Dissertation: How is customer experience enhanced by retail design?

HOW IS ENHANCED BY

Visual Communications VIS6035 Rochelle Robinson-Reid | S14117254 Geraldine Marshall

HOW IS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ENHANCED BY RETAIL IN-STORE DESIGN? Visual Communications Dissertation Written & Designed by Rochelle Robinson-Reid

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………..4 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………6 Chapter 1: Visual merchandising ……………………………………..8 - -

In-store colour design ………………………………………………..11 Floor Layouts ……………………………………………………………..12

Chapter 2: Design methods ………………………………………………16 - Disruption strategy……………………………………………………..17 - Point of sale……………………………………………………………….17 - Omni-channelling……………………………………………………….19 - Types of shoppers……………………………………………………….20 - Exhibition design…………………………………………………………22 Chapter 3: Store study: Lush………………………………………………23 Chapter 4: Store study: Ikea……………………………………………….28 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………35 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………40 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………43

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This dissertation explores the various factors of creating a good customer experience within retail and how design is incorporated to enhance that experience. Retail in-store design is the part of the brand that grabs the attention of the customer through the use of design in order to make sales. It brings all the elements within retail together – the window displays, the furnishings, the store layout and the design on the walls. The design enhances the brand and therefore entices the customer into buying the products in-store.

The shopping experience should ensure that a customer wants to return and this can be heightened through the use of design.

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Retail design needs to consider the overall construction and design of a store for a brand to stand out and appeal to the customer. This includes goods for the store layout, window display, the design on the walls and more. It’s about creating a good customer experience, to ensure a welcoming environment making a customer want to return and similarly influencing their purchasing decisions through in-store design layout. The customer should be the most important part of any business. The purpose for most retailers is to sell and retail design should enhance the number of customers in order for sale. Retail design factors in elements such as visual merchandising, interior design, retail space and graphic design.

This dissertation will aim to look at how these aspects of design can influence a customer’s decision to purchase in store.

The area of retail design that will be explored in this dissertation is specifically instore design. Through personal practice retail design has become a big part of my own individual work. The biggest area of retail design in my practice is owning an independent clothing brand ‘middlekid’. With designing the whole outlook for the brand in the past year, we’ve been pushed into the further depths of retail design. Our brand will be exhibiting at The Clothes Show 2016, an annual fashion exhibition in Birmingham, which will help promote the brand and get middlekid out into the fashion world. Having the opportunity to design the retail space for our stall for the exhibition, it gives me further knowledge into retail design as I will have first-hand experience in designing for an event. This will include designing to enhance customer experience as the audience at the clothes show is around 9000 people, predominantly women. This dissertation, will complement current projects within the Birmingham City University. It will also enhance my personal practice which will assist in the discussion of this dissertation. The knowledge gained through my own practice, partnered with various pieces of primary research I’ve conducted enables me to consider the way customer experience is thought about in the world of retail and in-store retail design.

The design factors this dissertation will focus on are visual merchandising and the methods of design that enhance customer experience. Examples of existing stores in the essay will help see how retail design plays a role in enhancing the experience for their customers.

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VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Visual merchandising is a field of design which aims to maximise sales through displays. This area of design is very specific to retail. The role of a visual merchandiser is to lure customers in-store through design and displays, and to then extend the design from the outside to the inside to keep the customer enticed and to remain in-store. Purely through design they can give an experience that should make a customer want to return.

Visual merchandising started in the 1800’s. It is not something that happened by accident, the very first stores to use visual merchandising needed ways to get new customers into their shops and get customers to return. Tony Morgan author, retail consultant and course director at Fashion Retail Academy, portrays the theory of how the first shop keepers got customers into their stores. They would display their shop name or products they were selling in their windows, showing that they were open for business and proud of the products available. Examples of these stores include butchers hanging their meat in windows to show what is available, as well as the quality of meat sold. Other stores such a florist enhance their experience using colour and scent, displaying the flowers outside as a continuation of in-store design (Morgan, 2008) These methods are still very much relevant today as part of enticing customers into the store using a visual display outside to lure the customer inside. It allows the customer to make the decision of whether they want to explore further what’s inside.

VISUA L MERC HAND I S I STAR TED IN THE 1 800

Continuing the history of visual merchandising, fashion retailers have historically used mannequins to present their clothing in the window as part of their visual display. France lead the way in 1852 with their first department store ‘Le Bon Marche’ using visual merchandising and window display to entice customers. This was the first time department stores used creative window displays.

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Fig. 1, Old storefront window (2014)

Figure 1 shows one of the first productions of large pane glass, made in the late 1840’s-50’s for retailers. This allowed stores to use the full space at the front of their store to show what products they had to offer which now continues within retail design today.

Department stores were a relatively new concept and new to the shopping experience. France only had department stores in the capital, Paris (Morgan, T, 2008) However, British stores started to reflect on the French retail success; “In the early nineteenth century, the government was extremely concerned that British Industrial design was trailing behind Europe” (Lyon, P 2011, p.46). With this in mind the British design industry started to incorporate improving art and design through education and opening art schools in the 1900’s. By combining art and the industry it has created an educated profession which has subsequently helped further develop the industry bringing about new innovations. You can’t walk down a shopping high street or into a shopping centre without first seeing hundreds of window displays, whether good or bad, they are all designed in a way to make you stop and look.

