Zazzle has emerged as one of these innovative methods. Launched in 2005, this online marketplace leverages cutting-edge technology that enables entrepreneurs to reach more customers in ways that were never possible before. With National Small Business Week in mind, I spoke with four of these small business owners to learn more about their products, what inspired them to go into retail and their advice for aspiring entrepreneurs like them.

Company Name

caseable co-founders Marvin Amberg and Klaus Wegener

caseable

Hometown/Place of Business

Berlin and Brooklyn

Years in Retail

4 – we kicked off in 2010

Product/Merchandise

Customizable, hand-crafted cases for tech devices, from smartphones to iPads, laptops to eReaders. 

What inspired you to go into retail?

It all started when my business partner Klaus and I were pitching a different product in South America, and tried to find a way to customize a laptop sleeve for a meeting. We searched and searched and couldn’t find anyone doing this. As we were very aware of the trend for mass customization we quickly realized we had found a niche. That’s where our inspiration started, and we soon saw great potential in personalized phone and tablet cases too.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring small business owners?

Good things take time. Don’t expect any overnight success. Far more important is to make sure you enjoy what you are doing and be good at it. Everything else will come by itself.

How would you describe your business’s role in your community?

We’re based in Berlin and Brooklyn – incredible and dynamic cities that are at the forefront of culture, art, and design. We try to make the most of working and living here by finding inspiration in street art and the lifestyle of the cities’ people. In the end, both cities are a huge part of our company and brand. They form our identity and define who we are.

Why Zazzle?

We have worked with Zazzle for about three years now. It has been a great relationship from the very beginning, and we are proud to work with the world’s leading platform for custom products. They are always a step ahead, especially when it comes to building the technology around the creation experience.

Company Name

Rickshaw Bagworks Founder and CEO Mark Dwight

Rickshaw Bagworks, Inc.

Hometown/Place of Business

San Francisco, CA

Years in Retail

6

Product/Merchandise

Custom messenger bags, backpacks, computer briefcases, tote bags and laptop/tablet sleeves.

What inspired you to go into retail?

We love the direct engagement with our customers at our factory store, and showing-off our sewing factory.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring small business owners?

Starting a business always takes more time, effort and money than you expect — so pursue your passion, and make sure you have more money set aside than you think you’ll need.

How would you describe your business’s role in your community?

We are one of the most vocal and active proponents of local manufacturing and local commerce.

Why Zazzle?

Zazzle shared of love of local manufacturing, and provided us with an additional means of customization for our products, and access to a new group of potential customers. It has been a great partnership.

Company Name

Daniel Cytrynowicz, Principal, Lamp-In-A-Box

Lamp-In-A-Box    

Hometown/Place of Business

Los Angeles, CA

Years in Retail

15 years

Product/Merchandise

(Relevant) lamps with high-res printed shades inside a very cool practical box. We also have new (patented) lamps named LAMPABLES, which will forever change the way people perceive lamps. Think of “the Swatch of lamps” or “shaving blades model.” We’re also launching a super cool iPhone app named LAMP-A-GRAM – already available in the iTunes Store.

What inspired you to go into retail?

I love manufacturing (no, they haven’t found a cure for that yet) and I wanted to be associated with a product I feel passionate about. Lamps (light) have a very cool vibe about it and no one is addressing the teenage and young adult lamp market or making lamps that are “democratic” (affordable) and relevant. Would you like to inherit your parent’s lamps?

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring small business owners?

Choose something you feel passionate about. You’re more likely to be successful and even if success eludes you for a while, the 8-12 hour days will be a lot easier to endure.

How would you describe your business’s role in your community?

We manufacture the shades in Los Angeles and even our packaging is made by a local company. We interact with several small businesses in the area – Los Angeles is the Mecca of resourcefulness and we also participate in some school projects from time to time.

Why Zazzle?

Zazzle is a GREAT fit for our lamps. Ultimately, everyone should have his or her own custom lamp to fit their crazy ideas and aesthetics. Zazzle accomplishes that to the nth degree. Also, everyone I deal with (with one exception) has been absolutely a pleasure to deal with. I would like to hang out with a couple Zazzle employees.

Company Name

May28th Founder & Creative Director Agni Tilla

May28th

Hometown/Place of Business:

Based in Toronto, but traveling around the world!

Years in Retail:

4 years (founded in February 2010)

Product/Merchandise:

Watches

What inspired you to go into retail?

The inspiration to go into retail was prompted by the support and encouragement given by our first customers. With their positive feedback and drive to keep doing this better, we kept creating new designs and have been growing the brand since then.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring small business owners?

