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2013-11 Retail Focus Full page emb 1.indd 1
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Features Regulars Grey matter
The Viktor&Rolf boutique on Rue Saint-HonorÊ in Paris is the brand’s first flagship store in France and is rendered entirely in grey felt
61 Online to offline
68-69 Focus on: Props
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Sustainable design
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Leader
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17-18 Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe.
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24-32 Project Focus
Viktor&Rolf : Drummonds : Dunhill Tobacco of London
Diary
11-14 N ews
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37 Technology Supplement
Top of the POPS Karl McKeever Towns succeeding today are those that have got a solid business plan and are receiving support from local bodies, shopkeepers and consumers, says Karl.
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Opinion
The time has come to challenge retail stereotypes, argues Danielle Pinnington, managing director at research consultancy Shoppercentric.
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Q&A
This month we talk to Kristine Kirby who has taken on the newly created role of ecommerce director at menswear brand Hackett.
65-67 Products Products and services for the retail industry.
www.retail-focus.co.uk
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leader
February ‘14
‘The physical store has a key role to play in shaping brand perceptions and the focus should be on providing inspiring and engaging store environments,’ says the Retail in 2014: Trends and Winning Strategies report from Conlumino and SAS. The study, which includes top trading tips for the year ahead, suggests that multichannel retailers should recognise the evolving role of physical stores and balance the gradual decline in performance of some physical outlets with the often essential role that these stores play in the overall purchasing process. Indeed, bricks-and-mortar stores provide a multisensory brand experience which can drive customer loyalty. This is one of the reasons why a growing number of ecommerce businesses are expanding offline. This month, we look at the clicks-to-bricks trend and talk to some online retailers who have expanded into physical stores (pages 61-62). Also in this issue, we explore recent developments in wearable technology and ask what impact it is likely to have on retail in the near future (pages 45-46). With RBTE 2014 just around the corner, we find out what’s in store for visitors (pages 51-52) and Kristine Kirby, ecommerce director at menswear brand Hackett, talks challenges and opportunities, and what plans she has for the company in her newly created role (page 74). That’s in addition to our regular Project Focus, where this month we cover the new store concepts for Viktor&Rolf, Drummonds and Dunhill Tobacco of London. Until next month!
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diary
Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined Royal Academy of Arts, London 25 January - 6 April 2014 The Main Galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts have been transformed by seven architectural practices from around the world. The RA is redefining the traditional architectural exhibition to immerse visitors in a multisensory experience. Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined considers architecture from the angle of the human encounter: how vision, touch, sound and memory play a role in our perceptions of space, proportion, materials and light. The installations will engage visitors with structures, textures, sounds, spaces and even scents.
royalacademy www.royalacademy.org.uk
RBTE Earls Court, London 11-12 March 2014
Wearable Technology Show Olympia, London 18-19 March 2014
GlobalShop Las Vegas, U.S. 18-20 March 2014
Now in its fourth year, the Retail Business Technology Expo is an important event for European retail, hospitality, leisure operators and etailers who want to keep up to date with the latest solutions available to help them grow their business, improve productivity and improve the customer experience.
The Wearable Technology Show 2014 will enable visitors to get hands on with smartwatches, wristbands, Google Glass and a host of new wearable devices. Over two days, delegates will hear from more than 70 speakers and gain unique insight into current and future opportunities.
GlobalShop is an annual event for retail design and shopper marketing. Taking place in Las Vegas, the show is divided into six pavilions; The Store Fixturing Show, The Visual Merchandising Show, Store Design and Operations, The Digital Store, At-Retail Marketplace and Retail Marketing Services.
Wearabletecshow www.wearabletechnologyshow.net
globalshopshow www.globalshop.org
rbtexpo www.retailbusinesstechnologyexpo.com
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V I B R A N T, M AG N I F I C E N T & DA Z Z L I N G A spectacular carnival of colour. A dizzying display of merchandising magic. Come and be inspired. The Visual Merchandising and Display Show 2014. 29th April – 1st May 2014 Business Design Centre, London T: 01945 420 068 E: enquiries@rvmww.com www.vmanddisplay.com
news
Karl Lagerfeld to launch first UK flagship Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld will open his first UK flagship store in March on London’s Regent Street. The store will be the latest addition to an international roll out of Karl Lagerfeld boutiques and will combine the brand’s aspirational and accessible luxury collections and iconic design aesthetic with cutting-edge digital technology. Spanning 250 sq m - the biggest European Karl Lagerfeld store to date the interior will encapsulate the distinctive essence of the Karl Lagerfeld brand. Throughout the space mirrors and walls of light will illuminate and enhance the collection on display. Modern black and white features will be juxtaposed against classic accents, all offset by shiny and matte elements. Beyond the fashion and accessories collections, the concept store will embrace Karl Lagerfeld’s affinity and connection to the digital world, doubling as a virtual window to the designer himself. iPad minis will be integrated into display racks, enabling visitors to explore the entire
collection online. Shoppers will be invited to use a digital guestbook on Karl iPads, where they can view the latest collections and news, watch videos, surf Karl.com, and take photos of their favourite items. To further engage consumers and invite them to connect with the multifaceted brand, fitting rooms will be equipped with photobooths. Built-in touchscreens will allow shoppers to photograph their looks and apply various Karl-inspired filters to their photos, which can then be shared via Facebook, Twitter and email. Pier Paolo Righi, CEO of Karl Lagerfeld, comments: ‘I am thrilled to announce the opening of our flagship store at this
landmark location to showcase the world of Karl Lagerfeld. Opening on Regent Street provides us with an exceptional opportunity to position our brand in this important market. London is one of the world’s leading cities when it comes to retail and this location offers a unique brand mix. Our London presence will be a fantastic representation of our brand’s aesthetic, and it showcases our cool, accessible-luxe collections in a cutting-edge environment.’ Karl Lagerfeld has also opened stores in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Antwerp, Shanghai and Beijing. The London flagship boutique will open on Friday 14 March.
Samsung & Carphone Warehouse collaborate on new European store concept Samsung Electronics has signed a ‘preferred partner’ agreement with Carphone Warehouse to operate more than 60 Samsung stand-alone stores across Europe. The agreement follows the opening in 2013 of three stand-alone stores in Spain, operated by Carphone Warehouse. The new stores will be rolled out in the next three months across seven European markets: UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands. The stores will have a ‘premium look and feel’ and will sell Samsung mobile communications products across Samsung’s full range of mobiles, tablets, laptops and wearables.
The new customer experience will merge retail and technology innovations, such as Carphone Warehouse’s assisted sales tool and connectivity platform using Samsung branded tablets. Andrew Harrison, chief executive officer of Carphone Warehouse, comments: ‘We are delighted to have been chosen as Samsung’s preferred European partner for their store roll-out. Our Connected World Services business will combine Carphone Warehouse’s retailing expertise and systems with one of the world’s biggest brands and will help us make even more lives better through connected technology.’
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news
In brief... Toy shop Hamleys has introduced a new attraction for visitors to its London Regent Street store. Located on the lower ground floor, the new Hamleys Underground brings a tube station to life through experiences such as games and through design elements from London’s famous transport system. Central to the attraction is a train drivers cab that entered service on the Piccadilly line in the 1970s. Momentum Instore has provided in-store marketing support to B&Q for a complete range refresh of the flooring offering in 105 of the retailer’s North and North West division stores. The project involved installing new wooden flooring display boards, replacing old trim stands with Scotia stands, introducing a new rug display mechanism, refreshing all other existing ranges and introducing an XL planks range. Real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has advised footwear brand Clarks on a new store in Istanbul, Turkey. The 150 sq m outlet – Clarks’ fifth Turkish store – is located at the Capacity Shopping Mall in the city’s Bakırköy business district.
RIBA announces 2014 RIBA Windows Project in Shanghai Following the success of the London Regent Street Windows Project and 2012 Shanghai Windows Project, the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) is working with the British Council and Chinese developer, China Xintiandi to develop an ambitious public design exhibition, linking retailers in Shanghai that will also coincide with Shanghai Fashion Week. The ‘Design Your Style RIBA Windows Project @ Shanghai Xintiandi 2014’ partners 10 RIBA small practices with international fashion brands located in Xintiandi to create eye-catching window displays of an architectural nature. The architects work closely with their retail partners to interpret and represent the brand in the form of a physical installation. Internationally renowned architect, UN Studio has been commissioned by China Xintiandi to create two gateway installations for the project: an extended corridor archway along Madang Road that
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Major retailers to offer click & collect services at London Underground stations Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it is entering into partnership with several major companies to bring click and collect services to London Underground. Tesco, Waitrose and automated parcel locker company InPost are all set to establish click and collect facilities at stations, transforming the services on offer to customers as they move around the transport network. TfL has been developing click and collect services at London Underground station car parks since November 2013, with a six month trial with Asda Grocery click and collect services at six station car parks. The trial has been successful and TfL is in discussions with Asda to expand the service. Subject to final testing at the locations, Tesco and Waitrose will install click and collect facilities at up to six stations each this year, while InPost, which provides parcel delivery services for multiple retailers, will install lockers at three stations. TfL is also working with small businesses and start up companies to offer a diverse range of services and goods. Mike Brown MVO, managing director of London Underground, comments:
‘Over 11 million journeys take place on our public transport network each day and there is a fantastic opportunity for us to work with commercial partners to deliver products and services that our customers want, and as a result also grow revenues that we then reinvest in improving the transport network.’ Robin Phillips, Waitrose director, ecommerce, adds: ‘Giving our customers as many ways as possible to buy and collect their groceries on the move is key to building on the phenomenal growth seen at Waitrose.com. Collection lockers will unlock the potential to reach customers in locations where we don’t have a shop and which are very convenient, such as on the way home from work or the school run. More and more people are adding an online shopping mission to their way of buying from Waitrose and we will continue to invest in making sure that we give them what they want, when they want it.’ From February, Tesco will roll out click and collect services at London Underground station car parks at Osterley, Newbury Park, Rayners Lane, Finchley Central, Arnos Grove and Cockfosters.
frames the entrance to Xintiandi Style, and the entrance gate to Shanghai Fashion Week. Both installations use reflection to reinterpret the relationship between urban context and viewers, drawing on the interactive nature of the overall project.
The further 10 installations are equally engaging and playful, and will be distributed in shops around the Shanghai Xintiandi site. All 12 installations will be on display in Shanghai Xintiandi and Xintiandi Style from 28 March - 5 May 2014.
news
Michael Kors opens at Jubilee Place extension American fashion designer Michael Kors has opened a new store in Jubilee Place at Canary Wharf, London. Designed by the inhouse team, the 145 sq m store carries a selection of accessories from the Michael Kors Collection and MICHAEL Michael Kors labels, as well as watches, jewellery, footwear and eyewear. ‘London has such a great shopping scene and I’m thrilled to open our newest store in Canary Wharf,’ says Michael Kors. ‘The women in London have a fabulously eclectic style. I think they’ll love mixing up their wardrobes with what they find in our store.’ The store experience is designed to echo the label’s casualchic aesthetic, using elements like zebra-print furniture, sleek metal and mirrored surfaces and glossy, large-scale vintage photographs to evoke jet-set glamour and timeless sophistication. The Jubilee Place extension launched towards the end of 2013 and has added 21 new stores to Canary Wharf’s existing offer of more than 280 shops, bars, restaurants and cafes.
Retail Trust London Ball raises £1.1 million Industry charity the Retail Trust raised £1.1 million at its 61st London Ball in January. Hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke at The Grosvenor House on Park Lane, the annual London event helped raise funds to support the needs of the three million people working in retail in the UK. Organisations present at the carnivalthemed event included American Express, Barclays, Clarks, Coral, Debenhams, Hammerson, House of Fraser, John Lewis, New Look, Next, Sony, Walt Disney, Spar and Ted Baker. Marty Plocica, chair of the ball committee, welcomed the 1,000 luminaries of retail before making a presentation to Michael Sharp, CEO of Debenhams, to
commemorate the 200th anniversary of the creation of the department store group. ‘It has been a great honour to chair the 61st Retail Trust Ball,’ said Plocica. ‘I would thank those who have made this wonderful evening. Since 1832 Retail Trust has provided support for all involved. Now more than ever the demand for their services advice, care and support every day of the year.’ Richard Boland, chief executive of Retail Trust, praised the work of retailers across the UK and thanked the attendees for making the event, sponsored by American Express, even more special than last year.
