Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail

Scott Douglas Jacobsen
In-Sight Publishing, Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Correspondence: Scott Douglas Jacobsen (Email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com)

Received: January 15, 2025
Accepted: N/A
Published: February 15, 2025

Abstract

This interview with Filip Perkon, the Chief Drake of Duck World, explores his remarkable pivot from a career in finance and event consultancy to launching a niche experiential retail phenomenon. A graduate of the London School of Economics with early stints at BNP Paribas and Synergy Innovation VC, Perkon channeled his entrepreneurial spirit into creating Perkon Productions before embracing a new venture during the global pandemic. Alongside his partner Irene, he transformed a moment of inspiration into Duck World—a retailer that offers over 800 varieties of collectible rubber ducks, merging art, play, and interactive customer experiences. The conversation delves into his journey, the strategic shift to experiential retail, and the emergence of grassroots movements like Jeep Ducking and cruising ducks, which further embody Duck World’s mission to spread joy in an increasingly digital age.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Community Building, Creativity, Duck Collectibles, Experiential Retail, Innovation, Interactive Experiences, Niche Markets, Pandemic Pivot, Retail

Introduction

In an era marked by rapid digital transformation and the decline of traditional retail, Filip Perkon’s innovative approach has redefined what it means to shop for a collectible. With an academic foundation from the London School of Economics and professional beginnings in high finance and venture capital, Perkon’s career took a dramatic turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. The abrupt halt of large-scale events—a realm where he had long thrived with Perkon Productions—forced him and his partner Irene to seek alternative avenues to channel their passion for creating memorable experiences.

Their journey led to the birth of Duck World, a brand that transforms the simple act of collecting rubber ducks into an immersive, multisensory experience. Drawing on Irene’s lifelong affection for these quirky toys, Duck World quickly evolved from a playful pop-up experiment into a thriving chain of experiential retail stores. Each location is designed not only to display over 800 distinctive duck varieties but also to offer interactive installations, artist collaborations, and community-driven events like Jeep Ducking and cruising ducks.

This interview provides an in-depth look at Perkon’s transition from the structured world of finance to the boundless creativity of experiential retail. It explores how Duck World differentiates itself from conventional toy retailers by offering an engaging, tactile experience that challenges the norm of online shopping. Through candid insights and detailed narratives, Perkon shares the challenges and triumphs of building a brand that is as much about fostering joy and community as it is about selling a product.

 

Main Text (Interview)

Interviewer: Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Interviewee: Filip Perkon

Section 1: Setting the Stage – Introducing Duck World

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we are speaking with Filip Perkon, the Chief Drake of Duck World. He is a dynamic entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-founder of Duck World, a leading retailer of collectible rubber ducks. This niche product has a unique appeal.

I have a few questions regarding the founding of Duck World with his partner, Irene. First, why ducks? Second, why focus on rubber ducks as the company’s product? This isn’t a typical product—it’s very specific in terms of its appeal. I’m curious to know more.

Section 2: From Finance to Events – Early Career Insights

Perkon: I have run Perkon Productions for many years, organizing events, parties, conferences, red-carpet premieres, and other large scale events. I began this career at 17 and have always been passionate about entertaining people and creating experiences.

When COVID-19 struck, my business came to a complete halt. Based in the UK, I experienced multiple lockdowns, which made organizing events impossible for nearly two years. My partner Irene was also deeply involved in the events industry, focusing on nightlife, parties, and evening events. Both of us realized we needed to pivot to something new.

After many years in the events industry, the transition was challenging. Irene began searching for new endeavors while I explored startup ideas. I had left the corporate world long ago to pursue work I was passionate about. After a year of searching, I struggled to pick a project that I was super excited about.

Section 3: Inspiration Strikes – The Rubber Duck Revelation

During a visit to Spain to see my family, we experienced a moment of inspiration. Irene was with me, and while walking through Madrid, we spotted a shop window filled with rubber ducks. Irene rushed into the store and bought many of the ducks they had. Puzzled, I asked why she was buying so many rubber ducks. She explained that she had been a lifelong collector of rubber ducks because they made her smile and were fun. She kept them in her bathroom and around her flat as reminders of places she had visited.

I then asked her why she didn’t buy rubber ducks in London. Irene replied that there wasn’t a a palce to buy them in the city. This sparked an idea. I would like to know if this is an opportunity for us. We joked about opening an experiential store—a “world of ducks”—where people could immerse themselves in rubber duck collecting. The idea started as playful banter, but the more we thought about it, the more serious it became.

