Social media is a powerful tool, even in the cluttered digital space. Learn tips on how to stand out, engage your community and drive more sales from seasoned retailer Mackenzi Farquer, owner of the Lockwood Shops in NYC.
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Social media is a powerful tool, even in the cluttered digital space. Learn tips on how to stand out, engage your community and drive more sales from seasoned retailer Mackenzi Farquer, owner of the Lockwood Shops in NYC.
RESOURCES
| NY NOW Podcast Page:
https://nynow.com/podcast
| NY NOW Email Subscription:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/147c19d133dc472cbc83778bcaec0402
Thank you for podcasting with NY NOW! We look forward to connecting with you across all our platforms and seeing you in person!
Website: nynow.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ny_now
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nynowmarket
Dondrill Glover: 0:01
Hi and welcome to the NY NOW Podcast. NY NOW is a modern wholesale trade show experience for retailers and specialty buyers who are looking for a rich, diverse range of new products and exciting new brands located in the heart of New York City, where the latest and designing fashion emerge. New YORK Now it's not just a trade show. It's a community driving style, success, discovery, innovation and collaborations.
Amy Loewenberg: 0:30
Hi NY NOW Podcast listeners. My name is Amy Loewenberg, and I'm the retail relations and partnership development manager for NY NOW. Joining me today is Mackenzi Farquer. Mackenzi hails from the Midwest, where she achieved her degrees in marketing and finance, banking and investments. Additionally, she has a degree in interior design and is a graduate of Goldman Sachs, 10,000 small businesses. In 2003 she moved to New York City, where, after studying at the prominent New York School of Interior Design, she merged her love of design and business to form Lockwood, a Queens based chain of lifestyle stores that caters to the local community with the main focus on custom artwork, stationary, locally made gifts and historian centric finds made just for the shop, which, by the way, has been featured in various national and local publications. You can now find the Lockwood, Brandon Historias, Jackson Heights and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. And you can find the candy living happily in historia with her white cats and daughter Greer. Hi, Mackenzi. How are you doing? Put probably. Well, thank you for joining us for our first New York. Now podcast. It
Mackenzi Farquer: 1:41
looks the first
Amy Loewenberg: 1:42
half of this is the first podcast.
Mackenzi Farquer: 1:45
I love this so
Amy Loewenberg: 1:46
much. I'm very glad to hear that. We've actually talked a few times over the past weeks during these very difficult and unusual times. I hope that you and your family are still safe and sound.
Mackenzi Farquer: 1:57
We're good, very ordered and happy and healthy
Amy Loewenberg: 2:01
one. Well, I'm sorry about the board aspect, but I am glad that you are whole stations. Sounds you know, we're all just trying to find our way right now. And it's more than clear that our landscape has changed. I know that you've been in business for is it 13 years now? Congratulations on that. Yeah. Before we dive in tow how you're managing your business both pre and during coverted and how you're using your social platforms to drive your sale. Why don't you tell us how Lockwood came to be?
Mackenzi Farquer: 2:33
Sure. So I was building in a story in New York, which is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, and I was sort of this part filled with my line for year. You know, my neighborhood didn't have, like, a design shop for gift shop. So I wrote a business plan, and it got funded. And that Powell, my retail store into the and over the years I've changed and evolved and learned. And now we have five locations directing.
Amy Loewenberg: 3:02
Well, it's very impressive. How did you actually come up with the name Lockwood?
Mackenzi Farquer: 3:06
So Lockwood is on old street name before New York City went off the grid. So there was a prominent former in this part of what I mean with a last name, Lockwood. And so there was a lock with street just a few blocks from where the first Lockwood located on I just was sort of charmed by that name.
Amy Loewenberg: 3:28
I'm pretty charmed by the story. I love the historical reference. I think it's lovely. Thank you. Well, you're welcome. You've got really great neighborhood stores, and clearly you are absolutely no stranger to social media. With over 15,000 instagram followers. Did you build up your social presence simultaneously with your store locations? So,
Mackenzi Farquer: 3:47
no is the short answer. Having been open than you know 2007. My first location had a MySpace page. Just fill it a compact for people. Um, I used to use my own personal page, which now is like locked down type is devoted with. My paddler should promote Lockwood and around, uh, 2014 or 15. I had a young college student employee and, like hate Marie should be like a instagram for the store because they're worked in the pages that don't think Instagram had attended. And she's like, Sure, I'll help. And so probably, you know, for the last 56 you're We've had an instagram atop for Lachlan, and it's really like my main love and the bread and butter of all the marketing we dio for the stores.