Don’t be afraid to say no. There are many amazing opportunities out there but they’ve got to feel right when it happens. Always follow your instincts and you will be happier in the end.

How would you describe your business’s role in your community?

We at May28th put a lot of thought into our designs to always capture the spirit of life and positive attitudes by using fun and colorful patterns. And we do all this at an affordable price point. Our custom watches now help people capture memories and turn them into accessories. We’re excited and humbled to be part of someone’s life that way.

Why Zazzle?

Zazzle is one of the leading companies in the customization business with a great designer network as well. As the new kid on the customization block, we felt that we are able to grow and learn with Zazzle at a much faster pace. It has been a very rewarding partnership and we look forward to going further with them.

During that time, Halloween has grown to become one of the most popular holidays of the year, average spending on back-to-school items has increased 31 percent since 2004, and Thanksgiving Day has officially become a bonafide shopping day for millions of bargain-hungry Americans. I am frequently asked how holidays “rank” when it comes to consumer spending so I thought I would dig into it a little bit more and add some context to who, what, when, where, why and how people shop for our consumer holidays. Here’s how each holiday ranks as of the release of our Mother’s Day survey:

Holiday Spending Totals In Billions, 2013-2014

Information Seasons with the * indicates the data is from the 2013 Monthly Consumer Survey

Charts from the NRF Foundation’s Retail Insight Center. To access this data and more research please visit the Retail Insight Center.

Winter holidays: As the largest gift-giving holiday of them all, the winter holidays account for nearly 20 percent of total annual retail sales for retailers. In 2013, holiday celebrants spent an average of $730 on gifts, food, decorations and more. After all was said and done, NRF found that holiday sales increased 3.8 percent to $602 billion. More than 90 percent of Americans celebrated Christmas, Kwanza or Hanukah last winter, the most-celebrated season of the year.

Back to school/college: Spending on pencils, backpacks, denim, college dorm furniture and collegiate wear, tablets, smartphones and notebooks costs mom and dad hundreds of dollars on average and a total of $72.5 billion last year. But savvy parents know bargains are not hard to find. Almost every sector of retail plays a role: drug stores, thrift stores, electronics stores, department stores, discount stores and even grocery stores for penny-pinching college students and their parents.

Mother’s Day: Consumers say they will spend an average $163 this year – $19.9 billion total – with the majority of their budget going to special outings, new apparel items and jewelry. As to why Mother’s Day is so much bigger than Father’s Day: the types of gifts people typically buy mom tend to cost a little more, and dad even admits that he doesn’t like all the fuss anyway.

Halloween: In 2013, two-thirds of Americans said they would partake in Halloween activities, spending $75 on average to celebrate for a total of $6.9 billion. In addition to the pint-sized “Despicable Me” costumes that now roam the streets on Halloween, the holiday has become more of an adult event than ever before, helping boost spending on costumes, candy, decorations and party materials more than 55 percent since 2005. With the growth in popularity, other sectors have jumped into the mix. Home improvement stores take advantage of their vast space to sell life-size yard decorations, and drug and grocery stores are also now devoting select aisles to decorations candy and costumes.

Visit the Retail Insight Center for a breakdown of other consumer holidays like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and more, and sign up to receive “Consumer Trends” press releases on NRF.com.

A strengthening economy means that companies have a choice in employees, and employees have choices in companies. A recent global study by LinkedIn showed that – across all industries – compensation and benefits are the top motivators for employed individuals who are not actively on the job hunt to consider taking a new job. This means that even if your employees aren’t browsing the NRF Job Board every day, they could potentially be lured away by a better benefits package or a boost in salary.

According to the same survey, those who are actively seeking a new place to plant their pencil cup would be most interested in better opportunities for advancement, but consider compensation and benefits the next important factor in deciding to leave their current company.

As they say, money isn’t everything, and a lot more than salary goes into an employee’s decision to stay at her current company, look for a new opportunity or accept a job offer. However, understanding how your company’s paystubs stack up against similar companies and positions is invaluable insight for remaining competitive. To help retailers with this, the NRF Foundation partners with Mercer on an industry-exclusive annual benchmarking survey: the U.S. Retail Compensation & Benefits Survey. The end result is a report that provides compensation data for more than 225 specific positions – including everything from a store custodian to a director of e-commerce – with the ability to segment by company size, geographic location and merchandise category.

