At ZenGenius, we welcome Fall with open arms.  We can't get enough of that signature fall aroma, the beautifully colored foliage and the crisp, clean air.  Not to mention, it's pumpkin spice latte season.

As the leaves start to fall, our calendars begin to fill up.  Reach out to us today to schedule an event, or request Zen support HERE.  We would love to help you during your Holiday transitions and events, and look forward to hearing from you!

The International Retail Design Conference, or IRDC, is a unique yearly educational and networking event for Designers, Visual Merchandisers, Retailers and Suppliers to discuss, learn and take home a wealth of information.  This year, the primary focus of the conference revolved around creating unique, multidimensional in-store experiences.  A few of the key takeaways include:

1. BOPIS Strategy - According to a consumer survey conducted by WD Partners, the BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick up in Store) strategy is among the most popular digital retail integration concepts, bridging the gap between the online and in-store experience.
2. Create an Emotional Connection - Successful retail concepts that embrace an emotional connection often create an environment where discovery and interaction are encouraged.  Rose Bredl, a local flower shop in Columbus that embraces the emotional connection, offers customers interactive hands-on classes.
3. Embrace Local - More important than ever, embracing our domestic resources and talent will prove to be crucial as our culture evolves.
4. Global Awareness - Retail continues to expand and evolve across the world, making it more important than ever to understand cultural traditions and sensitivities.
5. Feng Shui for Retailers - A burst of ancient wisdom that made a big impact in the 90's and turn of this century is now proving to be effective with large scale retail projects.
6. Environmentalism - Although "going green" may not be at the forefront of retail design discussions at the moment, it is still very important for us to consider. Consumers understand the importance of sustainability, and take notice when retailers make a difference. Congratulations to Walgreens, the 2014 VMSD/Peter Glen Retailer of the Year award recipient, for their very first net-zero energy store in Evanston, Illinois.

  Source: IRDC, VMSD, Lee Peterson (WD Partners) 

Each year at the International Retail Design Conference we have the unique opportunity to partner with VMSD to create an event that people look forward to all year long: The Iron Merchant Challenge! In its 9th year, the Iron Merchant embraced the local Miami ambiance with a Jazz themed challenge, complete with a live Jazz performer, Tony Camilletti. Titled "Music to my Eyes", participants were challenged to incorporate not one, but two secret ingredients. Can you guess what they were?

To see our very own Rickelle Viney performing a duet with Tony Camilletti, click HERE!