Amy Loewenberg: 4:44
Wow, are you the sole manager now, or do you still have help in implementing that?
Mackenzi Farquer: 4:50
So I am a huge believer in delegation and I get really frustrated and bad ones does this, owners are still doing the maybe need show, and I would say that I only participate on Earth program perform from the time I have a full time staff member who Empire Dog is just to run the marketing on website for Lachlan
Amy Loewenberg: 5:13
Wow,
Mackenzi Farquer: 5:14
the bulk of her job forever.
Amy Loewenberg: 5:17
Well, I'll say that's very impressive because it feels very fluid to May. So if it's bouncing back and forth between you and support or support and you it very much feels like it is a full on representation of you in Lockwood's. So congratulations on that. Um,
Mackenzi Farquer: 5:33
I think that, you know, like anyone who's delegating something, find that person who has the same spirit or skills that or maybe it feels that that's better than your own. I mean, that's like with that kind of delegation. So when I identify mean Christina, who runs my website DRAMs, she started as a cashier like Keebler, and you just find those employees who have that bark and then you work with them and the mentor that it's not like overnight. We worked together for a year to make the instagram what it is now,
Amy Loewenberg: 6:10
so it completely evolves for you. What I like most about at least I'll talk about your instagram stories is that they are extremely personal and that you feature your staff, your family, your very adorable little girl. Greer as well as your vendors and your customers. Is there any sort of challenge you have in creating that consistency?
Mackenzi Farquer: 6:32
I think the challenge is always how time consuming it is to be really upsets it online. It's so much easier just to like re Graham or repose other content that's out there. But that's four, and people will skip over your stories and he'll become less relevant. So you know, even that adorable photo of my daughter or the dog that used to frequent are with mortar Stores were open. All somebody's taken that photo edited it. I need a brighter added gift done thing to it to make it more appetizing because chocolate is the Divine Store gift store. It's fun, and champions are our instagram, the look and feel the same way. And so we put a lot of effort into those little details and, you know, just take time to make it feel like the brand. But I think it's primal
Amy Loewenberg: 7:27
have you ever invested in any sort of social media marketing tools?
Mackenzi Farquer: 7:31
So I mean marking tools like a big term, I will tell you that we pay for a lot of behind the scenes app that make our program looking feel the way does, including things like Cash and still and other app that 10 trend form being sick photography were taking on her iPhone would make it a little bit more entertaining. But what we don't invest any money at all is we do not pay the looker instagram anymore. I have found that to be a losing endeavor,
Amy Loewenberg: 8:05
very interesting and really wonderful information that talks about how we really can run our business by ourselves.
Mackenzi Farquer: 8:12
Yeah, I mean, I don't really have a choice like courts liken take Kristina. But I can't continue to pay and pay and pay. And I think that it's a very different world. If you're investing a lot of marketing dollars like directly took a book in this dream, I think that there are businesses, have a lot of stuff that but their marketing budgets far feed mind, you know, my payroll budget on my rent because I'm in New York city or so big. So I just have to split my pie in a different way. And I certainly don't wanna scare anyone who's already spending a lot of money on Facebook for and parameters of being stuff like That's their journey. But it's different than mine.
Amy Loewenberg: 8:53
Well, it's a very good point because we all do have a little bit of the different journey and we are all trying to find our way. But I do believe that there probably some aspects of our conversation that are gonna come out, that are gonna be extremely interesting for others to here. Just because you've been so active socially, you've been able to really see the trends and how this shapes up for you. Let's let's try to spread this out of it and let's move out of Instagram a little bit because you do have activity on Facebook and I do believe that you have activity on Pinterest. Is that true?
