ANAHEIM, CA—Combining manufacturing and a retail store creates a unique opportunity for customers to see behind the scenes and witness the creation of their favorite products, Klarif Kim, founder and owner of Klarif cosmetics line, tells GlobeSt.com. The “cosmeceutical” retailer, which specializes in all-natural skin, hair and body-care products, has just opened its first-to-market Gallery location at the “eatertainment” destination Anaheim GardenWalk near Disneyland Resort and Anaheim Convention Center; the Klarif Gallery incorporates a manufacturing area inside the store, giving shoppers a first-hand perspective into the creation of its products.

Additionally, the 2,752-square-foot Anaheim GardenWalk Klarif store will be the first to introduce the brand's newest home-goods line, including an array of candles, infusers and room sprays.

We spoke with Kim about the concept of combining manufacturing and a retail setting and other fresh retail concepts that are emerging.

GlobeSt.com: What makes the concept of combining manufacturing in a retail store compelling for consumers?

Kim: Combining manufacturing in a retail store creates a unique opportunity for customers to see behind the scenes and witness the creation of their favorite products. The manufacturing section of the Klarif store is purposed to showcase some of the most fundamental aspects of Klarif. This dual-purpose space allows guests to connect with the brand through a visually intriguing experience and to become familiar with how products are made. In most shopping experiences, customers just go in to browse and buy. At Klarif Anaheim GardenWalk, they are welcome to watch the care and intention that goes into each jar of our products.

GlobeSt.com: What other fresh concepts in retail are emerging?

Kim: One of the most important concepts in retail today is the idea of 'tainment,' something that is created to entertain, but is combined with something else to make a fresh new experience. In the case of the new Klarif Gallery store at Anaheim GardenWalk, the combination of retail and manufacturing environments offers what you could call 'edutainment' by allowing customers to see first-hand what really goes into the making of the products they are about to purchase. To be successful in the 'tainment' arena, a retailer must address the leisure activities that are important their customers.

GlobeSt.com: Where do you see this trend heading as the retail sector continues to reinvent itself?

Kim: As the retail sector continues to reinvent itself, new ideas will become increasingly important. One of those is the idea of transparency. Consumers in today's everything-can-be-learned-on-the-Internet age are gravitating toward retail brands that share information about their products in a deep, revealing and meaningful way. They want to know for example, what ingredients are used to make a product, and they want to see where it's manufactured. That's why a retailer like Klarif that has so skillfully and creatively blended an upscale retail environment with an in-store manufacturing floor that gives shoppers the ability to actually watch their 'cosmeceuticals' being made will redefine the meaning of retail—and the shopping centers that embrace them will thrive.

These kinds of creative, socially responsible, transparent offerings will be highly coveted by shopping-center developers and managers alike as the bar is raised ever higher by consumers who want a relationship with the brands they support. Consumers are no longer satisfied with a peek behind the curtain; they want the retailer to share information on a grand scale that has never before been shared. They want to tear the curtain down and put the manufacturing floor right in the store so they can see how things are done.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about these concepts?

Kim: People talk about “disruptors” like Uber and how they changed the face of an entire industry. The same thing is happening in retail, and it will soon become clear who will be able to adapt and who will not. The key to excelling in retail today boils down to just one simple piece of advice: You've got to know your customer. Brands need to develop a relationship with their clients, and shopping centers need to create an atmosphere that is inviting enough to attract consumers and compelling enough to keep them there. This takes good old-fashioned ingenuity and some out-of-the-box thinking, but there's a recipe for success here that can't be denied.

Instant Insights /

Adding Manufacturing to a Retail Setting

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