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IN-STORE COLOUR DESIGN

Fig. 2, Colour wheel (2011)

Colour will always be used in design, and in retail design you need to know which colours match to create the best experience and/or atmosphere. The colour wheel was first designed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century, when he discovered how light can create other colours through the use of a prism creating a colour spectrum. There are 3 tiers in the basic colour diagram – Primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary colours are red, blue and yellow and these cannot be created through the mixing of colours. To create secondary colours, you must mix two of the primary colours together and similarly to create tertiary colours you mix three colours together either primary or secondary. Directly opposite red in the diagram is green, opposite blue is orange and opposite yellow is purple – these are complimentary colours. Complimentary in every sense of the word that the two opposites work well together. As a visual merchandiser you are supposed to know the colour wheel as to not make the mistake of ruining your displays with the use of colour in the wrong way.

Tony Morgan writes about the use of colour within visual merchandising. Colour can be used in many different ways. For example, through the lighting, the choice of paint in a store or on a display, as well as the fabrics and images used. The colour red by many is seen as a warning colour, often used as a sign to get one’s heart racing. Most retailers use the colour red at sale times to ensure their customers literally “see red” which creates a shopping frenzy. (Morgan, T). With store design, you tend to stick with the colour used within the brand, but changes in season and launches for new products can often push you to temporarily change the colour scheme. If not using colour to update and/or rejuvenate a display, using colour is a good way to create an atmosphere and the knowledge of the colour wheel helps to enhance the desired outcome.

FLOOR LAYOUTS

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The angling of the fixtures instead of having them straight, allows the customer to see the products without even having to walk round it and they can also see the fixtures that are further away as they are not being hidden by products in front of it. The sales are enhanced here because the retailer can guide a customers’ eye to a specific product through the design of the layout.

Fig. 3, Diagonal floor plan (2009)

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“The diagonal floor plan provides proper movement and traffic flow to the retail store resulting in enhanced sales� (Singh, H 2009, p 348).

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In terms of retail design, this floor plan allows the customer to see everything straight from the products at the beginning of the store to the ones at the back.

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Fig. 4, Topshop in-store (2014) Figure 4 is an image from inside a top shop store in 2014. In this image the diagonal positioning of the products leads the customers eye towards the Kate Moss section. You can see that even the light fixtures in the store are channelled in the same forward direction which leads the eye in a forward position.

For primary research, an interview was conducted with Cate Davies. Cate has worked in retail her whole life and has first hand knowledge in the field of visual merchandising. Her role now still lies within retail, being the assistant manager of a sewing and alterations store. On the subject of how important to record the outcome of visual merchandising/sales based on the in store layout; she answered that ‘sales are always affected by store layout, which can make shopping difficult if there is too much product or if best sellers and hidden and if seasonal stock is in the wrong place or not on the shop floor’ (Davis, C 2016) [Please see appendices 1, for full transcript]. This would therefore confirm that it is essential to make shopping easy for a customer, to ensure they are able to negotiate around the store finding products they need independently. If a customer is overwhelmed because the shop floor is too busy, it creates a negative experience for them and then in turn will not return to the store. The store layout and the flow of products therefore affects the retail design and needs to be ordered effectively to increase sales and maximise customer experience.

Fig. 5, The works store (2016)

Fig. 6, The works in-store (2016))

The works stationary store is an example of poor layout design. From figures 5 and 6 you can see that the product placement in-store and even outside looks very chaotic. Everything is very eccentric and there isn’t much of a sense of organisation.

The fixtures in the store seem very close together making it hard to see passed them and even to walk through the store seems difficult. The main design feature in this store is to show that there stationary is very cheap and that they have loads of deals on, which will appeal to some customers. But in terms of retail design it doesn’t create a pleasant shopping experience.

Opposing this, by looking at the store Paperchase, which sells the same types of products as the works, you can see the difference in retail design. (See figure 7). The placement of the fixtures and products is not overcrowded. You can see upon entrance the back of the store and there is a clear walk way that will lead a customers’ eye to certain products. The clean and calm appearance of Paperchase makes the customers shopping experience comfortable and simple to find what they’re looking for, which shows an example of a good design layout.

Fig. 7, Paperchase St James (2014)

So how does visual merchandising relate to retail design? Visual merchandising is the starting point to retail design as it focuses on a customers’ visual perception to get them in store, whereas retail design involves everything from the design aspect, to the brand and the products it sells. Retail design is also about the wider terms of sale and considering the whole experience in retail including why a customer would go into store for its other factors than solely it’s design function.

DESIGN METHODS

As well as visual merchandising there are other methods within retail that create experiences for customers. Design methods and design strategy is a way of planning to achieve a desired outcome of the overall customer experience and loyalty; this is referred to as the planning stage within retail design.

Disruption strategy In Shopper marketing (2010), Maila V et al refer to this as disruption strategy; “Disruption often takes form of out-and-out bribery through a variety of financial incentives such as ‘buy one get one free’ and price reduction” (Maila, V et al 2010).