Mackenzi Farquer: 9:27
Yeah, so both of those were true. I think that pinches Facebook and Instagram all have really different based user group, you know, I'm very active with a network of retailers who are all in the Northeast, where we're located. Some of them are really drawn the Facebook at some of them really well and trust. I have found Pinterest just doesn't drive traffic for us. That does the amount of work we have to put into. It doesn't feel the results that I want. I think that if you were one of the first people that Pinterest to gobbled up those like hundreds and millions of followers, it's very challenging. Like, you know, we've created these board on and we've spent the time and I haven't seen the results. But where contract really helped me is when we're opening door turning windows. We always put that information in the fourth and make a public because line on its but for people to sort of see the behind the scenes parts of things. But I can't say that it's like burning dollar think book. I do find really helpful, especially for event. It's really the only place to create Inter that back when we were all doing in store events for that sort of gaining traction and have allies of their own and have a little bit of that viral quality. But, you know, unfortunately, I keep harping on his directive. That is where that our social chip,
Amy Loewenberg: 10:54
well, I think it would make sense that you're drawn to what's creating more traction, for sure. But it is also lovely to be able to have these other platforms to be able to to get your word out your name out as well. You know, when thinking about the behavior of your audience, clearly you're gonna be drawn to where you're getting the most activity. Are you are Do you suggest scheduling posts or are you reactionary?
Mackenzi Farquer: 11:19
So I don't personally believe in scheduling posts on instagram. I just think that, you know, in all things we do in social media is the real world. I believe inauthenticity, and I don't think that scheduling posts is inauthentic and I have certainly done it in the past. And then I have also seen brands to schedule weeks worth of content and then hurricane hit for rid of pandemic, for something happened on that tweet for that post, Will. It's published and it doesn't land, right? I just think that especially now we need to be very aware of the messaging and so I just prefer to do it at the moment
Amy Loewenberg: 12:03
that's actually very powerful. It makes a lot of sense to me. Are you seeing an uptick in your followers because we're obviously so drawn to your phones? Especially now we have
Mackenzi Farquer: 12:13
seen new power. Definitely. I can't say that like we've seen a surge of new followers. But what we have seen is a riel surgeon like activity. We get a lot more GM when we post product. We felt minutes. For example, last night we posted some face masks that are being can zone out of rifled people company fabric by like a little finer, and we put them on Instagram and they were half pulled out before.
Amy Loewenberg: 12:48
That's incredible because I just saw that post today. I just saw that post and I was actually taken with it and personal doubt already. I'll just wait for your next batch to come in for sure. Pretty wild. Well, I find that very interesting and what's driving people Clearly, I would think that there might be some experimentation as if I do a post like this versus a post like that, and are you able to see how many people perhaps are being driven back to your website? We
Mackenzi Farquer: 13:21
can I mean, really? When I saw your question before and I thought about this the one thing that the balcony is a conversation I had with a tail grab and a very good friend of mine, which is like, there is for me at this moment, not there. There's no time for metric, you know,
Amy Loewenberg: 13:39
like
Mackenzi Farquer: 13:39
in a normal world where I have my full bath and I'm just sitting calmly and my dad getting putting out the Muslim failed chiefs. And I'm looking instagram statistics, you know, that's all really good to know. But like right now, everyday in Cold Midland is like still fast and still upsetting that I haven't really taken the time. Whether Juno is our conversion rate is sky high off the website. Until that something that sort of
Amy Loewenberg: 14:04
in
Mackenzi Farquer: 14:04
my face when I'm looking at. But as far as like directly tracking all the social channels, I just don't have or not prioritizing that at this time.
Amy Loewenberg: 14:14
But that way well, I would say you're a pretty smart cookie with degrees in business and finance. So my hunch is that you're able to take the information that's presented to you and turn that around in the solid direction. What if we're talking about somebody who might need a little help there? What are some of the points that you would say? Recognize this from the information that you're seeing from your social channels and in turn, how would you use that?
