If you’ve baked banana bread or slaved over your sourdough starter in the last six months, you’re not alone. With restaurants and businesses closing their doors when COVID-19 hit the US,at-home cooking and baking experienced a bit of a resurgence in 2020. Americans were forced to eat at home with their families and get crafty in the kitchen to whip up new and exciting meals to fight the monotony of quarantine. 

For many, this newfound love of cooking is a behavior that’s sure to stick around, even in a post-COVID world – especially as indoor dining still faces restrictions around the country and the weather gets colder.

One company that has benefited from people’s renewed interest in home-cooked meals is kitchenware retailer Sur La Table. While they were able to reach an entirely new audience during the pandemic, they had to address their own share of challenges as well. One of which was shutting down the signature in-store cooking classes. 

We spoke with Natalie Brown, Head of Marketing for Sur La Table, to learn more about the kitchenware retailer’s recent shift to omnichannel expansion, and how the company was able to revive their in-person classes by going virtual. 

Here’s why she views the pandemic as an opportunity for her team to bring “the art and soul of cooking” to customers in new ways:

How did the Sur La Table team pivot to bring your unique brand experiences online during the pandemic? 

Leading up to the start of COVID-19, we were pivoting as a company to become a more product-led than a catalog-heavy retailer. Our DNA was very much about being a place where cooks could get hard-to-find things and a paper catalog was very important to our business. 

We wanted to build something that was far bigger than a catalog and that was more about an omnichannel experience. Our cooking schools have always been at the heart of what sets us apart as a brand and makes us different. We weren’t necessarily just about how you buy all these interesting things, but how you actually use them. Our company mission is more about creating happiness through the cooking and sharing of food.

We weren’t necessarily just about how you buy all these interesting things, but how you actually use them.

When COVID happened, we had to shut all of our stores so we could only sell products online. But more importantly, we had to close down our cooking schools. 

We’re very lucky because we have a beautiful office location with a giant kitchen right in our lobby where they do recipe development. As a team, we actually sit, meet, eat, and cook together there ourselves, but we were lucky enough to have this space that we could leverage. The team was really amazing. As we were able to go back into the office, we sent our chefs in and started doing cooking classes over Zoom. We grew this grassroots online cooking class program with our chefs. Since then, we’ve grown and expanded the program. 

As things have opened up, we’re opening up our local cooking schools within our stores again, but with smaller class sizes. We’re able to supplement that with online cooking classes, even in locations where we can’t open the classroom up to the public yet. It’s been pretty amazing because we can now scale the program. If you don’t have a Sur La Table or your closest store doesn’t have a cooking school, you now have access to this amazing part of the brand. 

As a company, we’ve learned a lot from bringing out cooking classes online. While our chefs are used to teaching, they aren’t necessarily used to teaching on Zoom, on camera, and to a class of 40 people, when previously they were only teaching 16. To make the class more immersive and easy to follow, we use two cameras. A far-away camera to let the chefs introduce themselves and answer questions and a closeup camera so attendees can actually see the chopping and techniques like you would in an in-person class. The chefs had to learn how to adapt to the two camera situation. We’ve all had to get on board, be nimble, and adapt to the needs of the online cooking class world. 

Sur La Table’s online cooking classes landing page

What is the key to digital experience success?

For me, it’s putting the customer first and solving around the customer’s problems. That solution is a two-part solution. It’s understanding your brand value and why your customer is coming to you. Once you understand that, to truly put your customer first, you need to literally walk their journeys in their shoes. 

To truly put your customer first, you need to literally walk their journeys in their shoes. 

Put on your customer hat and pretend you’re seeing your experience for the first time. If you can put the customer first across all of your customer journeys, you’ll not only have an effortless digital experience, but you’ll also have effortless omnichannel brand experiences that are seamless across both your brick-and-mortar and digital executions.

What has been a silver lining of the pandemic for you?

I’ve been saying this to our team for quite a while now, but this is like a reset button. You always say, “Let’s do things differently,” but don’t always follow through. COVID forced us to look critically at everything we’ve done to keep the good, throw away the redundant, and rethink the stuff that wasn’t working. I just keep telling my team this is like a forced reset. It’s a luxury we always wanted to have. Now, let’s capitalize on it. 

COVID forced us to look critically at everything we’ve done to keep the good, throw away the redundant, and rethink the stuff that wasn’t working.

I also believe COVID has given us this notion of an “Experimentation Hall Pass.” Customers understood that the world was changing in a lot of ways, they came along with us for the journey and were very tolerant to try new things. I think there’s still some runway there. 

If there are ideas that you want to go out and pressure test, you can do it and you can do it scrappily! It doesn’t have to be perfect and beautiful.

If there are ideas that you want to go out and pressure test, you can do it and you can do it scrappily! It doesn’t have to be perfect and beautiful. It doesn’t have to be the most fantastic end-to-end thing. As long as the customer has a good experience and you’re doing your best to bring them a new solution to a problem, they will be tolerant and come along for the ride.