We opened our first pop-up store within a month when we returned to London. Initially, it was a lighthearted experiment, but it soon became clear that we had tapped into something special.

I think I was originally open to the idea because when I was a boy in Sweden—I’m from Stockholm—there was an event called the Water Festival that happened every year in central Stockholm. During the festival, they released thousands of rubber ducks for a charity race. I remember that one of my first toys was a plushie in the form of a rubber duck. Subconsciously, I think I was always open to the idea of working with ducks, and in general, with toys.

I understand this now because my mother reminded me, saying, “You’ve always loved ducks. Remember when you were three years old, you adored them?” So, fast forward to when we opened our first store. On the first day, we had a stampede of people walking in and adoting our designer rubber ducks.

We realized this idea resonated with people and fulfilled a need in the general population of London. We opened our first store, then a second, third, fourth, and fifth. In December, we opened our first U.S. store, which has now become the largest rubber duck store in the country. Today, we host more than 800 varieties of rubber ducks. That’s how it all came together.

Section 4: The Pandemic Pivot – Facing New Challenges

Jacobsen: Could you elaborate on Jeep ducking and the cruising duck’s phenomenon? Also, in that context, what distinguishes an experiential retail experience from traditional toy stores?

Perkon: We discovered Jeep Ducking in parallel with creating our stores. As we began researching rubber ducks—who designs them, what they’re made of, where they’re produced, and who cares about them—we learned about a grassroots movement that started in Canada. It’s called Jeep Ducking.

Jeep owners place rubber ducks on other Jeeps as a sign of respect, community, and fun. It’s about spreading smiles and joy. This movement started about five years ago, initiated by a lady in Canada during the pandemic, and it has gone viral over the last few years. Now, in the Jeep community, people exchange rubber ducks. 

You’ll often see Jeeps in Canada and the U.S. with dashboards filled with rubber ducks. The more ducks you have, the cooler you are in the community. People are eager to be “ducked,” as they call it, so they clean their Jeeps, display the ducks on the dashboard and make them look nice, as it attracts the ¨Ducking¨. It’s all about community, paying it forward, and adding a touch of fun to life, especially in the grim aftermath of COVID-19.

Cruising ducks is a similar phenomenon. It has really taken off in the last three years. While its origins are unclear, families started taking rubber ducks aboard cruise ships and hiding them for other kids and families to find.

These ducks usually have little labels attached, listing the cruise ship, the date, and the person who hid them. It’s another “pay it forward” activity where people hide rubber ducks and create a treasure hunt for others to enjoy. 

This trend is largely organized through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The cruising duck fans have a group called Cruising Ducks, where they share updates and results from their treasure hunts.

The idea is simple: if you find ducks on a cruise ship, you’re encouraged to purchase or source more ducks to hide, ensuring a constant rotation of ducks on board. 

These two phenomena—Jeep ducking and cruising ducks—have created unique communities of fun and interaction.

There’s also another interesting occurence involving rubber ducks, known as the rubber duck debugging method. This old-school practice was popular among programmers from the 1980s to the early 2000s. It’s less common with today’s generation, but it remains notable. Programmers would keep a rubber duck on their desks, and when faced with a coding problem, they would explain the issue to the duck. The act of verbalizing the problem often led them to the solution. It’s a psychological technique rooted in simplifying and clarifying the problem. There’s even a Wikipedia page about it. While it’s not as widely practiced today, it’s a fascinating example of how rubber ducks have been part of people’s lives in unexpected ways.

Section 5: Duck World’s Debut – From Pop-Up Experiment to Retail Phenomenon

Experiential retail differs greatly from traditional retail. In a standard retail store—like a souvenir shop or grocery store—you usually encounter reserved customer service. The products are displayed on shelves, and the experience is transactional: pick what you want and check out. Experiential retail, however, blends shopping with entertainment, creating a memorable experience for customers. This approach is particularly effective in differentiating physical stores from online sales, which are often purely transactional.

To incentivize customers to visit stores, we offer more than just proDuckts. For example, each of our stores has a unique design and experience. In Miami, we collaborate with local artists to exhibit works made of rubber ducks in a gallery-style setup. This makes the store part art gallery, part retail space. We also have photo zones where customers can take Instagram-worthy pictures. One feature is a bath filled with balls and rubber ducks, where people can sit, hug oversized ducks, and snap photos.

Section 6: Experiential Retail – Crafting Memorable In-Store Experiences

Additionally, we host interactive activities in our stores. In one, we place a container filled with small ducks and ask visitors to guess how many are inside. We announce the winner on Instagram each month, and they receive a prize. Our London store has a spinning wheel reminiscent of theme parks, where visitors can win prizes. Other stores feature small games, like a “hook-a-duck” game for children, where they can fish out ducks and win rewards.