Appointments... Retail design and architecture firm, Four-by-Two has made three director appointments as the business pushes forward with its strategy of growth. Rebecca du Feu, Meriem Jabrane and Cameron Welsh, all long-term employees at Four-by-Two, joined the existing board on 1 February. Jabrane becomes commercial director and du Feu design director, both based in the London office. Welsh is promoted to design director at the company’s Edinburgh office. Global point-of-purchase design, merchandise and manufacturing company Creative Instore Solutions (CIS) has announced the appointment of Sam Purchase to the role of business development manager EMEA.
EE to extend retail presence UK digital communications company EE has announced plans to open 50 new stores in 2014, as it enters the next stage of its wider retail improvement programme. As well as offering a boost for the UK’s high streets and retail parks, the new stores are set to create an estimated 350 new jobs for local communities. EE retail director, Deirdre Burns comments: ‘This is a truly exciting time for our business. We have just announced that over two million customers enjoy superfast 4G – twice our target for 2013. Our retail team has played a key role in this success and we have no intention of standing still. The high street is working for us, and we are committed to operating the best shops, in the right locations. ‘We’ve already determined the new locations where we will develop and grow and now have plans for 50 EE stores to open in the areas, including a number of franchise outlets, over the next 12 months creating hundreds of new jobs,’ continues Burns. In addition to the new stores and jobs, EE’s retail strategy sets out wider plans, including a multimillion pound investment programme to modernise stores and introduce innovative new formats.
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news
Creative industries worth £8 million an hour to UK economy
Case Luggage unveils new store design for Heathrow T2 Work has begun on the new Case Luggage standalone store at Heathrow Terminal 2. Created in collaboration with Raylian Design, Case is the only travel goods store to be selected for the new terminal and will stock a selection of premium brands for luggage, leather goods, travel accessories and gadgets when it opens in the summer. Heathrow challenged retailers bidding for a place in Terminal 2 to create a flexible retail offer through digital technology. The central feature of the shop will be a ‘lighthouse’ structure with full-height LCD monitors that can be
programmed to show synchronised and independent visuals to full effect. ‘Our aim is to create a completely different kind of luggage store,’ comments Stephen Spitz, CEO and chairman of Case. ‘The environment will be totally interactive and technologically advanced and will offer a wide range of luggage and travel accessories from many of the world’s top brands, including Tumi and Rimowa.’ The store is expected to open on 4 June 2014.
STA Travel redesigns London flagship
Student and youth travel company, STA Travel has relaunched its flagship store in Victoria, London following a complete redesign. The investment follows
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the opening of five new retail outlets in the UK in 2013, including the company’s first pop-up shop at Boxpark, Shoreditch. The store exterior incorporates a large
Official statistics published by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport reveal that the UK’s creative industries, which include architecture, graphic design and advertising and marketing, are now worth £71.4 billion per year to the UK economy. The Creative Industries Economic Estimates are official statistics used to measure the direct economic contribution of the creative industries to the UK economy; providing an analysis of the contribution made by the Creative Industries to UK Employment, Gross Value Added (GVA) and Exports of Services. The findings show that the creative industries accounted for 1.68 million jobs in 2012, 5.6 per cent of the total number of jobs in the UK. Creative Industries Council Chair, Nicola Mendelsohn comments: ‘These figures amply demonstrate the huge contribution our sector makes to the economy and it’s vital that the right framework is in place to nurture and support the industry. We are working with Government on developing a growth strategy for the sector which will identify how all involved can ensure the creative industries continue to go from strength to strength.’
video screen supplied by Buzz Radar that features the latest deals and destination videos as well as live social media conversations. Inside the store, the space is divided into three main zones: a central ‘inspiration zone’, an amphitheatre and a ‘planning zone’. It also comprises four new travel clinics, a foreign exchange bureau and a dedicated Eurolines coach desk. Jackie Knell, STA Travel sales director, comments: ‘STA Travel caters for everyone with a passion for travel: from student, to young professionals, to the young at heart traveller. We’re delighted to be continuing to expand and reinvigorate our physical retail presence on the high streets of the UK. It’s an important part of our distribution strategy and one that is growing, rather than receding, despite the fact we are catering for the most tech-savvy travelling generation ever.’ STA Travel collaborated with The One Off and Household Design on the new store concept.
Bursting display Bursting with with ideas ideasfor foryour yourretail exhibition www.bbrown.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 8705 340340 | Fax: +44 (0) 8705 329610 | Email: customerservices@bbrown.co.uk
visual merchandising
Window Bergdorf Goodman Bathed in red light, the windows at Bergdorf Goodman in New York celebrate Chinese New Year with the latest spring collections. Featuring papier mâché horses, the 58th Street windows celebrate The Year of the Horse in vivid style.
shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe
Le Bon Marché To inaugurate the new year, premium Paris department store Le Bon Marché unveiled its ‘ Têtes de Mois’ window scheme. On display from 11 January to 8 February, the windows feature sculptural heads which evoke the months of the year through a variety of accessories.
Harrods London department store Harrods celebrates Chinese New Year with horse-inspired window displays in vibrant red and gold hues. Paying tribute to the Year of the Horse, the displays on Brompton Road showcase product from across the store, including exclusive Chinese New Year gifts.
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visual merchandising
Liberty For Spring/Summer 2014 Liberty London wanted to shake off winter and embrace colour. The windows are swathed in colourama paper, which has been slashed, hollowed and curled to reveal the new way to layer suits, tech fabric footwear and colourful design classics for the home. The graphics are iconic London cityscapes layered with bright colours.
Adidas Originals x Stan Smith StudioXAG has designed, fabricated and installed this display at the Adidas flagship store in Berlin to celebrate the return of the Stan Smith. Using the classic green and white colours, stacks of Stan Smith white shoe boxes have been piled from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall, revealing Stan Smith’s name on a green pegboard backdrop, which was inspired by the perforated iconic 3 stripes running across each box. Bright green strip lights are used to cast light and create shade over the holes of the pegboard, and to accentuate each letter from a distance.
Levi’s Levi’s has collaborated with Lucky Fox to bring its Spring/ Summer 2014 concept to life in the Berlin Icon and Regent Street stores. Continuing the theme of ‘good things take time’, the 2014 Levi’s Made & Crafted store window elements use water and beach imagery, focussing on grains of sand to represent the patience and detail that goes into making the collection. Canvas, ply-wood and paint are used in the displays to create a representation of light reflecting on water.
Hackett ‘Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain’ declares Hackett. The rain windows, featuring actual running water, were produced in collaboration with Harlequin Design.
Selfridges As part of the Festival of Imagination, the windows at Selfridges London explore the inner workings of the imagination of an eclectic mix of celebrated imagineers, such as maverick designer Rolf Sachs, British design innovator and artist Dominic Wilcox, and architecture and design practice Minimaforms. Some windows are a personal representation of aspects of the imaginary world of these imagineers, while others present an account of their vision of the future.
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POP
p o t POPS e h t f o
Company: The Maxim Creative Group
Client: Chelsea Football Club
Display title: Champions League Museum Feature
Sector: Sport & Leisure
Locations: Chelsea FC Museum
The brief: Chelsea Football Club commissioned retail design firm The Maxim Creative Group to design and manufacture an original museum feature piece to showcase the UEFA Champions League trophy and players shirts from their historic night.
The result: The Maxim Creative Group produced a one-of-a-kind permanent museum feature display to complement the achievement of the Chelsea UEFA Champions League winners. The main body is constructed from glass reinforced plastic (GRP) with a metal sub framework, while 10mm low iron glass is used for the shirt and trophy display units. LED lighting enclosed in acrylic cylinders is used to display the player hero shirts. The feature area, which also incorporates video projection, is a completely new space for visitors to view and enjoy the collection of Chelsea-related memorabilia.
www.themaximgroup.co.uk
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26/11/13 12:12
Q&A column
Karl McKeever The second wind of the high street I wonder if I am the only one to have noticed the renaissance of Britain’s secondary high streets? Certainly, as I have been out and about I have noticed that there are towns which seem to have recently reinvented themselves or are in the process of doing so. For anyone who wants to take a look for themselves, good examples of these towns are Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, Stamford in Lincolnshire, Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and Market Harborough in Leicestershire. Each of these towns has new niche brands opening up and all within a certain demographic. The brands in town tend to be of the affluent lifestyle category and of a higher than average level of taste, style and price. These include The White Company, White Stuff, Joules, Crew Clothing, Fat Face, Waitrose and the like. Even my own sleepy town of Oakham now boasts a Fat Face. Leamington Spa has bucked the trend nationally in terms of low shop vacancy rates, as the local town council and collective business community have been very active in developing a new blueprint for the town, known as a Business Improvement District (BID). There are many of these across the UK, some more successful than others. Leamington’s was recently featured on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours show, where the town centre manager revealed the town’s very dynamic approach. Essentially, they have been actively encouraging new, attractive brands to set up shop, where they are being given very favourable conditions to do so. Sounds so simple doesn’t it? In the town they have been proactive around developing special events and supporting the retailers with marketing initiatives and activities to draw traffic into the centre at weekends. Whether by intervention, design or simply because the brands have seen these terms as attractive themselves, there is definitely a movement of thought within some smaller and more imaginative towns to reinvent themselves. I find this really interesting and positive, as it’s certainly an antidote to internet shopping and some of the big, boring regional ‘clone’ town centres. To put some of the aforementioned towns into perspective, Stamford faces competition from Peterborough just 20 miles away. Leamington competes with the mighty Birmingham - just a short hop up the M40, and Market Harborough has the competing
centres of Leicester and Northampton on its doorstep. What strikes me is that what we have said previously is actually happening in reality. Quite simply; that the high street is very resilient and not dead. Far from it. It’s just being repurposed and reimagined in line with changing times. The high street is simply a very flexible and adaptable vehicle, and the brands are beginning to understand this. When towns have imaginative councils and business communities that are focused on reinvigorating the retail proposition, they can work with retailers to really make a difference and certainly in places like Stamford, people are working together to create a very attractive destination for leisure shoppers. It’s true that towns such as Leamington Spa are seeing lower vacancy rates than other equivalent destinations - and while this could be due to the immense tourism pull of the town, it’s fair to say that the proactive efforts of the BID should also be credited. A long time ago, I wrote about Munich and how the city’s authorities have also sought to maximise the impact of the cultural event calendar by intertwining it with shopping, eating and sleeping over in the city. Towns like Leamington and their BIDs are doing this admirably, and the affluent brands that are close to their customers understand this, move in and trade well. Consumers still want to shop on the high street. It’s just that a lot of the fun went out of this in the recession with acres of empty units, charity shops and discount stores paving the way for people to shop online. If we can take one lesson from our secondary high streets, it’s that they have created an attractive shopping experience that is more fun than shopping online, as it combines aspiration, great brands, leisure and social interaction. Remember in the recession, the luxury market was hit less than the high street. Interestingly, of the towns that I mention, none of them have been involved in government retail improvement programmes beyond their BIDs. If we look at Margate for example, which could play the tourism card like Leamington, it was unsuccessful before entering into an improvement scheme and this is still the case despite all of the investment that has gone into it. For me, the towns that are succeeding today are those which have got a solid business plan, firm local foundations and are receiving support from local bodies, shop keepers and the consumers who are all getting behind their towns as they genuinely believe in their offer. Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.
Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co www.visualthinking.co.uk
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project focus
Viktor + Rolf Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris
Photography: Luc Boegly
Design: Architecture & Associés Opening date: December 2013 Store size: 650 sq m
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The Viktor&Rolf store on the prestigious Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris is said to reflect the design codes that established and continue to define the Amsterdam-based fashion house: conceptual glamour, provocative couture, rebellious sophistication, and unexpected elegance. Conceived by Pierre Beucler and Jean-Christophe Poggioli of Architecture & Associés, it is the brand’s first flagship boutique in France and showcases all the lines, from womenswear and menswear to handbags, shoes, perfume and eyewear. Spacious yet intimate, the 650 sq m store is spread across two levels and is rendered entirely in grey felt. ‘We wanted a store that would be invisible,’ comment designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. ‘By executing architecture in fabric, the experience of shopping becomes more intimate and more personal. It’s a sensory experience.’ Driven by a taste for the paradoxical, the designers wanted an eternal environment for their ever-changing collections. In their own words, ‘a striking world where every and anybody’s desires or fantasies can be borne upon what we do’. In response, the architects came up with the concept of ghost architecture. As everything is covered in grey felt, from the floors and walls to ceilings and furniture, the interior does somehow disappear giving prominence to the garments. With the Viktor&Rolf wax seal in high-gloss black at its centre, the design turns ‘echoes of neo-classicism into contemporary
project focus
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project focus
design’. The space is marked by the inviting perspective of arches that frame the staircase leading down to the lower level. ‘The space upstairs is quite modest,’ note Viktor & Rolf. ‘You have to take the stairs down to enter some sort of mystery.’ Elegantly centred around a classical rotunda featuring a felt bouquet, the lower level comprises three distinct areas: women’s ready-to-wear, women’s shoes and accessories, and men’s ready-to-wear and shoes. It also features a VIP area with shopping consultants offering a personalised service. ‘We have always considered Paris to be our fashion home and are therefore very proud to open a flagship store, a proper place of our own,’ enthuse the designers. ‘With the avant-garde design of neo-classically inspired ghost architecture, executed in all grey felt, a new code of the house is introduced, the point of reference for future expansion.’
