The Beat Behind Platypus: Rhiannon Carabott’s Formula for Store Energy

When you walk past a Platypus store, you feel it before you even step inside. The music’s pumping, the energy’s high, and the vibe is unmistakably urban. Behind that carefully curated atmosphere is Rhiannon Carabott, Store Experience Manager for Accent Brands after dedicating herself to shaping the Platypus experience. Her mission is simple: make every store feel consistent, exciting, and unforgettable, for both customers and the teams.

How did Rhiannon Carabott transform from store manager to experience leader in retail ?

Rhiannon has been with Accent Group for over a decade, building her career from the shop floor up. She started as a store floor manager at Skechers before becoming an area manager, then state manager, and later moving across both Platypus and Hype brands.

When COVID hit, her role evolved, and she was offered a new position, one that didn’t yet exist. She built the case for it, writing the job description herself and presenting a clear vision of how it could transform the business. That proactive approach paid off, and today, five years later, she is the Store Experience Manager at Platypus, overseeing experience across 208 stores in Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s more than just merchandise,” she explains. “It’s about how customers feel in store.”

Kingston, one of 208 Platypus stores across Australia & NZ

Why does Rhiannon say "You have to win the team first"?

For Rhiannon, success comes down to people. Not just the customers who shop at Platypus, but also the teams who run the stores. She sees the store teams as her true customers, building every directive, training guide, and rollout with them in mind.

“If they don’t buy into it, it won’t land,” she says. “You have to win the team first.”

That philosophy extends to the way she stays connected. Rhiannon frees up her Thursdays and Fridays to visit stores, keeping track of which locations she’s been to and making a point of staying close to the teams on the ground. “I don’t ever want to lose touch,” she says.

How has the Retail customer changed in the last decade?

Retail has changed dramatically since Rhiannon began her career. Today’s customers are faster, more informed, and driven by trends that explode overnight on TikTok. Even older shoppers now walk in asking for specific styles on behalf of their children or grandchildren.

The expectation is instant gratification. If the shoe isn’t available then and there, customers expect solutions. Platypus has responded with initiatives like endless aisle ordering, ensuring customers get what they want quickly, no matter where the stock is.

Consistency across channels has also become critical. The campaigns customers see on Instagram are mirrored in-store. Promotions online match the signage at the point of sale. “That consistency makes customers feel more comfortable,” Rhiannon explains.

The Hobart Platypus store.

How does Storeplay help Platypus create consistent brand energy across 208 stores?

Music is at the heart of the Platypus experience.

As Rhiannon puts it: “You hear Platypus before you see it.”

That soundscape is carefully designed. High-energy beats on weekends, urban tracks that reflect the brand’s DNA, and constant variety to keep the teams engaged. “Customers might only be in store for 15 minutes, but our teams are there for 38 hours a week,” she says. “If the music gets stale, they feel it.”

Storeplay helps Platypus get it right. The platform delivers curated, compliant playlists with built-in variety through randomisers that ensure no two stores sound the same. Rhiannon says team members no longer consider plugging in their own devices, proof of how embedded Storeplay has become in store culture.

For her, the partnership goes beyond the tech. “It’s the people. The Storeplay team care, they listen, and they get excited with us. That makes me more excited, and makes the program better.”

Rolling out the Kicks Club 360 loyalty program campaign

What excites Rhiannon about the future of retail?

The future of retail excites Rhiannon. She sees AI and robotics playing a bigger role in reporting, store design, and even stock retrieval. But it all comes back to experience: creating environments where customers feel immersed, team members feel empowered, and every detail is intentional.

At Accent Group, the mantra is “Make It Happen,” and Rhiannon has built her approach around it. She works closely with the marketing team to bring activations to life, supporting their plans with creative execution and an eye for impact. Whether it’s trialling new merchandising strategies, launching innovative store concepts, or driving activations that make noise, her focus is always on elevating the customer experience year after year.

Celebrating 10 Years at Accent Group

“I love retail,” she says. “I get paid to socialise. It’s about people, experiences, and making sure every store feels like Platypus. The music, the service, the vibe. When customers hear us before they see us, that’s when I know we’ve done it right.”
 Connect with Rhiannon

Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Rhiannon Carabott, and what does she do at Platypus?
Rhiannon is the Store Experience Manager at Accent Group, running the vibe across 208 Platypus stores in Australia and New Zealand. She started on the shop floor over a decade ago and worked her way up to become the person behind Platypus's signature high-energy atmosphere.

2. What is Rhiannon's formula for creating great store experiences?
Simple: customers should hear your brand before they see it. She focuses on three things—win over your store teams first, use music to pump up the energy, and make every moment feel authentic to Platypus's urban style.

3. Why is music so critical to the Platypus brand?
Music is what makes Platypus unmistakable. Those high-energy beats and urban tracks hit you before you even walk in, keeping customers engaged and teams energized through 38-hour work weeks. It's not background noise—it's the brand's heartbeat.

4. What is Storeplay and how does it help Platypus?
Storeplay delivers curated playlists to all 208 stores with built-in randomizers so no two locations sound the same. It keeps the brand consistent while preventing the teams from hearing the same songs on repeat all day, every day.

5. How have customer expectations changed according to Rhiannon?
Customers are faster and smarter now. TikTok trends blow up overnight, and shoppers expect instant solutions—no stock? They want endless aisle ordering, not excuses. Even grandparents come in asking for styles they saw online for their grandkids.

6. What does "win the team first" mean?
Treat your store employees like your real customers. If they don't believe in the experience you're creating, customers won't feel it either. Rhiannon visits stores every Thursday and Friday to stay connected—she refuses to lose touch with the people on the ground.

7. How does Platypus stay consistent online and in-store?
What you see on Instagram shows up in the actual store. Online promotions match the signage at checkout. This consistency makes customers comfortable they know exactly what they're getting when they walk through the door.

8. What role will technology play in Platypus's future?
AI and robots will handle the boring stuff—sales reports, store layouts, grabbing stock from the back. But the focus stays on creating spaces where people actually want to be. Technology helps, it doesn't replace the human touch.