A consumer who walks into a luxury retail boutique looking to spend thousands of $$$ on a bag or a piece of clothing comes in with certain expectations that go beyond good quality and fit.

But there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to global customer experience expectations.

In the US, for example, a customer may value a certain type of experience that customers in Europe or Asia might find unnecessary or useless. For a luxury retailer, knowing these differences is vital when entering an international market, especially if it’s a Western luxury brand entering an Eastern market, Katie Thomas, lead of Kearney’s internal think tank the Kearney Consumer Institute, told Retail Brew.

“You cannot sleep on the nuances of the local market, and what consumers are looking for there…how they shop, how they learn about new brands, what kind of products they actually want, what their lifestyle looks like—that could impact the assortment of what’s in that store or their custom products for certain markets,” she said.

Sonnet Frisbie, lead analyst for EMEA at Morning Consult, agreed, noting that while Americans value “extreme convenience,” where “efficiency and speed is part of American luxury,” in parts of the Middle East, “luxury may mean opulence, attentiveness, and a surfeit of time,” she told Retail Brew in an email, adding that while Westerners may expect to quietly browse products in a store, in the Middle East, they might be offered beverages, presented with several options, and engaged in extended conversations.

Keep reading here.—JS

Social media is the land of business opportunity. And with the right strategy, selling directly through your social accounts can make a major difference in your bottom line.

According to LinkedIn, 78% of brands that use social outsell their offline peers. So if you wanna be on the right side of that stat, check out Square’s guide to social selling.

Part 1 of the guide: strategy. There are a lot of ways to sell across social media—social media marketing, social commerce, social selling. Square outlines how to incorporate these tactics into your social strategy so you can easily streamline your efforts.

From there, Square outlines 6 key tips (with context) to help you tee up your brand’s social selling. They cover insights to look at, reliable tools to leverage, and much more.

Grab the guide and grow your social selling strategy.

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Bridget Regan is founder and CEO of Visavis, a community engagement software company that is “transforming stores into social destinations” by helping brands launch IRL events in their retail locations.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I run a company that helps brands do more with their brick-and-mortar spaces.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? You don’t need a computer science degree or an MBA to be an awesome tech founder.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? A 20,000-square-foot concept store in Washington, DC. I was responsible for every part of launching the concept, from strategy to experience mapping to tenant acquisition, fit-out and more.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? I’m super excited by brands becoming more open to co-creating with their audiences—less making decisions from an ivory tower, more asking their communities what colorways they should launch, what partnerships they should explore, and what kind of events to host.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Oat milk latte from Blue Bottle.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? Introverts can’t start companies.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Teenage Bridget loved her Caboodles makeup box. Adult Bridget loves a new pair of high-tops.

“In 2021, Diageo made a big play in sports marketing when it became the first official spirits sponsor of the NFL. Back in 2013, it signed a multiyear deal to be the exclusive spirits partner of the NBA. But the alcohol giant doesn’t just have its eye on national league sponsorships,” writes Marketing Brew’s Alyssa Meyers:

At Marketing Brew’s summit earlier this month, we spoke to [Tracy Bussan, SVP of brands in culture for Diageo,] about some of the company’s latest work when it comes to cultural marketing, including sports and fashion partnerships.

Read the interview here on Marketing Brew.

Today’s top retail reads.

There’s a catch: Inside the often dangerous job of marine observers, who are tasked with ensuring sustainable seafood standards, particularly within the industry’s most lucrative catch: tuna. (Civil Eats)

Diminishing returns: Retailers are trying new tactics to limit the number of returns they receive, like offering discounts if shoppers agree not to return an item, and tracking heavy returners to block them from receiving discounts. (the Wall Street Journal)

Drink to that: As its US sales flatten, Heineken aims to make a splash stateside with a new Heineken Silver light beer to target younger consumers. (Reuters)

Essentials made easy: It’s time to get better at your job. Learn your business from the inside out with The Brew’s Business Essentials Accelerator and take your retail career to the next level. Apply now.

Shopping shifts: Ever heard of biometric scanning? This unique feature could soon become an advanced part of brick-and-mortar shopping’s future. Retail Brew covers the story, sponsored by Square.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• Olaplex CEO talks reset, Edgewell and Harry’s discuss disruption
• The fast-changing nature of logistics
• How food brands are capitalizing on the air fryer boom