JCWG Retail Innovations 12 - High Res · 2018-04-23 · 4 | Retail Innovations 12 The retail, real...

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RetailINNOVATIONS 12

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Toutes les entreprises continuent d’affronter des défis perturbateurs. Notre groupe aide les entreprises à réaliser la vision de leurs stratégies clients. Nos conseillers réputés guident les clients à l’aide de conseils à la fois créatifs et pratiques. En tant que chefs de file mondiaux, nous servons notre clientèle au Canada, aux États-Unis, au Moyen-Orient, en Russie, en Afrique du Nord et en Asie du Sud-Est.

Chefs de file en service Notre équipe diversifiée travaille en partenariat avec les clients. Notre recherche va bien au-delà des faits et offre des observations, des conclusions et des recommandations. La stratégie débute toujours avec vos clients. Nos services multidisciplinaires permettent de créer des stratégies et des plans d’action interfonctionnels supérieurs et exécutables.

Chefs de file de l’expertise commerciale Nous sommes passionnés pour le commerce de détail et les activités connexes. Pour soutenir ses clients et le grand public, le Groupe J.C. Williams a écrit des livres et des articles de recherche

pour la Fédération Nationale du Commerce de Détail, le Conseil international des centres commerciaux et le Conseil canadien du commerce de détail ainsi que des livres spécialisés auto-édités (www.jcwg.com).

Nous publions régulièrement des blogues, diffusons un bulletin national du détail, contribuons au bulletin Retail Insider et commentons les questions commerciales dans les médias.

Chefs de file des avantages - clients Les clients prennent les devants grâce à des tactiques et à des stratégies de pointe axées sur le consommateur. La recherche et la créativité permettent aux commerces d’acquérir de nouveaux concepts. Les clients puisent leur compétitivité dans une équipe interfonctionnelle.

Nous servons tous les types d’entreprises pour qui les consommateurs sont importants.

J.C. Williams Group Limited90 Richmond Street East, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1. 416-921-4181600 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Suite 1700, Montreal, Québec H3A 3J2 514-781-5429350 West Hubbard Street, Suite 240, Chicago, Illinois 60654 [email protected]


The retail, real estate, manufacturing, municipal and financial industries continue to face disruptive challenges. So what J.C. Williams Group does is give clients advice and insights that are creative yet practical-from advisors who are acknowledged as industry leaders. As global thought leaders, we serve clients in Canada, USA, Middle East, Russia, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Leaders in Service Our broad-based team works in partnership with clients. Research goes beyond “just facts” and offers observations, conclusions, and recommendations. Strategy always starts with your customers and ends with profits. Our breadth of services creates cross-functional strategies and action plans that are superior and implementable.

Leaders in Business Knowledge We are passionate about retail and retail-related business. We have written books and research articles for the National Retail Federation, International Council of Shopping Centers, and Retail Council of Canada and self-published specialty books – www.jcwg.com

We regularly blog, release a monthly National Retail Bulletin, contribute to Retail Insider, and comment on business issues in the media.

Leaders in Client Benefit Clients receive cutting-edge, consumer-focused strategy and tactics—that work. Businesses get new concepts from creative research and thinking. Clients receive competitive power from a cross-functional team.

Serving retailers, shopping centers, manufacturers, financial investors, governments, manufacturers, universities, and hospitals.

J.C. Williams Group Limited90 Richmond Street East, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1. 416-921-4181600 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Suite 1700, Montreal, Québec H3A 3J2 514-781-5429350 West Hubbard Street, Suite 240, Chicago, Illinois 60654 [email protected]


McMILLAN DOOLITTLE

the retail experts

We are a global alliance of consultancy companies with members in more than 25 mature and emerging retail markets.

Since 1990, we have helped retailers, as well as suppliers to the retail sector, remain competitive and achieve their goals by blending global retail expertise with our members’ local insights.

Ebeltoft Group serves 36 of the top 100 retailers and 29 of the top 50 manufacturers worldwide.

Since its founding, Ebeltoft Group has been analyzing global retail innovation trends and, since 2005, presenting this analysis in our annual publication, Retail Innovations, focusing on emerging trends and the most interesting cases worldwide.

Ebeltoft Group´s global studies and publications include:

Global Cross Channel Report (2014) Retail Internationalization (2013) Global Cross Channel Report (2012) NeoConsumer (2011) The Trust Factor (2011) Environmental Sustainability (2010).

A M E R I C A S

A S I A - O C E A N I A A N D A F R I C A

E U R O P E


Partnering with retailers and brands to improve awareness of global trends that are shaping tomorrow’s retail landscape.

With a decade of global retail trend analysis and more than 20 years of supporting our local retail communities around the world, Ebeltoft Group helps today’s retailers and manufacturers prepare for the ongoing changes shaping the retail marketplace.

The study and adoption of innovative ideas lead to major changes in the way we see businesses go to market. It is easy to spot these changes when we reflect back upon retail history. It is more difficult, but ultimately more important, to understand and react to these changes as they are happening now. Through presentations and workshops, our local Ebeltoft Group retail experts develop dynamic sessions to help your management team better understand these changes and answer the following key concerns:

What are the main game-changing ideas that are propelling retail forward?

How does this apply to me and my local retail market?

How can I incorporate elements of cross-channel retailing?

How do I incorporate new technologies into my retail concept?

How can I think about my business model in a new way?

How can I blend the online and offline experience?

How can I increase the role that the customer plays in creating and determining product?

In addition to presentations and workshops, Ebeltoft Group also provides customized trend-tracking services for

your company or retail sector.

Retail Innovation Services


The four hot trends of the year

Brand Intensity delivers emotions and “proofs of brand.” Savvy retailers know they magnify their brand intensity through storytelling. The French use two different words for “brand”: “enseigne” refers to historical retailers with a functional promise and weak marketing content; “marque” refers to brands with strong content. Retailers have to move from “enseignes” to “marques.” This is obvious in niche concepts with intensive storytelling (i.e., Dielmar, the “living showcase“ tailor; De Dames, the garage for women), but is also true for mass market and discount retailers. The amazing transformation of Lidl is one such inspiring example And, manufacturers keep testing “brand experience places,” such as Crayola and Adidas.

Responsibility remains a priority factor in many concepts, most often as the cherry on top, but sometimes as the cake itself. Northern European countr ies are the clear leaders in this trend, experimenting with bold models like Retuna, the groundbreaking shopping mall dedicated to recycling.

Interactions focus on what the internet struggles to provide: interaction with products (test, customize, make), interaction with staff (human relationships, personal shopper), interaction with the company (co-creation) and interaction with other clients (communities). Some concepts are clearly dedicated to new forms of interaction (i.e., VOID, the trendy Brazilian concept coffee store; Vita Mojo, the UK build-to-order restaurant), but, more widely, numerous concepts step it up with customization and community.


Smart Shopping is key. Make it as efficient and convenient to shop in-store as it is to shop Amazon. R1 12 features several cases showing how the online/offline experience can be more fluid, often thanks to the smart use of technologies (i.e., Canada Post, Eatsa). As it did last year, RI 12 also showcases several R&D concepts of compact/extended/no-stock stores (i.e., Decathlon Connect, Sephora Flash). And, this is not only about stores, the omni-channel journey is the new normal in any of those concepts.

ContentsRetailINNOVATIONS 12

Retail Innovations 12 cases

Smart Shopping 19

Zgoda FC 20Mister Spex 22Apodoc Hardbrucke 24Migros my way 26Bloom & Wild 28Sephora Flash 30La Poste 32Pangea 34eXperience BCR 36Amazon Books 38ME for YOU 40Picnic 42

Interactions 45

Vita Mojo 46VOID General Store 48House of All 50Decathlon Connect 52Seneca Anticafe 54Ray-Ban Flagship Store 56Targi Sniadaniowe 58Ikea Kuchnia Spotkan 60

Ebeltoft Group 5

Ebeltoft Group Retail Innovation Services 6

Top Four Retail Trends 7

Award-winning Innovation Cases 11

eatsa 12Canada Post 14

ICSC: Global sponsor of Retail Innovations 12 99

ICSC Viva Design and Development Award 102

Ebeltoft Group Locations 104

Brand Intensity 63

Eataly per Autogrill 64Telstra Discovery Store 66Level Kids 68Tally Weijl Flagship Store 70Lidl 72Beauty Sister 74Carrefour Street Market 76Siam Discovery 78Crayola Experience 80Dielmar 82De Dames van Hurkmans 84

Responsibility 87

Peerby 88Retuna Återbruksgalleria 90WeFood 92Toms Shoes 94Reclaimed Jewels 96


Award-winning innovation cases


eatsa

Canada Post



Key Data Sector: Food service

Year opened: 2015

Store location: San Francisco, California

Number of stores: 3, 2 in San Francisco; 1 in Los Angeles

Number of countries: 1, USA

Product mix: Healthy, fast-casual style foods

Positioning

A new fully technology-driven store concept offering sustainable, healthy meals for people who otherwise may not have time to eat nutritiously, or who would like to spend less on lunch.

What is it? Eatsa is a fully automated restaurant chain whose goal is to make delicious, nutritious foods accessible to more people through a technology-driven restaurant experience. Technology fuels convenience and speed in an ordering process completely driven by digital screens and menu options, with an emphasis on a sustainable and nutritious offer.

The restaurant functions like a vending machine. Customers enter and order at an iPad kiosk, or via the Eatsa app, and then wait at a wall of glass cubbies, where their food appears when ready. From start to finish, there is zero interaction between customer and employee. All bowls are priced at $6.95, which makes the product accessible to a broad base of consumers.

eatsa

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Why is it innovative?Technology and retail concept strategy drives Eatsa’s successful business model. The restaurant eliminates lines and cashiers by using iPad kiosks. The staff is focused on the kitchen, preparing each order of healthy and fresh food on site. For customers, placing orders is quick and convenient, since both the menu offer and the pricing strategy are very simple.

Technology and efficiency, omni-channel experience Customers can create their own custom quinoa bowls, made in-house with fresh ingredients, behind the cubby wall. In time, Eatsa’s computer system will display customers’ previous orders and recommend new quinoa bowls based on preference and history.

After ordering, customers wait at the cubby wall, where their name will display and their food will appear.

For an even more efficient, streamlined lunch experience, customers also can order via Eatsa’s mobile app for iPhone

EbeltoftPOINT OF VIEW |

Eatsa is pushing the boundaries into a new age of food retailing by innovating through fast and customer-friendly technology with a focus on sustainability. Eatsa’s innovative automated service is designed to promote healthy, nutritious eating that is also accessible, fast, cost-effective and filling.

and pick up in-store from an automated locker. Customers see their name on a menu board and simply double-tap the locker to access their food.

Along with automated ordering, customers can easily join the rewards program and leave quick and instant feedback on their experience, so Eatsa can constantly monitor overall customer satisfaction. The receipt is emailed after the order is received, and serves as a vehicle for customers to leave feedback and rate their experience.

Healthy food and social consciousnessThe menu comprises an assortment of quinoa bowls, each costing $6.95, that feature a variety of toppings, as well as side add-ons and drinks. Eatsa makes socially conscious choices by using quinoa, a sustainable plant, and keeping its menu completely vegetarian. The design emphasizes efficient production and convenience.

United States of America



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Key Data Sector: Postal service, courier

Format: Brick-and-mortar, “Drive-thru Parcel Centre,” 4,500 square feet

Year opened: 2015

Store locations: Canada (Richmond Hill, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia)

Number of stores: 3 new concept stores; elements of the new concept to be integrated into 6,200 post offices across Canada

Number of staff: 8, compared to 2-3 in a traditional urban store

Revenue per store: $1.2 million, compared to $400,000 in traditional urban stores

Other measures of success: New concept store is ranked No. 9 in the network of 6,200+ post offices for FlexDelivery, a service that allows customers to select a location for parcel delivery destination

Number of countries: 1, Canada

Product mix: Parcel pick-up and delivery service, plus retail for stamps, padded envelopes, parcel wrap, envelopes, etc.

Positioning

Reinventing the modern post office with a focus on convenience.

What is it? Canada Post’s new “Drive-thru Parcel Centre” is an original and convenient alternative to the modern post office. The new concept store utilizes automation and self-service technologies to create a simpler and more efficient way for customers to receive and send parcels. The 4,500-square-foot store has a sleek, clean, modern, open environment and features 24/7 access, self-service kiosks, a vending machine, a drive-thru for parcel pick-up and even a fitting room.

The store design encourages customers to walk through and interact with various elements. Service desks eliminate the barrier between customers and staff that are created by counter designs in other post offices. Staff and customers are encouraged to engage in a more familiar and accessible interaction. As do many traditional formats, the store features the philatelic wall, which displays collector stamps and souvenirs for purchase. Vending machines are available for self-service, so that customers can purchase items like stamps without help from staff. New format displays, such as 14 digital screens, a large LED video wall that advertises Canada Post’s latest services, as well as free wifi for customers also are available. In addition, the store can accommodate pop-up retail units for online-only retailers.

These innovations extend well beyond the drive-thru feature; a more apt description of this concept is Convenience 2.0.

Canada Post


Customers drive up to the welcome kiosk to scan the barcode on their pick-up notice.

Customers then drive up to the drive-thru window to receive their purchases.

Canada

Why is it innovative?Recognizing the growth of online shopping and increasing customer demands for more flexible and speedier service, Canada Post developed the concept of the new Drive-thru Parcel Centre. The flagship concept store in Richmond Hill, along with two other stores in Edmonton and Vancouver, will test the new elements, including a drive-thru, self-service modules and a fitting room. Successful elements will be incorporated into its network of 6,200+ stores across the country.

A drive-thru The idea behind the drive-thru is for Canada Post to offer customers a “flash delivery” service experience. Customers do not need to get out of their cars; they simply drive up to the store’s welcome kiosk, scan the barcode (either from their smartphone or paper pick-up notice), and drive up to retrieve their purchase. Large parcels are placed in the vehicle by Canada Post staff. By extending the convenience of online shopping to the delivery process, the drive-thru is particularly attractive to online shoppers.

