2020
Trends Interior & Business
2020
TREND GLASS Sp. z o.o. ul. Marii Fołtyn 11, 26-600 Radom, PL | +48 48 368 90 60 | www.trendglass.pl
editorial
Welcome! Polish Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, Olga Tokarczuk wrote that “God created humans by giving them eyes on the front, not on the back of their heads, which means they should look ahead, not look back.” What awaits us in 2020? Wanting to know what is going to happen in interior design industry, it is worth to become familiar with the trends presented at the biggest interior fairs in the world. Along with the changing needs of the customers, the fairs also change, focusing more and more on the lifestyle of the customers, which you will learn from the interview with Derek Miller – the President of the International Housewares Association. Willing to predict the future, it is worth
to take a closer look at innovative and ecological products presented at the fairs, as well as to become familiar with the best practices in retail trade, presented by, among others, the laureates of the Global Innovation Awards contest. To deepen the knowledge regarding the newest trends in visual merchandising, retail technology or expo & event marketing & design it is worth to visit the Euroshop fairs in Düsseldorf, particularly since they are only organized once every three years. Cross border e-commerce is currently the fastest growing sector of foreign trade. That is why, I recommend to become familiar with the article on that topic. An Arab proverb says, that “knowledge is more precious than gold”.
That is why you should use any occasion to acquire it, including thanks to the participation not only in fairs, but also lectures and trainings organized. Do you want to know more about retail & consumer trends, exhibition marketing or the Polish market? I would like to invite you to visit the webpage: www.jerzyosika.com. I wish you a wonderful and successful year 2020.
14 - 18 October 2020
Organizers:
Zagreb Fair Avenija Dubrovnik 15 HR-10020 Zagreb, Croatia +385 1 6503 259, -666 zv.ambienta@zv.hr
Jerzy Osika Chief Editor
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Meet us during AMBIENTE 2020 www.porcelana.pl
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Meet us during AMBIENTE 2020 www.porcelana.pl
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Editorial Editorial Trends Christmasworld trends Ambiente trends
2020
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pp. 18-20
contents
pp. 36-38
pp. 8-11
Trends Interior & Business
2020
Focus International World Unique Power Package for Retail 5 things to consider before selling to customers abroad Can your webshop succeed abroad? New products
pp. 28-29
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International fairs The Inspired Home Show 2020 Experience the best Chicago has to offer! International Events 2020
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Retail in the world Decidedly Danish Special Spaces
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publishing house
PROMEDIA Jerzy Osika ul. Marszałkowska 58 lok. 15 00-545 Warszawa tel. +48 22 243 45 33 fax +48 22 851 50 30 www.promedia.biz.pl international@promedia.biz.pl
president of the publishing house Jerzy Osika e-mail: j.osika@promedia.biz.pl
advertising
pp. 12-16
Agnieszka Pilars tel. +48 604 287 377 a.pilars@promedia.biz.pl
Graphic design
MN-graf Małgorzata Niećko
Drukpol ul. Stępińska 22/30 00-739 Warszawa find us on www.promedia.biz.pl
trends
Christmasworld trends
winter celebrates 'tender festivities'
When it comes to festive decorations, specialist retailers have four big trend worlds at their disposal for the 2019/20 season: tender festivities, essential ceremonies, sweet traditions and luminous celebrations. But how can the Christmasworld trends be applied to festivals and seasons in concrete terms? Designer Claudia Herke from StilbĂźro bora. herke.palmisano design studio gives tips on the trends and shop design.
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Tender festivities: the festive decorations come across as clean and minimalist and they play with unusual shapes and surface designs. The colours range from pale pastel colours to neutral, purist shades and a cool gold. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
IHA’s GLOBAL HOME + HOUSEWARES MARKET | 14 - 17 MARCH, 2020 | CHICAGO, USA
Explore and Discover
gain competitive advantages through differentiating your product offering.
Entire product lines of hundreds of North American home + housewares manufacturers, product suppliers and designers – innovative on-trend brands and products not available at European or Asian shows. Global Exhibitors from over 50 countries, including key European housewares suppliers as well as value-providing pavilions from China and Taiwan, offering opportunities for private label. Discover Design featuring award-winning contemporary design products and fresh ideas from over 100 of the world’s finest design and trend leaders. Inventors Corner and Revue highlighting the newest new housewares product innovations and their inventors. Smart Home (IoT) brands and products from new and experienced housewares companies. Visit the Smart Home pavilion at the Show to learn about products now available and emerging technology & trends.
Learn at the Show and with Chicago retailers
find unique ideas and gain strategic insight that help you develop your business and drive sales.
Over two-dozen educational sessions on trends and design, retail success factors, consumer preferences and more. Pantone®View color forecast – the major color trends for 2020/2021 at Pantone Color seminars and display. Presentations and panel discussions by Smart Home experts – providing insight into trends, developments and challenges related to connected products. Innovative Retail Concepts – the best retail benchmarking and comparative shopping the world has to offer, visiting the leading housewares retailers in central Chicago, or a complimentary U.S. retail overview and tour to suburban Chicago the day after the Show.
TheInspiredHomeShow.com
trends
Tender festivities: unusual shapes and surface designs, mirror effects and delicately tinted glass emphasise the modern, minimalist look. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
Tender festivities enchants us with special details and unusual surfaces. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
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Tender festivities has a calming effect and captures our attention with minimalist decorations and luminous paper stars. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
trends
In the winter, the Christmasworld trend 'tender festivities' ensures a restrained festive decoration scheme in pastel colours. A cool, gleaming gold and frosted effects provide special accents and catch the eye – whether for Christmas decorations at home or in retail window displays. "Tender festivities is a calm and peaceful trend with a minimalist design. Central to it are unusual shapes and surfaces, combined with matt finishes and stone effects, as well as crinkled and folded textures and exquisite papers", says designer Claudia Herke. At the same time, these imbue this delicate style with a sparkling effect, which surprises customers and invites them to discover more. It is worth playing with these elements in shop design and window displays. Crinkled tissue paper, for example, can be used as a photo motif for background and wallpaper designs. On the delicate colour theme, an additional printed motif could be a transition from rose pink and violet to pale yellow. In addition, mirror effects, glossy touches, chrome, and gold produce an optimal effect from a distance. "The use of cool gold, in particular, has an exquisite, sophisticated effect. You can add luminous highlights to this in your window decorations. Strings of fairy lights, illuminated garlands and luminous paper star decorations hung up in a row can be used very successfully for this", as trend expert Herke explains. A lot of delicately tinted glass and frosted touches on the flowers and grasses chosen also emphasise the very modern, minimalist look. Stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano, on behalf of Messe Frankfurt, was once again responsible for the prestigious trend show at Christmasworld 2019. To put this together, they filter out current trends from society, fashion, architecture and design and apply them to upcoming colours, shapes and materials in festive decorations. With the new products from the Christmasworld exhibitors, the trend show offered retailers an abundant 'decorative portfolio', from which they will be able to draw for the whole year.