People are more likely to buy something if they feel they are getting a deal on it, or even getting something for free. This is a good sales tactic as it enhances sales for the retailer. Similarly, the customer experience is enhanced because they will be more likely to remember the store which they got the deal from and they will be satisfied with that particular shopping experience. Disruption strategy links to retail design because without the element of design a customer may not know that deal is even on without it. The placement of the signs within the store or in the shop window that highlight these ‘financial incentives’ lead a customer to that particular product, which goes back to the idea of product placement and floor layout. For example, in a supermarket there could be an offer of 3 for the price of 2 on sweets which was advertised in the shop window. Noticing this, the customer feels as though they are able to buy more whilst spending less. Their total bill at the end of their shop could be £50 but they would feel satisfied in knowing they got a deal and in turn the retailer would have sold more product.

Point of sale An extension of the disruption strategy also occurs at the point of sale, where the customer is paying for their goods. This is the method of getting a customer to buy something at the very end of their shopping experience. It’s the last chance for a retailer to try and sell anything else to that customer. You’ll have items that are small and are often essentials near the till to entice customers. Such as in a supermarket, small food items like chocolate bars and chewing gum that the customer can eat on their way out are placed near the till. Similarly, in clothing stores like H&M, they try to have packs of socks and clothes rollers at the point of sale. These are things you wouldn’t think you would need until you see them. These are not so much heightened by design but its more about the placement of such items which are cleverly put at the last point of call generating extra sales. An example is given in figure 8. This shows the checkout area of Asda, where you can see that there are small items such as coca cola which a customer can quickly grab on the way out, giving Asda another sale.

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Fig. 8, Case study Asda (2016)

Fig. 9, Oasis store (2012)

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Omni channelling Many companies now are starting to use the method of omni channelling within there stores. Omni channelling is the strategy of using multiple channels to provide the customer with a complete seamless shopping experience. Omni meaning the combination of or all. Omni channelling allows the customer to interact and have a full integrated experience. (http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/omni-channel-userexperience-examples) In terms of retail design, omni channelling is used to ensure that the brand is consecutive over all platforms. It links the design of the store for a customer to be able to take the experience away with them and explore the brand on other platforms such as social media or online shopping. An example of omni channelling within retail would be the store Oasis. (See figure 9) They created a simple shopping experience through omni channelling by combining their website, app and the touch points within the store. If you go in store, the sales assistants will have iPad which enables them to give up to date, correct information on the products in store. The iPad also doubles as a cash register which allows for quicker customer service which inevitably should give a better customer experience. For the retailer, using omni channelling gives them integrated data which tells them how the customers interact with the various touch points within the store. Hure, Elodie et al (2016) states that ‘shifting to an Omni-channel strategy commits a brand to a process of optimizing customer experience’ (Hure, E et al, 2016, pg. 336) It gives a brand the chance to give good customer service further than just in store.

The element of retail design can then be channeled through different platforms and will enhance the customers experience even after visiting in store.

“Omni channelling is the strategy of using multiple channels to provide the customer with a complete seamless shopping experience.”

Types of shoppers In Shopper marketing (2010), Ville also refers to Michael Sansolo, a food marketing consultant in the United States. Sansolo discusses the illogic inside the mind of the shopper. He explains that there are 9 different types of shoppers. These shoppers are known as follows:

1. The keeper This is the person who enjoys having the responsibility of getting the food shopping for their household 2. The quartermaster Dislikes shopping and feels as though going to the supermarket is a chore 3. The banker The one who handles money strategically. Thinks about the money they need to spend and shops on a budget. Often a bargain hunter 4. The seeker Someone who searches for new products and likes the idea of finding something new, a new discovery with new tastes and ideas.

5. The desperate one This person is only searching for a specific item, having the intent to only buy that one thing 6. The reluctant one Would like the shopping experience to be over quickly and would prefer someone else to do their shopping for them 7. The bargain hunter Price is the most important thing on their shopping list and they will go through different stores to find the cheapest item 8. The courier Someone who buys small in between bits. They might need an extra item that they didn’t get in their weekly shop. They will have a limited shopping list 9. The hungry shopper This will be a focused shopping trip. It could be to gain a single item such as a meal or a pack of cigarettes. It will be specific and immediate.

These shoppers ‘are essentially driven by four key concerns’ which are time, money, family and personal matters. (Ville, M et al 2010, pg. 34). Through the list of shoppers’, you can see the driving forces are often mentioned such as the banker who looks at the element of money or the keeper who shops for their family.

These four elements explain how people like to shop and the purpose behind their shopping. Retail design has the purpose of making the shopping experience enjoyable even when the customer is being driven by such factors.

