Transforming Retail Experiences: Insights from Daniel Astarita, Managing Director of Kessler's London and Proportion London

Diaries of Badass Bosses is hosted by Penny Joyner-Platt (⁠⁠the-plattform.com⁠⁠).

Produced by Connor Wells (⁠⁠connorwells.com⁠⁠).

Welcome to Diaries of Badass Bosses, the podcast series that explores the journeys of entrepreneurs and businesses who have made waves in their industries.

In this series, we'll dive into the stories of people who have overcome obstacles, taken risks, and blazed their own trails to success. From start-ups to established companies, we'll hear from founders who have built their businesses from the ground up, and from CEOs who have taken the reins and transformed their organisations.

In this episode, Penny introduces the podcast and announces the launch of the website. He then welcomes Daniel Astarita, the managing director of Kessler's London and Proportion London, to discuss the retail industry. Daniel shares his journey in leading global teams to create bespoke in-store experiences and shop-in-shop environments. He also talks about the challenges and successes of revitalizing Kessler's London. The conversation covers topics such as tailoring design to different customers, the meticulous process of designing in-store experiences, and the importance of experiential retail. Daniel predicts that retail will shift towards becoming destination theme parks and emphasizes the need for an omnichannel experience.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for success in the retail design industry

- Tailoring design to different customers and creating experiential retail environments are key to engaging consumers

- Embracing technology and creating an omnichannel experience are essential for modern retail success

- Balancing leadership responsibilities with family life requires creating a family-friendly work environment

- Visual merchandising and constantly adapting to change are important lessons for business success

Chapter Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Announcement

01:00 Introduction of Guest and Retail Background

07:12 Daniel's Journey to Managing Director

09:43 Transforming a Struggling Business

11:23 Working with Big Brands

13:46 Tailoring Design to Different Customers

15:15 The Meticulous Process of Designing In-Store Experiences

18:46 The Importance of Experiential Retail

21:45 The Shift in Retail Towards Destination Theme Parks

22:40 Creating an Omnichannel Experience

22:56 Business Growth and Restructuring

25:10 Balancing Leadership and Fatherhood

27:34 Creating a Family-Friendly Work Environment

30:08 Embracing Technology in Retail

36:27 The Importance of Visual Merchandising

38:27 Lessons for Business Success

You can also find us on Instagram ⁠⁠@diariesofbadassbosses⁠⁠, Facebook at ‘⁠⁠DOBB Podcast⁠⁠’ and LinkedIn at ‘⁠⁠Diaries Of Badass Bosses⁠⁠’.

Subscribe to our podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠/⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠/⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ and all other audio streaming platforms for new episodes on Wednesdays.

Contact us:

Penny Joyner-Platt – ⁠⁠penny@the-plattform.com⁠⁠ Insta: ⁠⁠@the.plattform⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠The.Plattform⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Penny Joyner-Platt⁠⁠

Connor Wells – ⁠⁠connorwells@connorwells.com⁠⁠ Insta: ⁠⁠@cjw_hq⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠Connor Wells⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Connor Wells⁠⁠

For Podcast enquiries, contact Penny at: ⁠⁠Penny@diariesofbadassbosses.com⁠