Self-service modules with 24/7 access Small business owners will never again have to worry about missing post office open hours. Customers can visit the store at any time and access the following services:

1. Self-serve parcel kiosk: An automated all-in-one service uses a “cubing device” to scan the package for size and weight, so that postage can be calculated by the machine. Customers can pay for their parcel delivery, print their shipping label and place their package in the drop-box for delivery. A receipt is provided and tracking is online. Customers receive a 10% discount for using this service.

2. Induction box: Customers who submit their deliveries online and print their shipping labels prior to heading to the post office can visit the center and simply scan their packages to drop them off. Packages are automatically placed in a secure room for delivery and entered immediately into the Canada Post automatic tracking system.

Staff give customers their purchases through the drive-thru window.


Canada Post, cont.

The interior of the fitting room is bright and spacious and features a mirror.

The website provides tips on how customers can measure their packages in order to determine their shipping rates.

A clean, modern, bright, open environment encourages customers to walk through the store freely to interact with various elements.

Canada Post has seen tremendous success with this technology; almost 50% of parcels went through this machine during the Christmas 2015 season.

A fitting room A 50-square-foot private fitting room offers customers the ability to try on their apparel purchases as soon as they receive their parcels at the post office. Clothing that does not fit, or does not meet expectations, can be easily returned immediately. The fitting room has been

Full view of the self-service parcel kiosk with “cubing device.”

slow to take off, as many online retailers do not include return labels and, instead, require customers to print and place return labels on the packages themselves, which is inconvenient. As retailers’ return policies become simpler, Canada Post sees greater potential for this element.


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Sample shipping label. Customers affix the labels to their packages.

Featured article in trade magazine Social media


Parcel delivery is a major “pain point” in the online customer journey. The cost of delivery is a significant expense for the retailer, as customers generally expect free delivery. For the customer, the challenge is arranging a convenient delivery point, where he or she can be available when the parcel arrives, which adds extra steps to the customer journey.

The new Canada Post Drive-thru Parcel Centre concept is a win-win for everyone involved in the online sale:

an extensive logistics system, it provides a point where parcels can be dropped off and entered into the delivery network, even when there is no store staff and the store would be closed.

provides an easy pick-up point when home delivery is not an option.

system offers service, even when staff is not available. Having a customer pick up a parcel, rather than delivering it to their home, reduces the cost to get it into their hands. The pop-up store space is an added benefit for online retailers, tying them more closely to the Canada Post services.Canada Post’s Ship-in-a-Click service enables customers to

enter shipping information, print shipping labels and pay for their shipments online prior to heading to the store.

Canada


Know more S M A R T S H O P P I N G


Key Data Sector: Sport

Format: 400 square meters (2 floors)

Year opened: 2016

Store location: Warsaw, Poland

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Poland

Product mix: Football (soccer) sportswear and equipment A broad assortment allows customers to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate football.

Positioning

The temple of football (soccer); the biggest football store in Poland.

What is it? Zgoda FC is a two-story flagship in Warsaw dedicated to football (soccer). Football fans can buy all the sportswear in the category, as well as more technical products, like shoes and balls. Inside the store, customers can express and experience their passion for football (test area, room for clubs, etc.). The store offers an extension of the brick-and-mortar experience with an e-commerce site offering a broader assortment.

Zgoda FC

S M A R T S H O P P I N G


An in-store football field to test balls and shoes.

Why is it innovative? An interactive and connected store

Zgoda FC offers a high-level connected experience. Digital screens with detailed information and product enhancements are present around the store. Some screens feature advertising, showing films about products. Other screens display the website, which offers an enlarged assortment (“endless aisle”), and screens to help shoppers choose the desired product. The digital technology enables shoppers to place a product’s RFID tag under the screen, which will bring up technical information, available sizes and more details to support purchasing decisions.

An experiential storeA small, enclosed football field-style space, surrounded by grids and “planted” with artificial grass, enables customers to feel as if they are on a real field, where they can test


A leading-edge store with hallmark innovations in technology, experiential retail and personalization.

This store focuses on only one key category to win in, which presents the question of whether there are enough people in this market to make the store profitable.

Zgoda FC offers a positive customer experience, which reflects some aspects of Adidas or Nike flagships. This is not surprising, as Nike fully supported this project, although the store is a multi-brand environment.

balls and shoes, as well as engage with the products, before buying them.

On the first floor, shoppers can play football games on Xbox systems in a dedicated corner featuring a seating area, TV screen and Xbox console. Gamers can play and share their common passion for football and electronic games.

Personalization and Club RoomA separate Club Room on the upper floor welcomes football club representatives and football aficionados interested in special orders. Coaches and football club representatives can prepare shirts personalized for their teams with club logos, player names and additional information. Shirts are customized on site by dedicated sewing machines and transfer printing machines.

Screens energize the store. You can get comprehensive information about a shoe by placing it under the screen.

Customers are surrounded by relevant merchandise.

Poland


Key Data Sector: Optician

Format: 150 square meters

Year opened: Brick-and-mortar store, 2016; online shop, 2007

Store location: Berlin, Germany

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Germany

Product mix: Corrective eyeglasses, sunglasses, lenses, optician services

Positioning

Optician with a strong omni-channel presence; innovative store layout; highly competitive prices.

What is it? Mister Spex, Europe’s leading online eyewear merchant, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Berlin, Germany, last February. The concept received the Red Dot Award 2016 in the category Communication Design.

The layout, omni-channel approach and informal atmosphere of the store break from traditional optician shops’ presentation. In addition to offering a selection of 1,400 eyeglasses and sunglasses, Mister Spex reinforces customer retention by providing professional optician services on site, which were previously outsourced to partner opticians, to extend the formerly online-only model.

Mister Spex


The lounge area features a wall of available frames, as well as tablets for those who prefer online shopping.

Customers can browse and try on frames.


Switzerland

Why is it innovative?Customers can relax in the lounge, while using a tablet to shop online for the company’s products, as well as shop in the store. Customers also can see an optician on site.

Unconventional store layout and customer journey The Mister Spex store design features a completely open storefront, which draws customers in and increases the number of store visits. The innovative layout replaces traditional consulting desks, where opticians and customers sit opposite one another, with one large consulting desk in the center of the store. Now, opticians and customers sit side by side, enabling customers to take a more active role in the purchasing process. The consulting desk is equipped with tablets to connect with the online shop. Also equipped with tablets is an in-store lounge area featuring a focus wall of designer glasses to inspire selection and purchases.


Mister Spex was among the first former online pure players to “take a step back” to the brick-and-mortar retail model by opening an offline store. Offering customers the full shopping and service experience, while keeping offline prices at the same highly competitive level as their online prices, Mister Spex exemplifies “smart discount.” Serving up to 1,500 visitors on a Saturday, Mister Spex can capitalize on its deep knowledge of customers and brand awareness. Known for convenience, informality and reliability, Mister Spex has become “the Apple store for glasses.”

The strategic and targeted offline positioning will be expanded into additional stores in the near future.

Online offline mashupAs a former online pure player, it was essential for Mister Spex to undertake an omni-channel strategy with its first brick-and-mortar store in order to enhance the customer experience. The entrance welcomes customers with convenient and clear information about current product promotions, both in the store and online. Also, the organization of the assortment is modeled on the online approach, with the glasses displayed to correspond with face shapes. Customers are provided with small wooden trays that accommodate four pairs of glasses they have chosen to consider for purchase. Mister Spex also carried over its popular shipping carton to the brick-and-mortar store.

Both in the store and online, glasses are sorted to correspond with face shapes. A visual merchandising element at the entrance explains the process.

Reflecting the homepage of the online shop, the front of the store features a table promoting seasonal offers.

Germany


Key Data Sector: Medicine, pharma, café


Year opened: 2015

Store location: Zurich, Switzerland

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Switzerland

Product mix: Pharmacy, medical practice, coffee bar

Positioning

Apodoc is a walk-in medical practice, with no appointment needed, that also offers a pharmacy and a coffee bar.

What is it? Apodoc is a combined medical practice, pharmacy and coffee shop, where doctors, pharmacists and restaurateurs work together. All benefit from the synergy of patients, customers and health professionals sharing a space. Patients/customers appreciate being able to accomplish multiple tasks in a single physical location.

Apodoc Hardbrücke

Café Medici offers delicious espresso, fresh fruit juices and snacks.

At the pharmacy, individual patients are counseled and treated.



Switzerland

Why is it innovative?Apodoc is a medical practice where patients/customers can walk in for care 13 hours per day, even without an appointment. Café Medici is a combined café-waiting area for patients. The café serves Italian espresso, healthy fruit juices and regional gelati from Zürich.

Synergy At Apodoc, Café Medici ensures that the patient’s/customer’s waiting experience is positive. The patient/customer will be served in the café, regardless of whether he or she has an appointment to see the doctor, and can get a prescription filled immediately. Apodoc also enables pharmacists and doctors to share information about medications and treatment options, creating the best possible experience for the patient/customer. Patients/customers benefit from advice and


Apodoc is a successful concept that presents multiple new opportunities for pharmacists and doctors. The concept revolves around the p a t i e n t ’s /c u s t o m e r ’s needs, and offers multi-faceted convenience. Now, the patient/customer has access to experts without an appointment, as well as an enjoyable wait over high-quality refreshments. Apodoc is an example of how the medical industry can reinvent itself by catering to patients/customers. The concept taps effectively into a flourishing trend for retailers to mix different concepts, most commonly a retail space with a café or restaurant. Within the medical industry, Apodoc is the first of its kind, opening up great potential for further developing the concept.

recommendations from pharmacists, access to physician expertise and the opportunity to relax with delicious coffee and healthy snacks from Café Medici, all in one place.

Saving space and optimizing resourcesLocating a pharmacy, a clinic and a café in the same spot optimizes resources for the patients/customers, as well as for staff. The patient/customer benefits from the convenience of the concept, including being able to consult with a doctor and/or pharmacist without an appointment. The patient’s/customer’s time is used efficiently, eliminating travel between offices and stores. The staff benefits from knowledge-sharing, which leads to a better customer experience. The unique concept offers convenience and coherence within the medical field that hasn’t been seen before.

Multiple health professionals cooperate and benefit from each other, which is an advantage for patients/customers.

Welcome desk of the medical practice.

Switzerland

There are friendly faces throughout the building.


Key Data Sector: Food and beverages

Year opened: 2015

Store location: Berne, Switzerland

Number of stores: 1 my way store, part of Migros Aare (230 stores)

Number of countries: 1, Switzerland

Product mix: Hot beverages (e.g. coffee and tea), hot (e.g. pasta) and cold (e.g. sandwiches, salads) food, various menus

Positioning

Freshly made, customized food and beverages. Take-away with self-checkout, as well as delivery service, at fair prices.

What is it? my way is a new take-away concept from the Swiss supermarket chain Migros. It offers both an online portal, as well as a shop in Berne, Switzerland, where individual customers can customize their own food and beverages. The employees of my way prepare the fresh food and beverages as they are ordered, not in advance, and the customers can pay for their take-away order via self-checkout in the store, or get it delivered to their home, if ordered online. my way offers leading-edge customization within the food sector of retail.

Migros - my way

A colorful buffet is the centerpiece of a unique customer experience.

The customer can customize his or her order via the website and get it delivered to their door.



Home-delivery service.

Why is it innovative?my way is an innovative concept offering customers the choice of creating their own menus, salads and/or sandwiches, both in-store and online.

Everything is freshly made in the store, in view of customers. Customers can pay either at a checkout or self-checkout, making the process fast and convenient in-store, as well as online.

Customization of fresh food and beverages This take-away format allows customers to create their own food and beverage experience, and satisfies customers’


The trend caters to the desire for more customized, fresh and local food and beverages. Formats such as my way meet all the high-priority needs of the customer, especially convenience, customization and healthiness, in terms of both product and delivery. The concept is tapping into trends that serve busy customers who seek healthy, convenient solutions for their meals. Customization is an added bonus for the my way customer.

individual desires to customize their meals. my way offers gluten-free, lactose-free, as well as vegetarian food and drinks.

Fast and easy shoppingThere are two easy ways to order food and beverages – in the shop, or online. When ordering online, you can pick up your order in-store or get it delivered to your doorstep. The payment process is simple: Customers can pay at checkout, self-checkout or online.

my way employees prepare fresh food and beverages in full view of the customers.

Diners can customize their own food and beverages.

Payment is quick at checkout.

Switzerland


Key Data Sector: Online gifting

Format: Online pure player

Year opened: 2013

Store location: Online only

Number of stores: Online only

Number of countries: 1, United Kingdom

Product mix: Flowers, other gift items

Positioning

Fresh flowers delivered by mail.

What is it? Bloom & Wild is an online-only flower delivery service. The business ships flowers and other small gifts for next-day delivery across the UK, and same-day delivery in London, as well as offers a monthly subscription service. Individual bunches range from £20-£55.

Bloom & Wild

Flowers are fresher and thrive longer. By shortening the supply chain, Bloom & Wild can ensure a fresher product, less expensively – but no less elegantly.



Why is it innovative?While next-day delivery flower services are relatively common in the UK, Bloom & Wild combines an innovative use of technology with an intelligent, efficient approach to supply- chain management to ensure better access to a superior product.

Bloom & Wild has pioneered the delivery of flowers through the mailRather than relying on a traditional courier service, the business has developed hi-tech boxes that keep flowers intact and well watered throughout transit, yet are easily delivered through a household mailbox. The method allows far more flexibility with ordering, as well as prevents missed deliveries and ruined surprises.

Rather than buying flowers through traditional supply channels, Bloom & Wild has partnered directly with flower growersBy shortening its supply chain and curating a more limited selection of flowers than is offered elsewhere, the business generates cash savings that can be passed on to the customer and ensures a fresher, higher-quality product. Typical gift flowers suffer from extended travel times as they pass through various middlemen from field to end-recipient, but Bloom & Wild’s flowers spend less time in transit and thrive longer in the home.