Coca cola research echoes this view and suggest that customers shop according to occasion. “The same shopper has different needs from day to day from occasion to occasion” (page 11, http://www.ccrrc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/02/ World_According_to_Shoppers_2004.pdf) Not only are shoppers driven by different things but they also shop according to needs. A single person in a week could go to 5 different shops according to the occasion. The occasion may be that they need to get their weekly food shop or that they need to buy a new computer or get a gift for someone. Coca cola’s research specifies in supermarket research and it shows that a supermarket cannot always cover every occasion of a shoppers needs. But does retail design add to the occasion? Tony Morgan describes store design as being “achieved through a combination of ambience, functionality and an inviting design”. (Morgan, T 2008, pg.34) Arguably, supermarkets provide more functionality than serving the purpose for amazing visual design. But they don’t need to be visual because they will inevitably get customers through the function of people needing to continuously buy food. It could be off putting for a customer to go to a supermarket and be submerged with graphics and visuals. Supermarkets are made to be simple and the design aspect of it is used through the flow of layout and product placement, making it easy for a customer to shop. However, they do purposely guide shoppers around the store. Also, some move stock to another part of the store so the customer is forced to move around the store and go to different isles.

Figure 10 shows how a store can make you move around. As you can see from the image on the far left you have alcohol behind the man in the image and on the far right you have the section for drinks. These items are practically the same and are often paired together but you would have to travel to the other section if you needed both, passing other items on the way. This could be seen as a way of using the disruption Fig. 10, Tesco supermarket (2016) strategy. You can also see the minimal design used as only signs above the isles are used strategically to guide customers and there is not much need for heavy visuals.

Exhibition design Exhibitions are an occasion for increasing the shopping experience for both the retailer and customer, whether it is an exhibition on cars, a clothing fare or an exhibition for education. The retailer needs to target towards an audience suggesting that a group of similar shoppers will go to that event. This could be a predominantly female audience for events such as the clothes show or a younger audience from the ages of 5-15 for an educational event. The retailer will adapt to a space to suit a customers’ needs whilst effectively presenting their brand and products in an exhibition. Designing for an exhibition always starts with the space you get given because then you can see what you have to work with and what you can put in it and how it will effect the way a customer will view it. Arranging rails and props according to the shape and amount of space will enhance your exhibition space if done properly. (Touw, L 2016) [For full transcript see appendices 2.] In the book Shop design by TeNeues (2006) they state that ‘Many shops present themselves as a spatial artwork, giving maximum exposure to most desirable goods’ (TeNeues, 2006, pg.8) In terms of exhibition design, an exhibition space needs to do the same things as a store but structure it and create that ‘artwork’ in perhaps a much smaller space. The organising of space in an exhibition relates to floor layouts as mentioned in chapter one which is an essential part of visual merchandising. Using your space wisely will add to the customer experience because they can really take in what you have to offer in that small retail section.

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STORE STUDYLUSH

Fig.11, Oxford street shop (2015)

Lush cosmetic store is a good example of in-store retail design. Going into the store the design is not just visual; it is a kinetic environment, allowing you to use all your senses to gain the real experience of their brand. As soon as you enter, the smell lures the customer to be hands on – feel and experience their products, test them and immerse themselves fully. The products are known for being fresh and organic, and they only use the finest essential oils. Their values are very high and they aim to give the highest quality to keep their products natural and fresh for their customers.

‘Fresh ingredients are intrinsic to Lush - it’s at the heart of our philosophy’ (uk.lush. com/article/freshness-policy) This is even shown through their store design. In every sense they aim to help the environment, including highlighting that they believe in no animal testing, it’s even on their recyclable bags.

In their flagship store in London, they use lighting tailored to be energy efficient.

They’ve installed lighting timers and sensors as well as a HVAC system (Heating ventilation & Air conditioning) to keep the store energy efficient.

As well as this, their use of waste management is prominent throughout the store with the walls and floor tiles using 50 percent recycled material. The wood furnishings in Lush stores are all FSC certified. The choice to use wood in the design is to showcase the products without being overpowering. (www.retail-focus. co.uk/projects/1424-project-lush)

Lush believes that their brand is for everyone. Everyone uses beauty and bathing products and the range of ingredients and items caters for most. You will particularly love lush if you care heavily for the environment. Through not only their products but the store functions too.

Fig. 12, R.Robinson-Reid, Lush Birmingham (2016) [Primary research] The packaging of Lush products is highlighted by the design of the store. (See figure 12). The packaging design is minimal, using black and white but the natural furnishings compliment this. The pops of colour from the groupings of open bath bomb displays keeps the store looking fresh and welcoming.

Lush’s focus is giving the customers the ‘lush experience’. This is their way of giving a customer every understanding of lush and what their ethos is and what they sell and why. It includes customer service and knowledge on the products.

Demonstrations and customer activities are also offered outside of the store. Instore they give demonstrations on how to use their products using high basin sinks as well as having areas dedicated to doing activities with customers. Lush often give away samples to their customers to take home and try before they buy a product. They have a scheme with their tubs where you can collect 5 tubs, bring them back in store and get a new product free. This encourages recycling which ties in with Lush’s ethics but also makes a customer want to come back in store because they know eventually they will gain something from it. The customer is being made to feel they are part of the bigger picture and contributing to the well-being of the environment. This could lead the way for recycling within retail because customers actively get involved and it favours the helping of the environment.