How has Sur La Table taken advantage of new customer behaviors and the spike of at-home cooking? 

It’s been very interesting for us. The huge surge in home cooking started over the summer. Raise your hands if you didn’t make sourdough or more recently banana bread! Now as the weather’s getting colder, we’re seeing a huge interest in slow cooking and braising take off. We’ve responded in a few different ways and it’s really been a journey. 

During the onset, when people started working from home, businesses were shut down, and restaurants were closed, we realized that people were going to have to cook at home every night for themselves and their families. That was probably really daunting for some people. 

We’re lucky because we’ve got chefs and tons of content. We quickly regrouped and put up a page that was about cooking together, but apart. It’s our community. You’re not cooking with us in our cooking schools, but we’re here to help you. The initial question we asked ourselves was “How do we leverage what we know?” Should we share tips on how to plan a whole week of meals? How to cook ahead and store food? Simple, easy dinner recipes? We wanted to be there as a resource for our customers. 

As we’ve come out of it, we’re still trying to be a resource for people but our approach has become more inspirational. We’ve been able to use user-generated content (UGC) to keep people enthusiastic and inspired, while still staying in touch with what’s happening in people’s lives and the changing of the seasons. 

Now as we’re headed into Thanksgiving, we’re keeping in mind that this Thanksgiving is going to be very different and gatherings will be smaller.

Now as we’re headed into Thanksgiving, we’re keeping in mind that this Thanksgiving is going to be very different and gatherings will be smaller. We have to keep that in mind when we’re planning what to do in our cooking class programs and with our content strategy to help our customers. How do we again set them up to succeed? How do we give them the tips they need for this different Thanksgiving? That customer-centric thinking guides our storytelling framework and how we activate around the product to present a unified package for our fans and our customers alike.

What has been Sur La Table’s biggest success this year? 

Definitely our online cooking classes. Not just because it gave our customers a place to learn, but also because it helped us bring people back and keep them employed. Any company that can point to the fact that they’re able to still provide jobs for people is winning this year. Being able to leverage our in-house chefs and provide great content to our customers was a big win.

Also, I think it’s been really great to see everyone come together as a team in this crazy time. 

Not only that, but we’ve found we’ve inadvertently created a way to bring our customers together. Friends and families from across the country will sign up for the same online class and when it’s over, they’ll get on their own personal Zoom calls and enjoy the meal together. Those special moments might not be in the Sur la Table classroom, but they’re eating and enjoying the food and experience with their loved ones, which goes back to our mission: the art and soul of cooking. 

What is the best thing you’ve learned in quarantine?

Don’t ever underestimate your team. People are amazing. When they have a challenge thrown at them, give them the runway to come to the table with solutions. If you trust your people and acknowledge they are good at what they do, you’re going to be impressed and amazed by the results. As a leader, I learned to trust my team and let them run with their ideas. Let your team surprise and delight you.

What advice would you give other industry professionals? 

To piggyback on what we were just saying, remember that you’re not in this alone. We’re all struggling with similar questions, it’s just how it applies to our industry or specific business model where the difference comes in. Those fundamental concerns are the same for all of us. So, first and foremost, know that you’re not in this alone. 

Secondly, don’t be scared to ask for advice. Obviously, we can’t share proprietary information, but we can talk about best practices and give help and advice in ways that are meaningful. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your peers and ask. 

Next, stay curious. A curious mind is always finding new things. You can find ideas and inspiration to solve problems in unexpected ways. 

Magic happens when you’re dancing outside of your comfort zone.

Lastly, I believe that magic happens when you’re dancing outside of your comfort zone. So, get outside of your comfort zone and find a place to make some magic!

Not to be outdone by the wordsmiths of this world, the retail industry recently came up with its own neologism, coining the term “phygital” to describe a new form of commerce — one that blends the best of offline and online experiences for an elevated customer experience (CX). 

It may be early days in the world of phygital CX, but brands are experimenting away, and coming up with innovative solutions to fit the needs of today’s omnichannel customer.

But how do you build links between a digital platform and physical store? What experience transfers are already proving successful in terms of engagement and conversions? And how do you make digital features work in the physical world, and vice versa?

What’s certain is that the line between eCommerce and brick-and-mortar is more blurry than ever. The reality is that digital has transformed everyday life. Many of our daily activities — work, communication and of course, consumption — play out in the digital realm. 

In fact, we have fully become phygital beings, and retailers are racing to adapt the customer experience to reflect our evolving needs and expectations. 

THE CUSTOMER IS KING

Consumers today expect seamless omnichannel journeys. But that’s not all they are looking for — they also want choice, and they want to feel special. And VIPs love nothing more than customized product or services!  

