Chef Mark Mattern, MBA, CEC

The holy grail of strategy for any firm, but especially retailers, is to create a concept that is so different and compelling that it renders competitors irrelevant — and then to implement that concept in such a way that core customers are bonded and the competitors find it hard to copy or react. Innovative offerings from a variety of industries have attempted to create niches that were protected from competition. Brands such L.L. Bean, REI, Walmart, The Body Shop, Muji, Tokyo Hands, IKEA, Zara, H&M, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Best Buy Geek Squad, Whole Foods Market, Subway (its low fat menu), Apple, Zappo's and dozens of others have been able to maintain a distinctive offering that attracts an extremely loyal customer base. How? Are there any common characteristics that these brands share? Although each is different with respect to strategy and context, it is possible to observe some factors that are associated with successful new retail concepts. Not all are always present but