Mackenzi Farquer: 14:47
So, you know, on a good day things that we monitor myself. So how many like their commons did your main feed instagram post get? Do you know this is that different when you poked at different times of day? We really rely more heavily on instagram stories on my desk that there's anything I wanted to get across business owner for not comfortable social media that really instagram stories are your most powerful tool at this time. We'll look at how many people are watching those stories. When you have 10,000 followers on more, you have the ability to add a link so people had a swipe up and go directly to a lovely So we'll look, Look it every link on. You know how many people click on that leg? It was a shopping Lee because you can, you know, now tag product, like how many people purchased that particular item from Instagram. They also have a Facebook marketplace in a shop full of the shop, a bowl and also applicable there. But honestly, I don't know that any of these metrics are totally beautiful. Especially right now. I would go with more human things. Like, did I get a lot of responses? That post letter to someone doubles happen? That heart icon Did I get the M? People want to connect with the Arctic poppies. Andi, that's how we've been learning. Well, should and shouldn't be putting online it. What sort of nudged up toward, you know, expending our Web shop like, I want that feedback from our customers. But I'm living in this very sterile world right now, and data is also barrel is helpful. But, you know, I like that interesting. Really. Next meet my popular.
Amy Loewenberg: 16:33
I love that. I think that's very informative information. And thank you for sharing that with us. I know that you drove a lot of traffic through your creative window displays. How are you now shifting your sales technique to relate to social selling? And you did just share how you're using stories. It has that been it. The biggest push for you.
Mackenzi Farquer: 16:56
Yeah. I mean, stories are by far the biggest push rests on a kind of look at stories in two ways. One is just like a collection of photos that are curated in some way. So, you know, maybe on a day where we're just really focuses on getting with government funding or, you know, my staff is sending out thank you cards, people or whatever were otherwise occupied. My just threw out five photos. They're like your five candles you can shop online, but then other stories really take time. You know, maybe it's Christina on myself for talking directly to our customers. CFC and the will have tricked it out what we want to say and that takes some time. Or maybe it's time because, like, somebody actually have a shower, do their hair and maybe put on a little
Amy Loewenberg: 17:39
with 10 years,
Mackenzi Farquer: 17:39
something which is like a reality these days. Before you know, the other day I shared like what my sister was like with my family, and so that took some time for me to collect the photos, probably at the caption, then may be linked to the actual recipe I was making so you could maybe make that for your Easter Brown. Short your brush we done with your family? Still, you know, I think of instagram stories in those two different ways. Simple and complex. Definitely the complex. One of the ones where we get the most amount of feedback. It Some people really latched onto them. And I always tell my staff for doing instagram stories like they must have a beginning, middle and end. I think that people really respond like an actual sword are. And they were bored watching them that way when you just say something randomly and then ended abruptly, I don't think people connect with your brand as much of if you had sort of thought it out story, border, that kind of that.
Amy Loewenberg: 18:39
I think that's an extremely important point. It's like having a conversation, and you wouldn't just stop right in the middle of a sentence. Exactly. Absolutely. That is a great advice to give somebody to me. It sounds like you're using your own screen as your new window, and you have the ability to carry very complex displays now, with a little bit of insight into your personal life, which is what makes you so human. And Lockwood's so relatable. Congratulations. Oh, I
Mackenzi Farquer: 19:11
definitely think that that behind the scenes moment, if you're willing to share, is where the magic happens. You are big book or Pinterest or instagram like people want to know what you really are. I really encourage. I mean, retailer out there, not Fabby. With any of these, you have to start following of money. People. Brand blood breeze will never as possible. But you couldn't find your voice, your style and sort of being fired by others. But you'll find what you look watching. The boats are personal.
Amy Loewenberg: 19:44
So now on the flip side, are you finding these new elements that you're able to bring back into your store when we can get back to business? There's some creative way to continue this elevated insight and bring it back into your Birkin mortars.
Mackenzi Farquer: 20:00
So I think people always told us that was a personal connection there, Rachel. Grateful. We already had it before they started. The thing that I'm more curious about continuing is now a lot of us have treated these pretty robots website more more able to open our stores. Will you doing that because the social media is the bridge between our customer on the website before, it was like the week out for the magic of being in the physical space with sort of like the bridge. So I'm just curious, you know, if all of us will keep up these beautiful websites with fall down. But I think that no matter what's going on in the world, we should all continue with social media.
Amy Loewenberg: 20:49
Absolutely. So let's talk about product a little bit. What are some of the more popular products that you're moving now that's supporting your shelter and place orders.