While the 2013 survey is still available for purchase, participation in the 2014 survey is now open – and we strongly recommend participating if you’re thinking about purchasing the report. Here’s why:

• Participants can compare their own data directly with market data, getting a true apples-to-apples look.
• Participants get access to webcasts that highlight key findings, insights and related industry/economic context.
• Participants get 50% off the already discounted NRF Member price for the results.

The survey database also reports information on retail-specific practices including pay philosophy, commissions, shift differentials, turnover, performance and recognition programs, benefit plans, paid time off, recruiting and retention practices, and employee discounts.

The 2014 survey is in full swing and will be open through April 30. Now is the time to participate and discover how your data compares to others in the industry. Learn more and download a questionnaire to get started, and email with any questions or concerns.

More men are tuned in to the latest fashion and trends. Since 2006, the share of male consumers who say that the newest trends and styles are important to them has nearly doubled. And the brands and labels of clothing are a more important factor for male shoppers than in years past.

Feelings About Fashion

Charts from the NRF Foundation’s Retail Insight Center. To access this data and more research please visit the Retail Insight Center.

As men heighten their interest in the latest style, they increase their spending as well. In 2012, about two-thirds (65 percent) of spending on men’s sportcoats and tailored jackets is attributed to male consumers – up from 61 percent of spending the year prior.

Menswear and online shopping is trending, and it’s no surprise that brands who build their business models off this trend are thriving. Take Indochino for example – the online menswear company uses a tailored (pun-intended) algorithm to ensure the perfect fit for custom suiting. They’ve been so successful that the brand has ventured into the brick-and-mortar space through Traveling Tailor pop-up shops in targeted metro areas.

It’s obvious that this Vancouver-based retailer is at the cutting edge of these trends. Take a behind-the-scenes look to see how Indochino’s approach to custom suits is driving a new era in men’s shopping.

Nordstrom Vice President of Customer Experience Fanya Chandler

In conjunction with the release of our This is Retail behind-the-scenes look at Nordstrom’s Customer Experience Center, we asked Fanya Chandler, vice president of customer experience, a few questions about what she’s learned from recent initiatives, what success looks like as they try new concepts, and what her team will be dreaming up next.

Tell us about your career in retail. How did you clinch the title of Nordstrom’s customer experience guru?

I wouldn’t call myself a guru. I would call myself fortunate to have spent the last 22 years in roles — from selling to managing stores to supporting our Personal Stylist program – that allowed me to be close to our customers and reinforce the importance of staying connected to how they define service.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about customer preferences and behavior through your time at the Customer Experience Center?

More important than any surprises is the invaluable feedback we get when we bring our customers and salespeople through the CEC. Every time they weigh in on a new concept, it reminds us how much customers expect to be able to shop on their own terms, and how differently each of them defines service.

As STORES’ March cover story explained, CIOs can summarize both their priorities and challenges in one word: agility. And in the inaugural issue of “Retail CIO Download,” retail’s leading CIOs were asked how they are embracing this kind of “speed-it-up” mentality while also sharpening their focus on the biggest priority of all – data security. Dave Finnegan, chief interactive and information officer at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Tom Litchford, NRF vice president of retail technology, cover the key challenges and initiatives identified by retail technology leaders in “Retail CIO Download 2014 Agenda: Leadership and Agility.”

Download the report (NRF Members only)

This is the inaugural issue of the “Retail CIO Download” series. Provide a background of the study and explain how “2014 Agenda: Leadership and Agility” sets the tone for future issues.

Litchford: There’s a wealth of knowledge and experience at the table in NRF’s CIO Council. But we realized that, at times, the council would get bogged down reacting to current issues as opposed to leading the important conversations in retail technology. Instead of being reactionary to ideas like big data and security, we determined that as a group we needed to start thinking about how we can progress conversations from the beginning. The CIO Download series is our first of many conversations where we’ll be showcasing our council’s collective thought-leadership so our colleagues in the C-suite and industry partners better understand the issues and trends facing the retail industry.

Data security is a top priority for CIOs. How do this report and NRF’s newly-formed IT Security Council address this topic?

Litchford: This is the obvious elephant in the room for 2014, and every CIO on the council considers data security a top priority. From the report we know that significant investments will continue to be made in this area, and the discussion goes far beyond just addressing the payments ecosystem. With that, the CIO Council has established a new committee – the IT Security Council – to focus in three areas: Providing a forum for peer collaboration and information exchange; developing industry best practices for a risk management framework; and advising NRF on advocacy and policy issues regarding data security and protection.

Integrating brick-and-mortar and digital systems is another major focus right now for retailers. How are CIOs and their teams stepping up their game to meet the challenges of channel integration?  