Fig. 13, R. Robinson-Reid, Lush spa experience (2016) [primary research]

Fig. 14, R. Robinson-Reid, Lush spa (2016) [Primary research]

Fig. 15, R. Robinson-Reid (2016) Lush spa (2016) [Primary research]

Out of store the lush experience continues with their spa days. In store you can choose from a range of Lush spa experiences. Upon speaking to a Lush employee, she shared a range of images from one of the lush spa days.

Figure 13 is taken from a lush spa in Bath, UK. This spa appears to create a very homely environment for its users. This picture could be taken from your own house and the placement of lush products could be relatable to a continuous lush cosmetics user making them feel comfortable, adding to the experience in the spa.

The greenery and simplicity of the furniture feels like an extension of the store, therefore using the design to enhance the Lush experience. Even though you are not there to buy products, the environment still pushes you to use them during the treatment and it may lead you to buying the products when you next return to a Lush store.

Linking to colour theory, as mentioned in chapter 1, the colour used in this spa creates a certain ambience. Green is known as a cool and calm colour which heightens the aim of relaxation. Second to this, the use of green and other earthy tones signifies Lush’s beliefs of using natural products and helping the environment.

From the images above, see figure 15, the store is kept very clean. Although the design is structured to feel homely, often a home may be chaotic but this emphasises that you are not at home, there is no need to clean or do housework and it is your time to be looked after.

The in-store retail design in Lush allows the customer to see the dedication the brand has to its product and to their strong beliefs. Without knowing about the regard Lush has for nature, the design in store shows the customer straight away its ethics through the construction of the store. The retail design plays a huge role in enhancing the customer experience in lush and it ties in well with emphasising the strong views that the brand has.

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STORE STUDYIKEA

Ikea is a Swedish retail company that makes and sells products for the home. It is the worlds largest furniture retailer and has a very unique shopping experience.

Ikea’s main vision is “to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them” (ikea.com)

Fig. 16, R. Robinson-Reid Ikea Floor channelling (2016) [Primary research]

Fig. 17, R. Robinson-Reid, Ikea Way finding {2016) [Primary research]

WORLDS LARGEST FURNITURE RETAILER

The floor plan within Ikea heavily effects the customer shopping experience. The linear floor plan, using arrows and a somewhat one-way system, forcibly guides the customer through specific areas.

The one-way system maximises sales as you have to go through each section to get to the end. Through the guiding system Ikea has, shoppers might find that they buy stuff that they didn’t think they needed, purely because its highlighted and they were directed to it. Even if you went to Ikea for one item which was at the end of the store, you are still forced to go past other products before you can reach the item you intended to buy. Similarly, the situation of if you went to Ikea and brought what you thought you needed. When returning to the car, if you had forgotten to get something, you wouldn’t be able to simply go back through the store and quickly pick up that item as you would perhaps in a supermarket but you would have to go through the whole system again. The in-store design of Ikea may appeal to some or disinterest others, such as the type of shopper ‘The reluctant one’ as mentioned in chapter 2. They wouldn’t enjoy how longwinded going through Ikea is and would instead just like to be able to make a purchase quickly and get it over with. But Ikea aims to show the customer an experience of the whole home and does this successfully through the floor channelling.

The floor plan differs to the diagonal floor plan shown in chapter 2. Ikea is very unique in the floor plan that they have. With the size of the store they can get away with having such a structured walk way because once the customer has made the decision to enter and look around, its not easy for them to turn back making this floor plan work for this store. The fixtures and products are all strategically placed around the set path, with nothing overlapping and this creates a sense of space and organisation. Because of this the customer feels at the centre of the experience and they are able to immerse themselves fully in the products and designs around them.

Ikea gives good customer experience because they try to cater for everyone. Within the different sections you will have a variety of designs and ranges for the same product, which allows for the different preferences of different customers. The target audience as a whole for Ikea is people who are furnishing and designing their home but as you go through the different sections, you can see that the focuses change slightly. For example, when going into the children’s section, you see the change in colour, products, and design on the wall, therefore if you go to Ikea with a child, it allows them to have the shopping experience also. See figure 18.

Ikea is very much interior design based but it still has the intent to sell. Interior design plays a large role in retail design because it focuses on how to enhance the whole of the inside of a room or building. By selling furniture in this creative way they show you the ways in which you can use interior design in your own home.

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Figure 18, R. RobinsonReid, Ikea childrens’ section (2016) [primary research]

Fig. 19, R. Robinson-Reid Ikea information (2016) [Primary research]

Fig. 20, R. Robinson-Reid Ikea information point (2016) [Primary research]

Fig. 21, R. Robinson-Reid Ikea services (2016) [Primary research]

Ikea offers an independent shopping experience. You are able to use self help tools which make the shopping experience easier. (See figures 19-21) Through the use of information points, the customer can plan and focus on the items they need and have the suitable help of where to get them, what size and even how to transport it home. ‘The information a retailer provides can be a measure of how much they care about their customers, and can go a long way in making a shoppers visit enjoyable and productive’ (Calver, G, 2001) The customers independent shopping experience continues even at the end when you have to find the items that you are actually purchasing. You have the responsibility of writing down the codes for the items you want and then finding them at the end. The retail design changes as they are no longer trying to get your attention. The system at the end is designed to be strategic, simple and helpful.