Tender festivities plays with frosted looks on flowers and plants. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
Text and photos: Messe Frankfurt www. christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com
PAWLO-CRYSTAL GLASS DECORATION FACTORY 88-101 Inowrocław Tupadły 122a, Poland, pawlocrystal@gmail.com
trends
Ambiente Trends 2020 Ambiente Trends cover a broad spectrum, offering an overview of the entire industry and its new products. These will be researched and curated for Messe Frankfurt by the design studio Stilbüro bora. herke.palmisano. The studio will be sifting through the most ground-breaking influences in the areas of design, art, architecture, fashion and lifestyle. Products for the three trendworlds will be selected from the collections of nearly 4,500 Ambiente exhibitors, providing a tangible experience of future trends. “Trends are the outcome of aspirations and needs that arise from changes in our environment. These aspirations express themselves in new or rediscovered shapes, patterns and functions. “Ambiente Trends are identified for us each year by the design studio Stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano. They help our visitors at Ambiente to prepare thoroughly for the coming business year,” says Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Ambiente. For 2020 the design studio has selected three thematic trends to present at Ambiente: shaped+softened, precise+architectural and artistical+diverse.
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shaped + softened
Functional furniture achieves a sculptural quality by adding soft shapes and emphatic contours. This powerful effect is enhanced by a neutral palette of reduced colours with white and shades of grey, sometimes warm and sometimes cool. The surfaces are smooth, soft or textured. Glass, either satin or transparent, impeccable porcelain and rough ceramics inspire enthusiasm, both visually and with their tactile qualities. Textiles are natural and suitable for daily use, often bearing images that are full of movement and irregularities. Particularly effective materials are translucent fibres and pleats, light wood, and wallpapers featuring a tone-in-tone painting technique.
Zakłady Porcelany Stołowej „Karolina” Spółka z o.o. ul. Wolności 4, 58-140 Jaworzyna Śląska, Poland, +48 74 85 88 212 karolina@karolina.info.pl
www.karolina.info.pl
trends
precise + architectural A touch of industrialism is added to high-quality materials in this architecturally inspired range of colours, with tones of brick and cement as well as rusty burnished nuances and float glass green. They create a captivating ambience, enhanced by dusky dimness and the blue of the evening sky, set within otherwise starkly designed spaces that focus on essentials. These innovative combinations conjure up cosy clubs and a strong emphasis on material aesthetics. Terrazzo, polished or blackened wood, glass, steel, bronze and surfaces with a matte finish or a subdued gloss effect harmonise with leather, heavy textiles such as cord, tweed, bouclĂŠ and velour as well as with geometric designs and mottled patterns.
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trends
artistical + diverse This style turns a living space into a personal collage. With its artistic character, unusual colours and diverse combinations, it has a stimulating effect. The pallet displays a refreshing mixture of bright orange, fruity raspberry, milky colours, strong honey and lively sky-blue. In this multidisciplinary and multi-local interaction between art, craft and digital technology, “controlled chance� plays a central role. Each object has its own unique character, thanks to the creative use of a variety of new materials, unusual manufacturing processes, unconventional themes and special shapes.
Text and photos: Messe Frankfurt www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com
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Do you want to gain customers in Poland? Take advantage of: • promotion on www.ambiente.info.pl • e-mailing to Polish buyers • lectures on the Polish market more information www.ambiente.info.pl
focus international world
EuroShop 2020: Unique Power Package for Retail EuroShop, the World’s no.1 Retail Trade Fair, is a must-see fixture for the retail world. From 16 to 20 February it will bring together to the tune of 2,300 exhibitors from over 60 countries with 114,000 trade visitors expected from throughout the world in Düsseldorf. And it is not only an indispensable information platform, trend hotspot and network for retail professionals but it also intensely impacts many other areas and sectors, delivers innovative blue-prints and addresses urgent themes of relevance to the future such as digitalisation, robotics, sustainability or climate neutrality.
The Eight Experience Dimensions at EuroShop 2020 EuroShop’s eight Experience Dimensions cover retailers’ complete investment needs, on the one hand, and provide inspirations galore and concrete answers to decisive questions that all retailers wanting to remain competitive have to ask themselves. What functions do shops or stores have to perform today? Serve as experience places and points of identification? Feel-good locations? A Third Place? Pop-up marketplaces? What do they have to look or feel like? Creative and hands-on answers come care of the Shop Fitting & Store Design Dimension.
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The Retail Technology Dimension presents all things surprising, enthusing, stimulating and taking you to the next level. Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Internet-of-Things, Smart Store, Customer Engagement, Mobile Payment and Cloud-based Services are the dominating themes in this Dimension. Retail Marketing is the point of interest for “digital creatives”. Customer engagement & experience, brand experiences in physical and digital stores, personalisation via mobile devices, artificial intelligence, digital signage. The Retail Marketing Dimension at EuroShop 2020 awaits trade visitors with the complete spectrum of ever more in-depth and digital shopper interaction. The lighting community gets together at EuroShop, too. Light plays a pivotal role when experience and staging, fascination and atmosphere come into play. Its versatile technical applications ranging from smart lighting to the IoT in conjunction with such ecological aspects as sustainability and efficiency will be on show at the Lighting Dimension. Storytelling – this is what Visual Merchandising is all about – both as an analogue experience space and as a digital platform. Eurohop’s Dimension of the same name shows how to perfectly stage them, fascinate and wow shoppers with either walk-in stores or augmented reality, as pop-up or digital stores. More and more supermarkets and also fashion stores draw their shoppers in with food services. This is why catering in retail is a “hot ticket” and will be given its own Food Service Equipment Dimension for the first time at EuroShop 2020. Here the menu will feature everything from fast food to Michelin star cuisine. In the Refrigeration & Energy Management Dimension what belongs together will finally grow together: ecology and economy.
Digital transformation and building automation, IoT and AI, efficiency and staging – all of this is instrumental to climate-neutral smart stores and will therefore be featured at EuroShop. Trade fairs and events on the road to digitalisation and festivalisation – this will be centrestage at EuroShop’s Expo & Event Dimension, which is the world’s biggest sector-specific get-together for the live communication community. Cross-media connections, complex experience scenarios, exhilarating performance or dynamic communication will be the dominating themes.
