On May 9, the Coresight Research team attended a breakfast event that is part of a series that celebrates and connects the most innovative women in retail, fashion, media and technology.The event began with networking and browsing at Story, a concept store featuring a curated selection of more than 200 brands and more than 2,000 items. The store theme changes every 4–8 weeks, with the goal of bringing light to a new theme, trend or issue with each new installation. The current theme is “Work Space,”and past themes have included“Love,” “Home for the Holidays,”“Beauty,” “Style. Tech” and “Color.”

Macy’s Acquires Story, Names Rachel Shechtman Brand Experience Officer

The breakfast kicked off with BCG President Stacy Berns welcoming everyone and introducing Rachel Shechtman, Story’s Founder. Berns noted the exciting news that Macy’s is acquiring Story, and that Shechtman will serve as Brand Experience Officer for the department store chain. Functioning as a matchmaker between brands and consumers, Shechtman will look for growth opportunities and help brands integrate their marketing, merchandising and business development strategies. She’ll also promote customer engagement, drawing on her success at Story, which has hosted workshops, panels and book signings nearly every week to draw and engage with customers. Story’s past events include:

• Trunk Show + Tell with Juniper Books
• Snack ’n’ Shop for Cinco de Mayo: A Sweet + Savory Celebration
• Sprog Yoga Session with Yoga Dan
• Pitch Night with Bloomingdale’s CEO Tony Spring and O Magazine Creative Director Adam Glassman
• Workshop: F*it NYC
• The Future (of Design) Is Female: An Interactive Workshop

Stacy Berns, President of BCG, introduces Rachel Shechtman, Founder and CEO, Story; Joanna Coles, Author and Chief Content Officer, Hearst Magazines Source: Coresight Research

Joanna Coles, Author and Media Guru, Talks Love in the Digital Age

Joanna Coles, author and Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazines, won over the crowd the instant she took off her heels and sat on the back of a couch with Shechtman, setting a conversational tone. Coles described the inspiration for her book and discussed dating in today’s world, digital addiction and setting boundaries for devices. She said that love is the most important aspect of all of our lives and that it was the inspiration for her new book, Love Rules: How to Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World, which she spent three years researching. The book provides an in-depth look at the science on digital behavior and the psychology behind dating in the digital world. Coles noted that digital relationships are not as important as real relationships and that a Facebook friend isn’t the same as a person who visits you when you’re sick or holds your hand during chemo. Her book includes dating tips, and she said that Bumble is a great dating app for women because it puts them in the driver’s seat and requires action within 24 hours. Coles likened the Bumble app to shopping, noting that “if you put something in your cart and you haven’t acted on it within 24 hours, then move on.” She also advised daters to stop texting and pick up the phone.

Story Source: Coresight Research

Coles also suggested that people create boundaries for electronic device usage, such as “no cellphones during dinner” or “no cellphones at happy hour.” She said that once a device is on the table, it immediately suggests that whatever is happening is less important than a potential call or text. Coles noted that the Center for Humane Technology’s Tristan Harris has said that“digital addiction is the new smoking.” The center’s research indicates that consumers are increasingly feeling anxious when they are cut off from devices, but that uncomfortable feeling dissipates over time. Coles encouraged everyone to start practicing turning off their devices periodically and setting workplace boundaries regarding when they can be reached and when others can expect responses. “We all think that everyone is looking for us when we turn our phones off, but they aren’t,” she said.