At the Retail Design Lab, retailers can turn to us for scientific services. Indeed, we support large retailers/brands and showrooms from all retail sectors with scientific insights to optimize their in-store/showroom experiences. This is always done starting from the customer’s perspective and with an eye on the brand/retailer’s values. You may also contact us for specific questions, problems or research projects.
One of the key scientific insights we like to share in all of our consultancy and training to retailers as well as retail designers is the importance of a strong brand. We like to compare the construction of a brand/store to a cog type mechanism at the core of a working machine. The machine’s operation relies on a well-established flow within the store, because when customers are searching, they are not shopping. Only when the DNA and flow are aligned and clear, is there room to add experience. Thus, we always work from the inside out of our proposed cog mechanism.
The DNA, the core of the mechanism we are talking about, is then translated into a store design in which all functional as well as experiential aspects are thoroughly defined using scientific insights. Once all the cogs are aligned, the machine can start running also in turn increasing the chances of the store's success.
Who are you as a retailer? What do you want to project? What are your brand values?
Before starting on any advice trajectory with a retailer, we ask them to share their unique DNA with us. An understanding of the target audience(s) is also required. If this is not readily available, we ask that the retailer complete our design brief document. Indeed, our advice (both for a strategic floor plan and mood board or a REXS experience audit) is always linked back to the retailer's DNA.
With the support of the completed design brief document, we can elaborate an ideal routing for your various target customer motivations or personas. This is directly implemented on your store layout and also integrates a proposal for the location of your multiple product groups. We then reflect on a relevant look & feel for the store design and may provide a few visuals to illustrate this. We can do this both for a specific store or for an overall concept. (Advice package 1)
Find out what such a strategic floor plan looks like and who we have already had the pleasure of advising through this package offer.
Eyetracking is a research method which provides great insight into how customers perceive a store. As part of our consultancy, we offer this service to help retailers look for “pain points” in their stores. In our approach, we focus mainly on identifying the reasons and motivations behind specific customer behaviors in the store (and not on quantitative data). (Advice package 2)
Do you require scientific support during the design process? We can also offer our expertise to your design team in order to elaborate together a more experience focused store concept. (Advice package 3)
Are you wondering how well your store scores in terms of shopping experience? We can test your current store concept through the scientifically supported experience audit tool we developed (the Retail Experience Scan - REXS). Based on its results, we can then elaborate concrete recommendations and formulate quick wins which we support with visuals to illustrate. We can do this both for a specific store or for an overall concept. This advice option is very accessible and immediately applicable. (Advice package 4)
JBC • Veritas • Bel & Bo • Opel • Duponzoo • Metaalwaren Santens • ICI PARIS XL • La Bottega • AVA • Juttu • Lecot • e5 • Colruyt Group