The use of couriers by traditional flower delivery businesses has always presented the possibility of missed deliveries, ruining the element of surprise and adding cost to the overall order. Through its innovative box design, Bloom & Wild remedies this problem. Also, its shortened supply chain and curated product selection maximize freshness, while minimizing cost to the customer.

Bloom & Wild leverages technology to develop a market-leading customer experience for flower giftingThe website and app are built for efficiency, with customers able to enter a new order in as little as 30 seconds. The mobile app, which accounts for approximately 50% of orders, can be seamlessly integrated with the user’s address book and calendar, saving time otherwise wasted on filling out information and tracking birthdays.

Innovative packaging replaces the expense of a courier with the efficiency of the postal service.

United Kingdom


Key Data Sector: Perfume and beauty

Format: 130 square meters (vs. standard Sephora, 400 square meters)

Year opened: 2015

Store location: Paris, France

Number of stores: 1, Sephora Flash (320 Sephora stores in France)

Number of countries: 29 (in 2015)

Product mix: Makeup, perfume, beauty accessories

Positioning

Beauty at any price, large choice of brands (10-12% private label).

What is it? Sephora Flash is the R&D format of Sephora. This format is designed to accommodate the whole added-value offer in a compact store, decreasing both size and break-even to address smaller locations. Only 25% of the usual assortment is present, but the level of service is high and digital devices ensure access to the full range.

Sephora Flash

The store caters to customers for whom personal beauty is a high priority.

Customers can scan a card — called the “digital basket”— which is recognized by provided devices, creating a fluid experience.



Why is it innovative? A compact store to address smaller locations

While standard Sephora stores offer about 14,000 SKUs, Sephora Flash is limited to 3,500 SKUs. In-stock products are mainly private-label makeup and accessories. The perfume range is rather small, featuring testers, but no stock. Care products are limited to a very short range.

Digital extensionsIn each store aisle, digital devices access the full range on more than 15 touchscreens.


Sephora Flash is a first step – and clearly not the final one – toward a successful concept. At the moment, several aspects are not optimal: the digital range extension is far from being easy to use, the focus on private labels seems excessive in makeup, the digital baskets work only for products with an NFC chip, which many products do not yet have, etc.

But many interesting aspects should be highlighted: the choice not to compromise on services and the radical choices within categories. Sephora addresses categories in varying ways (i.e., significant range, but limited to private labels in accessories and makeup; showroom in perfumes; very short range in care products, with few brands).

No compromise on serviceThe store is smaller and the range is limited, but the high level of service remains basically the same as in a regular Sephora: makeup bar, eyebrow service, a mirror for selfies, mobile phone charger, automatic sample distributor, etc.

The sales associate scans the card and the product.

Delivery is free, both to a home or in-store. Payment also can be digital, with a sales associate scanning credit cards with an iPhone.

France


Key Data Sector: Postal service for professionals and small companies


Year opened: 2015

Store locations: France (Paris, Poitiers, Le Mans, Besançon, Auxerre, etc.)

Number of stores: 17 Number of countries: 1, France

Product mix: Services and products (envelopes, stamps, etc.)

Positioning

Optimize the concept for professionals who frequent the store by offering more services and flexibility.

What is it? This new concept targeting business professionals is designed to make the in-store customer experience more efficient and enjoyable through diverse new services including wifi access, as well as assistance with paperwork and database management. La Poste Pro aims to be a meeting place for members of the professional community, as well as “partner” with small/medium local professionals.

La Poste

Customers used to collect their mail at the welcome desk. Now, they can access their mailbox independently, removing the barrier to efficient self-service.

The concept spotlights products for sale in the center of the store, in a comfortable setting with modern furniture.



Why is it innovative? Gain time, instead of losing it

The new concept of La Poste is based on ensuring that all customers have a positive experience at points of sale. One approach is to reduce or eliminate excessive time spent on day-to-day activities, such as collecting mail or purchasing products. The new concept includes a self-service area, where customers can collect their mail. The next step is to integrate digital equipment. Instead of having to collect mail from an assigned box, the customer will receive an SMS with a code to retrieve mail directly at La Poste. Both frequent and occasional customers will be served efficiently.

Customers also can buy products (envelopes, stamps, etc.), which will be marketed in the store. Digital screens will make it easy to purchase a product.


Customers’ feedback on pilot stores has been highly positive, expressed in terms including “useful, time-saving, modern, friendly,” etc. Additionally, the new concept has had an extremely positive impact on staff, who use words to describe it such as “pride, efficiency, relationships with customers,” etc. Beyond a new design, the concept embodies a new vision for La Poste Pro at a time when mail/package activity is declining by 5% every year. The new relationships among staff and customers signal a significant positive change, and the physical concept appears to be a powerful step toward helping staff embrace the changes.

Help professionals with new servicesLa Poste wants to be a reliable “second office” for professional business customers. This concept provides meeting rooms, a conference table, comfortable chairs and a private room, as well as access to a printer and wifi, so customers can check email. In effect, the concept becomes a professional business center. The La Poste team also can help the customer manage his or her database, or assist with paperwork, if needed.

New relationships in a modern environmentLa Poste wants to host professionals at a central hub in every town. The updated brand features a dynamic palette, with yellow as its primary color, contemporary signage and materials, and new furnishings.

In addition to meeting rooms, the concept provides a private room that reduces or eliminates noise.

The customer can work at the “connected bar,” with wifi access.

The brand message emphasizes a service-driven closeness with customers.

France


Key Data Sector: Travel and leisure

Format: Flagship of 1,500 square meters, physical locus of omni-channel strategy

Year opened: 2015, fall

Store location: Madrid, Spain

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Spain

Product mix: Customizable packaged vacations and experiences, Travel Lab, book shop, coffee shop, two auditoriums/areas presenting free events and other services for travelers

Positioning

World’s largest travel store (in both size and offer) for purchasing vacations.

What is it? PANGEA is an experiential store, the physical locus of an omni-channel strategy offering customizable vacation and activity packages and comprehensive services for travelers. It features a unique environment and product display, where customers can browse and buy via any of 40 touchscreens, or be advised face to face by expert travelers. It also offers diverse add-ons, from sending your luggage to the hotel, to stocking up your home fridge for your return. The store creates a lively “experts in travel” atmosphere with a coffee shop, travel book shop, successful events agenda and a Travel Lab, where new packages are developed, with real-time customer input about their dream vacations.

Pangea

Choose one of four worlds to browse and buy: Enjoy Madrid, Rediscover Spain, Escape to Europe, or Travel the World.

Diverse events related to travel and cultural activities are hosted almost daily in PANGEA, building its concept of “a place to experience the world.”



Why is it innovative?Now that most travelers are buying their tickets and booking their hotels online (often getting lost in too much information) and rarely visit a travel store, PANGEA reinvents selling vacations and leisure activities.

Packaged vacations are customizable experiencesAt PANGEA, you buy an experience, not just a plane ticket or hotel reservation. The product includes “can’t miss” activities at the chosen destination, from a day trip to see dolphins, to cocktails at sunset with a great view. There are more than 1,000 packaged vacations with fully customizable activities. This concept offers a service the customer of the ‘70s and ‘80s once accessed through a travel agent, but millennials now see as a new and easy approach to leisure travel.

These vacations have names such as Sleep in a Tree or Find Peace and descriptions that include more of what you will do and experience and less of what you will see. And, if you can’t travel, they also have inexpensive local experiences, such as Star Wars (lasertag activity + barbecue) or Retiro on Wheels (bicycle guided tour through Madrid’s Retiro Park + a rollerskating class).


PANGEA is an interesting reinvention of the traditional travel agency. Now that customers buy their travel online, it offers something extra – experiences – while catering to customers’ familiarity and comfort with computer-based processes. Plans to expand the physical stores include four or five in Madrid, one in Barcelona and the possibility of international locations. We need to see how this 1,500-square-meter flagship concept evolves into a replicable format, because it is a high-cost model for broad expansion, especially in the same city.

Experiential shopping in the travel sectorPANGEA The Travel Store is designed to be a meeting point for travelers and adventure lovers who enjoy browsing, reading, talking and sharing travel experiences (just like Decathlon attracts sport lovers and a visit to Ikea is not just to buy home furnishings). Assistance is offered by travel experts, many of whom have lived most of the experiences they sell. The travel book shop in the store helps customers find extra information, the coffee shop offers a place for relaxed conversation, the Travel Lab is a great space for planning an out-of-the-package vacation and the successful events agenda draws people for presentations, workshops or lectures almost daily.

Successful, comprehensive omni-channel strategyFrom product display to buying process, live and online seamlessly merge. Customers can start browsing online and finish buying via any of the store’s 40 touchscreens equipped with fully integrated payment devices. Or, they can start in the store, being advised by a travel expert, go home and pay online. The shopping process and look and feel of the products are shared on mobile devices, desktops and in the store, making it easy for current online travel shoppers to feel comfortable in a brick-and-mortar travel store.

Online and in-store display of products share both look and feel.

In addition to transportation and lodging, a seven-night vacation on the island of Lanzarote includes tickets to four museums and monuments, sailing in a catamaran and a Sea Trek adventure. These add-ons are optional and the customer can eliminate them to reduce costs.

Spain


Key Data Sector: Banking


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Bucharest, Romania

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Romania

Product mix: Banking services delivered via digital technologies

Positioning

Technology-driven banking around the clock, with a personal counseling component.

What is it? BCR, the biggest bank in Romania (part of the Austrian group ERSTE), launched in 2016 as eXperience BCR, exemplifying new banking trends and integrating advanced technologies for communicating with and counseling customers.

Why is it innovative?The new store concept supports the BCR strategy to prepare customers for the digital banking era. eXperience BCR is the first concept that provides the unique experience

eXperience BCR

Innovative store format prepares customers for the digital banking era.



of banking via cutting-edge technologies, such as interactive touchscreen desks, iDesks, video counseling, 24/7 complete banking services and a business hub for BCR customers. Fully digitalized agency

eXperience BCR is the most advanced digital bank in the Romanian market. It is equipped with current technologies, such as interactive touchscreens for counseling services, as well as comprehensive counseling through banking products and services. The location also is equipped with one iDesk, an information screen offering the best financial solutions for the customer via direct connection with a counselor.


BCR took the first step toward changing customers’ perceptions of banking services and products by adapting to the latest digital trends. By creating a fully digitized ecosystem, within which clients have non-stop access to bank services, BCR both leverages digital capabilities and responds to customers’ needs. The new concept is already a success; the bank has announced it is launching 10 new digital locations in the next period.

Non-stop counseling via digital toolsStarting at 6 p.m., when the bank closes, the customer can access the comprehensive technology offered by the new concept. Also available are the same digital tools used during open hours, as well as the popular live video counselor, which links customers to a bank advisor.

Bank serving as business hubBCR creates a closer relationship with customers by providing the tools necessary for moving their business meetings into the bank. eXperience BCR launched a new concept of a business hub, which is space designed for corporate customers that is equipped with facilities such as projection area space, conference systems and meeting tables.

The bank is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that link customers and services.

The video counselor system is the most popular service.

Business hub facilities make the bank a partner with local businesses.

Romania


Key Data Sector: Bookstore


Year opened: 2015

Store location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Number of stores: 2, Seattle, Washington, and San Diego, California; 1 store planned for Portland, Oregon

Product mix: Books and Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming-media devices

Positioning

The Amazon brick-and-mortar bookstore appeals to a wide range of customers. Some stores are catering to specific demographic sectors (i.e., universities catering to students).

What is it? The pure online player Amazon has opened a brick-and-mortar concept. A pioneer in developing a new way to buy books, Amazon is leveraging its insights into customer buying habits gained through its online presence. This physical bookstore encourages browsing and serendipity.

Why is it innovative?Amazon has used its deep knowledge of showroom and consumer behavior to create a brick-and-mortar, price-matching environment with the added bonus of instant gratification.

Amazon Books



The best of online and offline retail worldsBy creating a comfortable, cozy, casual interior featuring long counters, window seats and a children’s play area, the store delivers a traditional feel-good bookstore environment that also encourages customers to linger and experiment with the Amazon app. All books are displayed face-out on both shelves and displays of varying heights. Amazon is using customer data for product assortment. Amazon Books removes “better deal” fears. Signs and scanners signal that the price of the book on Amazon.com is the price customers pay in the store. Customers are encouraged to open the Amazon app to answer the question, “What’s the price?”, eliminating associates having to sticker and re-sticker price tags on inventory.

Omni-channel customer brand experienceAmazon Books is leveraging the e-commerce experience by applying to the store what has been learned from the web, accommodating both online and physical domains. While browsing, shoppers are exposed to Amazon’s star ratings and review excerpts and encouraged to snap barcode


Using insights into customer buying habits learned through its online presence, Amazon Books has knocked down the virtual walls between online and physical retailing, strategically applying online content and transactional expertise to in-person shopping. Amazon has joined the trend among online stores to open physical retail locations in order to reach its customers in new ways.

Amazon competes through innovation and services. For example, Amazon is driving innovation in delivery. Its “one-day delivery” program has made Prime membership a popular service. The company has experimented with ways to drive the delivery time down to even less than one day, with initiatives that include the use of couriers, lockers and drones. Retail locations will help Amazon win on delivery and could double as product pick-up locations, distribution warehouses and, eventually, drone airports from which products are flown to nearby homes and businesses.

images to read full reviews on Amazon.com. At the register, swiping a credit card tied to an individual customer’s Amazon.com account automatically triggers an emailed receipt and puts the purchase in his or her online Amazon order history. Everything Amazon, in one place.

Optimized display and range planningDeep insight into customer buying habits gleaned through its online presence allows Amazon Books to stock its store with titles most likely to move, eliminating the need to send books that aren’t selling back to publishers. The company stocks bestsellers, as well as books that get high ratings from customers, including little-known titles.

Similar to an Apple or Microsoft retail store, Amazon Books offers hands-on experiences with Fire TV and Echo devices, Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers, so that customers can make side-by-side, hands-on comparisons. The store also features extensive displays of private-label Amazon Basics products, from cables to Bluetooth speakers, conference systems and meeting tables.