The Side Events at EuroShop 2020:
The USPs of EuroShop include not only the extensive ranges of its exhibitors from throughout the world but also the quality and cross-section of its unrivalled line-up of side events.
8 Stages – 600 Speakers – 500 Lectures
The centrepiece of EuroShop are a total of eight Stages. They are lecture and discussion forums with high-calibre speakers addressing the latest developments, innovative trends and best practices amidst the hustle and bustle of the trade fair and accessible for EuroShop visitors free of charge and without prior registration (simultaneously interpreted in German-English or in English only). Boasting a total of 600 speakers and well over 500 expert talks delivered over five trade fair days this accompanying programme offers each trade fair visitor invaluable and right-on-target value added. All Stages at a glance: Retail Technology Stage, Omnichannel Stage, Start-up Stage, Store Design Stage, Retail Designers Stage, Energy Management Stage, Retail Marketing Stage and Expo + Event Stage.
YOUR THE BEST EARNINGS COME FROM YOUR JOY OF LEARNING
Do you want to know more about consumer&retail trends, exhibition marketing or Polish market? Visit www.JerzyOsika.com
focus international world
The Specials at EuroShop – Buzzing with Ideas The Specials at EuroShop include various areas with scope and freedom for experts, start-ups and Generations X, Y & Z, for ideas, visions and innovative products. POPAI/Shop Global Village/ Hall 1 The POPAI Village will be presented as a completely re-branded segment. Exhibitors from many countries present all areas of POP marketing here. The Forum hosts presentations revolving around Point of Sale Marketing on all days. Start-up Hub Retail Technology & Marketing/ Hall 3 Start-ups are young, creative, flexible, future-oriented and characterised by innovative problem solutions. EuroShop offers a dedicated presentation area to newcomers that specialise in the development of latest retail IT systems and solutions. IFES Global Village/ Hall 4 The IFES Global Village is a meeting point for the IFES family (International Federation of Expo & Event Services) and a hotspot for networking with new business partners from throughout the world. Furthermore, 17 February will see a student and young talent breakfast take place at the IFES Global Village. Premium City – So Much Better/ Hall 5 The Retail Design course at the Design Faculty of Düsseldorf University will occupy 665 m² at EuroShop. “Premium City” represents a visionary city in 2050 where retail, the public space and mobility merge. Ten individual projects can be seen as part of the presentation. On top of this the exhibition stand has a forum for lectures and special activities.
ECOpark/ Hall 15 ECOpark is a special area for smart solutions revolving around energy themes in retail. Exhibitors here focus on smart, cross-outlet concepts that cater to the development of an ever more connected and complex energy system involving renewable energies. Alongside this, modern climate and air-conditioning technologies will be in the limelight.
And the Winner is… Awards at EuroShop What would an international industry event such as EuroShop be without awards? The awards presented at EuroShop not only reflect the standing of this trade fair but also – and first and foremost – recognise outstanding achievements of the international retails community and related sectors. The renowned EuroShop Retail Design Awards will be presented for outstanding store concepts and designs, the coveted Retail Technology Awards Europe (reta) for prominent IT solutions in retail and the Wissenschaftspreis will be awarded by EHI to excellent scientific works of high relevance to the retail industry. Also presented at the EuroShop 2020 will be the POPAI D-A-CH Awards, the Innovationspreis Architektur und Innovation by trade magazine AIT, the IFES Development & Innovation Award and the Trendscouting Award, where exhibitors will be selected right at EuroShop by magazines AIT and xia provided their products are relevant to architecture. New are the Exhibitor Magazine EuroShop Awards, which will be presented by the US Exhibitor Magazine for the first time in cooperation with EuroShop for outstanding stand construction in all dimensions.
Innovations Hub/ Hall 4 This “ideascape” makes innovative future visions from the fields of man-machine interaction, virtual and augmented reality as well as customer journey a real experience. As visitors enter the space they will become part of a multi-disciplinary network based on a cooperation between Düsseldorf University, Tennagels Medientechnik and Lavalabs Moving Images. This Think Tank promises to deliver creative inspirations and multi-sensory impressions. Visitors are invited to also try out things for themselves in innovative workshops.
Guided Innovation Tours at EuroShop Those who consider the ranges at EuroShop too extensive, those with only little time available or those looking for targeted information on individual topics or product groups, will have the possibility to register for various Guided Tours of the trade fair in the run-up to the event. On offer will be Guided Tours in the areas: Retail Technology, Store Design (focal theme: architecture), Refrigeration & Energy Management, Food Service Equipment, Expo & Event. The Guided Innovation Tours can be booked via the EuroShop Portal www.euroshop.de.
Italian Lighting Lounge/Hall 9 Also held as part of the 20th EuroShop will be the third edition of the Italian Lighting Lounge. Italian companies from the areas of interior and outdoor lighting as well as industrial design will present the latest trends and innovative systems on the international market. EuroShop Designers Village/ Hall 12 From interior design to forward-looking retail design concepts: the EuroShop Designer Village will be given an as prominent and high-quality stage as ever in 2020. The exterior design of the Designer Village comes care of students from the Architecture and Design Faculty of the Peter Behrens School of Arts (PBSA) Düsseldorf.
EuroShop 2020 occupies approximately 125,000 m² net in 16 exhibition halls and is open to trade visitors from Sunday, 16 to Thursday, 20 February 2020, from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm daily. 1-day tickets cost EUR 80.- (EUR 60.sold in advance online/E-Ticket), 2-day tickets cost EUR 120.- (EUR 100.- sold in advance online) and the season ticket EUR 180.- (EUR 150.- sold in advance online). The admission tickets include free return trips to EuroShop using VRR local public transport (Rhein-Ruhr transport authority). The online ticket shop at www.euroshop.de is already open
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Cannabis can save the world! Adam Kociołek, the CEO of the Practic Company, talks about the advantages of cannabis as a raw material for household goods production, as well as the ecology and the idea for the collection consistent with green trends. What inspired you to create the collection of eco-friendly household products? Personally, I have always been concerned about the increasing use of plastic, the impact of human activities on civilization and greedy consumerism. We have been conducting research on materials which would replace plastic using natural resources for a few years. We have accomplished that in 35% in this collection, but we haven’t said the last word yet. Who is this collection addressed to? The recipients are people, for whom the future of the Earth is important, who appreciate modern design and trends. Why was cannabis used as a material? I think that cannabis can save our world. It grows really fast, from 3.5 to 6 meters a year, using CO2 from the atmosphere and the sun. It is the most significant renewable natural resource of the Earth. It is a wonderful, effective plant which may replace mining raw materials in many products. Cannabis was the biggest agricultural crop on our planet in the past. Thousands of products were made from it, like cloths, fuel oil,
paper, medicines, it was the source of protein for people and animals. What factors did you take into account when selecting the products for the collection, their intended use, design and colors? We really cared about them being stylistically consistent. These are to be simple products, which we use on an everyday basis. They are supposed to combine the old times, when the planet was still green, overgrown with wild vegetation with the present times and give faith in a better tomorrow. That is why the colors are optimistic, giving hope, inspired by nature, greenery, spices, sunset and the Earth. Where and when will the collection be available for the consumer? The collection is already available in sales, you can find it in shopping centres, for instance in Mega Punkt, yet due to reasonable prices it is also available in, for example, Merkury Market chain. What matters to us is, that it is available not only in our Internet shop, but also in other e-shops.