Finnegan: We have realized as an industry that we over use words like “omnichannel” or “multichannel.” Simply put, its “retail” for today’s consumer. This is the new reality for shopping because customers use multiple touch points to interact with our brands. CIOs are helping to lead the way by implementing the right architecture, software and systems to make shopping as seamless as possible.

There are two additional keys to success. First, integrating business through internal communication and operational execution. And second, using mobile as the glue that brings together all these customer interactions from across all channels.

Build-A-Bear CIO Dave Finnegan

What new methods or tools are CIOs using to tackle analytics and business intelligence? 

Finnegan: CIOs are rethinking how we can rebuild traditional architecture through tools like ARTS’ data models to handle the tremendous amount of data we have now and will have in the future. We are also looking into how to use predictive analytics, or how to use data to forecast future demands and customer expectations. The role of data scientist is now emerging to fill the need for more predictive analytics. These are the opportunities CIOs will help to deliver value quickly and drive business results.

What’s driving the need for recruiting and retaining top talent? What does it say about the evolving role of the CIO – and the IT department as a whole – within the retail organization?

Finnegan: What is really impacting the need for better talent is the fact that technology is ubiquitous in all our companies. Today, technology is not only the infrastructure for running our business; it’s also how customers interact with our brands. We actively look for professionals with this frame of mind who have a strong knowledge of the technology field and business acumen.

What are your thoughts on this new type of CIO? How is the role evolving or emerging as more strategic to the business?

Finnegan: The role of the CIO has dramatically changed in the last five to 10 years due in large part to consumers’ expectations and connectedness. Retail IT executives now play a more integral role in shaping business strategy. Driven by the shared need to understand and serve the customer’s expectations, the walls that once separated IT from key internal partners such as marketing and merchandising are dissolving. Advocates for every channel are meeting more frequently with logistics to find better ways to accomplish customer fulfillment.

Here’s my recap – in 140 character bites from the Twitterverse.

On targeting Millennials:

The average millennial owns 7 devices. #IRCE #sxsw

— Sara Clarke (@seclarke) March 11, 2014

#millennials are forcing new sales and service models. need to be where they are at: online and face2face where they frequent. #irce #sxsw

— amanda grosgebauer (@ag_spotstrat) March 11, 2014

On consumers and the second screen experience:

"90% of people will recommend a brand after they've had a social interaction with that brand." @ranvir @getchute #OOHFuture #acsxsw #sxsw

— Laurie Keith (@lauriekeith) March 10, 2014

More than 84% of American tablet & smartphone owners use their devices while watching TV. #2ndScreen http://t.co/QgHRQaoD8p

— DanDawes (@DanDawes) March 11, 2014

#2ndscreen "Gotta hit targeting, reach, and frequency AND reporting, then you can nail monetization and ad buys" @gconsig #sxsw

— Mass Relevance (@massrelevance) March 8, 2014

On customer experience:

Brand strategy = customer experience strategy. You can't market your way out of a mediocre customer experience. Redefine your focus. #yodel

— Nikki Rappaport (@nikkirap) March 11, 2014

"Digital & physical retail need to be on the same team"… Entirely true. It's the key to 'holistic' retail success. #digistore #SXSW

— Alex Blaney (@hitono) March 9, 2014

On social:

personal shopping recommendations via Instragram trends, this is the year to buy on Instagram @whatupwilly #retailtech

— Kim Geralds (@kimgeralds) March 9, 2014

Both Lowe's and GE say Vine & Instagram work informs their TV and ad strategies. #mpomma

— S. Schierholz (@schierholz) March 7, 2014

On leveraging new tech:

Future of wearable tech and brands – Wearable device recognises you have run 10 miles. Auto delivers gatorade to your door #DoBrands #Sxswi

— Karen Fewell (@DigitalBlonde) March 7, 2014

On digital advertising:

New line of hair care brand has an digital billboard at a train station, reacts to train arriving. #OOHFuture http://t.co/beXwhOU7NF

— Robert Freeman (@robertfreeman2) March 10, 2014

People process visual content online 60,000 times faster than text. #OOHFuture #SXSW14

— dan pankraz (@danpankraz) March 11, 2014

Right place, right time, right person, right message, that is the future of successful, effective omnichannel marketing. #OOHFuture

— Pam Krengel (@pkrengel) March 10, 2014

On innovation (in lab form or otherwise):

Now your iPhone can produce smells … and the first scent they picked was bacon. #scentee #SXSW http://t.co/kfupS2fmZR

— Rohit Bhargava (@rohitbhargava) March 10, 2014

Leaving #SXSW & reminded of how innovative retailers already are. Thank you @BestBuy & @BenefitBeauty. http://t.co/YYOHgr8Sob

— Sarah Neale Rand (@SarahNRand) March 10, 2014

New Allsaints CEO instilled 100-day sprints for projects. Agility needs to be important to those at the top. #retailtech #SXSW

— esther s. kim (@e5thelove) March 9, 2014

Which topics did I miss? Tweet me at @mcaselittle or add your takeaways in the comments. Until next year, South by!