The retail design at this point is more about the way finding rather than the visuals of products as they should have already enticed you into buying their products.

Figure 22 R. Robinson-Reid, Ikea warehouse (2016) [primary research] Although this has the purpose of functionality over visuals, the design is still clear. The use of red above the aisle and clear signalling helps create an easy shopping experience for the customer. Point of sale is used at the end of isles as that is the last time they will be able to try and sell anything extra before the customer leaves the store.

It could be said that Ikea uses omni channelling within their brand. The guides and instructions that are given with the products as well as the interaction within store gives a seamless shopping experience.

Ikea is known for its simple design in manuals. Within these instruction manuals they try to use as little text as possible and the visuals are demonstrated simply and carefully for a wide audience to be able to understand them. The simplicity in the manuals is very opposite to the design in-store. It is similar in the way that it uses visuals to communicate to its customers but you can see that no colour is used in the manual at all. The retail design gives an element of inspiration to what you could create within your own home but the manual has more functionality to it. It needs to be clear, in black and white and that helps for it to be assembled.

Similar to the end process within the store which is about the finding of items you have already been enticed by, Ikea has already done its job of enticing you with a product and ensuring the purchase of an item. Therefore, there is no need for the manual to be visually appealing as that has already been done through the in-store retail design.

You can see that Ikea’s main aim is to offer the visuals first and the functionality later.

This process works in order to give their customers a pleasant shopping experience.

Without retail design Ikea wouldn’t appeal to such a wide range of customers. The visuals are the key factor to gaining and keeping customers in Ikea and the element that makes them want to return.

Figure 24, assembly instructions (2016)

Figure 23, R. Robinson-Reid, Ikea instruction manual (2016) [primary research]

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Many factors within retail combine to create a good customer environment and most retailers will aim to create the ultimate customer shopping experience. Retail design is one of the main factors that will get a customer engaged and into a store.

The aim of retail design is to get a customer interested so that they want to explore the products, leading to a sale and then making them want to return. The target audience should be the most important aspect of a business so it is essential that the retail design is focused not only around the products and the brand but also the customer.

Through the findings of the dissertation, it becomes apparent that customer experience is enhanced through retail design in-store through many factors. The main of these being visual merchandising. Visual merchandising is key within retail design and it has hugely developed over time. Without retail design a store could not fully represent its brand and visual merchandising helps to update a store through the changes in trends, seasons and events to appeal to different customers at different times. Retail design is the element that creates differentiation between stores and it completes the whole construction of a brand in-store. Without retail design a customer would only be able to create a sense of experience through product which then you would not have as much of a reason to go into one store over another.

The aim of this research was to understand the role of design within a retail environment and how it is applied to enhancing a customers shopping experience in-store. Finding out through the exploration of exhibition design within primary research helped to heighten the understanding of why store design is so important in retail. From speaking to clothing designer Lisa Touw, it showed how this knowledge of designing for an exhibition space is applied to enhancing the customer experience. In many of the research carried out in this dissertation the main focus is the customer and retail design will always need new ways of engaging customers to buy retail products.

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Figure 1, Global retail platform, Old storefront window, photograph (2014) Available at: istorefront.wordpress.com [Accessed on: 22/11/16] Figure 2, anon., Colour wheel, digital (2011) Available at: http://www.co-bw.com/GraphicDesign_Color_Theory_and_Color_Wheel.htm [Accessed on: 4/12/16] Figure 3, Harjit Singh, Diagonal floor plan, Scanned from book (2009) Figure 4, Catherine Nellan, Topshop in-store, photograph (2014) Available at: drapersonline.com [Accessed on: 22/11/16] Figure 5, The works, The works store, photograph (2016) Available at: theworks. co.uk [Accessed on: 25/11/16] Figure 6, The works, The works in-store, photograph (2016) Available at: theworks. co.uk [Accessed on: 25/11/16] Figure 7, John Ryan, Paperchase St James, photograph (2014) Available at: retail-week.com [Accessed on: 25/11/16] Figure 8, Solartek, Case study asda, photograph (2016) Available at: solartekfilms. co.uk/casestudy/asda/#WER1MrXfWEc [Accessed on: 4/12/16] Figure 9, Victoria Thompson, Oasis store, photograph (2012) Available at: www. retail-week.com/how-has-oasis-became-an-omnichannel-retailer/5035725.blog [Accessed on: 25/11/16] Figure 10, Yorkon, Tesco supermarket, photograph (2016) Available at: yorkon. co.uk/projects/tesco-emergency-store-worvington [Accessed on: 4/12/16]

Figure 11, Lyndsey Dennis, Oxford street shop, photograph (2015) Available at: www.retail-focus.co.uk/projects/1424-project-lush [Accessed on: 18/09/16] Figure 12, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Lush Birmingham, photograph (2016) Figure 13, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Lush spa experience, photograph (2016) Figure 14, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Lush spa, photograph (2016) Figure 15, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Lush spa, photograph (2016) Figure 16, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea floor channelling, photograph (2016) Figure 17, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea way finding, photograph (2016) Figure 18, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea childrens’ section, photograph (2016) Figure 19, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea information, photograph (2016) Figure 20, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea information point, photograph (2016) Figure 21, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, services, photograph (2016) Figure 22, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea warehouse, photograph (2016) Figure 23, Rochelle Robinson-Reid, Ikea instruction manual, photograph (2016) Figure 24, Ikea, Assembly instructions, pdf (2016) Available at: http://www.ikea. com/gb/en/doc/assembly_instructions/lack__aa-472482-2_pub.pdf [Accessed on: 3/12/16]