focus international world
5 things to consider
before selling to customers abroad If you have had some success with e-commerce in your local market, a natural next step is to consider expanding your business internationally. The potential in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe is huge, but with the millions of new customers comes a set of new challenges. In this blog post, we discuss five of the most important things that you should consider when planning your expansion into new markets. 1.Every country is unique – take time to understand buying habits and customer expectations Just as every country has its traditions and cultural differences, customers have different expectations of the local online shops they purchase from. It is easy to assume that many of the things we are used to as customers are similar for customers in other countries. And this is a dangerous assumption to make, as reality is often very different – customers have widely differing expectations regarding things such as product prices, delivery time, customer service and payment options. In Denmark, for instance, most customers prefer to pay by credit card when shopping online, while bank transfer and invoices are the most widely used form of payment in Sweden and Germany, respectively. Geographical differences can also influence customers’ expectations of the online shops they buy from. Countries like Norway and Sweden are geographically large and as a result of this customers from these countries are used to longer delivery times than we are in Denmark, where delivery shouldn’t take more than a day or two. Familiarise yourself with the country’s e-commerce culture to better understand what customers will expect from you and your online shop.
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2. Find your unique position in the market As a new player in the market, you’ll often find existing local shops to compete with for the market share. Because of this, it is important that you position yourself in the market, making clear to customers how you differ from the existing players and why they should buy from you instead of somewhere else. At this point you can benefit from conducting a market scan to gain insight into the price level of your competitors, product assortment, service level and their terms and conditions in order to find an area where you can gain a competitive advantage. If you are not able to offer customers a competitive advantage over your competitors, you will have a hard time convincing customers to choose you over an existing online shop that they already know and trust. 3. Trustworthiness is the key to success A crucial factor in whether a customer’s visit to your online shop results in a purchase is that your shop comes across as trustworthy. There are several things you should do as an online shop to increase your trustworthiness and give customers a good first impression. First of all, it is important that translation of text content is correct and professionally done – Google Translate is therefore rarely a good solution. Furthermore, you should give customers several ways to get in touch with you if they need help – phone, mail and preferably live chat. In some countries, a trust mark is necessary to appear trustworthy, while in others, customers expect free returns or customer service via chat. An understanding of customer expectations is therefore important in order for you to be able to deliver a professional and trustworthy consumer experience. 4. Success takes time Before you start a cross-border project with the purpose of increasing company growth, it is important to set realistic expectations and a timeline with milestones. Success rarely
Donatas Gudelis, Man. director of MakesYouLocal Baltic and e-commerce specialist. Helping companies succeed in cross border e-commerce. Donatas has worked with more then 230 web shops during the last 9 years and helped them expand in North Europe markets.
happens overnight – it takes time to build up customer awareness and interest in your brand or online shop. Your chances of being successful in a new country increase if you put time and effort into your strategy, get to know the market and localise your online shop to said market. Do these things and you will be well on your way to achieving success. Just be aware that establishing yourself in a new market takes time, so set your goals with that in mind and budget accordingly. 5. Set goals and follow development closely Since it can take time to build a profitable business in a new market, it is crucial that you follow the results closely while continually optimising your strategy accordingly. If you know what your fixed and variable costs are, it is possible to calculate how much you need to sell in order to be profitable. We use an EPO calculation (earnings per order) which involves all the variable costs, including stock- handling, shipping costs, customer service and return handling. Your earnings after these costs are what we call EPO and that amount is what you can spend on fixed costs. To succeed in international e-commerce, there are plenty of things to consider. With lots of years of experience with online sales in markets all over Europe, we have the insight into and understanding of the factors which determine whether your online shop has the potential to succeed internationally. Contact us and let’s discuss how we can help you succeed abroad.
focus international world
Can your webshop succeed abroad? According to E-commerce Europe and many other organisations, the challenges you face in international VAT handling, import tax’s and differences in privacy policies, are the biggest hurdle for companies to succeed abroad. This is relevant challenges, but:
Being able to handle local VAT will not make your webshop better than the local competitors!
Everyday the VAT, import tax and legal differences are handled by many successful international webshops. It is not that difficult and can be solved. But solving these challenges will not be enough, you are facing local competitors born with some very important advantages. cc They will have lower shipment costs cc They are able to handle returns at a lower cost and higher speed cc They are part of their countrys culture and e-commerce habits cc They experience their competitors activities everyday on TV, online and in social media channels Therefore it is important for a webshop to look at the other side of the initial challenges mentioned above. We see 4 areas where a webshop must feel confident about their ability to handle them: Competive advantage As a business you need to understand the competitive situation in a new market. Can you see your webshop succeed in this market, when you compare your offer to the market with the competitors offer? Can you match their prices, assortment, delivery time, return terms, trust and other areas where customers might benchmark you? Seamless buying experience Make it easy for yourself. Prepare a platform that will give the costumers a seamless buying experience. Avoid compromises on payment methods, returns or other areas, it will only save you a few euro’s, but instead give you two problems 1) a reduced conversion rate and 2) make it more difficult to explain the results. Budget for marketing investment To start up a new market will take an marketing
investment. You need money to attract visitors to your site and the first visitors will not convert in to customers as easy as you hoped for. You will also depend on bought traffic since you don’t have a re-marketing list or a lot of people talking about you. You will need help from an online marketing specialist with local experience – and even him or her needs time to test your products and webshop against different channels. Bottom line is that it will cost you extra money before you will see a strong conversion rate and happy and returning customers.