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project focus
Drummonds Notting Hill, London Design: Christopher Jenner Opening date: January 2014 Store size: 110 sq m The new Drummonds showroom in Notting Hill, London heralds the start of a creative collaboration between the luxury bathrooms manufacturer and designer Christopher Jenner. Located close to Westbourne Grove on Chepstow Corner, the beautifully crafted environment is spread across two levels and showcases a selection of Drummonds’ handmade bathroom collections. The space is an ‘elemental narrative’ of form and materials, devised to demonstrate the artisanal, handmade heritage which lies at the heart of the craft process. ‘Our concepts of the showrooms are an emotive departure from the traditional showroom designs,’ says Jenner, referring to both the Notting Hill showroom and a second site on London’s King’s Road, which is expected to open in March. ‘The designs reflect our united passions for craft and Drummonds’ unparalleled commitment to quality.’
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The concept is brought to life through a layering of shape and texture, presenting the crafted bathroom collections to geometric effect. Organic forms mirror the movement of falling water through sinuous frames, interplayed with metallic polished plasters, bevelled mirror fretwork and natural oiled oak. Reflecting Drummonds’ ethos of the handmade, the showroom features bespoke blown glass lamp shades with spun brushed nickel fittings and custom hanging chains. In addition, a large LED soft-box featuring European oak is suspended near the stairwell on the ground floor. Other elements include European oak frame freestanding furniture with inset enamelled panels and Arabescato marble, an up-cycled Edwardian desk with leather insert and up-cycled modernist chairs. The larger 225 sq m showroom on King’s Road is set to open this spring while the first ‘Christopher Jenner for Drummonds’ bathroom product collection is due to launch in May at The Clerkenwell Design Festival. Photography: Michael Franke
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Dunhill Tobacco of London 1A St James’s Street, London Design: Household Design Opening date: December 2013 Store size: 100 sq m
The timeless new luxury design of 1A St James’s in Mayfair starts from the outside with the architectural red brick and distinctive stone arch. Visual emphasis is placed on the arch where an unexpected ceiling feature stands out and draws the eye into the space. Inside, this flowing, sculptural ceiling installation serves to unite and celebrate the ‘spiritual home’ of Dunhill Tobacco of London. The shape and flow of the cedar blade structure is designed to reference the mood of smoke and tobacco leaves hanging to dry. The parquet timber floor, which is interspersed with copper ‘planks’ engraved with quotes that celebrate the indulgence of tobacco, further unifies the space. Purposefully moving away from the formality of an old gentleman’s club, the design of 1A St James’s blends the ultra contemporary with heritage to create an aspirational lifestyle hang out, social space and tobacconist. ‘We have created a contemporary lounge space, surrounded by the trappings of a high-end heritage tobacconist that includes a selection of the world’s rarest cigars, a walk-in humidor room and a blending room, to create an atmospheric and aspirational venue, and an indulgent experience,’ says Simon Stacey, one of the leadership team at Household Design, which worked on the project. ‘We took the history of this street and what it meant to its gentleman customers as our inspiration,’ explains Stacey. ‘The design of 1A St James’s with the inclusion of private humidors, one-to-one access to the master blender and the members club feel of the cigar lounge, creates an intimate sensorial experience that would have appealed as much to the discerning gentleman of the past as it does the modern Bon Vivant today.’ The 100 sq m retail space gives adult smokers a social place to discover the heritage and craft of tobacco, as well
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project focus as sample cigars in the humidor and connecting lounge. These rooms are designed to create a relaxed yet aspirational space with contemporary furniture placed within rich timber architectural screens. In the humidor, personal copper humidors which keep cigars at the optimum temperature and conditions, are available to the brand’s most regular customers. Guests enter the space accompanied by staff and are offered a cigar menu before being guided to the sampling lounge. ‘All is designed to create a service ritual unique to 1A St James’s Street that will engage cigar aficionados and those discovering the art of cigars for the first time,’ says a spokesperson for Household. At the heart of the experience is the master blenders room, where the master blender makes the products and teaches customers about the quality of the premium tobacco and how it is blended. The focus of the room is an engraved copper tobacco wheel, which is ceremoniously opened to reveal the different tobacco types from around the world. Guests are invited to touch and smell the tobaccos while also learning about their provenance. An engraved copper map supports the master blender’s story, providing further information on the best tobacco growing regions in the world. For social events, bespoke glass screens can be folded back to link all three rooms into one immersive space. ‘In an incredibly competitive retail world, to design opportunities that allow customers to hang out and experience the brand without being overtly sold at, can create deeper, more emotional connection with the brand,’ says Household managing director, Julie Oxberry. ‘This drives loyalty, creates brand advocates, which in turn improves lifetime customer value and increases profit. Therefore, to have transformed what could simply be a tobacconist into an ultra contemporary hang out that creates a memorable and evocative customer experience is something we are very proud of.’ A new website will support the store and keep customers up to date with new products and events.
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sustainability
Waste not, want not
Sustainable design innovations
Do you serve your retail design with a green twist? So asks the A.R.E. Design Awards website which pays tribute to exemplary sustainable retail projects from across the globe. Now in its sixth year, the A.R.E. Sustainability Awards competition focuses on green building and good design in retail, with previous winners including the AT&T flagship store in Chicago and Fixtures Living in California. They are, in fact, just two of a growing number of brands and retailers employing sustainable materials and processes to reduce the impact of their stores on the environment. The choice and quality of materials and fixtures is a key part of sustainable design. Interestingly, with sustainability high on the agenda for many retailers and consumers across Europe, designers and manufacturers are using their skill and imagination to create products made from what would otherwise be considered waste material. Here is just a small selection of environmentally friendly products helping to pave the way to a cleaner, greener future.
Kawara Bench by Tsuyoshi Hayashi The Kawara Bench by designer Tsuyoshi Hayashi uses Japanese roof tiles that would otherwise be discarded. ‘Cracks or chippage can happen at the rate of five per cent during every production; that is more than 65,000 pieces per year,’ claims Hayashi. ‘Ceramic waste is difficult to recycle, so often end up being disposed in landfill or being smashed and used in construction road. However, these wastes have still unique value such as colours, texture, durability and smooth curve which invite people to sit on. By just cutting off only the damaged part and mounting them into a wooden structure, “useless wastes” can be rendered to “useful matter” once again.’ www.tsuyoshihayashi.com
MDF alternative by Sheridan&Co and University of Leicester Design consultancy Sheridan&Co has been working with the University of Leicester to develop a replacement for MDF, a wood-based composite material that is widely used in the manufacture of shopfittings and point-of-sale units. The new material uses natural starch, such as potatoes, to bind it together, enabling it to be recycled for future use as well as being fully biodegradable. Michael Sheridan, founder and chairman of Sheridan&Co, believes the new material could be a game changer for the retail industry. ‘More and more brands are becoming environmentally aware, and now this new form of MDF will allow the units that their products sit on to also be better for the planet,’ he says. Professor Andrew Abbott from The University of Leicester, who led the project, has been awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2013 for his work on the new MDF material. The prize includes a fund of £172,347 that will allow the project to move from prototype to product in 2014.
www.sheridanandco.com
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sustainability
More Light by Giorgio Caporaso The Ecodesign collection by Italian architect and designer Giorgio Caporaso combines form, function and sustainability. The More Light modular system, pictured, is an evolution of the successful More system manufactured from recycled cardboard. The versatile and durable square modules can be used to assemble shelving, wall units and display stands as well as seats and tables. The pieces can be finished in a selection of materials, textures and colours, and can be disassembled for the separate waste collection.
www.caporasodesign.it
www.lessmore.it
Waste Waste 40x40 by Piet Hein Eek. The waste project by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek came about more than 10 years ago as a reaction to the annoyance of having to throw away material because it was too expensive to do anything with it. Not because it was worthless but because labour costs so much. The waste products are created using discarded materials from the designer’s studio. However, this process also leaves waste material behind, in smaller amounts, which are more difficult to use than the usual waste material. ‘This “waste from waste” motivated us to take it a step further,’ says Hein Eek. ‘In an effort to bridle the process to some extent, I came up with the idea of employing a fixed size of 40mm x 40mm. This size, combined with the decision to use the materials solely as an outer skin instead of stacking them, particularly defines the appearance of the products.’ The objects are numbered consecutively with no two pieces identical.
www.pietheineek.nl
Net Effect by Interface Carpet tile manufacturer Interface is recognised worldwide for its commitment to quality, design, innovation and sustainability. It’s latest collection Net Effect offers organic form and movement inspired by the undulating raw power of the ocean. Designed by David Oakey, the carpet tile collection connects remote fishing economies with the global manufacturing community to help protect an environment at risk. ‘We’ve found that beauty in design doesn’t simply mean the aesthetic end result in our product, but also the impact of our process and that, when the two are synchronous, it can result in something as powerful as our newest collection,’ declares the Interface website. The company was a sponsor of this year’s Surface Design Show.
www.interface.com
Sustainable furniture by 4G Design Sustainable design and development company, 4G Design helps retailers and suppliers get the best out of eco-friendly materials. Based in Kettering, it advises on cost-effective and environmentally friendly retail design. This month, the company showcased its contemporary range of furniture made from waste material at the Surface Design Show in London. The pieces include the fully recyclable Curva chair and the Tree Stand (pictured).
Date for the diary Visit Ecobuild, the world’s leading event for sustainable design, construction, energy and the built environment, from 4-6 March at London’s ExCeL centre.
www.ecobuild.co.uk
www.4gdesign.co.uk 35
February 2014
: s e l b a r a We News Opinion: Payments RBTE 2014 preview
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Welcome In-store analytics, mobile POS, public WiFi, International growth, customer loyalty, click & collect. These are just some of the topics set to be discussed at the fourth annual Retail Business Technology Expo (RBTE) in London next month. The two-day event, which takes place at Earls Court in March, has quickly established itself as the go-to place for UK and European retailers looking for the tools, services and solutions that will help drive their business forward. In this special technology supplement, we pull together all of the information you need to help plan your visit (pages 51-52). In addition, James Pepper of Vista Retail Support considers the future of in-store payments (page 49) and we ask if this is the year when wearable technology goes mainstream (pages 45-46). We look forward to meeting some of you on the Retail Focus stand at RBTE! Gemma Balmford
45-46 Wearables: Watch this space
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News
49 Opinion: Payments
51-52 RBTE 2014:
Innovation comes alive
41-42 News The latest in retail technology, including the speaker line-up for the inaugural Wearable Technology Show in London and the new premium click and collect service at Westfield London.
45-46 Wearables: Watch this space Following a number of recent launches and announcements, we ask if 2014 is the year when wearable technology takes off.
49 Opinion: Payments www.retail-focus.co.uk
Editor Gemma Balmford e. gemma@retailfocus.co t. +33 (0)7 61 03 21 33
Production & Web Terry Clark e. terry@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405
Display Sales Lee Cullumbine e. lee@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405
Cover image: Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses
The take-up of new in-store technologies over the past year has been far slower than anticipated, with question marks hanging over the real and tangible benefits to retailers. The area of payments provides a typical example, claims James Pepper, technical director at Vista Retail Support.
51-52 RBTE 2014: Innovation comes alive Retail Business Technology Expo returns in March with 47a host of services, tools and solutions to help retailers improve operational performance and enhance the customer experience.
54-55 Products A selection of products, projects and services from the technology sector.