These interactive elements make shopping fun and create lasting memories, ensuring that our stores stand out from traditional retail experiences.

The idea is to create a small but meaningful experience for five to ten minutes when people walk into the store. We work very hard on customer service to ensure that everyone who enters feels welcomed, much like the experience you’d expect at a place like Disney World or a theme park.

When customers arrive, our staff—or even Irene and me, if we’re working—greet them warmly with humor and puns about ducks. For example, we’’ll say, “Welcome to Duck World! The nest of rubber ducks!” in a very dramatic way, and make the visit fun, silly and memorable . This creates a unique atmosphere and adds a personal touch to the experience.

I always tell our staff that our metrics are not only about the number of ducks sold. Officially, our staff are called “duck dealers,” not sales associates, because their job is to deal ducks and evoke smiles. We aim to get a smile from everyone who walks through our doors.

Whether through a joke, an interactive activity, or simply a welcoming attitude, we aim to make every visitor happy – even if they don’t buy anything. For example, we have stores in major train stations in London, and clients tell us, “You lighten up my commute every day. After work, I stop by, smile, laugh, and it makes my day better.” That’s exactly the essence of experiential retail.

Jacobsen: How do you develop an economic model for the business while competing with larger e-commerce distributors and retailers? That is a tricky challenge. You’re offering something more immersive through experiential sales. In contrast, others focus on convenience, such as Amazon Prime delivering products to customers’ doors.

Perkon: Competing with online retailers is a challenge, but our advantage lies in our product category. Toys, novelties, and collectibles. Our designer ducks—are not commodified.

For example, if you’re buying a phone, you know exactly which one you want. You’ll go online, find it cheaply, and have it delivered. The same applies to items like soft drinks; they’re commodities. Standard.

Rubber ducks, however, aren’t necessities. Nobody goes out specifically looking for a rubber duck—except perhaps collectors, who make up about 5% of our customers and often shop through our website. For 95% of our customers, the purchase is an impulse decision.

Most of our customers are tourists visiting the city, locals searching for a unique gift, or people simply walking by and discovering us. It’s not about finding the cheapest option; it’s about experiencing something fun and unique, having an experience.

I’d compare it to the difference between playing a video game and visiting a theme park. You’ll enjoy playing your game at home if you’re a gamer. But if you’re visiting Orlando, you’re not going to sit in your hotel and play a game—you’ll visit a theme park like Disney World. Similarly, when people visit London, visitors look for unique shopping experiences, and Duck World fits that category.

Section 7: Competing with E-Commerce – The Experience Edge

Jacobsen: How do you see the future of experiential marketing? Could you combine this in-person, welcoming environment with new technologies like VR or AR to create an even more immersive experience?

Perkon: That’s an interesting thought. Blending physical experiences with virtual and augmented reality could open new possibilities for experiential retail. It would allow us to enhance customer interaction in ways we haven’t yet explored, creating a hybrid physical and digital immersion model. It’s something worth considering as we evolve.

We are always innovating to create better experiences with every store we open. To achieve that, we often need more and more space to implement our ideas.

I’m not a big fan of VR. This is just my opinion—my co-founder might feel differently—but I don’t embrace the concept of sitting at home trying to experience something virtually. We’re always on our phones and computers, playing online games, anyway. As a brand, Duck World is about real experiences and physical goods.

Section 8: Future Horizons – Integrating New Technologies and Innovations

We don’t sell digital products because we believe in tangible and tactile interactions. While the world is moving toward more online and virtual experiences, we aim to bring people back into real life. Our products—little sculptures and real collectibles—are designed to give people a sense of connection to something physical.

For this reason, I don’t see us ever creating a VR experience where people could visit our stores virtually from far away. It’s like visiting a theme park online. Sure, you could watch a ride on your TV, but it will never be the same as being there. Nothing beats the real thing.

However, augmented reality (AR) could be interesting. It can enhance physical spaces with virtual sculptures or artworks, or create animated characters. Customers could use their phones to explore a physical space uniquely.

So, moving forward, we’re focused on building experiences in a physical format—photo zones, interactive games, customized ducks designed by artists in-store, and more. These elements create a memorable, hands-on experience for our customers.

Section 9: Concluding Thoughts – Reflecting on a Quacktastic Journey

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today. I truly appreciate it.

Perkon: Thank you.