Understanding the market and the competitive environment
To decide on a new market requires a good understanding of the competition and the market, but it is just as important to follow the market and the actions of your competitors after the shop has been launched. This will help you maintain your competitive advantage, make sure your webshop meets the expectations of the customers and make it possible for you, to get the most out of your marketing investment
Proper planning and a “local hero”
Our experience is that it is possible to compete against local webshops in new countries and succeed. To do so it is important to take the right initial decisions. Try to understand the competitive situation (let us do a Market scan or do one yourself), this will give you a strong understanding of the competitive situation and what you will be up against. Use freelancers or our native shop managers as the local hero’s of your webshop. They can make sure you know what you need to know to take the right strategic and tactical decisions in the new market and help you keeping your webshop professional, localised and appealing for the local customers. Donatas Gudelis
Focus International World
from Poland
new products Polska Grupa Porcelanowa - Vase Bent The White and black porcelain in Bent Vases series recalls twisted sheet metal or crumpled paper. When flowers are added, the character of the pieces changes: their sharpness vanishes, and what remains is unique and eye-catching compositions. The vase appears in tall and short versions, they can be arranged individually or as a set.
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Cairo Flatware Cairo has a modern design with a neat shape. Its square edges slope down gradually giving the flatware a narrow belly that helps give it a firm and sturdy grip. This set’s uniqueness is in its knife, that lays on its sharp edge making the knife stand, and the design stand out! Cairo is the one piece of flatware that is stable and solid, and, at the same time, a winner when it comes to innovative dinning.
Focus International World
Polska Grupa Porcelanowa Jenny Pearls Jenny is an iconic design which becharms with its simplicity and classical character. Its traditional lines and style referring to the 60s and 70s will steal the heart of each porcelain lover. The Pearls decoration is a platinum adornment resembling the gleam of sparking pearls. Bathed in the blaze of sunbeams, it will delight shining and glittering on every table. AS Cmielow Porcelain Manufactory - Anna Maria set is handmade from pink porcelain mass in AS Cmielow Porcelain Manufactory. Every piece is hand painted with 24-carat gold. It was designed by Kazimierz Czuba in 2015. The pink porcelain was recreated in 2014, based on original pre-war recipe of Bronislaw Krynski. www.as.cmielow.com.pl
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international fairs
The Inspired Home Show 2020 As The Inspired Home Show launches in 2020, please remind the industry about why the IHA decided to change the name of the Show The International Home + Housewares Show was rebranded to The Inspired Home Show to better reflect the realities in today’s marketplace. In the early 2000s, price was the determining sales factor. We then saw functionality with design become increasingly important. And now, as lifestyle is the next step in the evolution, we will be out in front of this movement. After all, if the best designed product found at the right price does not fit within the lifestyle of the targeted consumer, a sale will not be made.
Derek Miller President International Housewares Association
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What is the key message the IHA is sharing with attendees and exhibitors about the rebranding? Through our consumer engagement program, The Inspired Home, IHA has been actively promoting lifestyle for several years. And in March of 2020, The Inspired Home Show will bring the
Quebec, Chodzież
importance of lifestyle to the forefront at the industry's premier marketplace. Today’s consumer is looking to build a personal brand and a lifestyle that home and housewares products have to fit into. Many times, consumers are taking their cues from influencers – both retail brand influencers and social media influencers. In order to win the consumer, retailers must recognize this attitude and work toward helping consumers develop that lifestyle that they crave. The reimagined Show will help retailers understand how design and function fit into their customers’ lifestyles and find ways to inspire those consumers to purchase products that complement their lifestyles. What will be the most noticeable differences/new features to attendees at the 2020 Show? The Show will continue to feature a diverse assortment of products showcased in five Expos: Dine + Décor featuring tabletop, cookware, bakeware and home décor; Clean + Contain featuring cleaning, organization and clothing care items; Wired + Well featuring home, kitchen, health and personal care electrics; Discover Design featuring design-driven products from all Show categories; and International Sourcing featuring value-priced products from China and Taiwan. To help retailers think about products and lifestyles, we have created some new Show features and experiences and have enhanced others. Several special exhibits will move to new locations and have been reimagined to better align with the consumer lifestyle vision. Our IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for
Product Design and Discover Design displays will move to a more to a more prominent centralized area in the Grand Concourse Lobby of the North Building and will feature all finalists and winners rather than photos. The IHA Student Design Competition is being brought under the gia umbrella and the display also moves to the Grand Concourse Lobby. Our partnership with Pantone continues and the ColorWatch by Pantone exhibit will move to Level 2.5 of the Grand Concourse to highlight the on-trend, color-coordinated vignettes of consumer living that are curated for that space. In the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center, the attendees will find the IHA Smart Home Pavilion as well as the Inventors’ Corner and Inventors Revue. We are also developing trend-driven product areas so that retailers can marry the consumer trend insights from our educational program with the products that fulfill those consumer trends. New displays in the Hall of Global Innovation this year are a Smart Retail Experience exhibit providing a live, interactive display showing retailers what the store of the future could look like and Social Central offering Show attendees and exhibitors opportunities to meet with social media consultants on influencer and digital marketing.
And retailers can expect to find several enhancements to the ways that the Show curates and shines a spotlight on what’s new. We will have dedicated areas throughout the Show that make it easy for attendees to quickly and efficiently locate the newest products in each housewares category. In addition, the keynote session on Sunday morning will reveal our new annual MarketWatch report – highlighting the biggest consumer-driven trends that will impact the home and housewares industry in the next year along with implications for each individual product category. Has the rebranding of the show opened any new doors for the IHA or attracted retailers and/or product suppliers that previously had not attended the Home + Housewares Show? Certainly we are seeing new retailers and new product suppliers sign up for the Show – every year we welcome at least 350 new product suppliers and
thousands of first-time retail attendees. This year will be no different! What steps is the IHA taking to further enhance media coverage of the show? As social media is the new wave of media coverage, influencers are very important to the Show and informing consumers about the new products. Again for 2020, IHA will hold The Inspired Home Influencer Conference, an educational and networking event for home and lifestyle influencers, on Friday, March 13, before the Show opens. We are expecting approximately 300 influencers to join us for this conference and then stay for the Show as well. In past years the show has been sold out. Is there an expectation that the 2020 event will continue this trend? We certainly hope so. Space sales are trending well, and we expect an energetic and engaged Show floor.