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news
Westfield London launches click & collect service Westfield London shopping centre is trialling a new click and collect service that enables shoppers to collect online purchases and try them on in a specially created service hub. Westfield has partnered with delivery and returns service Collect+ to create ‘Collect+ @ Westfield’, which provides shoppers access to more than 260 retailers, including high street names such as Topshop, Uniqlo, House of Fraser, River Island, Super Dry and Bobbi Brown as well as leading online only retailers such as ASOS, Amazon and Very. Westfield London will provide a luxury
collection experience with a premium lounge area, complete with fitting rooms. The service will offer shoppers the same opening hours as the centre, as well as one hour free parking to collect their deliveries in a dedicated car park area. Myf Ryan, marketing director, UK & Europe, comments: ‘With the growing popularity of click and collect and shoppers’ wanting to use click and collect services at convenient locations such as Westfield, we saw an opportunity to respond to shoppers’ needs and ultimately help deliver a seamless experience for
BRC-Google figures show increase in overseas internet shoppers The BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor Q4 2013 shows double and triple digit rises in searches for UK retailers from key export markets. The report reveals huge increases in searches from all of the most important export markets. In particular, there was a 231 per cent rise in German smartphone searches for UK brands and a 78 per cent surge in French tablet searches for UK retailers. Commenting on the findings, Helen Dickinson, director general, British Retail Consortium, says: ‘The UK is the world’s second biggest online retail exporter, beaten only by the USA. These new BRC-Google figures show UK retailers are
investing heavily in international online experiences, localised websites and faster delivery times to drive exports.’ Mark Haviland, MD of Rakuten Marketing, says the findings are great news for UK retailers but also highlight the growing importance of a cross border retail marketing strategy. ‘Shoppers have become citizens of the world, no longer tied down by national borders; they expect their favourite products to be available worldwide,’ says Haviland. ‘To capitalise on this and to truly compete with the USA, British retailers need to ensure they have a presence in the overseas market online.’
customers shopping online and in store at Westfield London. ‘The Collect+ @ Westfield pilot is part of our broader strategy to deliver digital solutions that enhance the customer shopping experience and drive sales opportunities for our retailers,’ continues Ryan. The new service will be part of Westfield London’s integrated concierge service, which offers a wide range of services to suit shopping needs, including handsfree shopping, valet parking and a home delivery service.
H&M continues partnership with Nedap to secure stores worldwide Fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has renewed the agreement with Nedap for the supply of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems. The multi-year contract encompasses the global supply and installation of EAS equipment and tags for new stores and refurbishments. The selected EAS solution offers a future-proof RFID upgrade path, which makes it possible to upgrade to RFID technology in the future without the need for major additional hardware investments.
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The Wearable Technology Show announces speaker line up Steve Brown, chief evangelist at Intel will give the opening keynote at the inaugural Wearable Technology Show in London in March. With more than 20 years experience, Brown’s insights on the future of wearable technology will set the scene for a show packed with the latest innovations. Joining Brown will be some of the industry’s biggest names, including Misfit Wearables, FitBit, Cisco and Samsung. The conference programme will brief delegates on the latest in wearable technology, showcasing the latest thinking, debunking some of the myths, and giving
Retailers fail to invest in technology training for staff Nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of retailers provide only one day or less of training on new technology per employee per annum, according to research conducted by Box Technologies. The ‘retail technology and the customer journey’ research further reveals that 73 per cent of retailers have failed to make any changes to their store layouts as a result of multichannel developments and improving customer experience. Commenting on the findings, Ian Patterson, head of retail at Box Technologies, says: ‘Given the changing retail environment, I would have expected to see many more retailers beginning to make changes to their physical stores in order to accommodate growing online sales, the use of digital technologies, and the introduction of click & collect, which we now hear so much about’. The study also shows that the multichannel model is not being fully embraced by all the retail community with 18 per cent of those surveyed admitting to charging different prices online and in-store. The research was conducted in line with the launch of the new Box Technologies innovation centre in Thame. The centre brings together customer engagement technology across areas including tablet computing, mobile payment, footfall analysis, digital signage, networked content management and pioneering PoS concepts.
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a unique insight into where the current and future opportunities lie. Delegates will also hear from smartwatch firms, some of the leading lights in wristband technology, smart textiles and sensors. In addition, a product demonstration
Kohl’s Department Stores select RFID solutions from Checkpoint Systems Kohl’s Department Stores has deployed RFID solutions from Checkpoint Systems across select departments in its stores. The retailer has installed Checkpoint’s Merchandise Visibility enterprise software centrally in its data centre, handheld RFID readers to perform regular in-store inventory counts, RFID printers and handheld readers for tagging at distribution centers and RFID tags and labels for initial store tagging, tagging at distribution centers and source tagging. ‘RFID will further enhance our customers’ shopping experience by providing improved operational visibility, enabling us to more efficiently identify items which need to be replenished on the sales floor,’ comments Ken Bonning, senior executive vice president, Kohl’s Department Stores.
area will allow visitors to get hands on with Google Glass, smart watches and launches in every area of wearable technology. The Wearable Technology Show takes place at the Conference Centre, Olympia London on from 18-19 March 2014.
Help for Heroes Trading appoints Eurostop to support growing retail operations Help for Heroes Trading has selected Eurostop’s epos and e-rmis retail management solutions to support its strategy of growth in both its ecommerce business and its growing portfolio of stores. The new system will give the company improved visibility of sales and stock information and the e-Cubes reporting module will provide better business information, enabling them to make accurate planning and trading decisions. Help for Heroes Trading sells new, branded clothing and accessories to raise awareness of the high-profile charity and gifts its profits to them to help offset running costs. The systems are already in place in stores in St David’s, Cardiff, Lakeside and Meadowhall shopping centres and will be rolled out to all future stores, supporting the company’s goal of opening seven new shops this year.
Columbus acquires UK retail consultancy International consultancy, Columbus has acquired UK-based retail and ecommerce company Omnica. The acquisition is a strategic move in line with Columbus’ ambition to further strengthen its global position as an innovative consultancy to retailers. The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, is with immediate effect. Omnica’s management will remain in key management roles in the new setup that will continue to be led by Mary Hunter.
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THEANNUAL STOCKTAKE For 5 years, the ONLINERETAILAWARDS have taken stock of the best web and mobile sites in the online retail sector. To be a part of this celebrated stocktake you need to present your entry for the judges. The more entries received from around the world, the more representative the Awards become and the more famous the winners will be. Entries are open until MARCH 31, 2014 Follow the simple steps to enter:
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wearables
s:
Wearable
Watchthis space Will 2014 be the year when wearable technology goes mainstream, asks Retail Focus. With each new year comes a fresh round of predictions and expectations. In January, the technology world descended on Las Vegas for the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) before heading to New York for Retail’s Big Show to see and experience the products and services that are expected to make an impact in 2014. This year there was much attention on wearable technology. At CES 2014, Pebble unveiled the Pebble Steel smart watch, Sony outlined its new SmartWear Experience vision and Epson revealed its next-generation Moverio BT-200 augmented reality glasses. Meanwhile, at Retail’s Big Show IBM demonstrated how smart glasses, smart watches and smart dressing rooms could be incorporated into the way we shop in future. ‘While still in its infancy, wearable technology is an exciting prospect for the retail sector in 2014,’ says James Cronin, chief technology officer of ecommerce solutions provider, Venda. ‘Indeed, products such as Google Glass and smart watches have the capacity to improve the customer journey at all stages of the shopping cycle, extending consumer choice and digitising the high street into a more immersive, all-round experience.’ Wearable technology has the potential to re-establish the high street’s relationship with digital shoppers, claims Cronin, referring to a study by Venda and YouGov entitled: ‘Wearable Technology: The High Street’s Secret Weapon?’ ‘Interestingly, this research found that almost a third of consumers are excited about gaining access to exclusive in-store promotions and updates, and specifically
Above: Pebble Steel is the newest addition to Pebble’s smartwatch family.
with Google Glass, using the device to check for stock alerts and product information,’ says Cronin. ‘This shows that there is demand for wearable technology to act as a kind of shopping assistant, something that may indeed be the next revolution in the retail industry and one that has the power to incentivise consumers to return to the high street.’ According to the report, published in 2013, the ability of wearable technology to improve the customer journey at all stages of the shopping cycle, informing consumers of available products and where they can be found on the high street, means shoppers can be easily guided to their desired items in store, to ultimately drive
footfall and sales. ‘Wearable technology has the potential to help both consumers and retailers,’ adds Group CEO of Venda, Eric Abensur. ‘Consumers will be able to make informed purchase decisions and redeem offers, while Glass will help retailers promote the visibility of products on social networks in a novel and engaging way. However, this and other in-store technology innovations that retailers choose to implement need to be intuitive, approachable and accessible to truly take off.’ Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions 2014 show that global revenues for smart glasses, fitness bands and watches should
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wearables
Right: Epson introduces a next-generation augmented reality platform, the Moverio BT-200.
exceed £2 billion in 2014. The most successful category, smart glasses, are likely to sell around four million units while demand for smart watches is expected to be two million units. ‘Smart glasses are the next stage in the roll-out of digital connected screens in our professional, social and private lives,’ says the report. ‘They represent continuity, not a brand new start, much in the same way that tablets were simultaneously new and familiar when launched in 2010.’
The ugly truth While there are clear opportunities for wearable technology in retail, it is still uncertain as to whether consumers will actually feel comfortable wearing an electronic device. ‘Who wants to wear Google when you can wear Gucci,’ argues Paul Brennan of Missouri Creative. Venda’s study on wearable technology found that 79 per cent of UK adults would feel a degree of embarrassment using Google Glass. It also reveals that 19 per cent of consumers fear that Google Glass would attract unwanted attention and might be the target of theft. ‘Consumers currently have aesthetic reservations about carrying wearable devices on their person, a challenge that needs to be addressed both at a design and marketing level,’ contends Cronin. ‘The success of wearable technology is of course entirely dependent on consumer adoption and whilst it’s unfortunate, the bottom line is that ugliness could prevent the device’s success within the retail sector. Before retailers can face the challenge of how to incorporate wearable devices into their store offerings, they first need to be properly established within the marketplace.’
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Leslie Fountain, managing director of user experience design agency Foolproof, is of a similar opinion: ‘People have high expectations of wearables and, unfortunately, in the near future they will continue to underwhelm due to technological restraints such as battery life, the physical barrier they create between people and how they look’. AT CES 2014, technology company Intel announced strategic collaborations with fashion house Opening Ceremony, retailer Barneys New York and the Council of Fashion Designers of America to explore and deliver smart wearable technology, and to increase dialogue and cooperation between the fashion and technology industries. As part of the collaborations, Opening Ceremony and Intel will work together on the design and development of a smart bracelet based on Intel technology, and Barneys New York will carry the
device in its stores. ‘Our shared vision is to accelerate wearable technology innovation and create products that both enhance peoples’ lives and are desirable to wear,’ says Ayse Lldeniz, vice president, business development and strategy of Intel’s New Devices Group. Essentially, from a retail point of view, the success of wearable technology devices will rely on developers creating apps that offer value to both retailers and consumers, claims Cronin. ‘[However], they will not be driven to act without seeing demand for their efforts. Positively, although Google Glass has obtained a great majority of media coverage to date, this year’s CES revealed several emerging wearable devices. This points to the expansion of wearable devices and confirms that this space is one to watch in 2014.’
Left: Get hands on with Google Glass, smart watches and other devices at the Wearable Technology Show at Olympia London from 18-19 March 2014.
Do you have a credit licence? Here’s what you need to do now. r e t s i g 1. Re online
2. Make payment
3. Print your receipt. Important changes to the licensing of consumer credit are on the way. If you offer credit to your customers, you need to act now. On 1 April 2014, the Financial Conduct Authority will take over regulation of consumer credit from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). On that date all existing licences issued by the OFT will expire. Before then you will need to register for ‘Interim Permission’ if you wish to continue offering credit legally. It takes minutes to register – simply go to fca.org.uk/clicked. To continue offering credit, act now.
Have you clicked yet? Register now at fca.org.uk/clicked
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17/12/2013 09:51
opinion
Payments: Touching in The take-up of new in-store technologies over the past year has been far slower than anticipated, with question marks hanging over the real and tangible benefits to retailers. The area of payments provides a typical example, claims James Pepper, technical director at Vista Retail Support. For some time, observers have predicted the demise of Chip and PIN in the face of emerging technologies such as contactless and near-field communications (NFC). Yet, as these have experienced growing pains, latest figures from the UK Cards Association continue to show card expenditure increasing, with spending on plastic cards in March 2013 up over three per cent year-on-year, to £42 billion. Other recent payment initiatives have shown greater promise. The emergence of the digital wallet and account-to-account payments has shown that the key to success will lie in being able to improve the shopper’s experience at a cost acceptable to the retailer. Similarly, much of PayPal’s success to date is the result of the high level of data protection it offers: the retailer doesn’t ‘see’ customer information at any stage of the online transaction, because it remains within PayPal.
cannot be accessed by software and is not transmitted nor stored elsewhere. This dramatically reduces the risk of security being compromised compared with password management. This is obviously good news for the consumer. Yet the real game changer in encouraging adoption of this new payment method may lie in the fact that it does not require stores to invest in any additional technology to complete the transaction, allowing easy, low-cost adoption by retailers of any size. Some may have overlooked or dismissed this new feature as simply a gimmick, yet it may well herald a future in which the mass-market becomes truly mobile at the touch of a finger, by adding a critical new dynamic in the world of secure payments.
