The Road to Innovation Expo 2025: Revival Vintage Boutique
Team of Stevens School of Business students helps take local shop from Hoboken to the world through e-commerce
The usual academic journey consists of case studies, theory and research. However, the Stevens experience is far from typical.
Stevens School of Business students have the opportunity to put that classroom preparation into action through the consultant track of the Senior Design course. A team of marketing, business and, technology, and quantitative finance majors used their collective knowledge and creativity to impact a member of the Hoboken small business community. The group focused on helping Revival Vintage Boutique, a brick-and-mortar store in Hoboken, build an e-commerce site to expand its customer base and increase engagement.
“The team exceeded my expectations,” said Diana, the shop’s owner. “My goal at the project's onset changed and evolved after working with the team. The collaboration opened my eyes to new possibilities and helped me re-evaluate my priorities.”
In addition to creating an avenue to increase sales, the team developed a customer rewards program and assisted with the store’s social media content. Bringing Revival’s unique inventory of clothing, memorabilia and jewelry to a broader audience was the goal of every effort.
“I was a little scared at first because this is someone's livelihood,” said Madeline Tartaglia, a senior marketing innovation and analytics major minoring in psychology. “Not only is this how she makes money, but it’s also a project she loves. You can tell by how she talks about it that this is her passion in life. It could have been a lot of pressure, but she's so kind and willing to give back to us. Everyone at the store has been very encouraging about our work and ideas, from shipping policy to how we wanted to frame the website. They've been encouraging, which helped ease the pressure.”
The project allowed the group to hone their technical skills through website development and coding and their business acumen through interacting with a real-world client.
“I like the social aspect of a consulting project,” said Anika Shah, a quantitative finance major on track to graduate next December. “It’s something I look forward to. It makes us have to use a lot of different communication skills. We have to talk with the owner and people at the boutique, and learning how to work with different groups of people is a skill that extends to anything you do in life or any job you have. At the end of the day, you need to be able to speak to clients, take work instructions and carry out tasks in whatever you do. These are all good skills that I’m grateful I have the chance to build right now.”
The impression the team left on Revival Vintage Boutique went beyond improving the business’ bottom line.
“Their legacy will continue long after they graduate,” Diana said. “They've taught me how to work with the site so that I'm empowered to update, manage and make changes to the website. But most importantly, that team will always be a part of our team. I hope that they continue to keep in touch after graduation and that our paths will join again in the future because of the friendships that we have built.
The Team
Ravinder Chopra | Robbinsville Township, New Jersey | Business & Technology
Daria Hadiyan | Basking Ridge, New Jersey | Marketing Innovation & Analytics
Anika Shah | Monroe Township, New Jersey | Quantitative Finance
Diana Strama | Wallington, New Jersey | Business & Technology
Madeline Tartaglia | Pennington, New Jersey | Marketing Innovation & Analytics
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ann Murphy, Professor of Strategic Management
Q&A with the Revival Vintage Boutique Team
How did your academic work prepare you to work with a real-world business?
Daria Hadiyan: “I think my classwork at Stevens prepared me more than I thought. I've had a lot of different classes, ranging from basic marketing to consulting and how to serve and react to a client. Looking at cases is different from having something one-on-one happening to you in real life. I definitely think that the education and the classes that Stevens has provided me have really helped me have the confidence to not only talk to a client but be able to deliver their demands with ease and expertise.”
Diana Strama: “I learned from Stevens that you will run into roadblocks in any group or technical project. You have instructions on how to do one thing, but then, to complete that one thing, you have to do five other things. We've had to endure that, especially with the website, because it is so technical. We had to go through it and find out the key problem in the code. I think that's definitely something that I learned and was able to apply to the project.”
What was it like working with part of the small business community in Hoboken?
Ravinder Chopra: “I feel like communication was a lot easier. Diana is very understanding. I think it's easier for us to communicate in a smaller group than in a larger company where communication can get lost. It’s not just business that we talk about. We’re pretty much involved in each other's lives. It's very friendly, and it's a nice environment. It feels good that we started something for her that is having an impact. We created something but want to leave something that the Hoboken community can take forward. We gave her all the blueprints, and it's up to her to continue with that.”
Dariya Hadiyan: “Working with a local brand is really exciting. It's a lot better that we can go into the store and work one-on-one. We're very close to our client. We love her, and we support her. Partnering with a local business is an amazing journey. It’s a great opportunity to see the back side of what it's like to have a company in Hoboken and actually how challenging it can be.”
