Route J-1

By J-1 Intern Anna Martynova from Russia
Originally published on InterExchange Blog

J-1s admire jewelry by Turkish designer Sevan Bicakçi

As a marketing intern, I am very curious about marketing, branding and advertising of industry leading companies. So, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to InterExchange’s cultural meetup at Barneys New York Madison Avenue location. Luxury retail is one of the most challenging and interesting industries for marketing, especially in New York City, and I was very excited to get a chance to learn more about it.

Barneys is more than a luxury department store in NYC: it’s an iconic store that has become a part of fashion’s history. It has built a worldwide market presence and now has customers all over the world. But I had no idea how the company got to where it is – and I was looking forward to finding out.

The tour was guided by Taylor Piedra, the Manager of Concierge Services at Barneys. Taylor started our tour by telling us the history of the company and what makes it so unique. He attributed the company’s success to its ability to discover new top designers for the U.S. market and make exclusive deals with them. Prada, Giorgio Armani, and Manolo Blahnik are some of the most well-known designer brands that were originally sold in the United States only by Barneys, said Taylor.

Barneys doesn’t look like a luxury department store, it’s more like an art studio.

In the jewelry section, Taylor showed us one of Barneys new findings – Sevan Bicakçi, a Turkish jewelry master, whose handcrafted pieces are one of a kind creations. Today, Barneys has the honor of being the only retailer to represent this talent that allures customers from other countries to the NYC flagship store.

J-1s attend cultural meetup at BARNEYS New York Madison Avenue location.

Barneys doesn’t look like a luxury department store, it’s more like an art studio – a big bright space filled with natural light that isn’t overcrowded with merchandise or customers. It is very unusual, especially for a store in NYC, where business owners try to maximize their income by using every single inch of a pricey Manhattan retail space. Moreover, Barneys offers a truly unique shopping experience that is free of advertisements. This type of retail space set up offers shoppers an opportunity to relax and pay attention to what matters to them.

The most important lesson that I learned at Barneys is that customer service plays a crucial part in marketing. It’s worth spending time and money, not only on personnel training, but also on making sure a client is happy with the service. In New York City, the competition among companies is extremely high in all business sectors and the best strategy to attract new customers is to provide impeccable customer service. I was able to bring these lessons back to my work as a marketing intern in the real estate consulting firm where I am helping to develop plans to improve customer service standards.

It was very exciting to find out about the business side of the unique micro-culture and market that formed on the Upper East Side of NYC and learn about luxury retail. We were lucky to get a private tour of the store and to discover Barneys, not from a customer’s point of view, but from a professional one.

Categories: Program Spotlight