Mackenzi Farquer: 20:58
So really, the bread and butter on our website right now are bundles. We found that it's better for us to be able to do a bundle. We move factor. We could bring a little bit more joy to people. We try and make sure that any of these little curated boxes that were coming out have really great value, meaning we put more in it than you know, the customer hanging for with the hopes that their delighted when they receive it and perhaps they will go to wrap it and share it on this program, which has happened with bracelets, and I think of that partially marketing tool of well, we have with other things on our website. But really, right now we're on Lee listing things that are either a practical like big mouth or are given comfort. So, you know, candles and Herb Nathan jars that you've been like bring a little France like into your home a lot of puzzles and kids toys and really just trying to think about, you know, like New York, our state homeless just extended after. Now we still a month. Laura, This Yeah, I just left the girls to help me with the left right now, like, let's only unchurched stuff on the website that would be applicable to that lifestyle.
Amy Loewenberg: 22:19
Make something that
Mackenzi Farquer: 22:20
we sell clothing. So, like we could be entering sundresses. But that stuff,
Amy Loewenberg: 22:25
but you
Mackenzi Farquer: 22:26
probably don't need Right
Amy Loewenberg: 22:28
now I look forward to the day that I can put us under us on it and be outside. You do a lot of product development in general to have any new thoughts other than masked, maybe on something that might be going forward.
Mackenzi Farquer: 22:44
Well, sadly, Max and here's sanitizers seem to be the only thing going on, I would say now, at this juncture, I really don't have any other creative solutions. But I can tell you I keep telling my staff at the
Amy Loewenberg: 23:04
school That's fairly interesting, Master the new headbands. I mean, I have a feeling that letter viral for
Mackenzi Farquer: 23:12
my staff to make sure that when they do flock to Lockwood because two of us are other three block with employees who are sometimes going to the store, different ships, the attacks on shipping. I wanted to make sure they had a math that were provided seven from Lockwood. And so I got one pillow like get him and make friends. And the other day I call one of the girls on the streets and she had, like, mustard sweater on and a black for but sneak math, like very chic in homes like Oh, yeah, before we were all buying like, elaborate heavy. Now, is that the map?
Amy Loewenberg: 23:48
I couldn't agree more. I'm I'm staying. A buffer of ads were seeing how stores they're gonna be reacting post coded how we're going to allow people back into our stores. Have you put any thought into that? On what the shopping experience is gonna be like for the consumer.
Mackenzi Farquer: 24:06
I thought a lot about it, but I don't know that needs thinking about. It means that that's really what would happen. I mean, is the number one thing I think about it. Wilmer staff be comfortable being there
Amy Loewenberg: 24:19
because
Mackenzi Farquer: 24:19
we can't open if I don't have a partnership among my staff members. And I think that it will feel a lot like gays before closure when we open. And there was a lot of fear, anxiety on my staff part for good reasons. So I think a lot about, you know, I have bought beating format that are fashionable. We have a good amount of hand sanitizer. We have bet keeping art supplies robust, that when we do reopen, we have all those things. Schools that we had out be closed. The one thing I keep thinking about that another retailer mentioned to me two weeks to tell us how you be have a holiday season if we can have holiday open house is small Saturday that happy. So I'm trying to get a little mental based sort of upcoming major holidays that might be, you know, where all of our profit comes around them. And what do those look like? And how can I change the business? Because I don't think we're going to have stores that are packed for the holidays. You know, I don't know if people will be comfortable with that or government agencies. They're going to allow that. So I really don't know what the answer is. But I do try to think about it a little bit.
