Press Archive | MG2/The Lionesque Group

Our Press

Boston Globe

“When you go away, you want to get something that feels authentic and unique”
Glossy

“The location of Peter Thomas Roth’s trucks is optimal. They’ll be able to grab the relevant audience, pique their interest, and then provide them with a more in-depth product offering from the brand in-store.”
Cheddar

“You have that pent-up demand and desire to be in-person, to have that tactile experience, to be part of community events, so you are seeing it come back.”
Retail Brew

“Consumers want to align themselves with brands that stand for something more than just selling a product, and sustainability is a critical aspect of that.”
“When digitally-native brands open stores for the first time, there’s a lot of assumptions… what you think might be really popular might not be as popular.”
design:retail | Retail TouchPoints

“Congratulations to Nicole Pokorny, who was named on Retail TouchPoints and design:retail's 40 under 40 list for 2022!”
New York Times
Leading Through Change
Retail Keeps the Digital-Physical Line Blurred

“Always think about the purpose and intention first for any kind of technology. After all, technology for technology’s sake isn’t going to engage customers or make them more loyal. She noted to ask, “What is it doing for the customer?””
State of Consumer Behavior Report 2022

“Technology needs to be our tool to add efficiency and scale, in a way that compliments the intangibles we can provide in a physical space.”
Morning Brew

“It’s essential for brands to be “utilizing the store as an opportunity” to represent “the things that the brand stands behind.”
Morning Brew

“Because the consumer has been and will continue to evolve so rapidly, stores have to create a store environment that can morph with them.”
“Pay it forward. When there is an opportunity for knowledge-sharing, do it and make it part of your best practices. The more well-versed the team around you is, the more successful you all are as a whole. Nurture the natural skills you see and positively support the areas you see for development.”
Best 50 Retail Podcasts

“Hosted by retail strategist Melissa Gonzalez, Retail Refined is designed for retail leaders and retail lovers alike. The Retail Refined podcast explores the in-store technology of the future, challenges the industry's preconceived notions, and sits down with retail's biggest names to understand the brand strategies that will define the next decade in retail. ”
Lion’esque Merges With Global Architecture Firm MG2 Amid Experiential Retail Boom

“As the rise of e-commerce and shifting consumer demands continue to transform the retail landscape, an increasing number of brands have begun offering experiences and interactive services that transcend the traditional brick-and-mortar sale format.”
“On Jan. 1, global architecture company MG2 acquired the Lionesque Group, a New York City-based retail consulting firm that's created 150 pop-ups for companies like Amazon, Sara Flint, and The RealReal. MJ Munsell, a principal at MG2, said her company entered the deal with the aim of drawing business from emerging companies, while also answering established retailers' newfound demand for store reinvention.”
Why There Are Pop-Ups for Everything Now

“Gonzalez, of the Lionesque Group, agrees many of her clients are looking to position their pop-ups more as intelligence outposts than traditional stores with inventory.”
“Lionesque has helped brands cut the ribbon on more than 100 temporary stores. It also is one of several companies reinventing the role of temporary stores, which no longer merely plug holes in landlords' portfolios. Instead, the tenant base is shifting toward trendy up-and-coming brands, and are increasingly seen as a way to bring excitement to a street or property. "The landscape's shifting," Gonzalez told CNBC.”
Pop-Up Retailers: Must-Know Details to Make Yours a Success

“The number one best practice advice I always give is to step back and think of your goals before starting to plan a pop-up. Why are you doing a pop-up - besides sales - and what are you ultimately looking to achieve, learn and gain from it? Second, you want to be sure you are setting parameters to measure ROI. And of course, be sure your pop-up shop design tells your story. On that note, remember that as a merchant, your store is your story.”
“It’s all about the experiential element and tying it into the physical space,” says Melissa Gonzalez, founder of the Lionesque Group, a brand and pop-up specialty firm. “It allows retailers to really hone in on a message or a specific product.”