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Aguis, Aaron (2015) 7 inspiring exmaples of omni-channel user experiences, Available at: blog.hubspot.com/marketing/omni-channel-user-experience-examples [Accessed on: 25/11/16] Calver, Giles (2001) Retail Graphics, Switzerland: RotoVision Coca-cola retailers research council (2004) The world according to shoppers [pdf] North America, Available at: http://www.ccrrc.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/24/2014/02/World_According_to_Shoppers_2004.pdf [Accessed on: 10/9/16] Hure, Elodie, Picout-Coupey, Karine and Piveteau, Lauren (2016) Channel design to enrich customers’ shopping experiences: Synchronising clicks with bricks in an omni-channel perspective – the Direct Optic case, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 44 Iss. 3, pp.336 – 368 Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/IJRDM-04-2015-0056 [Accessed on: 19/05/16] Ikea.com [Accessed on: 17/11/16] Lush Retail (2016) Freshness policy, Available at: uk.lush.com/article/freshness-policy [Accessed on: 23/11/16] Lyon, Phillipa (2011) Design Education. Learning, teaching and researching through design, England: Gower publishing Ltd Lyndsey, Dennis (2015) Project: Lush, Available at www.retail-focus.co.uk/projects/1424-project-lush [Accessed on: 18/09/16] Maila, Ville and Stahlberg, Markus (2010) Shopper marketing. How to increase purchase decisions at the point of sale, United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited Morgan, Tony (2008) Visual merchandising. Window and in-store displays for retail, London: Laurence king publishing Singh, Harjit (2009) Retail management A global perspective, New Dehli: S. Chand publishing TeNeues (2006) Shop design, Los Angeles: Fusion publishing

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Books Briggs, Katharine C. and Briggs-Myers, Isabel (1997) MBTI Step 1 Report booklet, Oxford: OPP Ltd Calver, Giles (2001) Retail Graphics, Switzerland: RotoVision Daab (2007) Event Design, Stuttgart: Daab Dowdy, Clare (2008) One off independent retail design, London: Laurence King publishing Hayes, Nicky and Orrell, Sue (1993) Psychology as an introduction, 2nd edition, London: Longman Group UK Ltd Jones, John (1990) Design methods, 2nd edition, London: David Fulton publishers Lyon, Phillipa (2011) Design Education. Learning, teaching and researching through design, England: Gower publishing Ltd Maila, Ville and Stahlberg, Markus (2010) Shopper marketing. How to increase purchase decisions at the point of sale, United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited Morgan, Tony (2008) Visual merchandising. Window and in-store displays for retail, London: Laurence king publishing Riewoldt, Otto (2000) Retail Design, London: Laurence King publishing Singh, Harjit (2009) Retail management A global perspective, New Dehli: S. Chand publishing TeNeues (2006) Shop design, Los Angeles: Fusion publishing Thornes, Nelson (1995) The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: A critical review and practical guide, Great Britain: Anthony Rowe V.M, S.D (2000) Visual Merchandising 2. Image and identity, Ohio: ST Publications Inc Online Aguis, Aaron (2015) 7 inspiring exmaples of omni-channel user experiences, Available at: blog.hubspot.com/marketing/omni-channel-user-experience-examples [Accessed on: 25/11/16]

Berridge, Graham (2007) Events design and Experience, Available at: http://www. myilibrary.com?ID=74737 [Accessed on: 19/05/16] Coca-cola retailers research council (2004) The world according to shoppers [pdf] North America, Available at: http://www.ccrrc.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/24/2014/02/World_According_to_Shoppers_2004.pdf [Accessed on: 10/9/16] Hure, Elodie, Picout-Coupey, Karine and Piveteau, Lauren (2016) Channel design to enrich customers’ shopping experiences: Synchronising clicks with bricks in an omni-channel perspective – the Direct Optic case, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 44 Iss. 3, pp.336 – 368 Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/IJRDM-04-2015-0056 [Accessed on: 19/05/16] Ikea.com [Accessed on: 17/11/16] Lilley, D. (2009) Design for sustainable behaviour strategies and perceptions, Design studies, Vol 30, No 6. Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.bcu. ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0142694X09000301 [Accessed on: 19/05/16] Lyndsey, Dennis (2015) Project: Lush, Available at www.retail-focus.co.uk/projects/1424-project-lush [Accessed on: 18/09/16] Lush Retail (2016) Freshness policy, Available at: uk.lush.com/article/freshness-policy [Accessed on: 23/11/16] Murphy, S. (2007) Store planning and design: Enhancing the retail experience, Chain Store Age, Vol 83, No 5 pp. 208-208,210. Available at: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/docview/222052733?pq-origsite=summon [Accessed on: 19/05/16] The Myers & Briggs foundation (2016) Available at: www.myersbriggs.org [Accessed on: 4/10/16] NERIS Analytics Limited (2011-2016) 16 personalities. Available at: www.16personalities.com [Accessed on: 6/09/16] Thompson, Victoria (2012) How has oasis become an omni channel retailer, Available at: www.retail-week.com/how-has-oasis-become-an-omnichannel-retailer/5035725.blog [Accessed on: 25/11/16]

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Interview with Cate Davies, assistant manager of a sewing store on Visual merchandising How do you get everything done in a short deadline?

