Interactive Customer Experience (ICX) Summit

ICX Summit: How sustainability impacts customer experience

Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, is a keynote speaker at the ICX Summit taking place Sept. 9-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His topic will focus on how sustainability impacts the retail customer experience.

Photo courtesy of Shawn Nelson

August 20, 2024 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

When it comes to enhancing the retail customer experience the key, according to Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, which designs, manufactures and sells furniture, is all about alignment and avoiding channel conflict.

"Retail leaders should focus on delivering a truly 'omnichannel' experience. This term gets tossed around a lot, but it's vital that physical retail, digital, mobile and every other platform work together seamlessly without any friction for the customer," Nelson said in an email interview.

To achieve this, everything — from communications to compensation — needs to be aligned, he added, and "coordinated to avoid channel conflict both in reality and in perception. This is not an easy task, but it's essential for creating the kind of experience customers expect today."

Keynote at ICX Summit

Nelson will expand his view on retail customer experience in a keynote talk at the upcoming 2024 ICX Summit being held Sept. 9-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

His talk is one of nearly two dozen keynotes and sessions during the ICX Summit, which is celebrating its eighth year.

The summit, a dual event with the Banking Customer Experience event, brings together B2C brands to learn from industry leaders, network among peers and hear from top innovators when it comes to innovative customer experience. It is hosted by Networld Media Group, a business-to-business media communications company specializing in digital media, associations and events in the mobile, self-service, digital signage, retail, food service and financial services industries.

Sustainability and customer experience

The topic of Nelson's keynote is "Designed for life: How sustainability impacts customer experience." His company crafted a new standard for sustainability with its "Designed for Life" ethos. As he'll share during his keynote, the approach goes beyond using recycled materials to focus on creating a truly sustainable company and brand.

Nelson is also the author of "Let Me Save You 25 Years: Mistakes, Miracles, and Lessons from the Lovesac Story," as well as the host of the Let Me Save You 25 Years podcast.

A recent survey revealed 69% of CEOs see sustainability as a key growth opportunity and Nelson is a strong believer in the potential and advocates for "sustainable capitalism," where responsible practices are embedded into every aspect of business operations.

According to Nelson, achieving this requires three key approaches:

Principle-based government regulation to ensure fair and sustainable business practices.
Corporate charters that include social responsibility as a core element of the company's mission.
Leadership that prioritizes sustainability, balancing profitability with positive environmental and social impact.

"Sustainability is definitely on a slow but steady rise in importance for consumers," Nelson said. "Right now, it's often seen as a 'cherry on top' — a nice-to-have that makes people feel good about their purchase. But this doesn't stop us from making it a key part of our brand and communicating its value. It does, however, help us prioritize how we speak to our customers. We typically don't lead with sustainability because there are so many other practical reasons to love our product. The sustainability benefits of our Designed For Life model are there, whether the customer is actively seeking them or not."

In regard to the definition of a rewarding retail customer experience, Nelson describes it as being seamless, frictionless and easy — where everything flows naturally from start to finish.

"But the real magic happens when a relationship is forged," he said. "We absolutely love in-person interactions because they open the door to building relationships that can last for years. Some of our retail associates have been with us for over a decade, and in many cases, they've developed genuine friendships with repeat customers. That's the ultimate win — not just for the brand, but for the people involved."

Sustainability Retail

About Judy Mottl

Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.

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