A biometric future Thumbs up? However, there are signs that the area of payments is about to undergo a radical reappraisal. In 2013, the launch of Apple’s iPhone 5s heralded a much more radical development in this area, with one of the key upgrades being biometric fingerprint scanning. Far from being a gimmick, this could be the first step on the road to payments at the touch of a finger, by adding a significant new weapon to the armoury of secure payments. The concept of biometric payments is not new. In 2008, commentators were consigning biometric payments to the dustbin of failed retail technologies after the collapse of Pay By Touch, then the largest US biometrics transaction processing company. How different today, where a recent survey by payments processing specialist, WorldPay, showed that almost half (49 per cent) of shoppers would like to have biometric payments – well ahead of other emerging mobile payments technologies, for example. Growing awareness of its viability as a highly secure payment method has been key here. As Ron Kalifa, deputy chairman at WorldPay, says: ‘Familiarity and visibility of new payments technologies is crucial in moving usage from tech-savvy enthusiasts to the wider public. Retailers can help drive mass adoption…by making a compelling case that consumers will understand and buy into.’ Biometrics holds the trump card in offering real benefits for all. For example, how much more appealing and less risky would the world of payments be if there was no longer a need for consumers to memorise passwords, PINs and other online account details, as the embedded biometric technology always uses the unique characteristics of the device owner. Individual fingerprint data is locked away inside the processor chip, which means that it
Although the availability of fingerprint technology is limited at this early stage of development, it will be interesting to see how the major online payments providers respond as, from a technology perspective, integration with existing retail payment applications looks to be fairly straightforward. So, what might hold up adoption? As always, PCI compliance will be critical in enabling mass adoption and so it will be important that the regulatory authorities keep pace with this very different approach to payment verification. This may be early days for biometrics in mainstream retail. Yet, with parallel developments in unique human attributes such as blood vessel and retina recognition, momentum is certainly building in this area of technology. Bionym has developed the Nymi, a wristband that identifies its owner by their unique cardiac rhythm. This new breed of wearable technology can be used to access laptops and even vehicles without the use of passwords and keys. Within retail payments itself, other technology initiatives such as Fujitsu’s latest PulseWallet, which uses a vein-reading sensor to enable customers to make payments with the palm of their hand, are another indication that the days of Chip and PIN may finally be numbered. As with any new in-store initiative, successful implementation will require full on-going support to ensure maximum return is secured from the investment. However, unlike many other false dawns, we may just be witnessing the start of a major stepchange in in-store payments, one which offers substantial benefits to retailers and consumers alike.
www.vistasupport.com 49
Join Europe’s biggest and fastest growing retail show The ne that delivers the new floorp w filling lan is business & ROI you need 80% oufp with RBTE is Europe’s largest gathering of the retail community. RBTE attracts senior decision makers from leading European retailers and tackles every area of a retailer’s business. Retailers rely on RBTE as the destination to find all the latest innovations, products and solutions under one roof. It’s where business is done!
the space alread y taken !
Meet thousands of top retailers such as: Agent Provocateur, Ahold, American Apparel, Anthropologie, Arcadia Group, Argos Limited, Asda, ASOS, Auchan, Aurum Holdings Ltd, B&Q, Benetton Retail, Carrefour, Debenhams, El Corte Ingles, Elkjøp Nordic AS, Gebr Heinemann, Harvey Nichols, Heathrow Express, Home Retail Group, Ikea, Jessops, Jimmy Choo, John Lewis, Morrisons, Moss Bros, Neals Yard Remedies, New Look, Next Retail Ltd, Odeon & UCI Cinemas Ltd, Otto, Paul Smith Ltd, Primark, Ralph Lauren, Tesco, The Disney Store, TJX Europe, Wilkinson
“We had Tesco, Asda, House of Fraser and Morrisons all on the stand at one time – you can’t get a better calibre than that.”
At RBTE you will meet all the decision makers and influencers:
FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM
Ian Patterson, Sales Director, Box Technologies
Europe’s leading event for the retail industry
www.rbtexpo.com | +44 (0)20 8874 2728 | info@rbtexpo.com RBTE14 General Ad 210x297.indd 1
07/11/2013 13:00
show preview
RBTE 2014: Innovation comes alive Retail Business Technology Expo returns to Earls Court in March with a host of services, tools and solutions to help retailers improve operational performance and enhance the customer experience.
Seminars RBTE 2014 incorporates an extensive free conference programme, covering everything from payments, customer data and RFID to loyalty, WiFi and international growth. Sessions include:
Unlock the secret to successful retailing in an omnichannel world Simon Russell, director, retail operations development, John Lewis
Regenerating consumer engagement at the checkout Next month sees the return of RBTE, a two-day event that focuses on technological solutions for retail and hospitality organisations. Now in its fourth year, the show combines a sizeable exhibition with a free seminar and conference programme, covering end-to-end solutions from the supply chain all the way through to the customer. Taking place at London’s Earls Court from 11-12 March, RBTE is designed to inform, inspire and engage the entire retail team, from marketing, merchandising, fraud and supply chain to ecommerce, IT, operations and payments. Omnichannel retail strategies and international expansion will be among the key topics of discussion at the event. Simon Russell, director of retail operations development at John Lewis, will examine the importance of omnicustomer journeys while Mark Smith, finance and operations director at Sweaty Betty, and Samir Belkhayat, UK country manager at Cegid will share the women’s sportswear brand’s omnichannel strategy and its UK and US growth aspirations. In-store analytics will also come under the spotlight when Jon Crossick, managing director for UK & Ireland at Thomas Sabo and Charlie Taylor, regional sales manager at ShopperTrak discuss how harnessing accurate data in order to glean actionable insights is key to bridging the gap between the online and offline worlds. In addition, the new-look Retail Innovation Theatre will showcase some of the most forward-thinking individuals and companies, who are transforming retail through digital innovation. Taking six of the biggest challenges that retailers are facing, the selected companies will present their solutions and ideas on how retailers can tackle these issues. There will be three streams on both days of the event, with each session being introduced by a leading retailer, including Nick Wheeler, founder of shirt company Charles Tyrwhitt. On top of the comprehensive education programme, RBTE will also host more than 300 exhibitors who will be showcasing the latest technology, business services, tools and solutions developed to help retailers run their businesses even more effectively. For a full list of exhibitors and to register for the event, visit: www.retailbusinesstechnologyexpo.com
Lawrence Freeman, programme lead food digital platform, The Co-operative Group and David Beer, business executive software and services, UK and Ireland, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
Influencing shopping decisions through behaviour design, mobile technology and location sensors Ben Mclellan, digital design manager, Homebase and Daniel Joseph, co-founder and strategy director, The App Business
Omnichannel retail: A radical rethink of the basket user experience Matthew Keys, digital marketing manager, Hotel Chocolat and James Candy, business development director, Red Technology
Do they know it’s Christmas? Chris Jones, interim global ecommerce director, Dr Martens
What retailers can get out of public WiFi Geri Gray, senior innovations manager, ASDA and Graham Cove, director of WiFi, EE
The real potential of Facebook to drive loyalty within the retail environment Sandra Bahbah, head of social media, AIMIA and Brad Cross, sales director, Comufy
The future of payments now: Extending the digital experience in store Rob Harper, head of retail and hospitality services, PayPal
Sweaty Betty sets its sights on US expansion and omnichannel retailing Mark Smith, finance and operations director, Sweaty Betty and Samir Belkhayat, UK country manager, Cegid
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show preview
Don’t miss... Transaction Network Services (TNS) discussing its multichannel payment gateway solution TNSPay; Technology solutions from Motorola that are helping retailers connect with customers along each step of their path to purchase; Red Technology which will be demonstrating how its ecommerce platform, tradeit, redefines ecommerce personalisation technology by integrating advert delivery, promotions calculation engine and post session triggered offer emails from a single system; AzteQ’s Social WiFi which enables retailers to derive business intelligence from real-time and historical Wi-Fi analytics; and Cybertill’s new software modules that will give multichannel retailers a true end-to-end cloud solution.
Show features Retailer Payments Theatre A specially tailored programme for retailers that will share case studies, highlight technological innovation and discuss the changing regulatory environment.
eCommerce Bootcamp Open to retailers only, the sessions will cover the entire customer journey from customer attraction and retention, interactive marketing and personalisation through to global expansion.
Innovation Theatre Sponsored by Epson, selected companies will put forward ideas and solutions to help businesses tackle some of the biggest challenges in retail.
Instore Customer RFID Experience A fully interactive retail journey - from the warehouse to the shop floor - demonstrating RFID’s multiple functions and advantages across all aspects of retail.
WiFi & Networking Lounge Sponsored by PayPal, the lounge enables visitors to use free WiFi, have a coffee and network.
Revive and Thrive Challenge Top Left: Us will demonstrate a number of its solutions to mobilise, secure and mount tablets, PEDs and other smart devices. Top Right: AURES Technologies UK will unveil a range of new EPOS hardware for point-of-sale and service, including Sango Evolution and Ninô Evolution - the flagship machines in the company’s new EPOS range. Below: Futura will showcase its new fourth generation product suite, an enhanced, enterprise level integrated EPOS and retail management solution. Cath Kidston, China is the first store to use the new fourth generation solution. Bottom: AirWatch will showcase a range of retail mobility services.
A new competition conceived to bring people and businesses together to revive their towns or cities.
Retailer Lounge The retailer-only lounge will incorporate a networking programme, retailer advice centre and meet the speaker area.
Loyalty The loyalty programme will include a roundtable discussion, dedicated conference sessions and a specially created trail highlighting all the loyalty exhibitors.
When and where Earls Court, London Tuesday 11 March Wednesday 12 March
09:30-17:00 09:30-17:00
www.retailbusinesstechnologyexpo.com *All information correct at time of going to press
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ONELAN and onemedia Flushed with Success at Drain Center With over 61 branches across the UK, Drain Center, a Wolseley UK company, is a leading national supplier of above ground drainage products to the professional construction market. Drain Center wanted to streamline its brand marketing throughout its outlets and required a single agency responsible for its content design and cross channel marketing to achieve this.
Project objectives
Why ONELAN and onemedia?
What was installed
Drain Center wanted to achieve the following:
It was a key requirement for Drain Center to have one company able to provide overall consultancy both creatively, technically & logistically.
The project was successfully trialled with a pilot. A ONELAN Millennium Net-top-box (NTB) was installed in Drain Center’s headquarters and ONELAN 650S mini NTBs are being installed in individual stores.
of in-store advertising with Creation a single TV per branch Maximisation of advertising space control over branch by branch Full advertising without relying on branch managers to adhere to POS campaigns
advertising across Common all branches Minimisation of traditional POS Saving on print wastage
a
company
Successful result onemedia was chosen as it satisfied the single agency criterion to project manage the overall install, additionally, the same single agency was responsible for the content design and cross channel marketing requirements. The ONELAN solution was chosen for the reliability and flexibility of the solution and fact that the project cost was one-off versus ongoing annual licence fees. Sys-Teams Ltd was the integrator responsible for the installation and commissioning of the hardware.
A combination of third party advertising and Drain Center promotions is being shown on the digital signage in each store. The ONELAN media players continue to be monitored by onemedia Monitoring. Drain Center is very satisfied and now selects onemedia as its go-to agency for all its creative requirements including developing new brand guidelines and assisting with the instore refurbishment. Briefs are supplied as single campaigns integrating both print & digital formats.
ONELAN is a global leader of digital signage and IPTV solutions and a proud investor in UK engineering talent. The company develops high quality, innovative solutions for all types of screen-based communications for applications including retail, advertising networks, corporate communications, education, health, public signage and hospitality. With a solid foundation and long history of profitable growth, ONELAN is headquartered in the UK, with offices in South America, China and Germany. ONELAN has over 300 partners in 50 countries. The business has received numerous awards since its foundation in 2000, including most recently the AV magazine Digital Signage Project of the Year and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade.
