Altar’d State is the case study no one’s talking about.

This week, we chat with retail expert Michael Abata. In addition to being one of our favorite voices on LinkedIn, Michael is a lovely human and a complete brand experience / retail nerd—get ready for a lot of geeking out on this episode.

One thing we both love about Michael is his love of the little, mundane things brands do. He gets in the weeds. He talks about gas stations and pop-ups with the same enthusiasm most people reserve for flagships and flashy made-for-Cannes campaigns.

We talk Altar’d State, Spirit Halloween, Rivian, AI-powered fitting rooms, and why brands should be looking to middle America malls for inspiration, not just Tokyo or London.

Retail is moving again. Brand experiences are back. And Michael’s is great at showing what it looks like when brands stop chasing trends and start walking stores.

Michael has also written about just about everything, so I’ve added links throughout the show notes below. Rabbit holes galore if you want to dive deeper.

It’s a good one.

Enjoy!

Meet Michael Abata

Michael Abata has a passion for retail. With 20+ years of experience from Target, Shutterfly, CAMP, Made By Gather to his most recent gig bringing to life IRL Chewy Vet Care at Chewy. He also does a ton of side gig work with his agency Anahata, working with retailers, leaders, and startup founders. Most importantly, you’ll find Michael active on LinkedIn commenting, sharing, and posting about all things retail, culture, and experiences.

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

03:04 — WHY RETAIL STILL MATTERS // From Old Navy to Chewy Vet Care. And why gas stations and airport shops deserve more love.

→ More on gas stations: QT, Buccees, what’s happening in Europe.

08:01 — HALLOWEEN, BUT MAKE IT COMMERCE // Spirit Halloween has no right to be so good. But it is.

12:02 — REINVENTING THE MUNDANE // Rowan’s ear-piercing rebrand. A masterclass in experience-first thinking.

→ More on Rowan’s experience: Link

15:50 — THE NEW UNDERDOGS // Altar’d State is quietly outplaying the teen brands you used to know.

→ If you’re new to Altar’d State: Here’s a good walk-through. And this is their furniture brand.

19:13 — EXPERIENCE > AD SPEND // Rivian’s $100 deposit strategy. Plus: Joshua Tree outposts, Venice vibes, and a pile of dirt at SXSW.

→ More on Rivian’s experience here: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4.

23:17 — EATALY, SMALLER BUT STILL SEXY // What happens when a 60K sq ft brand gets smaller?

27:32 — DICK’S GETS IT RIGHT // House of Sport, Public Lands, and why families actually want to go.

→ More on Public Lands & Dick’s: Link 1, Link 2.

34:50 — WHEN TECH MAKES SHOPPING BETTER // Fitting rooms with screens, walkout tech, and the digital bits that actually help.

→ More on Amazon’s walk-out tech here: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3.

38:44 — MISSTEPS & MISSED MOMENTS // The surprising number of execs who’ve never walked their own stores.

46:05 — THEME PARK RETAIL & THE FUTURE OF EXPERIENCE // Mattel, Netflix House, Meow Wolf—and the return of the gift shop as IP engine.

→ More on theme parks: Universal, Netflix House, Netflix Bites, Cosm.

53:00 — RETAIL MEETS HOSPITALITY // Yowie, RH, and the return of the all-day store.

→ More on retail meets hospitality: Yowie, Ralph Lauren, Restoration Hardware, Louis Vuitton.

58:30 — THE ANTIDOTE TO AI // Why physical experience is still the brand moat that matters.

59:32 — QUICK FIRE // Three things every retail brand should do, one word that sums up Michael, and who he’d overhaul tomorrow.

ABOUT

Chris and Kirsten are the founders of IN GOOD CO, a consultancy that ignites challenger brands with fearless and proactive positioning.

Chris writes a weekly newsletter for +15K subscribers that shares the best-of-the-best on culture, trends, marketing, etc. What she's dropping to friends on Slack or finding useful in meetings with brands |Follow her on Substack

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