Will retail continue to be disrupted as long as online trading is a booming industry? Ann Morhauser, founder of the table glassware line Annieglass, tells us about the phenomenon that is experiential retail and how she manages to be both an artist and entrepreneur.

Since the concept of online shopping took root in our everyday lives, independent retailers have had a rough time selling their products. Millennials have a huge part to play in all this. But the good news is, eleven million or so of them are getting married, and that means lots of orders for Annieglass and other retailers.

In order to boost the otherwise curtailed retail chain, many retailers have begun to adopt the marketing tool that is called experiential retailing. This is done by drawing in potential customers through offers of experiencing products firsthand. The interactive vibe of this strategy has even startlingly resulted to millennials wanting to get wed in shops—a major win, really.

Annie says that on top of being business-minded, she’s both an artist and a manufacturer. Always wanting to be occupied, she highly enjoys her work, even when it’s difficult to thrive.

No business line is going to stay on top forever. What’s important is that entrepreneurs can find better ways to market their products and services. Annie has this basic step down, and she’s masterfully crafted a method to keep her business running.

BIO

Ann Morhauser is the founder of Annieglass,  a highly successful line of glass tableware sold through the finest luxury stores and resorts in the nation. Handcrafting her products in Northern California since 1983, Ann developed her company throughout the years to become one of the largest and most successful American glass studios.  By combining skills as a designer,  artisan, and businesswoman, Ann has been able to build a highly regarded brand as well as a successful company.  Ann ’s work is in the collections of such noted museums as the  Smithsonian  American  Art Museum and the  Luce  Foundation Center for American Art in Washington,  DC;  the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow,  Scotland; and the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning,  New  York.  Ann has accomplished something rare:  crossing over into the commercial world while tenaciously retaining her fine art approach. In  2003 she celebrated twenty years as a mass producer — by hand — of sculptural glassware.

Annieglass