2020 | 27
international fairs
Experience the best Chicago has to offer! For most buyers visiting trade fairs overseas is a busy time, however, most people will try to find the time to explore the local scene, especially when you’re in a city such as Chicago. The windy city has plenty to offer when it comes to food, entertainment, culture and retail.
1 Culinary delights
After a long day at the fair it’s time to relax and grab a bit to eat. Fancy a steak? Chicago is home to some of the best steak houses in America. Check out RPM Steak, Chicago Chop House or Maple & Ash. There are plenty of other options including Italian, Mexican, traditionally American and of course Chicago’s world famous deep-dish pizza. For something really special make sure you visit the John Hancock Centre Signature Room for cocktails or dinner (or both!). Located on top of the John Hancock Centre, the 95th floor to be precise, it offers the best views of the city. Pop that bottle of champagne and enjoy! If you are just looking for a sweet snack, the Sprinkles ATM is your answer. Conveniently located on the Sprinkles
patio, the Cupcake ATM is continuously restocked day and night with a variety of freshly baked cupcake flavours. I think we have just entered cupcake heaven!
Let me entertain you
After dinner its’ time to enjoy Chicago’s jazz and blues music scene. Places like Blue Chicago, House of Blues and Buddy Guy’s Legends are great for live music. Located in the heart of Chicago’s renowned ‘Blues Alley’ is the world famous Kingston Mines, which really is a must-visit. Live bands play until late on two stages at this rustic blues club while you can enjoy some delicious pub food and drinks. If the blues are not really your thing, not to worry, Chicago’s theatre district offers some fabulous events. Want to see some local sport games?
28 | 2020
Why not attend a Chicago Bulls basketball game or the Chicago Blackhawks ice hockey team. In 2020, The Inspired Home Show is held from 14 to 17 March which means you get to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Chicago! Lively parades, the Chicago River sparkling in emerald green, Irish taverns packed with happy people…Chicago is the place to be for St. Patrick’s Day. Join the celebrations on Saturday, 14 March!
A sight to behold
When it comes to sightseeing and soaking up some culture, Chicago has plenty going for it. The downtown Museum Campus is home to three great attractions: the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Other internationally renowned institutions include the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The must-see places in Chicago include Willis Tower, Navy Pier and Millennium Park. The best way to see these and many other great sights of Chicago is to participate in a guided city tour. Try Chicago Architecture Foundation’s architecture tours— architecture.org or the popular Hop on! Hop off! tours by Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co.
Shop till you drop
Chicago is at the pulse point of the strong US homewares market. Retailers from around the world visit the Chicago retail scene to accelerate their knowledge of visual merchandising and store branding and to find inspiration from unique stores and retail concepts. There is of course Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue which is a world-famous shopping destination, with hundreds of top retailers and four separate shopping centres. Some must-see retail stores include Bloomingdale’s Home, known for its exclusive, upscale homewares selections and is located in a historical landmark building; CB2, a modern destination from Crate and Barrel at a slightly lower price point and slightly more functional, showcasing a lot of bright colours and displays that are minimalistic, yet inviting.
P.O.S.H. is heralded for its ability to offer customers tableware combinations people can’t find anywhere else, an inspiration for retailers seeking differentiation from their competition. Balancing vintage products sourced from around the world with new merchandise, this imaginative retailer offers customers tabletop settings that ‘tell a story’. If you’re looking for a fun shopping experience, make sure you stop by Jayson Home. The store is a combination of an antique shop, a stylish furniture showroom, a flea market and a home décor boutique–old and new products, flowers, plants and exciting accents arranged in stylish combinations, creating an inspiring shopping environment. Also, don’t miss Sur La Table, Bed Bath & Beyond and Vosges Haut-Chocolat. Alternatively you can join the Chicago Retail Tour on Wednesday 18 March. Learn what is driving the US retail market, and experience firsthand a variety of unique home and housewares retailers in suburban Chicago. The tour will visit retailers such as Best Buy, The Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods. The Chicago Retail Tour is free for non-US attendees of The Inspired Home Show. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Register for the event at TheInspiredHomeShow. com/Experience/Events
Huta Szkła w Jaśle S.A. Śniadeckich 19 38-200 Jasło, Poland jaslo-glass.pl
2020 is a year of great importance for “Ćmielów” as we reached 230 years of fostering the tradition of making real porcelain with historical quality in innovative forms. Our offer is a combination of rich history and unique design and we are proud of our collections which have been present on presidents’ and monarchs’ tables all over the world for generations. Our current products are created as a tribute to the best traditions of noble Polish porcelain. We create unique goods, taking care of the smallest details and putting emphasis on the artistry of hand-making and hand-ornamenting processes. Caring for and continuing the manual production process, we use the technology of the 21st century to produce perfect porcelain. Our current offer in the 230th year of business is a return to the sources by recreating the oldest and the most unique, collector’s designs in a new, exclusive form including several designs divided into pattern series. The exquisite Classic line is made of dinner and tea-sets and the most popular designs: Rococo, Sofia and Jenny – although being cult products for many generations of Poles – are still evolving to become the icon of elegance in Polish dining. The Koneser line is a real rarity for beauty lovers – it is represented by hand-made and uniquely embellished, historical designs: Empire, Kula, and Płaski. The famous tea-sets were made by renowned artists who created during the interwar period such as Józef Wysocki, Wincenty Potacki or Bogdan Wendorf. The Koneser and Classic lines confirm the never-ending value of our products and reflect the timeless artistry and splendor. Those beautiful objects will emphasize the importance of ceremonial and exceptional moments at a family table.
30 | 2020
We invite you to our world of fragile porcelain whose taste you can experience on 6.1 A80 & B81 stall. We hope it will allow you to find beautiful objects suited for individual needs. We also hope that the wide range of our offer will give you a chance to choose from the best examples of Polish pattern-designing which was born ages ago, as well as from products of modern design. Let it be the inspiration for introducing the atmosphere of uniqueness, elegance, and good taste to your clients’ house...