Amy Loewenberg: 25:32
Well, you talk about a couple of things there, and so let's let's look forward a bit. Jump back to some product questions I have about your store in a minute. You know, I think that the consumer expectation is going to change as well. So as we're thinking about Q four, and we hopefully will be able to be outside of our homes at that point. How do you think other than holidays, Lucifer? And let's just talk about basic stuff. How do you think the consumer opinion might change on? What I mean by that is we're used to curbside delivery Now there's a lot more direct to consumer. How do you use thing? Your business model will change in a functioning matter,
Mackenzi Farquer: 26:12
So one thing that we're currently doing on the grand experiment is offering free shipping on everything on our website was sort of the hope that people buy several things and it helps off that are shipping cause. And if we find that the margins aren't drastically impacted, I think looking can you that because that is the same experience. I think one of the things among many things that kind of think about shopping online is that they're added feed to doing business that way. And so I want to take that burden away from my customers. I have lightly talked with my remaining staff about doing free delivery within a mile radius of any of our location, whether Thought foot or I personally driving the customers. I have also thought about extending our store our so that we can have time where we really limit how many people are in the store, especially during the holiday season. You know, maybe the open it on and stay open till nine and let people know that starting our, you know, will really only allow, like four or five people in a kind of that comfortable. I think there's a lot of ways you get it done. And I think as a community of resellers were going to come up with even more clever ideas. But time will have to happen.
Amy Loewenberg: 27:33
I have no doubt. And I have no doubt that your, uh, grade is gonna continue turning on that idea. And we're gonna see some pretty amazing things from you. One element that you're working on right now I believe it's still going on is your V I. P card program. Is that still active?
Mackenzi Farquer: 27:49
So it's on pause right now.
Amy Loewenberg: 27:53
What did you tell us about the program?
Mackenzi Farquer: 27:57
So our V i p gift card when we closed we because we're in clean, which is arguably the hardest hit neighborhoods of New York City. We just closed, and I pull next after the home like I didn't feel comfortable shipping and anything out after certain part. So to keep a little bit of cash flow going, we decided to get cars on with any get part of 50 or more that are hand written, 60 part with a visa card that's good for comfort, kind of all in store purchases for the rest of the year, and it doesn't mirror are hoping Fulham that we get personal this Saturday last year, which was they told Bag that was presented custom for us and it has a 10% about back on any time used that tote bag at any of our locations. So it's already at this summer comfortable giving and really my hopes are that making a block with first, you know that it's something weakens
Amy Loewenberg: 28:56
Jews for
Mackenzi Farquer: 28:56
them as a thank you for basically done cloning off their money because that's what it is, really give part. And I wanted to make sure that they felt they were supported by me and that they knew wasn't just short of the cash grab with. We really are all together. And we felt that picked up to the point where we had deposit because we're having a hard time keeping up physically writing the gift cards, and we've had a sudden quarter on additional batch of the the key part, and we do have plans of maybe doing it again. Maybe doing a contest may be handing out the temper sound card for the first customers to our will. Come back and shop with us physically for when we're able to reopen
Amy Loewenberg: 29:38
Well, that's not a bad problem to have in this time. So again, I'm gonna congratulate you on that. I think you've got a couple of different programs going on that speaks to your creativity and ingenuity. The V i. P. Card program. I read about your bundle first on your website. You mentioned that previously as well. And the tote bag, I I remember being at your greenpoint store opening and learning about the tote bag. And I thoroughly enjoy seeing how to roll up the tote bags on your instagram stories. So thank you for that, because I was not doing a very good job prior to the tutorial. I know that you were previously I'm not sure if you are right now, but I did see that you were running some sales, and I know that we have to look at our business in a very different way now. But why don't you tell us about what your philosophy is on running sales, But But break it down for us, pre cove it. And now, during coded.
Mackenzi Farquer: 30:36
So pre cove it I use a technique that I had learned which was basically, you know, you run clear and failed twice a year. A lot of retailers do that. I really wanted to encourage my shop person now that we didn't regularly mark down items that weren't clothing or signals and then a little twice a year, a couple problem are up the clearance sales, and that happened in the summer, and that happened after Christmas on It really is a win win for all of us. Very rare. We marked down merchandise on the for. I would rather take hold still merchandise off the floor, mark it down and put it back out during sales when there's a little bit of height. So that being said during coverted, you know, I'm already mentioned are bundles are, like, very robustly packed and there a lot of value, And so I sort of perceived them all a sale price. They're not marketed that way. But you know, a $50 spot bundle can easily have $75 worth of product accident because I just want the customer to get it and feel so enamored with Lockwood and not feel like disappointed or short changed in any way that I am in selecting these things and they don't totally get a say within it. I want to make sure that, you know, maybe if they didn't love that theater. Is that the hair type big map? We're like a trail for them, though it's just more, more, more. We do have a plan of putting all of our spring clothing online in the coming weeks, and I realized no one needs it, So we're going to make it basically almost that cost. I'm just want to get my money back and how cash well on that. Because I just don't think that I need to be hanging on to all of this brings clothing until next spring. So I'm looking at it, really. Categories like category peoples. There's no need for me to mark down. I think candles and kitchen items and Kipps wise and the like and just stay at full price for the most part. But I don't. He did bring in intentionally with spring and then we kind of got caught right in the middle of that. I'm Blangger, a corrective lee marked down.
