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In this episode, Bryan Amaral interviews Ruaraidh ("Rory") Grubb, CEO of Own-Kind, a UK-based clienteling and customer-engagement platform. Rory traces Own-Kind’s evolution from a 2018 “digital wardrobe” concept to a post-lockdown product-market fit that helps retailers deliver exceptional, content-rich customer experiences. Framing clienteling as a practice supported by software, Rory explains how Own-Kind shortens time-to-value for store associates and customers through personalized, shoppable lookbooks, QR-enabled onboarding, and engagement telemetry that surfaces purchase intent and prompts timely human follow-ups.

Bryan and Rory dig into real outcomes and adoption: streamlined integrations (including Shopify), 1:1 onboarding for every user, and results reported by brands such as 2–4× higher conversion and 3× AOV, with rapid ROI. They also explore the road ahead—supporting in-store events with sales attribution, instant chat, social modules, and an enhanced appointments flow—and how AI should remove admin and amplify people rather than replace them, keeping associates at the center of the relationship.

Key takeaways

1. Clienteling is a practice — Software should enhance associate engagement, and empower better human moments.
2. Content drives engagement — Personalized, video-rich lookbooks + clickstream insight reveal intent before purchase and is the entry point into creating high-value customer journeys.
3. Adoption by design — 1:1 user onboarding provide real-world insights into how technology supports retail selling and constant UX iteration lower friction and speed results.
4. Plug-and-play where possible — Streamlined integrations (incl. Shopify) reduce IT lift and time to go-live.
5. Measured impact — Brands report rapid ROI, 2–4× conversion, and 3× AOV; retention is the next frontier to quantify.
6. Human + AI balance — Use AI/agents to suggest next best actions and remove admin while the associate stays in the loop.

Enjoy the show!

Own-Kind Website: www.own-kind.com

Ruaraidh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaraidhgrubb/

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: bryan@clientelingpodcast.com or bryan@retailtechexec.com

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849

Tags: retail clienteling clientricity Own-Kind retailtransformation