2020 | 31
international fairs
International Events 2020
Date
Place
Name of the fair
Date
Place
Name of the fair
10.01-13.01
Hannover
Domotex
15.04-19.04
Jakarta
Inacraft
13.01-19.01
Cologne
Imm Cologne
17.04-19.04
Tallin
Interior
15.01-16.01
London
The London Textile Fair
18.04-21.04
Hong Kong
17.01-21.01
Paris
Maison&Objet
China Sourcing Fair: Home Products
19.01-22.01
Birmingham
January Furniture Show
20.04-23.04
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Houseware Fair
21.01-26.01
Istanbul
Imob
21.04-26.04
Milan
Salone Internazionale del Mobile
22.01-24.01
Lillestrøm
Oslo Design Fair
23.04-27.04
Guangzhou
Canton Fair Phase Two
24.01-27.01
Mediolan
HOMI
27.04-29.04
Cernobbio
Proposte
24.01-28.01
Frankfurt am Main
Christmasworld
01.05-05.05
Guangzhou
Canton Fair Phase Three
24.01-28.01
Frankfurt am Main
Paperworld
12.05-14.05
London
Pulse London
26.01-30.01
Las Vegas
Las Vegas Market
13.05- 14.05
Ozarow k. Warszawy
Vitrel
28.01-31.01
Essen
IPM Essen
04.06-06.06
Frankfurt am Main
Tendence
01.02-06.02
Birmingham
Spring Fair Birmingham
03.07-05.07
Tokio
Interior Lifestyle Tokyo
02.02-04.02
Bern
Heimtex Suisse
11.07-13.07
Munich
TrendSet
04.02-08.02
Stockholm
Stockholm Furniture Fair
01.09-04.09
Birmingham
Autumn Fair Birmingham
05.02-08.02
Kiev
Interior Mebel
03.09-05.09
Kiev
Decor
07.02-11.02
Frankfurt am Main
Ambiente
05.09-07.09
Leipzig
Cadeaux
25.02-28.02
Poznan
Home Decor Meble Polska
06.09-08.09
Cologne
Spoga&Gafa
26.02-28.02
St. Petersburg
ExpoHoReCa
09.09-13.09
Helsinki
Habitare
26.02-29.02
Brno
Mobitex
10.09-13.09
Istanbul
Zuchex
29.02-02.03
Leipzig
Cadeaux
15.09-18.09
Poznan
Sofab
09.03-12.03
Kuala Lumpur
Export Furniture Exhibition
15.09-17.09
Moscow
Heimtextil Russia
09.03-12.03
Bucharest
Ambient
18.09-21.09
London
100 % Design
10.03-15.03
Nitra
Furniture and Living
22.09-25.09
Valencia
Habitat Valencia
11.03-14.03
Hochiminh
Vietnam Int'l Furniture & Home Accessories Fair
23.09-25.09
Zakopane
Vitrel
11.03-15.03
Seoul
Seoul Living Design Fair
28.09-01.10
Poznan
Invest Hotel
14.03-17.03
Chicago
The Inspired Home Show
30.09-03.10
Nadarzyn
Warsaw Home
16.03-18.03
Almaty (Kazachstan)
Homedeco Kazakhstan
14.10-18.10
Zagreb
Ambienta
19.03-22.03
Casablanca
Morocco Home Tex 2020
15.10-17.10
Manila
Manila F.A.M.E. International
19.03-22.03
New Delhi
Heimtextil India
21.10- 25.10
Bangkok
25.03-27.03
Warsaw
EuroGastro
Bangkok International Gift Fair & Bangkok International Houseware Fair
26.03-29.03
Istanbul
Ideal Home
20.11-22.11
Krakow
Horeca
15.04.-19.04
Guangzhou
Canton Fair Phase One
23.10-25.10
Riga
Baltic Furniture
32 | 2020
retail in the world gia
Decidedly Danish When Bahne was established in 1965 in Denmark, they were already ahead of the game and vastly different from other retail outlets. The business was not just focused on offering customers a store filled with products that they could purchase, but rather, on creating an experience for shoppers. This might be a typical approach in retail now, but it certainly wasn’t back then.
2020 | 33
retail in the world gia
“My father was engaged as a consultant in the business, visiting many stores in the country at the time, and he saw an opportunity to do something else. Something different,” explains Jacob Sorensen, Owner of Bahne. “The idea was to present more gift and decoration articles and less hardware, while also adopting the motto: ‘Take a walk in Bahne’. Meaning, he wanted to encourage customers to browse and experience the store. Back in those days, this was an entirely new, innovative concept, as in most stores customers were expected to go to the counter, ask for something specific and buy it.” Fast forward 54 years Bahne has a new mission statement of ‘Let us pamper you’, however the store still focuses on creating an exceptional experience for the customer rather than simply selling a range of exceptional products. And part of that experience is the creation of an exceptional environment where the décor and architecture have a wow factor. Today Bahne has 20 stores, and the latest 1,300 m2 one that opened in 2018 has four entries, a soaring ceiling up to 18 meters in height and the piece de resistance – a 130-square
34 | 2020
meter wall decorated with a stunning wall painting by acclaimed Danish artist Rene Holm. Visiting Bahne is to step into a world of luxury and fine taste. Four different types of wood have been used in the striking architecture and décor, and the 240-square meter window on the 1st floor gives the business a perfect place to show off its 10-meter wide logo. It’s physical branding at its most impressive. The space is one thing, but Bahne also places much emphasis on atmosphere, and although the building enhances the luxurious, calming atmosphere, the staff are pivotal to creating an environment that customers love to be in and return to. “We have a set of values – chosen, embraced and nurtured by our staff – and these are based on being honest, trustworthy, hardworking and fun at the same time. We believe that a good social climate among staff is the key to good service. The customers can feel it, and the sales people perform better when they are happy with their workplace and are properly educated and trained. Our staff are key to our success.”
retail in the world gia
Bahne’s staff also embrace technology and innovation, and the centrally located internet browsing and online purchase + click and collect facility means that customers can purchase on the run, or simply spend time perusing the goods online and in a physical sense at the same time. Being at the forefront of technology is something that the company strives to perfect. “When the basics of running a retail operation are all in order, especially having a good presence on mobile devices, as everyone uses them now, it is all about being on top of the website 365 days a year, 24 hours a day,” says Jacob. “And just like in the physical store, it is essential that we show the right products at the right time, at the right price.” As all great retailers today know, keeping customers engaged and excited through social media is an imperative element of keeping a business thriving. “We are constantly working with our social media approach, and we have discovered through experience that it is important that our social channels work on their own terms – meaning that our social media approach is not necessarily based on the same strategy as the rest of the business. We have found that it is important to allow a different approach to evolve through stories and a human touch. So we see social media as a sales channel and tool, but not as a direct one.” Regular events are also an important element of Bahne’s marketing plan that assists with building up its social media and online presence. The store hosts things such as skincare-focused evenings run by a famous TV host, a girl’s night with special offers, treats and bubbles. This generates free media for Bahne, via its customers. “We find that when a young person’s attention is captured, their enthusiasm is really high and the word of a product or offering is spread faster across their multiple networks,” explains Jacob. Becoming a Global Honoree at the IHA’s gia awards in March has been a major highlight in the company’s long history, and the application process also helped Jacob’s team to analyze the business from a different perspective. “When you are forced to present what you do – and have done in the past – it’s an interesting exercise that you learn a lot from, as it’s rare that you sit back and look at every single aspect of your business and then think about how what you are doing stacks up with what others in the industry are doing,” Jacob says. “We were very impressed by the International Home + Housewares Show (now The Inspired Home Show) as well, and also the fact that so many people in the industry gathered for the social events. This is increasingly harder, we find, as people are more and more busy these days, but when you do it in ‘Oscar’ dimensions, people do show up!” There is no doubt that Bahne will continue to evolve yet always focus on the experience that it delivers to customers. “Retail is a tough business, and you must make sure that you have something different to offer people when you create a concept,” says Jacob. “We don’t believe in ‘correct demographics’. We believe in being something special for a number of people (enough to ensure a good business), while acknowledging that we cannot be something special for everyone. It’s all about remaining relevant.”