Amy Loewenberg: 32:48
So what I'm hearing is on extremely smart plan. You're looking at your your inventory category by category. You are offering that discounted item for items that are not static to your basic everyday merchandising selection and that are purely seasonal driven. And I think that that's a really great way to go about it, because then you are able to provide that bundle at a lower price point that has a much higher value. And I was wondering how you were feeling about that because of that internal battle of, you know, do I sell off my products to, you know, fuel the financial needs. But then how do I maintain a margin? So what I'm hearing is that you understand that your margin is is gonna go down overall. But you're still going, Teoh maximize within the categories that are the every day personal care and wellness items. And that's hoping to continue to drive your business.
Mackenzi Farquer: 33:54
Yeah, I'm sort of thinking about all of this is my, you know, overarching motto for LA Close is sort of like cash is king, um, facemasks. So not gonna pay my remaining staff member or my pack bill before you know, rent like I do. You plan on paying my work and I have been paying our taxes both sizes. I don't plan on getting behind on those sort of big things. And so I have to liquidate merchandise in order to have the help of applications.
Amy Loewenberg: 34:26
So let me jump a little bit because the activity that you have socially is obviously presenting the decisions that you've made merchandise wise and it it's coming. It's very clear. Let me move into some other channels that we haven't brought up. Do you log at all? Um, no. Ah,
Mackenzi Farquer: 34:49
it was really funny thing because I have another business and that is only basically a blawg. And so it's a format that I'm really comfortable in, but I think it's a first class colossal weeks of time for were killers to even think about blocking. I always tell people like if you're tempted to start a block of you, hear that it's like, good for fbo and all of that just right up your thoughts on Publish It on Facebook as opposed, or put it in instagram stories for a carousel of thoughts on Instagram like Who's going to your blogged? I don't get it. So that would be, you know,
Amy Loewenberg: 35:38
I did hear that very clearly. Um, what about email? Have you reached out directly to your full email list.
Mackenzi Farquer: 35:45
I love the mill. I'm sad. I haven't brought it up. I love email is as much as I love Instagram, and I think that retailers should you everything in their power that can collect me knowledge is,
Amy Loewenberg: 35:58
Do you use any sort of systems for collection or
Mackenzi Farquer: 36:04
for the Lockwood shops we use? Now? Jim and I highly recommend male Chin, but there are other good out there. We pull up females er pos system, so you can sign up to be sort of like a lock with customer and expect that data. We can collect email addresses through our Lockwood Loyalty program, and we can also plus email addresses. Let me go toe lock. Look, for the first time, you'll get one of those really cliche. Hey, welcome. Here's a 10% off this code if you give us your email address. So all of that works really well for us. I feel like it's definitely the means for them where capture them from now. We're sort of lagging honor cool, but that's understandable.
Amy Loewenberg: 36:50
Should
Mackenzi Farquer: 36:50
try and send two emails a week, and we see direct and immediate responses when we send out an email?
Amy Loewenberg: 36:58
Do you have any suggestions for the subject line? That's always been a challenge? I think for many
Mackenzi Farquer: 37:04
I think that this subject line is a place for your store personality to shine and every stores different. Looks like I don't want to project my own personal opinion on someone else's because you know your store might be really serious yourself five jewelry or is for being either, you know, some way different than lockers that I can tell you that my customer, 25 to 35 years old and are subject lines our cities like today are subject line was happy Friday. You're doing a great job grateful Emoji, and I probably gotten 35 sales in the past hour from that, you know,
Amy Loewenberg: 37:48
Wow,
Mackenzi Farquer: 37:48
then the subject line had nothing to do with the product I was trying. Now for that, it was I was trying to help based math or anything. I just think there's a lot of tools out there and, you know, take your time. Some of the email providers have a subject line casting tool embedded, but you'll figure it out. You send a few and you think that didn't go very well. Maybe I should change it, and over time you'll figure it out. What's back for your breath?