Key Data Sector: Food and phone


Year opened: 2016

Store location: The Hague, The Netherlands

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, The Netherlands

Product mix: Food, drinks, phone accessories, phone repair service, innovative tech products

Positioning

ME for YOU serves customers refreshments and services their phones in a unique environment, keeping customers entertained and connected.

What is it? ME for YOU is a unique concept, where customers can enjoy food and drink while their phone is repaired by Dr. ME. The service is reliable and fast, offered in a welcoming environment with free wifi. ME for YOU offers an unusual blend of a lounge with a workspace in The Hague.

ME for YOU



Why is it innovative? Total service concept

ME for YOU serves customers refreshments and services their devices, providing snacks while the “phone doctor” performs device repairs. While waiting for repairs to be completed, ME for YOU customers can spend time productively and stay connected via tablets while they snack. Having a phone repaired becomes a pleasant activity in a comfortable setting. Customers are welcome to enjoy a coffee or lunch, whether or not they are there for a phone repair.


ME for YOU knows how to create a positive in-store experience and responds to the trend to provide customization and convenience for customers. The customer journey and the role of physical stores are changing. Making a transaction is not the main objective at ME for YOU. It is a place where people can work, meet friends, enjoy a coffee and access services without feeling they are wasting time. It is a playground, where customers can become designers by creating a uniquely individualized phone case. By combining different concepts, ME for YOU created a format that works.

Expertise and personal serviceAlthough selling mobile devices is not the main objective of ME for YOU, new phones are available for sale at this location. Staff provide expert advice about phone options to customers as they enjoy their coffee.

Store as playgroundThe store also offers several innovative value-add services, such as the option to create customized phone accessories while waiting. Customers also can experiment with virtual reality experiences, drones and other gadgets, including robots.

The Netherlands


Key Data Sector: Food

Format: App

Year opened: 2015

Store location: Online only

Number of countries: The Netherlands

Product mix: Groceries

Positioning

The first online app-only supermarket in The Netherlands. Customers can easily order the least expensive groceries through the Picnic app, as well as enjoy convenient delivery services.

What is it? Picnic is the first online app-only supermarket in The Netherlands. Customers can grocery shop via the Picnic app and their purchases are delivered to their home, at no charge, by an electric van. The purpose of the concept is to reduce costs by eliminating stores and unnecessary intermediaries. Picnic is an innovative, sustainable, technology-driven concept. The high complexity of technology and underlying systems makes copying this concept difficult.

After three years of highly confidential work, the concept was secretly tested in Amersfoort. In September 2015, Picnic officially launched in Amersfoort, after which it expanded service to other areas in The Netherlands, including Leusden, Soest and Utrecht.

Picnic



The Netherlands

Why is it innovative? Convenience

Grocery shopping takes time, which many people do not have, or they simply don’t enjoy this activity. Picnic launched an easy-to-use app for purchasing groceries from wherever and whenever the customer desires. Via the app, customers can swipe through various departments and select their favorite products. The saved order history makes re-ordering easy. Picnic offers three set times per week, per neighborhood, for delivery. The app displays a radar-enabled map from the moment the customer’s delivery process starts, so the app user knows exactly when the delivery person will ring the doorbell. No more time wasted waiting!

SustainabilityPicnic is sustainable in several ways. The electric van used for delivery is environmentally friendly and creates no emissions. Also, the assortment is sustainable. Traditional supermarkets buy and display products before they are purchased, so fresh products are in the store for several days before they are bought by customers. Picnic is able to order exactly the amount of fresh products needed, after the last customer updates her or his order at 11 p.m. This


Picnic succeeds in differentiating itself from other supermarkets. It exists to make customers’ lives simpler, cheaper, more convenient and more fun. The process of ordering groceries is fast and easy and the app radar shows exactly when the order will be delivered. By eliminating as many intermediaries as possible, Picnic can guarantee the lowest price. Picnic has developed a challenging, but effective, business model focused on cost-efficiency in densely populated regions.

reduces food waste. Also, Picnic does not print receipts, further supporting sustainable living. Customers’ receipts are available in the Picnic app.

The product rangeCustomers can expect a product range on the Picnic app that is similar to that in traditional supermarkets, including fresh vegetables, meat and bread, as well as premium branded products and private-label items. The product range of Picnic is dictated by customers and can be easily changed. Picnic is also flexible with regard to weather, seasons or trends. If a customer requests a product, Picnic can add it within 24 hours to the range.

Price advantagePicnic guarantees the cheapest price. Every night, the company price-checks 50,000 items and adapts its prices to be competitive. If customers find the product elsewhere for a lower price, they get it free from Picnic. This is possible because Picnic does not support physical stores and because of its electric van. Picnic delivers all the orders in one neighborhood at the same time, three set times per week. This saves time and money and is environmentally friendly, enabling Picnic to offer free home delivery with a minimum order of €25.

The Netherlands


Act now I N T E R A C T I O N S


Key Data Sector: Food and beverage

Year opened: 2016

Store locations: St. Paul’s, London, UK

Number of stores: 1, London

Number of countries: 1, United Kingdom

Product mix: Health-focused take-away food

Positioning

Lunch and dinner for health-conscious city workers and local residents.

What is it? Vita Mojo is a health-focused take-away restaurant offering customizable meals. Customers choose any desired combination from among five proteins, 14 starches and vegetables and five sauces in order to create a meal that is suitable for their nutritional needs and preferences.

Vita Mojo

I N T E R A C T I O N S


Why is it innovative?Vita Mojo offers unparalleled customization, allowing customers complete control over the composition of their meal. Customers are able to tailor their meal to their nutritional requirements, with each meal’s calories and nutritional content quantified before purchase. Technology plays a key role in the efficiency of the order process: customers order in advance online, or in the store via provided iPads.

Vita Mojo offers unparalleled meal customizationUsing either in-store iPads, or from the comfort of their desk, customers can design their meal precisely by selecting the portion size of each ingredient at set weight intervals. A number of diagrams update live as the contents of the meal change, informing customers of both the current price and the current nutritional content of their selections.

Vita Mojo aspires to serve as a personal nutritionist for customersThe restaurant’s head nutritionist, who has worked with leading Formula 1 drivers, helps develop the menu and create a dialogue around nutrition with customers. In time, users will be able to submit information on their physical attributes and dietary goals online in order to measure their progress. In addition, an app currently in development will allow users to sync their meals with their required nutrient intake.


Customization in the food-to-go market has become increasingly prominent and, in some cases, is even expected by customers. Vita Mojo’s innovation is its seamless integration of technology into the process, removing the need for communicating complicated orders and significantly cutting wait times in-store, while simultaneously managing to provide high-level nutritional information to an increasingly health-conscious customer base. It remains to be seen whether the team can deliver on its ambitious goal to align meals with an individual’s personal nutrition requirements, but the initial response to the concept has been positive.

Vita Mojo is the city’s first entirely cash-free restaurantCustomers can choose and pay for their meal online via the restaurant’s website and, at the same time, select a convenient time to pick it up at the store. Payment is either online or through a contactless card. For walk-ins, the restaurant provides a row of permanently installed iPads for immediate ordering.

United Kingdom


Key Data Sector: Food and bar, convenience store, millennial fashion, lifestyle, music


Year opened: 2015

Store locations: Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Number of stores: 7 Number of countries: 1, Brazil (6 at Rio de Janeiro, 1 at Porto Alegre)

Product mix: Convenience store catering to young people, offering a mix of products, from clothes to accessories, from beer to music

Positioning

VOID General Store is a multi-task, multi-brand enterprise combining a convenience store, bar and content developer (music and videos).

What is it? VOID started as a lifestyle magazine covering skate, surf, fashion, music and night life. After almost 100 issues, in 2014 VOID became a general store in Leblon, Brazil, where millennials and Generation Y get together to have fun, listen to music, buy cool stuff and share drinks. It’s a totally new store concept, combining lifestyle online and offline. It’s also an extremely active social media domain conveyed and shared via videos and photo content, using platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. VOID General Store curates the latest brands of beer, including the primary Heineken product from Rio de Janeiro, attracting customers who have confidence in VOID’s selectivity and good service. The bar and the store perform very well together.

VOID General Store



How can convenience (simple quick, efficient purchases to meet daily needs) and community/lifestyle merge? Exactly how VOID blends them. Everything is connected — a mix of products share physical space, tied together by a common message in several categories. Secondly, there is a surprise factor: finding clothes to purchase in the same area where you buy beer, meet people and grab dinner. This is key in addressing a young market that understands and appreciates an eclectic and welcoming place designed around them. The convenience segment is differentially curated for the neighborhood. For example, in Leblon, the nearest place to buy surfboard wax was in Arpoador, therefore, though VOID is not a surf shop, in Leblon, the store sells wax as a convenience and it is received well by that local audience.


Since launching its first store in 2014, VOID General Store has opened six different locations with the same proposition: Create an environment where customers enjoy shopping and gathering for fun.

This innovative success is based on the perfect combination of entertainment, in-store activities and online presence. This strategy allows VOID to create and maintain a huge personality among customers and create a long-term conversation with its customer community, which would be difficult for competitors to replicate.

Why is it innovative?VOID General Store is a unique retail example of a disruptive way to create real conversation with the target. It is not just a brick-and-mortar initiative, but a radical combination of content and retail: magazines (physical and digital), videos at YouTube, Instagram and the entire organic environment, featuring live music and young people having fun together.

A convenience store with a full range of product mix, in a modern environment

Lifestyle Curator“Our message goes beyond our stores,” VOID has a strong proposition: to be a youth lifestyle curator producing content for the internet, magazines and in-store activities.

Brazil


Key Data Sector: Sharing economy

Year opened: 2013

Store locations: Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil

Number of stores: 8 Number of countries: 1, Brazil (5 at São Paulo, 2 at Rio de Janeiro, 1 at Belo Horizonte)

Product mix: Co-working, food and bar, fashion, laundry, music, education and training

Positioning

Lifestyle and collaborative spaces offering simple solutions at affordable prices, targeting young adults and teenagers.

What is it? The business started with the House of Work, a place to meet professionals who need an organized workplace. Other such complementary places emerged, including House of Food, a co-kitchen where any aspiring chef can open the kitchen to the public; the House of Bubbles, where people have access to a fashionable wardrobe by subscription; and the House of Learning, where anyone can teach and offer training. Combined, all the Houses create a distributed cultural environment for contemporary

consumers. It is important to note that all activities are not offered at each location. For example, Rio House of Food is in Botafogo, while the House of Learning is in a Lagoa neighborhood. Combining unrelated activities within one space transforms the activities: washing clothes becomes a pleasure, and makes a profit, when a bar is located in the same facility as a laundry. Co-working environments encourage many different ways to engage and optimize the circular economy.

House of All

House of Learning: Participants can rent a small auditorium, where they can present conferences, lectures or courses. The space provides the necessary infrastructure in an environment that adapts to accommodate each event, with modular furniture that can be used as tables, benches, chairs, cabinets, etc.



Why is it innovative?House of All exemplifies a new consumer relationship — a practical, sharing economy among neighborhoods and local businesses. The Houses translate the model into physical retail, offering innovative ways to access products, instead of own them.

A laboratory of experiences and communication projectsA laboratory of experiences and communication projects


Since its first store opened in 2013, House Of All has established seven more locations that exemplify and embrace the sharing economy. The strength and agility of the growing format is grounded by three pillars: collaborative creation, decentralization, relationships and trust. The key to this business is the conversion of customers to become influential brand ambassadors and contributors who help transform the spaces as they evolve.

analyze the lifestyle created within the environments to generate insights, business intelligence and content.

Trend BoutiqueThe influence on the neighborhood of the Houses makes them great showcases for new and trendy products and services. Visitors identify with the activities and products and support the sharing philosophy, creating a strong and proliferating network.

House of Work: 38 people from diverse sectors are accommodated monthly, as well as 50 more per day informally using the space. Valuable intellectual capital and a network of contacts arise from these interactions. Products available for customers include Natura, Heineken, Facebook, Google, Ambev, Pepsico, Nike, Janssen and Pinterest, brands that reflect the environment and participants in this ecosystem.

House of Bubbles: A wardrobe is shared among people who want to rethink the way they acquire and wear fashion. Curated to include pieces from the best brands, these clothes are versatile and contemporary. Because clothing must be returned washed, the area offers a staffed laundry, where customers can also get a beer or play video games.

House of Food: Focused on experimental cuisine, it is a full industrial kitchen, with utensils and accessories provided, hosting amateur to superstar chefs to use as they wish. The ideal creative environment for testing menus, price and acceptance. The service is all grab-and-go.

Brazil


Key Data Sector: Sports fashion and equipment

Format: 200 square meters (Munich), 50 square meters (Stuttgart)

Year opened: 2016

Store locations: Munich, Stuttgart

Number of stores: 2 Number of countries: 1, Germany

Product mix: Sports clothes and equipment, click-and-collect emphasis, try-and-buys

Positioning

Initially an up-to-4,000-square-meter, big-store format, which has been compressed into minimum space without limiting the shopping experience by connecting technologies and services.

What is it? The French sports discounter Decathlon, usually known for its giant sales areas and remote store locations, has opened a store in the city center of Munich, occupying only 200 square meters. Another even smaller store opened in Stuttgart. The capacity restrictions are overcome by the use of digital services and an extensive online-offline mashup via tablets. Decathlon’s idea is not to develop a whole new store format, but to enrich its established stores with value-adding retail technologies.

Decathlon Connect

Tablet PCs around the store offer customers the opportunity to order products online, when they are not in stock, to be sent to either the customer’s home or the store, where the customer can try and buy them later.



Why is it innovative?Decathlon’s connected concept manages to reduce the original Decathlon store size by at least 80%. With the integration of interactive platforms, the retailer aims to intensify customer communication and simultaneously enrich the brand with additional services, like click-and-collect and try-and-buy. Within the try-and-buy concept, customers can try products in-store, or that were ordered online, before buying them.

