of our favorite places on earth – Wegmans (or “Weggies,” as Alyson calls it.)
Love at First Bite
The Rochester-based chain is more than a grocery store. It’s a community center, entertainment park, and cultural experience – all within minutes of shoppers’ homes. We’ve caught the Wegmania, no doubt. And there’s a reason. Wegman’s embodies the values that Zipline runs on. By empowering and engaging employees, Wegman’s has aligned their entire fleet, ensuring those powerful brand values can be reflected at every level of their organization… all the way to shoppers.
And that’s why Wegmans is the only retailer to break into the top 10 of the Fortune 100 Best Places to Work list, coming in at #3. They did it last year, too! In fact, this is Wegmans 7th year in a row, at least, breaking into the top 10!
Congratulations, Wegmans!
Zipline is the operations platform that powers Grocery’s most complex work. Zipline understands the unique pressures grocers are facing today and ensures that everyone in the field has the information, context, and tools needed to be successful in their particular roles. By aligning the fleet, Zipline enables agility at Hy-Vee and best-in-class customer experiences at The Fresh Market.