by Michelle Hespe
To learn more about Bahne, visit www.bahne.dk.
For more information about The Inspired Home Show and to pre-register for the 2020 Show, taking place in Chicago on 14-17 March 2020, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow. com or Housewares.org.
www.vola.com.pl
retail in the world gia
Special Spaces The 2019 gia Global Honoree Futako Tamagawa Tsutaya Electrics from Japan is part of a new wave of retailers that understand that to survive in this industry, you can no longer simply sell products. This company has further raised the bar, creating an enticing society for its customers.
36 | 2020
retail in the world gia
In 2000 came Shibuya Tsutaya, a store famous worldwide for selling books, magazines, games, comics and DVDs/CDs at the ‘Shibuya Scramble’ (one of Tokyo’s busiest crossings). Later came the opening of a ‘lifestyle commercial facility’ called Daikanyama T-Site, which is a gigantic bookstore where customers can hang out and be a part of a community. The idea was immediately embraced by locals, as Tokyo is a very busy city and people have small places to live in, often crowded with other family members. In 2015 Tsutaya Electrics store (located in Tokyo's Futako Tamagawa neighborhood) opened its doors, promoting the idea of a cultural, luxurious, relaxing lifestyle – offering customers a world of design, art, books and seemingly endless possibilities to discover, test, reflect upon and buy. As anyone who has been to the store will attest, it is an art, tech, home appliance and electrical goods store and environment unlike anything else in the world. The company strives to inspire its customers to buy lifestyle products perfectly tailored to suit their needs and wants, with advice from in-store concierges, who guide them through decision-making processes. This is an important element of Tsutaya Electrics, in an era when so many people make purchases online, it is refreshing to let people try out and experience products just like they would at home. The store also hosts events and daily demonstrations so that people can experiment with products while socializing and meeting other like-minded people. “Selling things is the end result,” explains manager of Tsutaya Electrics, Yoshinori Osako.
Don’t be fooled by the name of the store – Futako Tamagawa Tsutaya Electrics – as this amazing, forward-thinking business is not just there to sell electrical goods. In fact, it sells things that are the complete antithesis of electrical goods, such as good old-fashioned books, and the store is more of a place to be rather than a place to buy things. The overarching company, Tsutaya, was launched in 1983, and in 1985 the Culture Convenience Club Co (CCC) was launched as a marketing company relying on its database to offer the right products for a highly targeted demographic. Again, forward thinking was the name of the game for the founders, already before the ‘data is king’ era began.
Floriana 3/23, 05-850 Ożarów Mazowiecki Poland STODOLA.org
retail in the world gia
“But what we do is focus the proposal of ‘How to live’ to customers living in the city. This goal does not change, and it never ends. Retailers struggle worldwide. I believe that stores with expertise and uniqueness, that are not convenient or cheap, have survived in this tough landscape. We are doing so well because we are not just selling products – we are promoting the idea of a great life.” The over-arching company still continues to collect data to zero in on what its customers want. To do this, it has more than 67 million members using its T-Card – a loyalty card that earns holders’ points that is linked to over 990,374 stores across Japan. Customers’ purchasing data is gathered, the
38 | 2020
information is analyzed, and the company is thus aware of who its customers are and what they want. This information is then passed on to staff so that they can deliver an exceptional, highly targeted experience to customers. “We like to keep our promises to our customers and give them what they want and need,” says Yoshinori Osako. “Our staff actually do things for the customer, not just listen to what the customer says. You have to relate to customers, in order to keep them happy and coming back. When the customers are pleased, then the team is achieving its goals. This also means that individual staff member’s personal skills are rising, and this is when they are the happiest, and when they shine. This creates a wonderful environment.” Yoshinori Osako believes that the many varied areas created for visitors to relax in and enjoy at their own pace is one of the major reasons for customers returning. “The goal is to make people feel as though they are at home rather than in a store,” he explains. The idea behind this is that if you make people feel comfortable and at home, they are more likely to trust you, relax, and make purchases. Taking things a step further, the interior spaces are dedicated to different parts of a person’s life, and specific lighting is used to create a particular feel in that area. For instance, the area for mothers to relax with babies has books on child-rearing, a change-room and warm, soothing lighting to calm the mother and child. The store’s clever set-up also ensures that people don’t need to leave to do something else, such as buy something to eat, have a drink or entertain a child. For instance, there are bar and café areas where people can wait to have their devices fixed and family
areas in the bookstore with areas catering to toddlers and older kids. There are 240 seats in the café, which can double-up as an events space and a place for talk shows, demonstrations, autograph signings and much more. The concierges circulate in these areas, ensuring that customers can ask questions about products or try them out. When it came to entering gia, Yoshinori Osako and his team didn’t know that there was a competition in the world like it, and so they were surprised and delighted when the editor from a daily Japanese newspaper, Senken Shimbun, approached them, advising them to enter: “The evaluation criteria is solid, and it was very useful as a retailer to address the criteria, because it makes you look at every aspect of your business, and makes you think about how you can be even better. It is such an honor for us to be chosen as one of the best retailers in the world. We are all very happy and very proud, and it was so great sharing the news with all of our staff, because they make the business what it is today. We will continue to grow together.” by Michelle Hespe To learn more about Tsutaya Electrics, visit https://store.tsite.jp/futakotamagawa/ For more information about The Inspired Home Show and to pre-register for the 2020 Show, taking place in Chicago on 14-17 March 2020, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com or Housewares.org.
INVITES
THE MOST INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN TRADE FAIR IN POLAND Italy I love my House