Small, compact store format in central locations Despite the compacted sales area, Decathlon is able to offer its whole range of 35,000 products to customers in Munich and Stuttgart. Apart from a stocked basic assortment of bestsellers, brand highlights and innovative products in each category, customers can access the assortment via tablet PCs. The store locations, next to a public transport hub in Munich and the inner city in Stuttgart, both with high traffic, play a role in the click-and-collect service.


With its connected store format, Decathlon looks for a solution to size-limited shop floors in inner-city locations and addresses the needs of busy customers. Although the retail space is downscaled to an unprecedented minimum, the brand and shopping experience is intensified, supporting Decathlon’s motto: “Sport for all – all for sport.” It remains to be seen whether what is known and understood about customers and the online-offline mashup will be transferred successfully to the physical stores.

Unique store layoutThe shops are divided into three experience zones. Each is a different color and focuses on one step in the purchasing process. The blue zone is for free product try-outs of in-store and ordered “passion brands,” enabling customers to interact and experience the products. The grey retail zone is equipped with touchscreens, providing access to the whole assortment, as well as further product information. At a neatly arranged shelf in the white click-and-collect zone, customers can pick up their products with less employee interaction, simplifying the transaction process.

Customer retention with new touchpointsLeveraging digital technologies, Decathlon has created new customer touchpoints. Specially trained employees guide customers through the digital experience, softening and expanding the sales role. In addition, products are demonstrated in action, another opportunity to shape the brand image of Decathlon for the customer via interactive digital platforms, such as the virtual reality game “Run the Store.”

Dividing the store into three colored zones gives structure to the sales area and enables customers to orient quickly.

In the virtual game “Run the Store,” customers can run through a full-sized store to explore and experience brand variety.

Germany


Key Data Sector: Coffee shop

Year opened: 2014

Store location: Bucharest, Romania

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Romania

Product mix: Coffee, tea, food, books, magazines, conferences, workshops, workplaces, internet services, office equipment

Positioning

Coffee shop, library, workplace and events center.

What is it? Seneca Anticafe is an innovative and unique concept in Romania dedicated to the philosophy that, “Nothing belongs to us, only time is ours.” It was designed as a platform for people, not for brands. At Seneca, you pay only for time spent, not for the products you enjoy. Inside, the customer becomes Cicero, Seneca, or another philosopher indicated on a bookmark that accompanies each individual on his or her journey among dozens of books, magazines and encyclopedias. Customers have access to areas designed for activities including drinking tea or working.

Why is it innovative?Being a “social business,” Seneca Anticafe built a community of people who work together and care for each other. The congenial atmosphere is meant to foster an

Seneca Anticafe

Various areas for working and relaxing. The spaces were designed to evoke the feeling of being with friends.



environment where people can meet to share knowledge, food, beverages and books they bring from home. Noise and chatter is discouraged. Customers pay only for time spent — it is their responsibility to make that time valuable.

You pay for time, not products Seneca Anticafe promotes changing customers’ perceptions about what we pay for, charging only a flat hourly fee for time spent. After five hours, time stops, and no more fees are added. The concept differs from the classic coffee shop, emphasizing personal enrichment through reading and spending quality time in a comfortable, casual setting. The books available to browse also can be purchased. In addition, small companies or freelancers can use the café as a workplace by paying a monthly subscription.

Five areas designed to create a complete space for community developmentThe concept is structured in five areas. Whether you want to relax and drink tea you prepare in the kitchen, read a book in the library area, work on your projects in the research and development area, organize meetings and workshops in the


The main goal of Seneca Anticafe is to offer a unique, personalized experience by bringing people together and changing their beliefs about consumer habits. The concept comes in response to a digital world that excessively values things instead of time, and emphasizes the benefits of enriching knowledge. Seneca Anticafe is the place where you can invest in yourself and in the community, instead of sustaining big companies’ development.

presentation area, or use computers in the workplace, you will find the necessary tools to do so. Computers, tablets, light desk, projectors, screens and an amphitheater, which can turn into a stage, are available.

You can bring your own productsIf you don’t like the food offered, including tea, lemonade, biscuits and snacks, or want to bring something prepared elsewhere, Seneca provides a kitchen equipped with fridge and microwave oven. Customers can bring food from home, or may even find the fridge stocked with food and fruits brought by other customers to share, or tea and lemonade already made for the community.

You can add value to the communityBeyond being a café, Seneca Anticafe is a community, where customers will always find something new to learn. If you made a short film and want your friends to see it, or you want to learn about a specific topic, Seneca Anticafe offers the space and materials to make it possible. There are weekly workshops on various themes, as well as philosophical debates, exhibitions, conferences and private events.

Workplaces are equipped with all the necessary tools.

Workshop for children and parents. Amphitheater zone

Romania


Key Data Sector: Customization/technology in fashion accessories

Format: Brick and mortar

Year opened: 2015

Store location: SoHo, New York City, USA

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, USA

Product mix: Sunglasses/prescription glasses

Positioning

Innovative customization center and cultural hub, the first brick-and-mortar store for the Ray-Ban brand in the U.S., aims to elevate the brand image.

What is it? Ray-Ban opened its first flagship store in SoHo, in New York City, housing numerous prescription and nonprescription sunglasses for customers to choose among and customize. The location offers a multifaceted experience as a store, music hall, artist exhibition space and community cultural haven hybrid, featuring everything from live performances to film screenings. The store’s breadth of offerings embrace and showcase the brand’s long history.

Ray-Ban Flagship Store



Why is it innovative?Ray-Ban has expanded its standard wholesale business by opening the store and creating a place for customers to touch, feel and try on the products in an innovative setting. From 3-D Magic Mirrors to an optician on site, the Ray-Ban store caters to every customer need. The Remix customization center in the store is set up with iPads, where customers can design a pair of glasses uniquely suited to their taste. Customization options for glasses include a color combination for the frames, temples and lenses. Engraving is also available.

Technology-driven, playful experienceThe store uses innovative technology to help customers find the perfect pair of sunglasses. The 3-D Magic Mirror offers guests the ultimate augmented reality experience, where they can virtually try on the latest Ray-Ban styles.

Product customization serviceCustomized glasses are delivered within a week. The Remix

customization station is located on the first floor, where customers can design their own pair of Ray-Ban glasses via iPad. The customization experience is derived from the brand’s online offering. Customers can personalize by choosing among Ray-Ban Aviator, Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer, Ray-Ban New Wayfarer and Ray-Ban Justin models. On the iPad, customers can view and consider all available options and, with a few clicks, create the perfect pair of sunglasses, matching their favorite frame colors with temples and lenses. It’s also possible to have an etching on the temple or case featuring a name or symbol. The result is a unique accessory that exactly fits the personality of the customer.

Additional on-site service: eye examinationThe store offers an on-site optician. Customers can schedule appointments with the doctor online for the Soho store, with availability in the morning, afternoon and evening, making it a one-stop shop.


The new Ray-Ban store offers an excellent example of a brand successfully entering into brick and mortar by introducing virtual elements to the standard sunglass shopping experi-ence. Ray-Ban is capitalizing on the opportunity for customization in the eyewear industry, expanding beyond being a glasses store to also being a place to get a prescription, and invigorating the store as a multi-use space.



Key Data Sector: Food (fresh food and restaurants)

Format: Open air markets (about 2,000 square meters each)

Year opened: 2014

Store locations: Warsaw and Poznan, Poland


Product mix: Fresh food and restaurant

Positioning

Infusing the town with energy, an open air breakfast market creating a new way to meet, eat and spend time together.

What is it? Targi Sniadaniowe, otherwise known as “the breakfast market,” is a weekend event in four locations within two cities in Poland (Warsaw and Poznan), where customers can purchase food for breakfast or lunch, including bread, delicatessen items, fruits and vegetables, coffee, or ready-made meals, and dine in a congenial atmosphere. The environment is more than a place to buy food, but also a meeting point, where customers can enjoy being together with like-minded people. All components of the experience are meant to create a unique atmosphere, from the furniture (big tables, hammocks), to the physical areas (playground for children), to the numerous theatrical events.

Targi Sniadaniowe

A large range of products for breakfast: breads, delicatessen, pastries, coffee.



Why is it innovative? A place to enjoy food and community

You can go to Targi Sniadaniowe to buy products for breakfast or lunch, or simply sit at big wooden tables to eat or share time with friends.

A place to liveThe breakfast market organizes frequent special events, such as concerts, workshops for kids, or celebrations of a region or country, with stalls promoting various cultures and traditions. Visitors can hear good music and let their children play. Much more than a shopping location, the breakfast market hosts diverse experiences and offers a lively, friendly, casual, educational weekend environment.


Targi Sniadaniowe is an interesting concept, a hybrid blending an open air market with a country festival. Every weekend, thousands of area residents of all ages enjoy the unique ambiance and opportunities to spend time outside with family and friends, discover new dishes, meet new people and learn about various cultures.

Like Eataly, Platea Madrid or Gourmeet, described in past editions of Retail Innovation, the breakfast market functions as a retail open air market, restaurant with on-site cooking and cultural experience.

The concept started in Warsaw and has been replicated elsewhere.

A key to the success of this concept has been its excellent organization, including a chart detailing the location of all stands, tables and conveniences (toilets, sinks, hammocks, games for children) and the timeline of weekly thematic events.

Ready-to-eat dishes cooked on site by local restaurants or individuals.

Targi Sniadaniowe extends far beyond being a food market. It was created as a place to spend time eating and at leisure with relatives, friends, and people just met at the market.

The breakfast market is not only an open air market, but also a meeting spot, where customers enjoy the pleasure of each other’s company.

Poland


Key Data Sector: Furniture

Format: 143 square meters (2 rooms)

Year opened: 2015

Store location: Warsaw, Poland


Product mix: Kitchen (showroom)

Positioning

Experiencing the Ikea kitchen in a fun, friendly environment.

What is it? Ikea Kuchnia Spotkan (in English, Ikea Kitchen Meeting Point) provides a space in the center of Warsaw where customers can book one of two available rooms to gather, cook and eat together in a fully equipped kitchen. Customers provide their own food, or can order from Ikea’s online grocery store partner.

Ikea Kuchnia Spotkan

Two rooms with fully equipped kitchens. An attractive environment in which to cook, eat and spend time with friends.



Why is it innovative? An engaging way to test Ikea kitchens before

buying Buying a new kitchen is an important and exciting decision, but costly. The Meeting Point enables customers to test out a new kitchen in a setting that is more natural and authentic than a store, identifying their preferences, so they can feel confident about their purchase. The concept encourages conversion by creating a positive environment and experience associated with friends and family.

Authentic brand discoveryFor Ikea, this also is an opportunity to showcase the range of the company’s living experience furnishings. The kitchens are part of two full apartments that also include a dining room, living room and children’s room, where they can rest and play, while their parents cook.

Community eventsIkea Kuchnia Spotkan regularly organizes events, such as cooking workshops and evenings for senior citizens, in an effort to drive engagement with the concept.

Living room near the kitchen. A room where children can rest and play, while their parents are cooking.


Ikea always has been a leader in offering customers a genuine experience in its stores, presenting entire room sets to enable customers to imagine how their own home might look. The Kitchen Meeting Point is a natural extension of this, freeing the brand from the potentially artificial feel of a room set in a store, and inviting customers to experience the world of Ikea in a more authentic setting. The association of the brand with positive social experiences is likely to drive a positive predisposition to the brand and to purchasing, provided the strategy can get customers through the door for more than just the novelty of the experience.

Cooking and dancing for senior citizens with a famous senior DJ.

Poland


Reach far B R A N D I N T E N S I T Y


Key Data Sector: Food

Format: 3,400 square meters on 2 floors

Year opened: May 2016

Store location: Modena, Italy. Service area is La Secchia Ovest toll road A1

Number of stores: 1 Eataly and Autogrill

Number of countries: 1, Italy

Product mix: Traditional artisanal Italian food products and high-quality food service served in a fast-casual style

Positioning

Moderately priced, high-quality Italian food targeted toward Italian and foreign travelers.

What is it? This concept brings something new to Italian toll roads: high-quality products at affordable prices, made possible by direct relationships with producers and distributors. Eataly’s newest venture is part of Autogrill’s strategy of diversification of formats in order to accommodate the more sophisticated demands of modern travelers. Eataly serves as a symbol of traditional Italian wine and food, blended with a quality food business and consumer experience.

The location ensures a high degree of visibility, along a highly trafficked stretch of the A1 toll road, which runs through Italy from north to south. It is also close to the junction between A1 and A22, used by many tourists traveling from central Europe to Italy.

The offer includes Neapolitan pizza, traditionally prepared and cooked in a wood oven, and a 24-hour café by Eataly and Kimbo, a long-standing partner of Autogrill. Stations include a patisserie, vegetable market, pasta restaurant and gelato area. The first floor of the space is dedicated to table-service restaurants.

Eataly per Autogrill

B R A N D I N T E N S I T Y


Why is it innovative?In the retail area, the service section offer includes a rich assortment of food products from the various regions of Italy, which emphasize the rich biodiversity of Italian food, its environmentally sustainable qualities and its association with a healthy lifestyle. In the catering section, customers find fresh food products cooked on site using traditional techniques. Bread and pizza are cooked in wood ovens. Table service in the restaurant area is also a first for the Italian toll road food service system.

Integrated identity of the conceptThe outlet combines the basic and essential style of Eataly with the typical offer of Autogrill service areas. The slogan “Eat better, travel better” welcomes travelers to the fast food and retail section, on the ground floor, where they find a Kimbo-branded cafeteria, long-time partner of Autogrill. This cafeteria contains an expansive offering, in addition to the traditional kiosk present at other Eataly formats. Food is prepared on site, a process which customers are welcome to watch. Naturally leavened breads are baked with organic flours, healthy pastry is prepared by a chef, ice cream is made with milk from the Alps and customers can choose to order the piadina of Cervia, a delicacy from the Emilia-Romagna region. Vegetable dishes and French fries are prepared and packaged on the spot.

