Spring/ Summer 2010
COS HOME Magazine
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A New Season
COS HOME Magazine
COS HOME is the new interior concept with a sophisticated, clean design ethos creating the ultimate COS lifestyle.
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A section of the Covent Garden COS store, where the COS HOME product range will be sold.
Spring/Summer 2010
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COS COSHOME HOMEMagazine Magazine
The clean complimentary COS HOME room fragrance
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Contents COS HOME Magazine No. 1 A study of COS as a lifestyle Spring/Summer 2010 B Space for COS HOME C COS HOME Fragrance D Sandberg E Executive Summary Diningroom Spring/Summer 2010
F Introduction Kitchen
G Main Body H Rooms
Livingroom Bathroom
I COS HOME Products J Conclusion K Swot Analysis/ Recommendations J-L COS HOME Promotion
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www.sandbergab.se
Sandberg Enhancing everyday life Sandberg’s business concept is to design and manufacture textiles and wallpaper that can help people create surroundings that reflect their personality. In residential settings, we help those who appreciate interior decorating to realise their dreams of a beautiful home. In more public settings, such as reception areas, offices, hotels and guesthouses, our wallpaper and textile collections enhance the totality of the experience of those present. Sharing our passion for interior design is the greatest reward for our work. After all, who wouldn’t want to enhance their everyday life? Our strongest solvent is water Sandberg protects the environment by refusing to use any ingredients in its manufacturing that can potentially harm the environment or cause allergies. By using only environmentally sustainable materials and manufacturing methods, we create products that are free from softening agents, fluorocarbons, PVC and other
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chlorinated plastics. No solvents other than water may be used at, or even brought into, our factory in Ulricehamn. Although we don’t yet know all the answers relating to environmental issues, we have decided to ask all the important questions.
COS HOME Magazine
Sandberg
Spring/Summer 2010
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Executive Summary The concept of establishing a COS HOME department is based on the idea that COS as a brand should create not only a clean and sophisticated look but in addition to that offer its customers an all around COS Lifestyle. This section of the brand will be based on the signature style of COS clothing so as to strengthen the complete look of the brand COS not like its competitor ZARA HOME for example which offers a wide range of living-styles within their product range. Keeping this in mind the main focus will be on a COS textile range, created in collaboration with the established Swedish textile company “Sandberg�, in order to be style and brand decisive. This collaboration will feature five Sandberg patterns for COS which will not only be manufactured on different COS HOME products throughout the shop. One of these designs will also be featured on a promotional postcard, COS HOME shopping bags and the COS HOME room fragrance box. Another aspect of the concept will be the appropriate pricing of COS HOME products. These will be retrieved from comparing with other competitors and the COS ethos of design pieces to high-street prices. In addition to this a selection of COS HOME products will be presented in a Look Book. As a finished concept COS HOME UK will be launched on the second floor of the Covent Garden store, as this creates a suited space and backdrop for the first COS HOME section.
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COS HOME Magazine
Executive Summary
Spring/ Summer 2010
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Introduction
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The objectives of this report are to firstly inform you, COS, that launching an interiors range named COS HOME would be the next logical step to improve COS as an overall brand. Secondly, it shall include in-depth information regarding the potential concept of COS HOME and possible products and promotion. COS provides well-designed simple clothing with a contemporary twist. It allows women and men to look stylish without becoming slaves to fashion. COS satisfies their consumers by offering a variety of products from simple T-shirts to elegant suites, all at high street prices. However, now it is time to add to the sleek, chic product range of COS by introducing COS HOME. The unique selling point is to offer promotional gifts and packaging. This has been carefully considered whilst creating COS HOME, as it will be these attributes that allow COS HOME to stand out from its interior competitors.
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The information which appears throughout the report were sourced from the following: • Samples from textile company ‘Sandberg’ • Interior magazine ‘Elle Decoration’ • Interiors website ‘Skandium’ • General public • COS consumers The information received was obtained by the following: • Secondary research from the internet and magazines • Primary research from questionnaires that were filmed in London and Surrey. • Visits to London, various interior competitors and trade shows
COS HOME Magazine
Introduction
Spring/ Summer 2010
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Main Body
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The one thing that is missing from COS is an interior home range, looking at other interiors such as Next and Zara, it seems they have expanded themselves from a clothing brand by developing and having an interior range, seen as these are a few main competitors of COS, it only seems right to expand COS by developing and launching an interior range at Covent Garden. What makes COS unique is that their inspired by fellow competitor retailers. The taste of COS is very specific with their colour scheme that is soft and gentle with the colours such as green and beige. COS will only start off with a small selection of items that they will sell in the spring/summer time. Then if this is successful, COS will expand their range further by adding more items to the collection. Finding someone for COS to collaborate with has been quite difficult, the reason for this being trying to find someone that had a clear link to the brand, by looking thoroughly into finding someone with a distinctive link we came across a few textiles designers, one being Hanna Werning whose wallpaper is unique, some being over the top however others being subtle and calm which was perfect for COS, however was soon to realise that as this lady was someone that not many people had heard of and her work was not well known. Was this too risky for COS to use someone not well known? Or would it be easier to play it safe? Another being Linda Barker, whose work consists of a vintage style with a modern twist. Linda barker has not been chosen to collaborate with COS HOME as her work is Laura Ashley inspired, which Is not suited to the COS brand image. After research into various textile companies, Sandberg was
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COS HOME Magazine
Main Body
Spring/ Summer 2010
chosen to collaborate with COS, one of the main reasons being because of the strong Scandinavian link. Sandberg is a Swedish brand that is committed to producing, well designed hand made products which are environmentally friendly, so this only seemed right to use them to collaborate with COS. COS have selected 5 of Sandbergs unique designs which are as follows; 1. Hanako – wallpapers and cushion covers 2. Gloria – wallpapers and cushion covers 3. Gunnar – cushion covers and curtains 4. Lin – wallpaper which is used in the bathroom and on the curtains 5. Siden – curtains These 5 designs will feature in 4 main rooms of the house, dining room, living room, kitchen and bathroom. In each room there will be many products on display. This range includes bowls (look book p.3), high-class vases (look book p.5) for the kitchen chairs and lamps for the dining room (look book p.11-12) and some clean-lined candle-holders (look book p.21). The look book will be distributed from the Covent Garden store, each copy costing £1 to produce when bought in bulk. The wallpaper will be sold per roll, and material by the meter (see look book for price). If COS HOME develops its concept further more patterns and materials from Sandberg will be introduced to the interior range.