Digital has unlocked new opportunities for retailers, but has also made things slightly more complicated. Consumers are no longer looking for the cheapest product or best customer assistance — they seek excellence throughout the customer experience.

“Today we’re seeing a real convergence between online and offline, with many advantages for consumers,” explains Jérôme Malzac, Innovation Officer at Wide Agency. 

“On the eCommerce front: easy search, time-saving, the ability to order wherever, whenever… When it comes to local shopping, the human and physical dimensions are incredibly important, as well as contact between the retailer and the customer — advice, service, getting more info on a product and how quickly it can be purchased.”

LEVERAGING CUSTOMER INTELLIGENCE FOR A SUPERIOR CX

One of the main challenges for brands today is delivering intelligent customer journeys that are adapted to every customer. Collecting and aggregating customer behavior data can help brands identify pain points along the customer journey (both online and offline). But it doesn’t stop there, as a granular data collection allows brands to effectively personalize the experience and services. 

“Thanks to data, we can follow our customers along their journey both on and offline, and suggest relevant products to them. For example, a woman who has just purchased newborn clothes will get suggestions for baby shoes,” explains Vanessa Guignoux, head of digital and eCommerce at Gémo.

Integrating mobile app localization can also help brands deliver useful information to customers at the right time, and make their store visit more efficient. Brands can optimize a store visit based on a digital shopping list, for example. And understanding app behavior allows teams to maximize the role of smartphones in facilitating a great CX at every touchpoint.

“Digital makes omnichannel possible, and allows access to things that were only possible in the physical world, removing obstacles to purchase, understanding, sharing and knowledge. In the other direction, from digital to physical, we see gains on the human, emotional front,” explains Yann Carré, head of the marketing communication cycle for Decathlon. 

“But you need to maximize this potential. The most important thing is to have a completely responsive website, one that can be browsed and visited from any device, be it desktop, tablet or smartphone. To illustrate this, for over a year now, more people visit the Decathlon site on a smartphone than a desktop. All of our content (image, text, video, comparison tools, 3D) are conceived to be accessible digitally and to complete the offline and in-store experience.”

With consumer needs and expectations evolving fast, agility and continuous monitoring of customer behavior have never been more important. Digital teams need to analyze the way customers interact with their digital properties as part of their daily workflow. And adopting a design thinking approach and test & learn strategy allows teams to react quickly and keep up with customer expectations.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Armed with a better understanding of their customers, digital retailers and brick-and-mortar stores have started to adopt a phygital CX strategy. Drive-throughs, in-store lockers, click & collect and online reservation are just some of the ways brands have integrated offline and online to improve omnichannel CX. 

Brands have also been exploring the benefits of expanding the reliance on digital in-store, removing typical customer frustrations prevalent in physical stores such as: low inventory, or a certain size not being available. Sales assistants now use tablets to help customers complete an in-store purchase online. Some brands even mix in-store help with added online services to offer product personalization, for example.

“Our sales assistants and department managers have access to the same information as our customers via smartphone, tablet or interactive in-store touch-screens. But they’re also able to analyze buyer behavior from a mobile number or email address. By checking their information system, they can view the purchase history and searches, and engage Mr. D with advice, product suggestions, etc,” said Yann Carré. 

“And each department manager also has all the information that will allow them to make pricing, inventory and merchandising decisions. For example, if a competitor is offering a more competitive price on a particular item, they are empowered to change the price of this particular model to match or to offer a more competitive price. They can predict how this will impact sales either positively or negatively. They have all the intelligence they need to make important decisions completely autonomously.” 

Phygital logic also drives a store’s merchandising strategy. For example, if an item gets anything less than a 3 out of 5 customer score, it is removed from both the online and offline store in order to be improved.

There are many other innovations on the horizon. Monoprix, for example, is hoping to speed up in-store checkout with its Monop’Easy solution. It’s simple: customers scan their items via the mobile app, pay, and receive their receipt by email. 

Sephora also offers a mobile app that blends digital and physical realities, allowing users to test out makeup thanks to AR, and delivering info and advice to in-store customers as they are browsing the physical aisles. And beauty brand Passion Beauté has been inviting social media influencers into their stores.

Pure players have also been playing the phygital game, coming up with concept stores that allow them to get closer to their customers. In New York, you can rent pajamas and a book a bed for a 45-minute nap at Casper’s Dreamery. 

Sezane, which started off as a pure player, has opened showrooms it calls “apartments,” where shoppers can browse exclusive designs and new releases in a cozy, trendy setting. 

Brands are constantly coming up with unique ways to explore the transitions between digital and physical, and elevate the click-and-mortar experience. “We want to be (to sports) what Airbnb is to accommodation and travel,” says Yann Carré. “We want to offer more than just the value of the product and create value around sports, too. 

The more people do sports, the more opportunities there will be for us to connect with them, and sometimes, even if not always, that will transform into a purchase.”