The concept of restau-retailThe retail area offers a selection of Eataly’s classic assortment, including ready-made dishes with seasonal vegetables, varieties of pasta, food products from various Italian regions and premium products, like parmigiano reggiano di vacche rosse, a cheese matured for 31 months. The formula of restau-retail allows

customers to purchase food items eaten in the restaurant and recreate their food experience at home. In the non-food area, managed by Autogrill, customers can find classic categories of travel products and souvenirs, like sunglasses, small electronic gadgets, children’s games, sunscreen and cosmetics.

A new service in the food business The ground floor is divided into three restaurant areas, with seating for 350 people. In the kitchen of the restaurant La Pasta, where customers can watch the cooking process, pasta is handmade in various formats, while in the pizzeria, La Pizza, Neapolitan specialties based on authentic recipes are served. La Sosta (“the stop”) offers a meat menu from Piemonte livestock farms with Slow Food certification, which guarantees uncompromising high-quality standards and environmentally sustainable methods.

Greentailing The concept is green-conscious, in line with a strategy pursued by Autogrill for the last 10 years. Photovoltaic panels in the parking lot provide shade for cars and energy for the service area, and the restrooms are equipped with waterless urinals.


This new “Made in Italy” concept reflects current trends toward healthy nutrition, local food culture and sustainability, shared values that can help raise Autogrill’s positioning on a large scale. The goal of the concept is to become a destination for travelers interested in purchasing and consuming high-quality Italian food products on the go. About 1,300,000 visitors are expected in the first year. The challenge will be to sell fresh products to travelers who must wait one hour or more to access refrigeration.To accommodate this potential barrier to buying, the store offers a large assortment of coolers.

Italy


Key Data Sector: Telecommunications

Year opened: 2014

Store location: Sydney, Australia

Number of stores: 1 digital flagship in Sydney; 1 digital flagship in Melbourne

Number of countries: 1, Australia

Product mix: Mobile devices, tablets, home tech

Positioning

Telecom retailer, transitioning to become tech-comm retailer.

What is it? Telstra’s flagship, The Discovery Store, in Sydney, features digital tablets, “Minority Report” tables (augmented reality), interactive screens, the connected home, touchscreens and zones for convergence and divergence.

Why is it innovative?On entering the store, you are, in Telstra’s words, in an “environment built around you.” The highly personalized store experience – from layout to zoning – features a unique combination of classic retail and digital technology. While many stores today utilize digital technology in-store for buzz or marketing purposes, this innovative environment exemplifies the power of technology to educate the customer throughout his or her in-store journey.

Telstra Discovery Store

Digital price tickets on stock. ‘Tap and Take’ cards.



Highly personalized for all customers – from the early adopter to classic consumerThe early adopter, familiar with sophisticated high-tech, is mesmerized on entry by the floor-to-ceiling interactive digital display (known as “center stage”), which captures her or his attention and instantly immerses the customer in the store experience.

The classic customer is served by two staffed POS desks, clearly visible on entry, or may be greeted by a member of the store staff, who will assign a personal sales assistant to the customer based on expressed needs and requirements. The sales assistant guides the customer on her or his store journey through point of purchase.

The zones throughout the store are designed to allow for individualized experiences and can be as high-tech and/or as high-touch as the customer prefers.

Digital Play & Learn tables and collaborative zones are strategically located for those who want to participate, and physical products are available for those who prefer to touch, hold and experience items. Phone and device accessories are conveniently available in a classic linear wall display, allowing the customer to take the product off the shelf and bring it to a point of sale.

Digital store design increases store management and inventory efficiencyWhile the classic merchandise display is effective and familiar for customers, the digital element in this case actually enhances staff efficiency and day-to-day store operations. The digitally controlled price tickets enable the store staff to update displays in one click, saving hours in inventory management, conserving paper and freeing up more time and energy to focus on customer service.

The store also uses back-of-house heat sensor technology to

monitor the rate of footfall in specific areas and assigns house staff where they are most needed at peak periods.

The walls within the store are built to be flexible and modular and can be moved and adjusted easily and quickly, as needed, whether it involves setting up a new display, reorganizing shelving, or other efforts. This arrangement is best suited for smaller accessories for sale around the store.

Educating through in-store tech on the omni-channel journeyAt the center of the store journey is a giant Play & Learn table, also known as the Sandbox or Device Lab. This is a large interactive multi-touch display, which responds to both touch and RFID tags. Around the table are dummy mobile phone models with tags on the back. Dropping the phone on the table brings up specific details about it (i.e., price, camera, battery, speed, etc.), in unbiased third-party reports. Much of the information is provided by independent third parties, such as GadgetGuy.com.au, to limit bias in the reports.

You can save the information on your Tap and Take card, which has a personalized code allowing the customer to log in and retrieve the information online outside the store. This is a great example of omni-channel retailing.

Digital continuity inside and outThe windows to the outside feature interactive displays, designed to draw in passersby from the street, in addition to those for whom the store was a destination. The displays are subtly interactive: above the displays, a camera tracks people walking by; the displays change in response to the customers.

In addition to the outside displays, there’s a giant, three-story screen inside the center stage. These show the same content, tailored for the various screen sizes.


This store is a great example of flagship retailing and utilizing digital to actually impact margin, sales and profitability, rather than just generate buzz. The flagship is a chance for retailers to truly engage customers with the brand and its values and immerse them in the brand, organically creating strong brand loyalty. This store does this while catering to a wide audience, innovating in its use of technology and utilizing technology to add customer value, as well as enhance store management and efficiency, all while maintaining back-to-basics retailing that will never fade.

Australia


Key Data Sector: Children’s clothing

Format: 10,000 square meters, 3 floors

Year opened: 2016

Store location: Dubai, UAE

Number of stores: 1, Dubai

Number of countries: 1, UAE

Product mix: Children’s wear, shoes, accessories, toys and specialized services

Positioning

Luxury children’s clothing targeted to wealthy families.

What is it? Level Kids is a 10,000-square-meter, three-floor luxury department store for children between 0-12 years of age and their families. The department store comprises more than 200 brands, offering a selection of children’s wear, shoes, accessories, toys and specialized services.

Level Kids



Why is it innovative?The department store provides a unique experience due to its layout. The ground floor is underwater-themed, the first floor is outdoor-themed and the second floor is sky-themed. The use of technology and unique design features help create an adventure-like experience for children and their parents.

Level Kids utilizes digital technology to create an innovative store fit-out The design of each floor changes as customers travel upward. Large LCD screens show underwater scenes with fish on the sea-themed ground floor, animals on the land-themed second floor and birds on the sky-themed top floor.

Feel of the experience is high-endWhile the fit-out is inherently aimed at appealing to children, the feel of the experience is still high-end, as is expected at a luxury Dubai mall. The space works as a place where children are happy to play and explore, yet also houses leading international luxury brands. The successful execution of this concept creates a space that is appealing to all generations of a visiting family.

Level Kids has a wealth of extra facilitiesAlongside its core retail offer, Level Kids has a wealth of extra facilities, including a spa, photo studio, birthday room, concierge and children’s play area. By providing a range of services, the space ensures that its appeal broadens beyond pure retail and caters to a wide range of family members.


Level Kids’ unique fit-out sets it apart from other children’s wear retailers. The different levels of the unit create a fun narrative that encourages children to explore each floor and experience the whole mall, rather than sticking to the ground floor or favorite brands. Crucially, this is achieved in a manner that befits the luxury brands it stocks. Rather than lapse into kitsch, Level Kids created an environment and experience that is both fun for children and sophisticated enough for their high-spending parents.

United Arab Emirates


Key Data Sector: Clothing, shoes, accessories


Year opened: 2015

Store location: Zürich, Switzerland

Number of stores: 1 flagship store with the new concept in Zürich, Switzerland, part of Tally Weijl (800 stores)

Number of countries: 38, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy

Product mix: Fast fashion

Positioning

A multifunctional store with fast fashion and a beauty salon.

What is it? The fast-fashion retailer Tally Weijl goes beauty shop with its new flagship store in Zürich, which features a beauty salon on the third floor. Whereas Tally Weijl primarily has focused on 12-20-year-old females, the new flagship also serves young women older than age 20. In contrast to a traditional Tally Weijl store, the earth-tone colors are neutral. Additionally, the assortment is presented in a more minimalist display to draw the attention of the new target group. In other words, Tally Weijl has both reinvented itself in terms of concept mashup and redefined its target customer.

Tally Weijl Flagship store

Fashionable clothes, shoes and accessories for girls and young women.

Beauty salon on the third floor.



Why is it innovative?Tally Weijl flagship is an innovative store because it combines fast fashion with a beauty salon. The redesign of the store is innovative, aimed at targeting an untapped group of consumers. The beauty salon completes the shopping experience. Tally Weijl strives to provide: a space where customers can get a whole new look, complete with clothes, makeup, hairdo and nail polish.

Fashion meets beauty The average price in the beauty salon is 59 CHF (60 USD). After finding the perfect outfit, the customer can go to the third floor for further personal styling, including trendy hair and nails, without leaving the building.

Unique appearanceThe flagship store is designed like a boutique, offering abundant accessories, jewelry and stylish clothing. The interior is modern and bright. The higher the floor, the higher the quality of products and the more individualized the shopping experience becomes, positioning the store to offer multiple layers of customer involvement. Fast fashion on the bottom, higher-quality fashion on the top floors.

Tally Weijl flagship store, 450 square meters of retail space, is spread over four floors.


The rather low-priced fashion is no longer presented in an ordinary display, as in conventional stores, but as more exclusive goods with boutique elements. To make the experience complete, Tally Weijl has integrated a beauty salon in the top floor of the store. Here, the customer can have her nails polished, apply beautiful makeup or get a trendy hairdo for the evening, enhancing her new overall look. It is an innovative and new concept within the context of fast fashion. Tally Weijl’s new store taps into the currently flourishing trend of concept mashup.

Boutique-style appearance and high-quality fashion on four floors.

Switzerland


Key Data Sector: Food discounter

Format: 1,400 square meters

Year opened: 2016

Store location: Montauban, France

Number of stores: 1,500 in France

Number of countries: 24, including France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Finland, Greece, Hungry, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland

Product mix: 1,621 food SKUs in the new concept; highlighting fresh products and increasing non-food products; mainly private labels (90% of the assortment)

Positioning

Soft discount.

What is it? Lidl, historically the No. 2 hard discount in the world, has launched a thorough shift of positioning toward “smart discount.” The last generation of pilot stores to accelerate this bold renewal, Lidl has invented a modern format, midway between a discounter (e.g., Aldi, Biedronka) and a compact supermarket (e.g., Mercadona, Trader Joe’s).

Why is it innovative?Lidl has launched a vast transformation plan, which will cost several billion Euros, in order to exit the hard-discount model and dramatically change its image. In order to

Lidl

A new concept, halfway between a discount and a compact supermarket

In the new concept, the emphasis is on the fresh products range.



achieve this plan, the retailer has upgraded its whole range and concept. The Montauban store is the French pilot store for this new generation, but the whole group will be similarly transformed in a spectacular and ambitious model shift.

Concept modernization To break the hard-discount norms and improve its image, Lidl has redesigned its concept to be more welcoming. The first major change is obvious, with an average area of 1,400 square meters, compared to less than 1,000 for the previous concept. The space is made lighter and airier by high ceilings, a glass façade and widened aisles to ease traffic. The retailer has followed the conventions of a small supermarket, emphasising more fresh products than do hard discounters.

A more appealing rangeAnother change is the impression of abundance that the new concept presents, though the offer has not changed. For years, hard discounters took advantage of a good price

image, offering products at low prices; however, they suffered from lack of choice, a difficult problem to overcome. Now, with wider aisles and more products visible and available, the impression of plenty is conveyed for a number of unchanged food references. The retailer also mainly focuses its messaging on choice to attract customers. To increase traffic, Lidl has increased its non-food offer as well.

Rebranding private labelsTo improve its image, Lidl has invested heavily in its own brands, moving clearly forward in the smart discount market. Its private labels are treated as if they were national brands, with TV campaigns, new product lines and redesigned merchandising, which account for 90% of the retailer’s range, accommodating more than 50 different brands.

This rebranding is particularly true for the cosmetics offer, which aligns with the retailer’s goal to renovate its stores and communicate its new image. Lidl is betting on the beauty department to both recruit and retain customers.

Lidl private labels account for 90% of the offer and have been rebranded to better fit with the smart discount model.


Lidl’s strategic move is proof that the next decade will be dominated by “smart discount” concepts. These retailers refuse to choose between low prices and marketing intensity (seduction, pleasure, quality). Some striking examples of those models have been successful for years in non-food arenas (Ikea, Decathlon), and some newcomers have recently disrupted their markets (Primark, Kiko). Now, retail is adopting this trend.

How can smart discount be profitable? Through simplicity, lean structure and standardized process, as well as intensive investment in private labels and quality control, branding and, now, more capex in the store concept.

Through the generalization of this new concept, Lidl aims to capture 8% of the market share in France by 2020, compared to 5% today.

The cosmetic private label has been rebranding, aligning with smart discount models.

France


Key Data Sector: Beauty


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Near Bordeaux (in the E. Leclerc commercial center at Sainte-Eulalie)

Number of stores: 1 Beauty Sisters, part of Beauty Success chain (293 stores)

Number of countries: 2 for Beauty Success, France (metropolitan, Guadeloupe, Tahiti, New Calédonia, Guadeloupe) and Morocco

Product mix: Curated range tailored to attract young adults, mainly makeup-oriented, as well as perfumes, accessories ; 90% under Beauty Success’ own brands

Positioning

Fashionable and modern, targeting millennials, 18-30 years old.

What is it? A store/blog concept, Beauty Sisters is a compact store designed to attract young women, 18-30 years old. Its physical design is based on a blog. All the virtual elements of the blog universe have been recreated: beauty tutorials, animations, makeup ateliers, screens and free wifi access.