will be placed under the COS logo. The COS postcard will feature inside the COS bags at all COS stores with every purchase. The aspect of the postcard will be to promote Sandberg and the partnership with COS. Overall the leaflet will give a detailed; however short overview of their collaboration. Customer profile 1. COS is a sophisticated, chic brand that is aimed at a specific Target Audience, with the age range being from 23 – 35. The lady is a workaholic that loves her job, where she works in an office; she is a highly dependent on herself and knows what she wants in life. The lady has one child where they live in an apartment in the centre of London, where it is modern. She eats organic food however occasionally the odd takeaway. Her lifestyle is also important to her; she likes her cocktails and the odd glass of wine. She’s a lady that would like to stand out but she is not that confident enough, so she tries to have an edge about her, however also plays with shirts and smart trousers.
2. Many customers believe that COS is a brand that is aimed towards women. However from the research that has been found, there is a whole section for men that are not as well known. The average age for men that would shop at COS is 35plus. He takes pride in his appearance, and is interested in fashion and Hanako will feature on many of the promotional music. items COS has to offer. A promotional post card, the COS bag and also the room fragrance Store Promotion packaging. The reason for producing a range of On Tuesday 30th of march Cos will hold there promotional products is because when carrying first interior home range at Covent Garden, the location will be on the upper floor of the store. out the primary market research, the majority The launch will be aimed at the press, so that of the general public have not heard of COS. By giving something back to the customer COS they will advertise the brand and also the new collaboration, and it will also be an event will establish a good relationship with their for the customers, so that they can see what customer. COS have in store. At the event there will be A small room fragrance (green tea) packaged a cutting of the ribbon, which will involve the in a box, decorated with Sandbergs design, will be given as a complimentary gift with each Covent Garden store manager of COS and also the Sandberg manager, which will represent the purchase from COS HOME. The COS shopping bag will be produced in the collaboration. There will be a range of beverages including dark brown and the light blue colour, the bags champagne and also a 10% discount on all will be altered to suit COS HOME, this will be interiors, there will be a small card that the achieved by replacing the fabric handles with the hanako design, which will vary according to customer will receive which when they arrive at the the colour of the bag. In addition to this HOME event which will be the discount card.
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H COS HOME Magazine
Spring/ Summer 2010
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COS HOME Products
Wallpaper “Hanako”
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COS HOME Magazine
Bathroom Candles
Wallpaper “Lin”
Spring/ Summer 2010
COS HOME Products
Kitchen Vases
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Conclusion To conclude, the findings of market research show that a COS HOME interior range will be beneficial for the brand. The results explain how the COS HOME range will lead on as a natural progression from the brands already existing fashion line, and thus bring in more consumers to both the HOME range and the fashion range. COS has a very specific design aesthetic; simple, clean lined sophistication, and this trait will continue strongly throughout the interiors range. Points of great importance to the COS HOME range are promotion and in essence, ‘giving something back’ to the customers. As explained previously, COS will give every paying customer a postcard regarding the process behind COS HOME and its collaboration with Sandberg and a small sample size of the COS room fragrance. Evidence shows through various different modes of primary research, COS will need something to stand out from its competitors such as Zara Home, Next and Habitat, taking this into account, forming a collaboration with Swedish textile company Sandberg will give COS HOME something extra in comparison with its competitors. COS as it stands today has a strong brand identity, but could move the brand forward and build on its already successful name, and introduce the COS HOME range.
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COS HOME Magazine
Conclusion
Spring/ Summer 2010
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SWOT Anlysis/ Recommendations
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• STRENGTHS COS has a strong brand identity, which is shown through its unique, sharp sophisticated look, along with its neutral colour scheme.
• Launch of COS HOME • Promotion (postcard, COS HOME fragrance, shopping-bags, Look Book) • Elle Decoration • 10% flyer
• WEAKNESSES its major weakness is advertising, by collecting primary research not many people had heard of the brand COS, and stated not enough promotion as one of the weaknesses.
COS HOME Magazine
SWOT Analysis/ Recommendations
Future Recommendations
• OPPORTUNITIES To launch an interiors section in more then one store, to give something back to the customer and for COS to promote there brand more with more promotional campaigns. • THREATS They are up against other retail competitors such as Zara home, Next and also Jasper Conran
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• In the future COS HOME should expand their product range and take part in the retail of furniture. • It would be beneficial for COS HOME to collaborate with other Designers in the future. • As this concept is only based in the UK for now, COS should take other European countries into consideration to expand their COS HOME section.
Spring/ Summer 2010
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L COS HOME Magazine
Spring/ Summer 2010
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COS HOME Store
London GB 130-131 Long Acre Covent Garden T +44 20 7632 4190
www.cosstores.com
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