zWORKS startup redefines online shopping experience
The cacophony of a typical shopping experience can be overwhelming. From hundreds of different TVs at Best Buy to 12,000 Amazon results to the endless pages of Google.
One zWORKS entrepreneur is changing the online shopping landscape.
Matt Phillips has worked in the retail industry over a decade. He went from Best Buy to Groupon to H. H. Gregg. For him, online shopping needed a more personalized touch.
“I felt that there is opportunity, not only from my retail experience but as a consumer, to really focus in on how you create an online environment that also has a personal touch,” Phillips said.
He has spent a long time watching the digital transition in retail and in 2017 he and his business partner, Tiffanie Rosencranz, decided to take matters into their own hands.
“I’ve always wanted to start my own business,” Phillips said. “Given the experience I’ve had and the change in retail, I was really passionate about the industry and where I saw some opportunity.”
They launched their online home experience company, Parker Gwen – named after Phillips’ two kids – in November of 2017. The company focuses on providing the complete home experience including technology.
“Our goal is to build that relationship with the consumer and make it more than just a transaction, guiding them through their journey for how they want to build their home experience,” he said.
A common phrase Phillips uses is to ‘remove the noise.’ Getting rid of the thousands and millions of extra results and narrowing down products for the customer. Parker Gwen targets affluent, upper-age millennial consumers and 80% of his traffic is through the mobile experience.
Through their website, they provide customer support advocates as one of the first points of contact. The customer can also dictate their preferred method of communication, whether that be texting, emailing or calling.
Phillips lives with his wife and two kids in Zionsville.
“The most rewarding part is knowing that I’m not going to live with regret,” Phillips said of starting Parker Gwen. “I think a lot of young professionals sometimes think it would be an interesting thing to do but they never do it because life happens. My goal was to not get to retirement and be thinking, ‘man, I never tried that.’”
For more info, head to www.parkergwen.com or email matt@parkergwen.com.
Getting to know Matt …
Behind the Scenes: Matt is a history buff concerning turn-of-the-century history from the 19th to 20th century. His favorite book from that era is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
Factoid: Matt has been to Las Vegas more than any other city, but has never traveled for pleasure.