Why is it innovative?Being connected via screens and digital devices is not, in itself, innovative, and is present in other retail locations, such as Sephora. What is remarkable about Beauty Sisters is that

Beauty Sisters

Clients can test products at a table in the center of the store. Beauty tutorials from the Beauty Sisters blog are posted.



the retail location’s products and design have been adapted to appeal to the limited target audience of the Beauty Sisters blog. The store and blog are designed to be a coherent reflection of each other and were launched simultanously.

The physical location is a new way for Beauty Success to reach the 18-30-year-old female target by leveraging the original attraction: beauty blogs. The store, its furnishings and its products mirror the blog, offering beauty tutorials on screens, professional advice, videos and the opportunity to discover new products. This is an innovative and original concept and a departure from the traditional beauty products store.

The design: A young, Parisian woman’s apartment Entering Beauty Sisters evokes the experience of entering the apartment of a Parisian bloggeuse or a friend’s private place, where you join her to try beauty products. Customers

feel at home in a modern apartment enhanced by moulding, mirrors, chests and imitation parquet flooring.

The product offer90% of the offer comprises private-label makeup (seven or eight brands), as well as perfumes and other related products, including fashion accessories, such as mobile phone casings. The blog’s spirit is sustained via “crush products” and novelties that are refreshed every two weeks.

The digital coherenceBeauty Sisters launched its online blog and brick-and-morter store simultaneously. The blog offers tips and information about beauty trends and lifestyle, but there is no mention of price and the blog does not offer products for sale. Instead, a link bridges the real and virtual worlds, pointing at new products and brands to be discovered and purchased in the store.

All the enchanting details of a Parisian apartment have been recreated.


This concept is obviously an answer to Kiko, the Italian makeup fast-fashion retailer disrupting the market. Beyond this defensive posture, Beauty Sisters is an interesting concept, new for the market and absolutely revolutionary for the company. Many long-standing retailers are testing new concepts, but Beauty Sisters appears to be more radical (targeting a specific niche), more compact (thanks to digital extension tools), more private-label focused, more omni-channel and behaves more like brands than like retailers. Beauty Sisters is a synthesis of those trends. The choice not to sell online is bold and we wonder if it is a good one. Online sales are becoming an important aspect of the beauty business and can address diverse targets and different occasions for buying.

Beauty Sisters’ private-label makeup and beauty products, as well as guest brands and “crush products,” are highlighted, mirroring a beauty blog.

France


Key Data Sector: General stores and grocery stores

Format: Hypermarkets and supermarkets

Year opened: 2015, Carrefour Express Premium; 2016, street market and pop-up stores. Carrefour has been operating in Spain since 1973

Store locations: Carrefour Express Premium in Madrid; street market in Alcobendas (Madrid); pop-up store in Valencia

Number of stores: 3 Carrefour Express Premium convenience markets; 1 street market; 173 hypermarkets; 500 supermarkets in Spain. More than 12,000 outlets in the world

Number of countries: 30+ countries, owned and franchised

Product mix: Groceries, personal care, apparel, electronics, home furnishings

Positioning

The new formats aim to regain customers by attracting urbanites to the hypermarkets, or find a new competition-free niche for groceries (gourmet convenience).

What is it? Carrefour demonstrates a continuous effort to adapt to customers’ needs and desires by trying new formats, as well as to find new ways of attracting customers to existing hypermarkets, by modernizing them as they evolve.

Carrefour Spain’s most outstanding innovations in 2016 include:1. Carrefour street market: 950 square meters of a trendy gourmet food court

and market as a new area in one of its hypermarkets2. Carrefour pop-up stores: Seasonal spaces in city centers showcasing

Carrefour’s inexpensive lines of apparel and home products, innovatively displayed

Carrefour Street Market

Street market: Industrial décor for a gourmet food court and market located next to an outskirts hypermarket.

Carrefour Home products at the pop-up store bear no resemblance to the hypermarket shelf.



3. Carrefour Express Premium: An upgraded model of its convenience store to appeal to high-income neighborhoods by offering a gourmet and eco-friendly range of products in a more upscale environment

Why is it innovative? Street Market at Carrefour Alcobendas (Madrid)

A hot trend in Spain is the transformation of traditional fresh food markets into a foodie paradise, where modern urbanites enjoy their leisure time eating tapas in various stalls on site, or take home prepared or semi-prepared food. Carrefour has opened its own gourmet market with a shop-in-shop model, annexed to one of its hypermarkets in the suburbs. It features cool industrial décor and access to some of the most innovative food propositions in Madrid — from excellent fusion sushi to French patisserie — in order to draw a contemporary and younger public to a hypermarket.

Carrefour Pop-up Store (Valencia)As a way to bring its products closer to a new audience, Carrefour opened a pop-up store in Valencia in a centrally

located design and cultural events center. Three spaces were created in which to showcase its apparel line (Tex), home line (Carrefour Home) and eco-friendly line (Bio) in an appealing modern presentation, a departure from hypermarket style.

The pop-up store model was also used for a seasonal Christmas store in Madrid.

Carrefour Express PremiumCarrefour Express is a convenience store chain, usually occupying 100-500 square meters, with a product range adapted to the location. While there are 419 Express stores in Spain, one opened in 2015 is distinguished by 60% of its offer being gourmet products, a wider wine selection than is available in a 2,000-square-meter supermarket, 80 varieties of foreign cheese and a definitely upscale look and feel, featuring wood floors and special lighting. It is not a luxury store, but a daily grocery, where the customer can treat herself or himself, and it adheres to the Carrefour value promise of fair prices.

The Express Premium is a niche market with competition only from independent specialty shops, and is unique among grocery chains in Spain.

One of the street market stalls, featuring food to take home and cook, or meals prepared to eat on site or to take out.


We are used to seeing Carrefour develop new formats and adapt existing ones to counteract customers’ decreasing interest in driving to the outskirts of their neighborhood to a hypermarket. These formats differ from the traditional hypermarket model, are closer to the target customers and/or require a lower level of investment:

Street market: Hot urban trend taken to the outskirts that should appeal to modern customers. The shop-in-shop model requires lower investment and operational costs for Carrefour. Pop-up stores: Carrefour exclusive products are shown closer to target customers and both traditional and online businesses are promoted. Carrefour Express Premium: Not a good fit everywhere, but there is definitely space for more, proven by the launch of two additional stores in Madrid after only a few months of operations at the Ortega y Gasset Street store. Carrefour announced plans for expansion of both owned and franchised stores.

Excellent wine selection and eco-friendly fruit and vegetables in the local convenience store at reasonable prices.

Spain


Key Data Sector: Renovation of an 18-year-old shopping mall


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Bangkok’s Ram 1 thoroughfare

Number of stores: 4 Number of countries: 1, Thailand

Product mix: General products for urbanites and wealthy families. Many products at Siam Discovery are available exclusively in Thailand

Positioning

Appealing to wealthy families and tourists.

What is it? A shopping mall-department store hybrid designed by Nendo, Siam Discovery is a “lifestyle laboratory” that departs from the traditional categorization of products by brand. Instead, a revolutionary open-plan Exploratorium offers themed, differentiated retail experiences on each floor (“lab”), designed to create the comforting, emotional experience lacking in contemporary e-commerce. Each lab features a unique interior décor reflecting its specific retail adventure.

Siam Discovery



Why is it innovative? All shops are in open spaces, without physical

boundaries Shoppers navigate unique retail journeys. The originality of the product displays pique curiosity and intensify the desire to explore each area.

Lifestyle laboratories have an identity of their ownThe displays are designed and organized around product types, i.e., a column for glasses, stairs for shoes and accessories and Plexiglas microscope-style rounded columns for electronics.

Cashiers are “hidden” to create an inviting and encouraging environment for retail exploration, without pressure.

The modern museum feel and touchResponding to the design’s modernity, unconventional use of space and omnipresent 202 digital screens, shoppers feel transported to a modern museum of innovation.


The launch of Siam Discovery sets a new gold standard in luxury shopping malls. It is so unconventional that shoppers, including both wealthy locals and tourists, may need time to develop a comfort level with the concept and experience to be enticed to shop.

The museum-style physical space might be an obstacle to purchase, and the absence of food outlets shortens the visit.Siam Discovery is an untested, but daring, innovation in both design and shopper experience. It might take some time to catch on as a shopping destination and profitable cash machine.

Thailand


Key Data Sector: Kids’ crafting


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Number of stores: 3, in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Easton, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida

Number of countries: 1, USA

Product mix: Crayola line of products, including crayons, pencils and drawing boards

Positioning

Crayola brand experience store targeted to families with small children.

What is it? The store offers customers an opportunity to discover the magic of color through a multisensory experience, where they are encouraged to get creative, play, explore and learn by combining the Crayola color crayons offer with the latest technology, digital screens and unique child’s imagination.

Why is it innovative?The store provides a unique creative experience for guests by combining Crayola’s traditional wax crayon with technology. Through the store’s use of innovative digital technology, kids

Crayola Experience



can see their custom creations come to life by engaging with 25 one-of-a-kind attractions inspired by Crayola products. It’s all about brand experience and retail entertainment for families. Technology and fun at 25 attractions

At the Color Magic attraction, customers can bring their 2-D creations to 4-D life.

At Art Alive!, customers can create digital works of art and see them projected on the big screen and, by touching them, see their drawing come to life.

Brand experienceCustomers can name and wrap their own Crayola crayon at the Wrap It Up! station, star in their own coloring page at Be A Star, paint with melted wax at Meltdown, bring their own

coloring page to 4-D life, animate it with touch technology with Color Magic, or see how crayons are made in the live Factory Show.

Family destination placeThe store offers Café Crayola, where customers can refuel after a long day of fun, and a Crayola Store, with a large selection of colorful souvenirs, bringing the customer experience full circle and making it a great family destination. Families typically spend four hours at the store and leave with a bag full of handmade keepsakes.


The Crayola Experience store at Mall of America helps to elevate and reinvigorate the brand. The concept emphasizes the unique mind of each child by providing countless outlets where they can create and be creative. Through its use of digital technology and color, Crayola encourages innovation and provides a truly customized experience, from entry to exit.



Key Data Sector: Clothing


Year opened: 1965 (new concept store opened in 2016)

Store location: Lisbon, Portugal

Number of stores: 7, Portugal

Number of countries: 1, Portugal

Product mix: Contemporary men’s clothing and personalized premium service; a traditional tailoring experience enabling customers to buy custom clothes

Positioning

Dielmar’s traditional tailoring in distinctly contemporary men’s clothing.

What is it? It’s a new generation of stores, in an evolving concept of a “living showcase.” This format builds on a significant, traditional focus on tailoring, adding a visible on-site tailor. The tailor is in direct contact with each customer, planning their unique, personalized clothing. Focused on strengthening the company’s globalization process, the brand is preparing, together with its international partners, to head to new markets, making the opening of this new concept a step toward moving abroad.

Dielmar



Why is it innovative?The new concept, introduced by architect Joana Rafaela, is “a living showcase of tailoring,” spotlighting a “stage” on the second floor of the mall. The brand is a hybrid of Dielmar’s signature traditional tailoring and a modern, current concept, where the tailor is also the host. Updating the traditional concept of tailor

Updating the traditional concept of a tailor, Dielmar’s vision of the future is to project a more modern image, while retaining the focus on traditional tailoring. This store positions Dielmar as a traditional store, but with the tailor front and center to satisfy the unique needs of individual customers. The concept also feels like an art gallery or studio, with the tailor “performing live” in the space.

Like a shopping scene setWith the new store concept focusing on the tailor, Dielmar can provide a novel experience in shopping, with customers being part of the tailoring process, almost like being on a theater set. The new store combines the glamour of modern design with the tradition of a hands-on tailor, revolutionizing the role of the tailor as a host.

The third generation Dielmar’s third generation wants to introduce a new and innovative face to the traditional image of the company as “just” a tailor. The new concept store is the first step toward achieving that goal. The next one is to expand the brand to new markets with the help of international partners.


The quality of the Portuguese clothing industry is world-renowned, but, at the same time, it is viewed as very traditional. Dielmar’s innovative approach will change that perspective by integrating glamour and innovation within the store. The new international partnerships set to open additional concept stores in other markets will enhance Dielmar’s brand and profile abroad, as well as expand appreciation of its unique, artistic approach to clothing, while maintaining the excellent quality that is the hallmark of the Portuguese clothing industry.

Portugal


Key Data Sector: Garage (car boutique)


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, The Netherlands

Product mix: Repairs, maintenance, used cars, accessories

Positioning

Garage operated by and for women. The most female-friendly garage in The Netherlands.

What is it? A full-service garage focused specifically on creating a female-friendly environment and experience, De Dames van Hurkmans provides automotive repair services, as well as a selection of used cars for sale. The garage offers a comfortable and appealing experience for women, in an environment inspired by a fashion boutique. Men also are welcome customers.

Why is it innovative?The garage is not inherently unusual; what makes De Dames van Hurkmans unique is

De Dames van Hurkmans



its focus on a specific target group that historically has been poorly served in this market. The business offers typical basic services, which are enhanced by innovative products and special flourishes to create an exceptional environment and experience.

The garage serves the female customer journey De Dames van Hurkmans understands the female customer journey and responds to the needs of women going through the search, shop and share phases when buying a car. The garage’s message and offer are female-friendly, creating a unique physical environment and unique services. For example, at the counter, customers are offered lip gloss instead of mints. A visit to the garage becomes a fun, non-threatening experience for women.

Surprising range of products and servicesIn addition to the standard services and products typically offered in a garage, De Dames van Hurkmans has added some surprising elements to the assortment, such as a manicure for women waiting for their car to be serviced on Female Friday, a fancy bike for rent, a kids’ playground, and equipment like strollers to try and buy.

Innovative serviceRepairing a windshield chip? Scratch repair? The cosmetic repair service can fix minor damage in just one day. By doing all the work at a single location and using infrared light when painting, De Dames van Hurkmans’ approach is both efficient and sustainable.