Tel: +44 (0) 1491 411 400 Email: sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com
Digital Signage and In-store TV Networks in Retail from ONELAN RetailFocus_v03_AW.indd 1
02/10/2013 10:52
products
technology Box Technologies Information technology specialist, Box Technologies has launched the cielo mobile tablet, which it claims is the ideal tablet for retail, enabling retailers to provide mobile point of sale services. The company introduced the device to retailers at its new In-Store Technology Centre launch in December. The cielo mobile tablet runs on Microsoft’s Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry platform, which makes integration within a Windows environment a straightforward exercise and provides a high degree of cross-platform compatibility. As an additional benefit, the device also has an attached Chip and PIN facility to ensure continuity of service during an assisted sales process. T. +44 (0)1844 264000 E. Marketing@boxtechnologies.com www.boxtechnologies.com Twitter: BoxTechnologies
Onelan Onelan showcased its new 4k UHD media player at ISE2014 in addition to its latest generation, solid state HD media player which is one of the first to take advantage of Intel’s new ‘Bay Trail’ SOC family. The digital signage company also presented solutions for menuboards and hospitality, retail ticketing and shelf-edge signage, and integrated Quividi Audience Measurement solutions. The company will also have a stand at RBTE in London in March. T. +44 (0)1491 411 400 E. sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com Twitter: onelan_ds
Clipper Retail
Harvey Nichols luxury department store’s new licensee has selected Futura’s EPOS and retail management solution as the backbone for a new 80,000 sq ft store due to open in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in summer 2014. The management team behind the new Harvey Nichols store spent nine months evaluating suitable retail systems before choosing Futura. The Futura EPOS and retail management solution will initially support 40 tills throughout the store with real-time management information to support core functions, including buying, merchandise planning, inventory and stock control.
Clipper Retail has partnered with Sekura Global to offer the Scout RFID, a new force in retail security. Designed to catch professional thieves, Scout tells you what product was stolen, when it happened and who the offender was, all in one combined function. Sekura Scout is easy to implement and fits flawlessly into any retail setting. The Scout RFID tags work perfectly with existing products and packaging, and it’s easy implementation means your store’s operation stays exactly the same, saving you time and money.
T. +44 (0)1189 841 925 E. sales@futurauk.com www.futura4retail.co.uk Twitter: Futura_retail
T. +44 (0)1206 390 800 www.sekura-global.com
Futura
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products
NEC Display Solutions NEC Display Solutions Europe has unveiled four additions to its MultiSync XUN Series range of large format displays, bringing an even better viewing experience thanks to a thinner bezel and a new feature set of display improvements. The updated range will bring a host of new benefits including Auto Tile Matrix, Frame Comp and myriad of industry-first innovations. Furthermore, the new models are diversified to help address different market needs. The 55-inch display X554UNS, with a bezel of just 3.5mm, is aimed at high-end applications, the XUN models in 46- (X464UN) and 55-inch (X554UN) for 24/7 usage and high brightness and the X464UNV, 46-inch model, for budget driven investments requiring less brightness and operating windows of no more than 16 hours at time. T. +44 (0)8701 201 160 www.nec-display-solutions.com Twitter: NEC_Display_EU
Onelan Onelan is a global leader of digital signage and IPTV solutions and a proud investor in UK engineering talent. The company develops high quality solutions for all types of screen-based communications for applications including retail, advertising networks, corporate communications and public signage. Onelan will be exhibiting at RBTE from 11-12 March 2014 at London’s Earls Court. T. +44 (0)1491 411 400 E. sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com Twitter: onelan_ds
Cybertill Cybertill is developing additional cloud-based enterprise software modules specifically for multichannel retailers. These will help Cybertill offer an end-to-end enterprise cloud software solution, which will enable real-time data across entire retail businesses from production and planning to stores and online and everywhere in between. Multichannel retailers will be able to analyse their big data in real time, which will help make their operations leaner and more proactive. The additional cloud-based enterprise software modules include merchandising, loss prevention and warehousing. T. +44 (0)800 030 4432 E. enquiries@cybertill.co.uk www.cybertill.co.uk Twitter: cybertillretail
Crystal Display Systems Crystal Display Systems (CDS) offers a wide range of digital signage and retail display solutions, including wall mounted, freestanding and touch interactive solutions at much lower costs than traditional AV companies tend to charge. In addition, CDS has a wide range of transparent display kits and finished showcases (from 10-inch up to 84-inch) that have been used by a wide range of blue chip companies and brands to add that wow factor to their products. We are always looking at the latest technologies and making them commercial for our clients. With consultancy, installation and maintenance also offered, CDS really offers the complete solution. T. +44 (0)1634 292 025. E. info@crystal-display.com www.crystal-display.com
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Retail Focus - 297 x 210 - Oct 2013_Layout 1 17/09/2013 17:21 Page 1
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opinion
The new generation of older
shoppers The time has come to challenge retail stereotypes, argues Danielle Pinnington, managing director at research consultancy, Shoppercentric. In the retail sector it is all too easy to stereotype shoppers or make snap judgments on the basis of purchasing, loyalty scheme databases, and even market research. Some of the biggest assumptions however, are made on the basis of age. Teenagers don’t have enough money to spend, so aren’t really of interest; 20-something’s are quite lucrative because they use money to find solutions to their lack of time or cooking skills; and 60-plus year olds are set in their ways and unlikely to be a real target opportunity for anything new, unless it is about coping with the effect of old age. Correct? Not at all, actually. If you genuinely feel 60-plus year olds aren’t of value to your business, you should take a closer look – you might be quite surprised. Retirement Assured recently published a report which found that: ‘people aged 60 and over today are fitter and healthier, explore new interests and more than a quarter are choosing to work into their later years to fulfill an ambition’. As our own research shows, this age group now encompasses some seriously motivated people. It is also a fact that the UK population is ageing; 17.6 per cent of today’s population are 65-plus. By 2025, this is forecast to be 20.3 per cent. It is time we as an industry recognise how stereotypes have changed and take action. Our latest research reveals that today’s older shoppers are sharing many of the traits, attitudes and behaviours with their much younger counterparts. However, there are a few important differences which should be considered: for example, only one in five 60-plus year olds agree that retailers and brands ‘value my age group because we have more time and money’, compared to one in two 18-29 year olds. It seems that appreciation is something that older shoppers feel is lacking in the current retail environment. Confirming this, our data reveals that one in two older shoppers agree that retailers don’t think their age group is important. This is a sorry state of affairs, especially since we know that this group has a real desire to shop: 43 per cent of 60-plus year olds say they often go to the shops just to have a look around, more than any other age group over 40. But there is clearly a simmering frustration of not being persuaded to spend their money.
Here are some more statistics that challenge the stereotypical ‘OAP’: • 10 per cent of 80-89 year olds go to the shops on a daily basis • 8 8 per cent of online shoppers aged 70-79 visit supermarkets on a weekly basis, compared to only 79 per cent of 18-29 year olds • 3 4 per cent of 60-69 year old and 21 per cent of 70-79 year old online shoppers use a smartphone or tablet to browse / shop • 50 per cent of 60-69 year old online shoppers use Facebook • 5 3 per cent of 70-79 year old online shoppers use price comparison websites As these statistics indicate, older shoppers are also getting the surfing habit. Some 62 per cent of 50-plus year olds have internet access at home and furthermore, 14 per cent of 80-plus year olds who are online have tablets. The appeal of online browsing and shopping draws out the savvy more mature shoppers. Indeed, one in three shoppers over the age of 60 agree with the statement: ‘I can’t imagine my life without the internet’. Internet retailers really need to consider the fact that older shoppers use the internet to browse and research their purchases, and make the experience more appealing. Primarily, they need to focus on building trust in the purchase process as this does appear to be a barrier and prevents them from completing a purchase online. With this in mind, it’s time to properly meet the new generation of older shoppers, and put out-of-date notions of OAPs out to pasture. The opportunity isn’t about creating age-specific products or store environments though, it’s about embracing a mature, thoughtful and most importantly a dynamic group of shoppers. And, it is about recognising that they are not a homogenous one-dimensional group, but as varied in their attitudes and behaviours as any shoppers.
www.shoppercentric.co.uk
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online to offline
Physical
attraction With online competition rising, pure-play retailers are opening physical stores to get closer to their customers and boost sales, finds Retail Focus. Photography: Peter Bennetts
In September 2012 Morrisons-owned baby equipment retailer Kiddicare made the transition from ecommerce to cross-channel model by opening the first of 10 new destination superstores. More recently, Swiss online fashion retailer Heidi.com has done the same with a new concept store in Neuchatel, Switzerland that is said to combine the best of the online and offline shopping experience. And they’re not alone. ‘Online retailers are beginning to see physical retail as an ally not an enemy,’ says Ross Bailey, founder and CEO of Appear Here, the online marketplace for retail space. ‘They are starting to value bricks and mortar as an extension of their brand.’ The clicks-to-bricks trend is expected to continue this year with one in six UK SME online retailers planning to expand into physical stores during 2014, according to a study by Royal Mail. The research reveals that more than half of UK SME e-tailers surveyed believe competition for online shoppers is more intense than last year with 40 per cent planning to start trading from new channels in the coming months to increase sales. ‘UK SME online retailers are thinking carefully about how they can develop their businesses during 2014,’ says Nick Landon, managing director of Royal Mail Parcels. ‘They are concentrating on exploiting as many channels to market as possible, adding space in physical premises and online marketplace listings to complement their existing web channel. In addition, they are concentrating on how to price competitively while increasing the range and quality of their goods.’ In 2004 Dominic Speakman set up online luxury travel company Destinology. Just nine years later, in 2013, the company recorded a turnover of £48 million. In that time the successful tour operator has grown from an initial staff of 10 to 110 and opened its first physical retail space. ‘Our new retail store came about through a combination
of opportunity and following our desire to always keep moving forward and offering our customers new things,’ explains Speakman. ‘With our store, we’ve reinvented the way travel retail can operate, with cutting-edge technology and a personalised service.’ Located in Wilmslow, Cheshire, the high-tech store draws inspiration from some of the world’s top high street retailers, with touch-screen displays, cinema-style presentation areas and an expert bar, where customers can speak with staff one-on-one. ‘We execute a strong marketing campaign to appeal to new customers and build incredibly loyal relationships with our clients, who come back to repeat book time and again,’ continues Speakman. ‘They comment that what makes us different is the relationship they are able to build with their own personal travel consultant, who knows the type of holiday and resort they like, and extending this relationship into a face-to-face one is a logical step in key areas.’ Similarly, online phone repair company iSmash has moved
Above: The Sneakerboy concept store in Australia combines the best of digital and physical shopping experiences. Below: The first Destinology retail store
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online to offline
Below: Online phone repair company iSmash launched onto the high street to pitch the brand as a premium trustworthy service. The store design was developed in collaboration with Green Room Retail.
Top Tips Adam Tregaskis, head of retail at The Market Creative, sets out his top five tips for those e-retailers considering a move to the high street.
1. Beta testing offline to help guide customers through its full service offering and strengthen client-consumer relationships. With a store on King’s Road in London and another in the heart of Canary Wharf, the company hopes the high footfall, high quality locations will help the business grow more rapidly than operating solely online. ‘We decided that launching onto the high street was essential to pitch our brand as a premium trustworthy service,’ says iSmash director, Julian Shovlin. ‘It is also essential to our brand recognition. Customers still long for some human interaction which they can experience in store. This is why customer service must be at the heart of nearly all retailers.’ In Melbourne, Australia the March Studio-designed Sneakerboy concept store combines the best of digital and physical shopping experiences. Opened last autumn, the luxury sneaker and streetwear store is more like a showroom with no tills, no fixed point of sale and no stock held on site. The idea is that customers can touch, feel and try on any style or size from the collection before ordering online through a smartphone or in-store device. By scanning the product barcode, the Sneakerboy App will advise customers if their desired product is in stock in their size. The items are then delivered from the company’s logistics centre in Hong Kong. The store is the first of several sites planned worldwide. ‘The potential of the physical environment to enrich the customer experience is significant,’ claims Callum Lumsden of Lumsden Design. ‘The role of the store is to bring the retailer’s brand to physical life. Consumers no longer distinguish between their online brand experience and their visit to that brand’s environment. The store is no longer pivotal to making the purchase but must increasingly become a destination experience that is entertaining, instructive and compelling to customers.’ Jon Lee, creative director at design consultancy 20.20, which worked with Kiddicare on the superstores, agrees: ‘If brands want to get closer to customers, they need to do this in a more emotional way and a physical space gives them this opportunity. ‘When we’ve worked with pure-plays that go high-street, we’ve noticed that they tend not to come with any “baggage” and bring a fresh enthusiasm for the channel as well as an inherent understanding of how technology can facilitate both retail experience and customer service,’ says Lee. ‘On the flip-side, they can often struggle to understand the dynamics and possibilities of physical spaces, but going offline gives these businesses a huge opportunity to become more emotionally connected brands.’
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Beta testing isn’t just reserved for the online world. Trial stores or pop-ups are a great way to beta test your online world on the high street without the commitment and investment of a full-blown bricks and mortar operation.