Amy Loewenberg: 38:22
It's definitely a time for creativity.
Mackenzi Farquer: 38:24
I think Absolutely. You've got that one seconds really stand out from everyone else in, you know, just like Instagram. I tried to the journalists, like every retailer, big and small, that I admire. And I look like What are they saying? What their subject lines they use? Emojis is not unusual. Oh, geez on then, you know, we just try and pull the that idea possible and then, you know, kind of mold them into our own point.
Amy Loewenberg: 38:52
As we begin to wind down here, I just have a couple more questions that I would like to ask you. But what I'm seeing here is, if we just summed up your recipe for six Best here What What I've taken from our conversation is that stories are number one for you, and to make them human is an important point. Absolutely. Share behind the scenes and to find your voice and creativity and definitely make sure that we've got a beginning a middle and an end. Did I sum up everything that you shared. Is there any other point there that you would want to add in?
Mackenzi Farquer: 39:28
No, I think that that, uh totally you know what we do. And, you know, I would just say Don't be afraid with people come to your store because they, like you were there, like your staff. And, you know, you shouldn't You concerned that people don't want to you or that you don't like the way you look at films from one of those 50 filters on? I'm like, tell people how you really doing there? Probably also doing the same. You know, like, if you're sad right now, they're probably doing I think it's OK, Teoh be a little human on the Internet right now.
Amy Loewenberg: 40:01
Absolutely. You can t really enjoyed our conversation. And I'm just so excited to see what comes next from you. But before I let you go, I know that you are a very civically motivated person, and you're very active in your community. Sitting on a few boards. Why don't you just tell us a little bit about that part of your life?
Mackenzi Farquer: 40:21
Yes. So I've often described Lockwood of my love letter Historia a neighborhood that I just put it all in my place when I arrived in New York in 2000 and three, and I really part of my personal philosophy feel that everyone should give back in some way. You know, maybe some people of time from I love money, other resources. Part of the way I get back to the community is like Senator Community Board and no, I helped give my input on things like zoning the way that this neighborhood is retracting biplanes or school funding or you name it that is of interest in me, and it might be tragically border someone else. But, um, I also said on the blood of the theatre company, and I just think that, you know, it's important, especially of a retailer toe be in your community is to get back and really know who's here in on what they need. And, you know, we try and make sure that all our stores, whether they're Brooklyn, R P and give back the local school, school organizations, cultural organizations, we try to be a jumper possible within our communities, because I just think that just being a good neighbour and that's important,
Amy Loewenberg: 41:32
it's very important, and I believe that we're all becoming closer neighbors, even if we're right next door to each other at this time. So I love that statement. So we had learned a lot about you and Lockwood. And hopefully we've also imparted your experience and knowledge on our listeners. These times are changing day by day, and we all need to be supported and inspired to find the silver linings, all of us of the earth. And I want to thank you for being an active voice, an inspiration for your fellow retail community and for sharing your insights with us today. And so, in closing the Kenzi when we can finally re emerge from our cocoons here, where is the first place that you're going?
Mackenzi Farquer: 42:11
All man? My, uh, staff members and I talked about this. A lot of people places in my neighborhood, pulled milk flour like a local dad, and he makes about pizza. And I just, like, come out, wait to go in person and fit and happily that's not delivered in my house. I have some important a black line like a miracle right now.
Amy Loewenberg: 42:38
It actually sounds pretty amazing. Thank you so much for your time today, and I personally, I'm really looking forward to the time that I can see her person. Thank you.
Mackenzi Farquer: 42:46
Yes. Likewise. Thank you so much.
Dondrill Glover: 42:49
Thank you for listening to the NY Now Podcast. Make sure to tune in weekly for engaging and insightful conversations touching on the most relevant topics facing our community today. Visit www.NYNOW.com to learn more about our market and how you can join in on the conversation.