Retailers Make Fast Company’s “Most Innovative” Roster

The bricks-and-mortar initiatives of four retailers helped land them on Fast Company magazine’s just-released “Most Innovative Companies” roster for 2023. They are:

Studs: The 4-year-old startup, which currently has 17 locations, “correctly identified that there wasn’t an enjoyable space for adults to get their ears pierced; it launched ear-piercing lounges, with elegant furniture and hip neon lights, that have been a hit with millennials.”

Lalo: The seller of designer baby products “created a sleek brick-and-mortar concept in New York to sell its wares, complete with a free play experience for babies, to keep them happy while parents shop.”

Claire’s: The tween retailer “realized it needed to be where 11-year-olds were already shopping with their parents, so they launched thousands of branded concession stands in CVS, Kroger and elsewhere.”

Jenni Kayne: The lifestyle brand “created an experimental design space in Santa Ynez, Calif., that showcases its furniture and decorating services.”

Fast Company also singled out six other retail operations for a variety of innovations, including On, which created a subscription program that allows serious runners to receive new shoes every six months while their old ones are recycled, and Squarespace, which allows users to create custom merchandise via a new partnership with Printful.

The business magazine noted that such companies represent “a new generation of retailers rethinking how we buy products from the ground up – making shopping more fun than ever.”

In all, Fast Company chose 540 organizations that it said “are reshaping industries and culture.”

Click here to see more on the top 10 retailers to make the roster.