2. 360-degree brand experience Ensure shoppers wholeheartedly embrace your offering in store by enveloping them in your brand with an immersive experience. This could be a VIP event, a get-together of likeminded people, demonstration or class. It could support your work behind the scenes, such as putting shoppers face-to-face with how a product is made or simply offer expert advice and a more personal experience.
3. The customer journey Consider the whole customer journey; be inclusive and aware that people shop very differently. Retail is quite simply horses for courses. While someone may prefer to research online before stepping into a store, another may shop the high street and then price compare online. There’s also the showroomingeffect with prices being checked on a mobile device while in store. Shoppers expect to be able to buy what they want, when they want, where they want and how they want, and retailers must recognise and respond to this with the appropriate service that works in harmony both in store and online.
4. Recruitment tool By opening a store, you’re effectively increasing your promotional channels and placing a giant tactile billboard on the high street. Whether it’s a fine-tuned, beautifully designed city centre store, a stall in a shopping centre or pop-up shop, this is an opportunity to recruit new brand advocates and therefore consideration should be given to inform and engage new shoppers as well as keeping hold of your loyal fan base.
5. Digital to physical manifestation Consider how you can move your brand from a digital to a physical manifestation. Brand followers will have a preconception about how your shop will look based on their online experience. Be true to your brand by reflecting it through all elements of the in-store environment. Leave no stone unturned, with consideration for areas such as flooring and colour schemes, lighting and technology, density of merchandise, promotional materials, layout and design.
Retail Focus Jan 13_Layout 1 17/01/2013 14:53 Page 1
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products
surfaces + finishes Andy Thornton Andy Thornton is the exclusive European distributor of metal ceiling and wall tiles from USA supplier Shanker Industries. These tiles are used extensively in retail, hospitality and office environments. Manufactured in quality sheet steel, there is an extensive range of tile designs available, from simple geometrics to ornate florals. The tiles can either be nailed direct onto wood grounds, or dropped into ceiling grid systems. They can be used unfinished in their natural state or can be supplied in plated metal finishes, standard BS colours or special distressed finishes. T. +44 (0)1422 376 000 E. marketing@andythornton.com
www.andythornton.com
Polyflor Expona Control, Polyflor’s new flooring concept has been installed at the prestigious Slattery Patisserie and Chocolatier. Developed for use in busy commercial areas, Expona Control is the first flooring product of its type, combining the design benefits of a luxury vinyl tile (LVT) with the sustainable slip resistance of an HSE compliant safety floor. Installed by Manchester-based Winton Flooring, more than 300 sq m of Expona Control’s Cambrian Stone featured in the renovation of the ground floor. T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E. info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com
Armourcoat Armourcoat has added two new designs to its Sculptural range for 2014: Smoke and Basalt. An original range of seamless sculptural surface designs, Sculptural walls are constructed from a series of pre-cast panels that are bonded to the substrate. The panel joints are then filled and sanded, and a final decoration is applied to the surface. Armourcoat is a leading manufacturer of poloshed plaster and high performance surface finishes. T. +44 (0)1732 467 993 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.sculptural.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat
IDS Underlining its commitment to environmentally-friendly products, IDS has increased its offering of FSC certified laminates that are available ex-stock. At any one time, IDS stocks in excess of 300,000 sheets of laminate for sale into the commercial, shopfitting and furniture manufacturing sectors, and now 100,000 of that total are available with FSC certification ex-stock for delivery within 48 hours across the UK. The vast ex-stock offering is made up of Polyrey laminates which are fully PEFC certified and has been boosted to its current total thanks to Formica recently gaining FSC accreditation on all of its plain colour laminates and more than three quarters of its other laminate designs. T. +44 (0)8457 298 298 E. info@idsurfaces.co.uk www.idsurfaces.co.uk
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products
selection Print & Display The Long Life FSDU has been developed from recycled paper based materials. It is a cost-effective, durable alternative to wooden or metal display units. It sits nicely between traditional cardboard units, where the longevity and strength of a permanent unit is required but where budgets are tight or time in store is measured in months. Delivered flat packed, it takes one person around 10 minutes to install. Light enough to lift but also very robust and strong, the FSDU is printed with your artwork prior to despatch. Once the FSDU is no longer required it can be placed into a recycling system. T. +44 (0)115 927 5141 E. sales@printdisplays.com www.printdisplays.com Twitter: printdisplays
Hangers of London Hangers of London is a wholesale hanger manufacturer providing a wide selection of clothes hangers in plastic, wood, wire or metal. The company has one priority in mind and that is providing good quality hangers with an excellent service. It works closely on designs with its customers to ensure they receive exactly what they need, thus reflecting the loyal relationships it receives back from its clients across the world. T. +44 (0)208 885 3055 E. info@hangersoflondon.com www.hangersoflondon.com Twitter: hangersoflondon
Anglo Interiors
AluK (GB) doors and curtain walling systems have been supplied for the refurbishment of an existing retail unit for Debenhams at the Withybush Retail Park in Haverfordwest, Wales. Specified by Holder Mathias, in collaboration with Kier Group, AluK’s aluminium building systems were installed for the new shop front and display windows. Combining design flexibility with functionality, the SL52 Curtain Walling System installed enables specifiers to create impressive continual expanses of glass that not only enhance the aesthetics of a building but also provide the functionality and performance required to meet and exceed current standards.
Andi Grant (formerly creative director at SFD) has joined Anglo Interiors as creative director. In this new role Andi will provide clients with a cohesive design service, expanding and enhancing the concept to completion service of Anglo Interiors as well as expanding the development and marketing of the Anglo brand. ‘As clients are seeking ever more comprehensive services, the opportunity at Anglo to provide design solutions in conjunction with high quality UK manufacture provides a unique scope for innovative thinking and implementation, whilst providing our clients with access to expertise in creative design solutions, for retail, commercial and leisure interiors,’ says a spokesperson for the company. Andi will also be working with the Planet Aspects team to provide a unified solution to brand environment and visual merchandising needs.
T. +44 (0)1633 810 440 E. sales@aluk.co.uk www.aluk.co.uk Twitter: AluK_GB
T. +44 (0)20 8808 8157 www.planetaspects.co.uk Twitter: PlanetAspects
AluK (GB)
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products
arken New Finelite LED light box from arken. Introducing the all new modern, minimalist slim line light box, featuring side or top load slide-in access for posters. Made from naturally anodised aluminium, the light box also features a non-reflective PFS front sheet, and uses LED strips to create even illumination. Features include: Easy access - side or top load; Even vibrant light dispersal; Slim format - just 38mm deep; Uses 65 per cent less energy than traditional tubes; A 5-7 year minimum life expectancy on LED’s; Standard poster or bespoke sizes available, all made to order. T. +44 (0)1638 565 656 www.arken-pop.com
Megaman Megaman has supplied AR111 LED lamps as part of a new lighting solution for Selfridges London. Used throughout the newly refurbished and refitted concession areas, the new lighting needed to be installed quickly to reduce downtime, improve light levels and not impact on the existing fixtures or ornate ceiling of the shop floor. Lighting management company PLM (Planned Lighting Maintenance) partnered with Megaman for the project, supplying 15W AR111 LED lamps that look exactly the same as the existing AR111 but offer a much brighter light. T. +44 (0)845 408 4625 E. sales@megamanuk.com www.megamanuk.com Twitter: MegamanUKLtd
CJ Retail Solutions UK retail marketing specialist CJ Services has adopted a new brand name, unveiling its first wholly redesigned logo since being founded in 1995, along with a major corporate repositioning. The rebranding follows a period of expansion and solutions innovation for the business and will see the company trading under the new name, CJ Retail Solutions. The rebranding coincides with the firm’s vision strategy for 2014 and beyond, which is focused on repositioning the business in the context of shifting client needs and to better reflect the evolving CJ capabilities. T. +44 (0)1928 597 777 E. enquiries@cjretailsolutions.co.uk www.cjretailsolutions.co.uk
Creative Instore Solutions Don KRC enlisted Creative Instore Solutions’ (CIS) expertise to design and manufacture its new off-location refrigerated and ambient display in a first for the smallgoods category. The semi-permanent solution is instantly recognisable as the Don KRC brand with premium placement and high instore visibility to evoke theatre that is reminiscent of a street vendor food cart. The ingenuity of design and construction using moulded steel, wire shelving, refrigeration, foamex and polyurethane will ensure the longevity of activation, with a life expectancy of more than three years, ensuring optimum return on investment for Don KRC. T. +44 (0)208 965 7995 E. hello@creativeinstore.com.au www.creativeinstore.co.uk Twitter: CreativeInstore
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props
focus on: Props True as steel On a recent sourcing trip through the back streets of villages in Rajasthan, Gerry Moss, retail development manager at WBC, became fascinated by the work of the metal smiths of the region. One tool they used in their work was a simple metal steel girder used to hone metal into bowls and trays. For Moss, this girder became an inspirational prop concept, the like of which is now available from the WBC Prop Shop.
www.wbc.co.uk/props
‘The power of the prop is that it is the hero in every window campaign,’ maintains Stuart Henry of London-based creative agency JUSTSO. ‘Props create excitement, mood, a feeling, sometimes even a season and often the vision of a lifestyle.’ This month, feast your eyes on a splendid selection of props designed to add excitement and interest to the shopping experience.
Festive sparkle For Christmas 2013, Visual Sense designed a theme for Clery’s department store in Dublin based around the marketing concept ‘giving you this Christmas’, provided by BWP Create in London. Large-scale props were strategically placed around the store to give maximum impact, including huge sparkle lettering that was used to highlight the new range of cosmetics and jewellery in store. Large bows were also fitted to mannequins to capture people’s attention.
www.visualsense.ie
Year of the Horse At JUSTSO props are the mainstay of the company’s creativity. ‘We pride ourselves on delivering brand image through a true understanding of the role props have to play in enhancing the display of product,’ says managing director, Stuart Henry. The company recently produced beautiful hand-sculpted horses for the Chinese New Year window displays at Harrods.
www.justso.eu
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props Dial S for Sale Hackett London collaborated with Harlequin Design for its recent ‘Dial S for Sale’ windows. The scheme was a sequel to Hackett’s Hitchcock-inspired displays, putting a spin to his 1954 classic ‘Dial M for Murder’. For the campaign, Harlequin sourced a myriad of red handsets that hung from the ceiling in the Regent Street flagships store. The company also designed and produced 3D letters for the in-store campaign and manufactured oversized vintage telephones for the window displays.
www.harlequin-design.com
Flower power Luxury mobile phone manufacturer Vertu tasked Elemental Design with creating modular visual merchandising props to highlight the new Constellation smartphone. As a Vertu ‘entry’ product, the design needed to be colourful and assist in catching the attention of a somewhat younger customer. Acrylic flowers have been designed to be slotted together in various formations, creating both a glorifier for the smart phone and accessories, as well as smaller arrangements to be placed adjacent to the product. Each set of acrylic flowers was flat-packed inside a small riser plinth and shipped to 180 stores in 25 countries, in time for the New Year window campaigns. Vibrant fabric banners with a complementary design were also produced as a backdrop to the fixtures in the store windows.
www.elemental.co.uk
Messages d’Amour
SDEA member Big Ben Themes offers an extensive range of giant sports and music-themed props. The new enlarged range includes tennis and badminton rackets, cricket and baseball bats, golf clubs, sports shoes, and cricket and football gloves. The company also offers a bespoke service.
Godiva Chocolatier, together with PLANarama, sourced and modified these bird cages for its Valentines windows. Each cage was adapted to house product before being hand sprayed in layers to get the desired finish. The scheme was inspired by the packaging of the new ‘Messages d’Amour’ collection, designed by Parisian artist Nathalie Lété, and has been rolled out to 12 stores across the UK and Belgium.
www.bigbenthemes.com
www.PLANarama.com
Good sport
69
Directory
Retail Supplier Directory, find the specialist retail products and services you are looking for from leading suppliers around the world. Retail Supplier Directory Visit the Retail Focus online directory at www.retail-focus.co.uk to discover a comprehensive list of the UK’s leading retail suppliers. Each listing contains indepth company information together with inspirational images, video footage and informative press material. You can also link through to company websites and connect with suppliers through Twitter and Facebook. The Retail Supplier Directory is divided into a number of categories, such as design agencies, point-of-purchase, lighting, props and surfaces, to make the site easy to navigate. To feature in the online directory, contact Terry Clark on 0845 6807405 or email terry@retailfocus.co.