Jacobsen: It’s fascinating to learn about Duck World. I never considered niche markets like this or how they could adapt to an experiential retail model. I was focused on the general trend of retail declining while online shopping increases. But this offers such a unique and innovative angle.

Perkon: The future of retail needs to focus on experiences. Without that, people will prefer to buy online. Retailers must give customers a reason to visit their stores.

Jacobsen: Excellent. I appreciate your time today. 

Perkon: Have a quacktastic rest of the day!

Jacobsen: I like that. Thank you!

Discussion

This interview with Filip Perkon illustrates a remarkable journey of reinvention. Amid the challenges brought by the global pandemic, Perkon pivoted from a stable career in finance and event consultancy to launch Duck World, an experiential retail brand centered on collectible rubber ducks. This move not only demonstrates the power of adaptability but also highlights how a unique idea—sparked by a personal passion and a serendipitous moment in Madrid—can redefine an industry.

Duck World differentiates itself by creating immersive, in-store experiences that extend far beyond a conventional shopping trip. The brand has ingeniously blended art, play, and community, with interactive installations, themed photo zones, and grassroots movements like Jeep Ducking and cruising ducks. These elements have not only attracted collectors and tourists but have also established a vibrant community that finds joy in a tactile, real-world engagement—a stark contrast to the impersonal nature of online retail.

Looking ahead, Perkon’s vision suggests that the future of retail lies in the intersection of physical and digital experiences, even as he remains committed to tangible customer interactions. While emerging technologies such as augmented reality hold potential to further enhance the retail experience, Duck World’s success is grounded in its ability to evoke genuine human connection and delight. This approach serves as a compelling case study for how niche markets can thrive by turning challenges into opportunities for innovation and community building.

Methods

The interview was scheduled and recorded—with explicit consent—for transcription, review, and curation. This process complied with applicable data protection laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), i.e., recordings were stored securely, retained only as needed, and deleted upon request, as well in accordance with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Advertising Standards Canada guidelines.

Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current article. All interview content remains the intellectual property of the interviewer and interviewee.

References

(No external academic sources were cited for this interview.)

Journal & Article Details

• Publisher: In-Sight Publishing
• Publisher Founding: March 1, 2014
• Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com
• Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada
• Journal: In-Sight: Interviews
• Journal Founding: August 2, 2012
• Frequency: Four Times Per Year
• Review Status: Non-Peer-Reviewed
• Access: Electronic/Digital & Open Access
• Fees: None (Free)
• Volume Numbering: 13
• Issue Numbering: 2
• Section: A
• Theme Type: Idea
• Theme Premise: “Outliers and Outsiders”
• Theme Part: 33
• Formal Sub-Theme: None
• Individual Publication Date: February 15, 2025
• Issue Publication Date: April 1, 2025
• Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
• Word Count: 2,376 
• Image Credits: Photo by Viktor Bystrov on Unsplash
• ISSN (International Standard Serial Number): 2369-6885

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Filip Perkon for his time and willingness to participate in this interview.

Author Contributions

S.D.J. conceived and conducted the interview, transcribed and edited the conversation, and prepared the manuscript.

Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

License & Copyright

In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012–Present.

Unauthorized use or duplication of material without express permission from Scott Douglas Jacobsen is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links must use full credit to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with direction to the original content.

Supplementary Information

Below are various citation formats for Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail.

1. American Medical Association (AMA 11th Edition)
   Jacobsen S. Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail. February 2025;13(2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon
2. American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition)
   Jacobsen, S. (2025, February 15). Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail. In-Sight Publishing. 13(2).
3. Brazilian National Standards (ABNT)
   JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail. In-Sight: Interviews, Fort Langley, v. 13, n. 2, 2025.
4. Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (17th Edition)
   Jacobsen, Scott. 2025. “Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail.” In-Sight: Interviews 13 (2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon.
5. Chicago/Turabian, Notes & Bibliography (17th Edition)
   Jacobsen, S. “Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail.” In-Sight: Interviews 13, no. 2 (February 2025). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon.
6. Harvard
   Jacobsen, S. (2025) ‘Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail’, In-Sight: Interviews, 13(2). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon.
7. Harvard (Australian)
   Jacobsen, S 2025, ‘Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail’, In-Sight: Interviews, vol. 13, no. 2, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon.
8. Modern Language Association (MLA, 9th Edition)
   Jacobsen, Scott. “Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail.” In-Sight: Interviews, vol. 13, no. 2, 2025, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon.
9. Vancouver/ICMJE
   Jacobsen S. Conversation with Filip Perkon on Niche Experiential Retail [Internet]. 2025 Feb;13(2). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/filip-perkon

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