Dylan’s Candy: Using Data Well

As noted at its Web site
“In 2001, Dylan Lauren [yes, the daughter of Ralph] pioneered creating the world’s largest confectionery emporium and lifestyle brand, Dylan’s Candy Bar. By merging the worlds of art, fashion, and pop culture with candy, Dylan’s Candy Bar has innovated the way we see candy today. With a mission to awaken the creative spirit and inner child in everyone, Dylan’s Candy Bar surrounds its customers with the most imaginative, state of the art decor and product mix.”
“Dylan’s Candy Bar transports its guests to a modern day version of Willy Wonka’s factory the moment they enter. Its pop-art installations such as the iconic oversized lollipop tree, candy cane columns, dripping chocolate shelves, kaleidoscopic candy wallpaper and candy-embedded staircases embody the pinnacle of “retail-tainment”. The ultra-sensory experience is enhanced with delectable smells, a candy timeline and a vast milieu of candy songs and commercials, giving its customers not just a sugar high but a sweet lasting euphoria. Dylan’s Candy Bar houses over 7,000 confections making it have the largest, unparalleled selection of candies and candy-related gifts from around the world.”
Today, Dylan’s Candy Bar has stores in New York City (where the first store is located), Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, East Hampton (NY), and several other locales. Some stores are at airports.
As a forward-looking retail business, Dylan’s Candy Bar is a big believer in using data well. Consider these observations by Judith Aquino, reporting for 1to1 Media:
“Until recently, a peek into the company’s inventory management system that supplies the many different sugar-coated confections would have revealed an aged legacy system struggling to keep up with Dylan’s recent growth. The company handled inventory management across a number of different platforms along with separate sales platforms for each of its channels including its retail stores, E-commerce, and wholesale division. Application silos limited visibility into the business.”
“Dylan’s Candy Bar now operates a central database where it stores all of its customer information from across multiple channels, and uses the data to deploy personalized marketing campaigns. For example, the company delivers personalized E-mails about local store events and product updates based on a customer’s zip code and purchase history. The platform also makes it easy for associates to sign consumers up for the company’s loyalty program, Sweet Rewards, from the retailer’s point-of-sale systems.”
Click the image to read more from Aquino.

 

 

This entry was posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Part 8: Putting It All Together and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Dylan’s Candy: Using Data Well

  1. Pingback: Dylan’s Candy: Using Data Well | Retailin...

  2. Pingback: Better Utilizing Real-Time Data | Retailing: From A to Z by Joel Evans

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