BY Ronika Marandi

Carefully selected products that are curated can foster a strong connection with your customers. By hand-picking items that resonate with them, you're essentially communicating, "This is tailored for you." Additionally, by featuring curated products in your store, you facilitate the discovery of both familiar and novel items, establishing your store as a trusted destination.

Yet, navigating the product curation process can be daunting. With your distinct vision in mind, how do you pinpoint the products that perfectly align with it? Where does one begin?

Curation = Brand Loyalty

Undoubtedly, curation stands as the defining factor distinguishing independent retailers from their big-box counterparts. This is precisely why a considerable number of consumers opt to support small businesses—statistics show that 65% of Americans express trust in small-scale enterprises. Curation leads to Connection▶️Favorites ▶️Recommendation ▶️ Brand loyalty.

Your clientele relies on you for suggestions, beloved classics, and exciting new discoveries. You can cultivate a distinct brand of loyalty that sets you apart in the retail landscape.

But what sets curated products apart from the rest? It's the human touch—the sense of care and intentionality that goes into selecting each and every item. By hand-picking products that align with your audience's desires and dreams. You're not just selling products; you're crafting experiences.

Understanding Curated Content

In the world of digital marketing, curated content plays a similar role. By selecting and presenting content that resonates with your audience, you demonstrate a deep understanding of their interests and preferences. It's not just about sharing information; it's about creating moments of connection and engagement.

The simple definition of curated content is that it is the process of selecting content from other sources to share on your channels. That includes the process of searching, discovering, gathering, organizing, and presenting that content to your audiences.

Innovative Business Models: 

There are many businesses that have embraced the strategy of delivering curation:

1. Curated: This store offers personalized product picks from a Real Expert, differentiating itself by offering expert advice and a human experience.

2. Glance by Zappos: This site uses a radically pared down product catalog to inspire customers to buy—and also to reveal their personal product preferences. Glance curates a daily selection of products, encouraging customers to refine their style profiles and generate new product recommendations.

3. Frank & Oak: Their purpose is to inspire a better way of living by creating conscious products that last through time. By marrying innovation with eco-friendly processes, they strive to shape a cleaner, healthier, and more mindful world.

4. Flipboard: Flipboard is a social magazine filled with the best stories for all your interests. There are thousands of topics to pick from and amazing magazines curated by others who share your interests.

As merchants who use their intimate knowledge of their customers’ needs will add the most value and reap the biggest rewards, it's evident that curated products and content have become indispensable tools in the arsenal of modern digital marketers. By embracing the ethos of curation, brands can forge genuine connections with their audience, reinventing the customer experience in ways that resonate deeply and endure over time.

Research derived from the Forrester Research Report: Services for the Digital Self, September 2013.

Pictured below: Glossier's temporary London location opened in November 2019.