Consumers don’t think about shopping and say, “I want an omnichannel experience.” But their expectation is that shopping will be seamless between stores and devices. So if omnichannel is an industry-created term, what does it mean?

Kohl’s SVP of E-commerce Mike Molitor (left) talks supply chain processes and standards for omnichannel fulfillment with Hudson Bay’s Dan C. Smith, Macy’s Peter Longo and GS1′s Bob Carpenter.

At Retail’s BIG Show, executives from Macy’s, Kohl’s, Hudson Bay and GS1 tried to answer that question. While retailers might have their own approaches to achieving a seamless experience, each agreed that the answer relies on efficient and accurate logistics. And technology is the key to allowing retailers, suppliers and distribution networks – the full scope of the retail supply chain – to be on the same page.

As Kohl’s Senior Vice President of E-commerce Mike Molitor explained, there is no single omnichannel manual. “It’s been a little bit of a ‘wild wild west,’ ” he said. “The process of revamping product information system relies on important pieces of information from suppliers.” But retailers are setting their own standards and requirements, such as RFID, which could put stress on suppliers. One-off solutions can get in the way of an environment that approaches and resolves supply chain issues universally, Molitor emphasized.

In a global supply chain, communication and community between retailers and suppliers are paramount. To achieve synchronicity, Macy’s President of Logistics and Operations Peter Longo suggested that the relationship could be transformed with this idea: that the end goal should be for merchandise to land in a customer’s home rather than on store shelves. Longo said loyalty can be lost quickly if products aren’t where a consumer wants them, when they want them and how they want them. In a world where more retailers are leveraging buy online/pickup-in-store, inaccuracies could mean irreparable customer relationships.

There is a laundry list of supply chain to-dos for retailers. While there will always be demands to improve the customer experience, “there is a bigger need to get everyone on the same page internally,” Hudson Bay Trading Company CIO Dan Smith said. Perhaps “omnichannel” can be viewed in a way that Longo put it: the complete integration of promotion, packaging, merchandising and pricing to create a unified experience, in-store and online. Certainly easier said than done.

Along the way came the Internet, which sparked the consumerization of information technology. E-commerce systems with their corresponding transaction engines evolved separately from brick-and-mortar POS. Even today, consumer-facing mobile apps are evolving separately from traditional e-commerce platforms. The problem is that these many siloed systems, certainly effective in their own channel, have put huge strains on the ability of a business to effectively respond to the ever-changing retail landscape. The result is a duplication of costs from system acquisition to maintenance and support. Perhaps more important is the intangible cost of displaying an inconsistent customer experience across these channels.

Fortunately, retailers and solution providers are working together to address these problems. Both have recognized internal and external issues surrounding isolated transaction systems. That’s why NRF, in partnership with Demandware and the University of Arizona, recently conducted original research on trends in POS which indicates that retail IT leaders are looking at how they can bring together these disparate transaction systems. One example found in the report explains that today’s e-commerce engines – featuring flexibility and extensive functionality that goes beyond core transaction support – are poised to lead the next evolution of the “cash register.”

Learn more by reading the new “Digitizing the Store” study. And, after reading the study, contact me to learn how you can get involved with NRF’s technology leadership community, including the CIO Council and ARTS.

Dorsey says a receipt is not just a piece of paper or an email – it’s a powerful communication tool that should be used to add value and keep customers coming back whether it’s online or in the store.

“What can we build into this canvas that’s actually valuable, that’s independent of the product you just sold?” Dorsey asked as this morning on the final day of Retail’s BIG Show.

Dorsey described Square’s Square Wallet as a receipt in the form of an application. Customers who walk into a Square Wallet merchant can be greeted by name, get VIP service and pay without ever taking their phone out of their pocket.

“That’s what great technology allows,” Dorsey said. “It allows for experience. It allows for the mechanical aspects of what we do every day to completely disappear.”

Dorsey was joined onstage by HSNi CEO Mindy Grossman, who moderated a question-and-answer session on Square’s recent “Let’s Talk” campaign. Watch the video below for more about Dorsey’s philosophy on technology and how retail is revitalizing cities across America.