Setting objectives, using a daily planner and delegating How do you prepare for a window display?

Look at the best sellers, stock levels, advanced weather forecasts, new trends and colour ways How do you prepare for a change in season?

Weather reports, stock package alterations through head office, floor changes to push seasonal stock (i/e knitwear/shorts) to front of store.

How does communication work within a team?

To ensure smooth running of anything everyone needs to be on the same page and everyone needs to have the same knowledge of the product and layout.

Is it important to record the outcome of visual merchandising/sales?

Very, sales are always affected by store layout, which can make shopping difficult, if too much product, best sellers, hidden and seasonal stock is in the wrong places or not on the shop floor.

How do you make sure every aspect is covered when working in a store?

Communication with your team, delegation of tasks, head office feed back, assessing reports, floor walks and planning How do you out-do what’s already been done before?

Constantly searching the web for ideas, thinking outside the box, knowing your customer needs and ensuring the team are all fully trained and aware of all things and forward thinking.

Do you recognise any relation between store design and event design?

Both have the same end goal – to get the best from your product, both visually and through high sales and reputation

How do you go from idea to delivery? What’s the process?

Planning, time scale, teamwork, staff members required. Delegation, sample products, customer feed back and team meetings How does target audience affect the work you create?

You can only sell a product if the market is there. You access age, gender, career an aim your work to suit those needs.

How can I link visual merchandising and retail experience for my dissertation and future career plans?

A business is only any good if its successful and profitable

END OF INTERVIEW

  Interview with Lisa Touw; Clothes maker and owner of independent brand psiclone.

What is your brand?

Psiclone Who is your target audience?

Young to middle aged, alternative/designer/creative people. People who dare to be smartly different How do you consider target audience and customer service when designing your clothes?

I try to deliver styles that I know certain customers would want to wear, they lead me with ideas. Also I try to make things no one else is doing When you go to shows/festivals how do you design your stall?

Design of the stall mostly depends on the type of space I get given, either forward

facing and straight or a corner shape. I arrange the rails and props according to this and try to put banners where most people would see them How do you keep your audience interested in the clothes you make?

I only make small batches that change each time. I re-make them sometimes three times a year Do you ever vary your designs? Or your brand image?

Brand logo stays the same, print can vary and clothing designs will vary.

If you had a store how would you design it to attract customers?

A store would have to be in the right place, some where with easy footfall. An eye catching exterior and well lit inside with a statement changing room and counter area.

How did you create the image for your brand?

I tried to think of something classic with a twist, people like tradition. Images will change but the logo will always stay the same.

Any more comments you can make on customer experiences from a designer point of view?

Customers like good service with staff that know about the brand and can give good insight into it. Also staff/owners need to be friendly and honest about their designs and how they look on people buying them. They like good advice.

END OF INTERVIEW

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Interview with J’Rome Parsons, Co-owner of independent brand middlekid What is your brand?

Middlekid clothing Who is your brand aimed at?

Our brand is aimed at 15-30 year olds that are looking for high quality clothing with unique designs.

How was target audience considered when starting up your business?

We felt like there was no clothing brand that offered the clothes that we liked, there was always something missing. So we started sketching small designs and we delegated and came up with our range.

You don’t have a physical shop but how does your website attract customers?

We try and harness social media and we also do photo shoots in different places such as abandoned buildings or rural settings. We also try to update our websites regularly with new clothes monthly.

How do you present good customer service?

We offer a number of contact options on our website and we reply to any queries on the same day to help keep customer satisfaction high.

Do you compare yourself to any other brands?

We try to keep our concentration on our own designs however we do keep an eye on trends to keep up to date.

Do you see your brand extending further into retail in the future?

We do have certain aims in the future but we aim to stay online for the foreseeable future as factors such as rent for a store and employee wages will make costs too high. We would like to expand onto other websites such as Asos and be stocked in other stores.

END OF INTERVIEW

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This was only a small survey. The results from this were 40% male feedback and 60% female feedback from the ages of 19-45.

From the questions asked I found that 80% of people shop in supermarkets. 70% percent of people preferred to shop online and their reasons for this were that it was quicker, you could do it from home and often they didn’t have the time to go in store.

Does the type of brand usually affect what you buy? The response from this was 40% yes and 60% no.

When asking what your favourite store was there was only 2 results that were exclusively online stores which was asos and ebay. The other responses were all high street retail stores.

The responses from asking what makes good customer service were all very similar stating that they like service with a smile, polite and helpful staff.

END OF SURVEY

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