What were some of the biggest challenges you had to overcome?
Anikah Shah: “I think the biggest challenges were getting familiar with all the systems and some small technical things, for example, connecting one of the homepage gift cards to the gift card section. It's our first time using Klaviyo or Shopify. I’ve never used these platforms to sell anything or build a store, so figuring out how they work and doing it is a learning process.”
Madeline Tartaglia: “This might sound cliché, but I feel everything's been going smoothly. From my standpoint, the hardest thing we had to look at was just getting started. The store owner needed to set up so much on her end while she also works a 9-to-5 job, so she's taking time out of her day to log us into everything and make sure that we have access to what we need to work separately outside of meetings. Once you start, it's hard to stop when it's so fun. Also, Ravin and Daria have been helping with coding the website's back end. I’m not a coder, so from my standpoint, that is extremely difficult, and they've done an incredible job. They're very time-efficient and very smart.
What are some of the lessons you will carry with you in your professional journey?
Ravinder Chopra: “I help run a small business with my family, so “mom and pop” shops are very close to my heart. I think they bring a lot more comfort and a hometown setting, which we can't forget. Those are local businesses that support our community and our local economy. I feel this experience really showed me the importance of small businesses. I'm helping someone who's just like me.”
Diana Strama: “One thing I will take out of this project is learning to work with different people. For example, Daria is outgoing and spunky, and then there’s Anika, who is talkative but more reserved. It’s also been great working with someone who is my boss but eventually became a friend. It's nice to build those relationships, and I didn't think that was possible before. Of course, she’s our client, and we keep it professional, but we can discuss how our week is going and talk about any problems.”
Q&A with the Owner of Revival Vintage Boutique
How has the team’s work helped your business?
The team’s collaboration has helped Revival Vintage Boutique in tangible and intangible ways.
Developing the website has helped me refocus on my brand identity, my customer base, what inventory to prioritize, my inventory acquisition, marketing strategy, customer growth and customer retention. After being in business for many years, it was an opportunity to consider and explore with fresh eyes and an open mind.
The website will help me expand my market. The customer retention program (reward program) will help with customer re-engagement. The emails, text messages, etc., will help promote the shop. The Stevens team helped us build, in a very tangible way, a solid foundation that we can grow from for many years to come
The intangible ways the Stevens team helped were just as important. The energy, positivity, excitement, and life the Stevens team brought to every meeting and interaction exceeded my expectations. They always made the work fun and engaging! They are knowledgeable, inquisitive and serious about the project and put tremendous effort into problem-solving. They worked so well together and were so respectful of each other. Each person brought a special talent to the project. It was inspiring to see them work and a privilege to be a part of their team. They energized everyone on the project.
What is an example of an idea or initiative they’ve had that stands out?
A specific initiative that was a bit complicated was the customer engagement aspect of the website, having forms embedded in certain pages of the website and making it easier for customers to communicate with the shop. Navigating and dealing with the software was tough. However, they troubleshooted and resolved the issues. It wasn't easy, but they never gave up, and they did it! It ended up being better than I expected. For example, customers can submit inquiries online about selling their vintage products to my shop. This will enable the shop to purchase inventory that is difficult to obtain and elevate our product offerings.
Additionally, they set up the rewards program. They did a great deal of research regarding the software app and connecting it to the website. Also, they found the ideal balance for offering competitive rewards while still being profitable.
As a local business owner, what does it mean to have this option to get help through the School of Business that might not otherwise be available?
Having a team from the School of Business afforded me a dedicated team of people who were truly invested in my business and available to work with my business in person and the shop, as well as via Zoom on a weekly basis. They divided specific tasks amongst themselves and held each other accountable. The team captain, Madeline, displayed natural leadership skills throughout the challenging steps. She also championed team members and recognized their accomplishments.
Was there any trepidation in trusting college students with essential tasks that directly affected your business? How did you overcome that?
I was concerned about having someone in a position where they could impact my business, my point-of-sale system in particular. In the past, small errors have caused large problems with the inventory system. However, Maddie, Ravin, Daria, Diana and Anika earned and deserved my trust. It was very apparent that they took the job seriously and had a lot of talent to offer. They brought excellent communication skills, follow-up questions and solutions to the table. Their team was well organized. All of these things helped us form a strong foundation for the project. It was evident that they were truly invested in the project and that they cared about Revival as their client.
Would you recommend other businesses take advantage of the senior design program?
Absolutely! This was my first year, but after working with this team, I think the Stevens program is a vital resource in the Hoboken small business community.