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Directory
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Design Consultancies
RGB Products Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Axis design, develop, manufacture and install bespoke retail display solutions. We’ve worked with the biggest names on the high street, but approach every project in the same way, with the maximum thought for your brand, products and sales environment.
We provide a bespoke manufacturing service for Point of Purchase and Exhibition Display products. Using our CNC Router and other machinery, we can prototype and produce your merchandising displays and products.
H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas.
T, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc
T, 01403 783670 E. sales@rgbproducts.co.uk W. www.rgbproducts.co.uk
T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.
Original suppliers of display fabrics, textiles, PVC and polycarbonates for retail displays and exhibition stands since 1934 Backgrounds have been our background since backgrounds began and B Brown have more than 400 in stock.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
IGNITION is an independent creative company Our multi-disciplined team work together to deliver exceptional retail and commercial environments, global exhibitions and brands.
T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat
T, 08705 340 340 E. customerservices@bbrown.co.uk W. www.bbrown.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/luvbbrown
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, +44 (0) 1179 725168 E. victoria@ignitiondg.com W. www.ignitiondg.com
Aluminium Fittings
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Bespoke Display
H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas. T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
CNC Routing
Design Consultancies
Display
Axis design, develop, manufacture and install bespoke retail display solutions. We’ve worked with the biggest names on the high street, but approach every project in the same way, with the maximum thought for your brand, products and sales environment.
T, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc
Display
RGB Products No.1 Advertising Balloon Service: • Printed Latex and Foil Balloons • Helium Gas delivery and collection • Flags, Bunting and Banners • Promotional Sashes and T-shirts • Multi-store distribution nationwide
KSF provides retail merchandising display solutions to retailers, brands and trade customers from CONCEPT to COMPLETION via our global supply chain (China/UK/East EU) to deliver LOWER total cost of ownership. YOU’VE TRIED THE REST; NOW PUT US TO THE TEST.
We provide a bespoke manufacturing service for Point of Purchase and Exhibition Display products. Using our CNC Router and other machinery, we can prototype and produce your merchandising displays and products.
Graphica Display print, produce and install retail graphics including till point graphics, window graphics, LED lightboxes, cut & printed vinyl and much more. Nationwide & Euorpean delivery and installation.
T, 01494 774376 E. sales@b-loony.com W. www.b-loony.com
T: +44 (0)8450 944 699 E: ben.wang@ksf-global.com W: www.ksf-global.com S: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal
T, 01403 783670 E. sales@rgbproducts.co.uk W. www.rgbproducts.co.uk
T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet
71
Directory
Display
Display
Display - Digital
Furniture
Are you looking to increase your product sales, re-brand or launch a new product? If you’re not already talking to us, you should. Our group offer an unprecedented level of experience coupled with a comprehensive range of products and services. Our aim is to make your products sell and your service the best on the market.
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
T: +44(0)113 265 0093 E: sales@concept-data.com W: www.concept-data.com S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
Display
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Display
Display
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Display
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
Display
Display
T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet
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Furniture
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
GDP designs, manufactures, delivers and installs world-class retail environments, store fixtures, displays and visual merchandising equipment. GDP is truly Global, through its activities in many parts of the world. We have supplied high-end displays and furniture to successful retail brands throughout Europe, North America, South Africa and South East Asia. T: +44 (0)1582 433 771 E: info@gdprojects.eu W: www.gdprojects.eu S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
Graphica Display print, produce and install retail graphics including till point graphics, window graphics, LED lightboxes, cut & printed vinyl and much more. Nationwide & Euorpean delivery and installation.
Display - Digital
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
EPOS
Offering an extensive range of EPOS hardware from world class suppliers such as Star Micronics, Honeywell and Posiflex, DED offer the complete EPOS hardware solution alongside a unique rewritable loyalty system.
T: 01797 320636 E: sales@ded.co.uk W: www.ded.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/dedltd
Finishes
Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk W. www.armourcoat.com S. www.twitter.com/Armourcoat
Graphics
Graphica Display print, produce and install retail graphics including till point graphics, window graphics, LED lightboxes, cut & printed vinyl and much more. Nationwide & Euorpean delivery and installation.
T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet
Graphics
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Directory
Interactive Displays
Lighting
POP/POS
Slatwall
Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.
Wandsworth is the oldest independent manufacturer of electrical accessories in the UK. A truly British company, the majority of our products are sold throughout the world. Wandsworth’s traditional activities are the design and manufacture of superior metalfinished electrical wiring accessories.
KSF provides retail merchandising display solutions to retailers, brands and trade customers from CONCEPT to COMPLETION via our global supply chain (China/UK/East EU) to deliver LOWER total cost of ownership. YOU’VE TRIED THE REST; NOW PUT US TO THE TEST.
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
T, 01483 713 400 E. info@wandsworthgroup.com W. www.wandsworthgroup.com S. www.twitter.com/WandsworthGroup
T: +44 (0)8450 944 699 E: ben.wang@ksf-global.com W: www.ksf-global.com S: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal
T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Integrated Marketing
POP/POS
POP/POS
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service.
Slatwall
BWP Group is an integrated communications agency that specialises in retail destination marketing. We drive footfall to shopping centres and retail brands across Europe, through a combination of marketing and brand consultancy, PR, experiential, events, social media and digital communications.
CDS began life in 2005 specialising in shopfitting. The offer now covers all aspects of Commercial interiors, Electrical, Mechanical and Manufacturing and Maintenance. CDS is now in a perfect position to cover the complete life cycle of your next project, whether that covers a single or multiple stores.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.
T, 01628 625 900 E. hello@bwpgroup.com W. www.bwpgroup.com S. www.twitter.com/BWP_Group
T: 0845 674 4420 E: info@cdsgroup.uk.com W: www.cdsgroup.uk.com S. www.twitter.com/CDSGroupLtd
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat
Logistics
POP/POS
POP Install
At Chequers, we provide a specialist fragile transportation and logistics solution, dedicated primarily to the retail visual merchandising, POP/POS display and shopfitting sectors.
H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas.
Our aim is simple: To provide GOLD STANDARD Installation and Merchandising of Display Equipment at competitive prices.
T, 01757 707077 E. sales@chequerstransport.com W. www.chequerstransport.com
Lighting
Atrium, established 36 years ago, is the UK’s longest standing independent architectural lighting supplier. Flos, Ilti Luce, LTS and Modular have granted us full exclusivity for the UK and the Republic of Ireland. We specialise in the supply of high quality design-led technical and decorative luminaires to the commercial project market. T: +44 (0)20 7681 9933 E: sales@atrium.ltd.uk W: www.atrium.ltd.uk S. www.twitter.com/Atrium_ltd
T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
POP/POS
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T: 0161 941 2239 E: mike.kirchin@plan2install.co.uk W: www.plan2install.co.uk
POP Install
We are the leading retail implementation agency with unrivalled expertise in Installation, Retail Audits, Merchandising and Field Marketing. If you think your campaigns might benefit from a complete service, you should talk to us.
T: 0161 486 7878 E: instore@momentuminstore.com W: www.momentuminstore.com S: www.twitter.com/momentuminstore
Slatwall
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Suspension System
Suspension systems - Simple installation, high carrying weights, automatic height locking device and progressive adjustment, compatible with existing covering and panelling.
T: 020 8446 0161 E: sales@walterlogan.com W: www.walterlogan.com
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Q&A
Kristine Kirby has recently taken on the newly created role of ecommerce director at luxury menswear brand Hackett. In this exclusive interview with Retail Focus, she tells us what attracted her to the brand and reveals her plans for the company.
RF. What attracted you to Hackett? KK. What wouldn’t? It is an amazing brand with a great history, and what I feel is fantastic product that is true to its British roots. And looking at the website, I could see it wasn’t up to par with the stores and the product. Then I met our MD, Vicente Castellano, during the interview process and could see the passion he had for the business, and how much he knew the web was under performing the rest of the business. I knew he’d let me use my experience not only to get Hackett to par with the standard in ecommerce, but then push me to get us to innovative. RF. What does your role as ecommerce director involve exactly? KK. At the moment, it is a bit more of what doesn’t it involve! I have only been with Hackett in this role a few months, so I am still in and out of all areas, trying to see where I can learn more, or where I can be slightly evangelical about the ecommerce channel. Everyone at Hackett is brilliant, and excited about the new possibilities in this area, so I am doing a bit of a ‘reset’ as it were. We are upping our game in lots of ways. We are becoming more focused on consistent execution and the idea that simple things done right and consistently pay dividends. I also spend time talking with different areas of the business – retail and wholesale being key ones. Especially retail, as we try to work as a single unit, and I deliver initiatives that will help us both achieve things that are about putting the customer at the forefront of what we do. And I spend lots of time with IT, as we look at what we can make the platform do more of, or better, or where we need to examine partnerships. It is all about creating experiences that are equal to the brand; unifying channels for a seamless customer experience, and of course driving increased revenue. RF. What experience do you bring from your previous roles? KK. Everything from team resourcing to what changes can impact your ROI the most, to overall main board experience. I’ve been ecommerce or multichannel director many times before, as well as European MD for a company, so while there is a lot of experience in my bag, experience is just one part. Knowing the brand you are in, the customer you have, the business’ goals and the team’s abilities are in some ways more important. Then you can carefully pick and choose which experience to use. And in ecommerce, everything moves so fast, you find that experience is great, but can go out of date fast. RF. What plans do you have for Hackett? KK. Lots! Some I can share, some probably would get me in a bit
of trouble with Vicente if I did! But, click & collect is a big one for us. And as we don’t have a large store estate, looking into alternate options, such as lockers for pick up. We are close to having a proper single customer view database, so we can be more targeted and tactical with our communications with our customers, but also analyse our data better. Lots of user experience improvements across our website, which we have started, to make it look as amazing as our store and be a real showcase for our product. Rolling out French and Spanish sites, and looking at the next tranche of countries then, whether then is in language, or just for delivery options, to test the waters, as it were.
RF. Today’s consumers are looking for a more personalised shopping experience. How is Hackett embracing personalisation? KK. The single customer view database is one. That will marry ecommerce data and transactions, and capture all, and do the same for retail. Dynamic content is a big one for us. Our range is broad and has everything from more basic suits to absolutely divine ones made from the finest British and Italian wool. Or casual products, which is a different buying journey. So, we will use the history and the other tools at our disposal to try and make the Hackett online experience as tailored as possible, from homepages to emails and everything in between. RF. How is Hackett using the web, mobile and social media to enhance the customer experience and build brand loyalty? KK. We are currently testing our new mobile site and tablet site – our current site isn’t responsive design, yet we can see a large amount of traffic from mobile and tablet devices. Having sites that work on those devices will be a huge enhancement to the customer experience and should have a knock-on effect on loyalty. We have upped our game in social in the past six weeks or so, and have some exciting collaborations in production, which will be great for social as well as building brand loyalty – and I think introducing Hackett to new customers. Additionally, we have our usual areas that we are strong in – the BAFTAs, the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race, and The British Polo Days, and the Aston Martin Racing, that we are continuing our successful involvement with. We have a new social brand manager joining the team to help leverage our efforts in the social arena, and to work in tandem with our great marketing and PR team, to ensure we are consistently communicating the world of Hackett. Read the interview in full at www.retail-focus.co.uk
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HACKETT
HACKETT
THOMAS PINK
M&S INTERNATIONAL
JOSEPH / GILES DEACON BARBOUR
BANANA REPUBLIC
JOSEPH
harlequin-design.com twitter.com/HarlequinLondon facebook.com/harlequindesignlondon +44(0)20 7253 6238 Harlequin Design (London) Ltd. 4th Floor 26/27 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DS
The xciting Kind E s t t s I Mo duct Of Introducing ™ Pro htSheet
SGLig
SGLightSheet™ is available in 14 standard options as well as 100’s of ways the product can be tailored to suit your requirements. Here’s A Small Selection Of Uses & Options Available When Using SGLightSheet™ : · Panel Backlighting · Illuminated Flooring/Ceiling Tiles · Letters & Shapes · Built Up Letters · Window & Retail Displays · · Ghosted (See-Thru) For Hanging POS/Decoration · Flex Face/Textile Frame Illumination · Velcro Fixing For Exhibitions · · Perfect For Internal & External Use · Window & Retail Displays · Removable Magnetic Faces · Snap Frame Faces ·
Please Visit
www.SGLightSheet.co.uk or Call: 0113 25 24 706 / Email: info@sglightsheet.co.uk For More Information
Have You Checked Out Our Online LED Shop Yet?
www.weloveleds.co.uk
We Stock Everything You Need To Create High Quality Lighting Solutions For Signage, Exhibitions, Shop Rebrands & VM Displays. Get In Touch For Advice