Car maintenance has been a relatively female-unfriendly market for a long time. De Dames van Hurkmans provides an accessible experience for female customers. They know how to combine a smart strategy with a strong visual identity. By really understanding the female customer and focusing on her, the unique garage ensures a quality experience, as well as both standard and niche services and products.

Focusing on the female customer journey in a pink environment. Surprising range of products and services.

The Netherlands


Commit fully R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y


Key Data Sector: Sharing economy

Format: Online platform

Year opened: 2012

Number of stores: Online only

Number of countries: Peerby operates in many parts of The Netherlands and Belgium, in big European cities, including Berlin, London and Prague, and in some cities in the United States.

Product mix: Non-food (categories include home improvement, holidays, gardening and at-home entertaining)

Positioning

Peerby is an online product-sharing platform, enabling customers to borrow or rent products from their neighbors, including pick-up and delivery.

What is it? Peerby enables individuals to borrow or rent a wide range of products from their neighbors, such as drills for home-improvement work, or event tents and beer taps for private entertaining. Users submit a request to the site, which then distributes it to the community. The site claims an 85% fulfilment rate using smart technology to match supply and demand.

Peerby

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y


Why is it innovative? Sustainability

Peerby’s goal is to offer an alternative to the cultural norm to throw things away by connecting people and encouraging collaborative consumption. The average electric drill is used for 13 minutes during its lifespan. Peerby boosts and extends its value by finding new uses and users for products that would otherwise gather dust. One-eighth of all carbon emissions in the world result from the production and consumption of products. Peerby reduces that number by encouraging members to use products more efficiently.

Social By establishing contact with their neighbors, users not only save time, money and storage space, but also can explore their neighborhood. Many people report feeling an attachment to the place where they live, but not always to the people who live nearby. By using Peerby, users can get to know their neighbors better, while sharing products.

CommercialPeerby started as a service enabling users to simply borrow goods, but this approach carries risk, because products break down or get damaged. To reduce this risk, Peerby introduced the Peerby Warranty. This insurance policy allows Peerby to offer members who need it more security and confidence, as well as guarantees and supports the relationship among neighbors. This is Peerby’s primary source of revenue: 25% of the policy cost goes to Peerby, 75% goes to the owner of the product.


This is another example of the growth of the sharing economy. Research suggests that as many as 80% of the products in our homes have not been used in the last month. Peerby seeks to reduce consumption by increasing the utilization of the products we have, thus saving consumers money and space and reducing our impact on the environment. The platform also aims to promote community relationships and social cohesion, and may offer just the push we need to introduce ourselves to the people next door.

The Netherlands


Key Data Sector: Upcycling shopping center

Year opened: 2012

Store location: Eskilstuna, Sweden

Number of stores: 1 Number of countries: 1, Sweden

Product mix: Everything recycled, from apparel to bicycles

Positioning

“Your junk can be somebody else’s treasure.”

What is it? Retuna Återbruksgalleria is the first upcycling shopping center in Europe, possibly in the world. Just like a regular shopping center, the stores within are different; some sell furniture, others sell clothes. Located next to Retuna Recycling Center, the shopping center features 15 stores selling quality used products. The goal is to encourage an increasing number of stores to participate in upcycling. The philosophy of the movement is, “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.”

Retuna Återbruksgalleria

Easy drive-thru, whether you are in a car, on a bicycle or walking.



Why is it innovative? Old things can shine again

Retuna Återbruksgalleria infuses discarded objects with life, whether they just need polish or require serious repairs. The consumer delivers the product via a drive-thru, where it is either prepared for sale or recycled at Retuna Recycling Center. If the product is suitable for upcycling, it is sold in one of the center’s 15 stores. Retuna Återbruksgalleria effectively taps into the current upcycling trend across cultures, especially among young people.

Valuable knowledgeRetuna Återbruksgalleria is not just selling products, it is also educating consumers. In the same building as the store, Eskilstuna Folkhögskola teaches its one-year program, Design Recycling. The overall goal is for Retuna to become a location where the consumer both is educated in recycling, upcycling and design, as well as enjoys an unusual and satisfying shopping experience.


The concept taps into multiple consumer trends currently influencing the market. First is the rising recycling trend, which appeals to consumers’ strong focus on conscious consumption and sustainability. Second is the trend for individual and personalized products, where a consumer can find one-of-a-kind objects. Finally, it is an opportunity to co-create with and educate consumers. Combining these factors create an inspiring shopping environment.

A store decorated as a comfy living room. All items are for sale, all are upcycled.

The students at Design Recycling learn how to make trendy products from recycled materials.

Sweden


Key Data Sector: Nonprofit food-waste supermarket


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Number of stores: 1 (2 more planned in 2016-17)

Number of countries: 1, Denmark

Product mix: Expiring products, products with incorrect labels and damaged packaging sourced from supermarkets. The assortment changes every day and can accommodate anything from soap to meat.

Positioning

WeFood is for everyone; whether you want to support the fight against famine, stop food waste, or simply want to save money on your groceries.

What is it? WeFood is Denmark’s first nonprofit food-waste supermarket. WeFood was founded by the nonprofit organization DanChurchAid as a step toward dealing with the issue of food waste and hunger. WeFood is fully financed by crowdfunding. The organization’s dual purposes are to reduce food waste and to raise money for DanChuchAid’s work in developing countries. All employees in the store are volunteers. In the first two months, WeFood served more than 10,000 customers and sold goods for a total amount of 250,000 DKK.

WeFood

Donations raise the highest possible amount of money to help the world’s poorest countries.



Why is it innovative? Unique crowdfunding

WeFood is financed 100% through crowdfunding, allowing Danes to purchase WeFood stocks at DKK 100 per stock. Before its opening in February 2016, WeFood had raised more than DKK 1 million (134.000). In order to raise money for opening a second store in fall 2016, WeFood has issued 10,000 numbered unique stocks.

A concept built fully on donationsWeFood is 100% built on donations, in terms of both crowdfunding and product assortment. WeFood collaborates with supermarkets and suppliers, receiving damaged goods at no cost. Customers can find a broad variety of products, from

milk to vegetables, which changes every day, based on what is available. The goods at WeFood are sold at prices 30-50% lower than in regular supermarkets.

A low-cost modelThe concept of WeFood is built on a low-cost model; the typical costs for staff and products are nonexistent. This allows DanChurchAid to raise as much money as possible for its work in developing countries, which is why WeFood is called the first “social supermarket.”


More than 500,000 Danes (8.33% of the population) have declared that they are against food waste. The movement started a few years ago and was driven primarily by the nonprofit organization Stop Wasting Food. The Danish government has plans to launch an institute to focus on reducing food waste and the United Nations is online to follow suit, which will promote the growth of this trend. Supermarkets are picking up on this trend by selling “soon to expire” products at reduced prices. WeFood has proven to be a success, and two additional stores are opening within the next year, one in Copenhagen and one in Aarhus.

The combination of crowdfunding, volunteer staff and product donations makes the low-cost model possible.

Denmark


Key Data Sector: Apparel


Year opened: 2014

Store location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Number of stores: 13 official TOMS store locations

Number of countries: 9 (USA, UK, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Greece, The Netherlands, Singapore, Amsterdam)

Product mix: Shoes, eyewear, bags and coffee

Positioning

A shoe company that donates a pair of shoes for each pair it sells.

What is it? TOMS was founded in 2006 as a shoe line with a socially conscious mission based on the company’s highly esteemed and widely recognized “one for one” model. For every pair of shoes TOMS sells, a pair is given to an impoverished child. Chicago’s TOMS store serves as a brand storefront, carrying 100 styles of shoes, eyewear and branded apparel, as well as a coffee shop. TOMS continues to expand from its pure-play heritage to its entry into brick and mortar. The brand continues opening new stores both to showcase the products and to create a community space that supports the “one for one” mantra.

TOMS Shoes



Why is it innovative?TOMS began selling shoes using a “one for one” approach, but since the company has expanded the brand to include eyewear, coffee and bags, TOMS donates eyewear and water and supports safe birthing services for mothers each time one of those items is purchased.

After initially distributing its products through online and multi-brand distributors, TOMS started opening flagship stores to express its brand’s strong values and to offer its full range of products, as it does in the Chicago store.

Social conscience and sustainabilityShoes are tailored for recipients based on terrain and season, and local jobs are created by producing shoes in countries where they are donated. In 2013, TOMS committed to producing one third of its Giving Shoes in regions where they are distributed. Local production helps to build industry, creating jobs and sustainable futures.

Brand experience and product trialIn addition to shoes and eyewear for sale, there is a coffee counter at the front of the store, where shoppers can enjoy a cup of coffee, work, or just kick back and relax. The store also has free wifi. Nestled in the back is a full-service coffee bar, brewing TOMS Roasting Co. coffee creations and serving an assortment of fresh pastries and pressed juices.


TOMS is a self-sustaining company which is “doing the right thing.” It has a clearly defined purpose, which trans-cends creating shareholder value or maximizing profits. This attribute often creates intense loyalty among both customers and employees. And, by providing people with a place to hang out, drink coffee and see what TOMS is all about, it’s bringing a new audience into the store to buy the products and share the mission.



Key Data Sector: Jewelry store


Year opened: 2016

Store location: Almere, The Netherlands

Number of stores: 1, The Netherlands

Number of countries: 1, The Netherlands

Product mix: New and secondhand jewels

Positioning

Reclaimed Jewels collects the stories behind unique jewels, which are retold in the store to customers, encouraging them to add their own story to the assortment.

What is it? Reclaimed Jewels offers affordable and unique jewelry in an innovative environment. The company’s range is twice the size and more affordable than that of typical jewelers. Customers are welcome to touch the jewels. Truly unique to the customer experience is learning the history behind every piece in the store and being invited to tell his or her own story, which is added to the collection.

Reclaimed Jewels



Why is it innovative?Reclaimed Jewels differs from traditional stores in its product range, presentation and storytelling approach. In this omni-channel concept, all products are available both online and in-store.

Unique products with a unique storyThis store embraces and highlights storytelling. Every jewel has its own history. Some have been worn in association with love, others have a unique origin or were produced by a special or unusual process. The store offers the opportunity for customers to continuously enhance and extend the narrative of each piece by adding their own brief personal note to every jewel.

Presentation: open and touchableThere are few display cases or counters in this store. Instead, 70% of the jewelry is openly displayed for everyone to see

and hold, spotlighting each, individual piece. The other 30% of the jewelry is displayed more traditionally. The collection is not classified according to type, but according to style.

Twice the size of the product range and low pricesReclaimed Jewels offers twice the product range of a traditional jewelry store, comprising both new and secondhand jewels. The store offers only limited editions; every piece is unique. The quality is as high as in a traditional jewelry store – the store carries only real gold and silver, but the prices are about 60% lower. Reclaimed Jewels does not offer any brands. Another bonus is that customers can also sell and pawn jewelry here, presenting another opportunity to add their own stories to the collection.


Reclaimed Jewels is a distinctive player in the jewelry sector. The open display and façade invite customers to personally discover the unique product range. Customers can touch and try on the collection and see prices without the assistance of an employee – a significant shift from the traditional jewelry retail model. By making the product more accessible, both physically and in terms of price, Reclaimed Jewels reduces the barriers to purchase and strives to drive conversion by engaging customers’ imaginations as they learn the unique stories surrounding each jewel.

The Netherlands


ICSC G L O B A L S P O N S O R O F R E T A I L I N N O V A T I O N S 1 2


ICSC: Global sponsor of Retail Innovations 12

FOUNDED IN 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is the global trade association for the shopping center industry. Its more than 70,000 members in more than 100 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, investors, retailers, brokers, academics and public officials.

The shopping center industry plays an integral role in the social, civic and economic vibrancy of communities across the globe and is essential to economic development and opportunity. Shopping centers are significant job creators, drivers of GDP and critical revenue sources for communities they serve by generating sales taxes and paying property taxes. These taxes fund important municipal services like firefighters, police officers and school services, as well as infrastructure like roadways and parks.

Shopping centers are more than fiscal engines; they are integral to the social fabric of their communities as a central location for gathering with family and friends to discuss community matters and participate in and encourage philanthropic endeavors.

The year 2015 was one of the best for the retail real estate industry in recent history. Shopping centers saw occupancy rates reach the highest year-end reading since 2007, and base rents and NOI reach levels with a 20% increase from 2010. Shopping center construction reached more than $17 billion, the highest level since 2008. 2016 has seen much of the same growth and the industry is on track for continued optimism in these operating metrics.


As society and technology evolve, so too has the shopping center. Currently valued at $1.3 trillion, the shopping center real estate industry is thriving as it continues to adapt to and celebrate the convergence of the physical and digital worlds. The rise of rapid technology and e-commerce presents an opportunity for the retail real estate industry to deliver an integrated experience across platforms – and it’s taking full advantage.

Today’s shopping centers attract, entice and engage customers by delivering on experience, convenience and exceptional customer service.

Retail’s move toward mixed use is creating a cultural shift where signature dining and experiences encourage foot traffic that stays longer, spends more and keeps it local. Developers are investing heavily to elevate their current properties. One way they are doing this is shifting toward mixed use, offering a dynamic mix of tenants that include traditional retail

and grocery stores, as well as office, residential, hospitality and event spaces.

Centers have reevaluated their value proposition by placing experience and convenience at the forefront. This has resulted in the rise of tech-savvy amenities, such as complimentary wifi; charging stations; wayfinding technology in parking decks that allows users to find open spots or their parked car; navigation apps that deliver turn-by-turn directions from store to store; and even loyalty and rewards programs similar to those offered by retailers.

Retailers also are largely embracing innovation. Gone are the days of waiting in line to pay, stock rooms running out of inventory and needing cash to buy goods. There are a variety of new touch points at retailers’ disposal, including RFID, beacons, interactive displays and big data, all being used to digitize and personalize the consumer’s shopping experience.

Close to 93% of all retail sales occur at the physical store, so, while it seems that e-commerce is growing rapidly, online sales account for only about 7% of retail sales — even less when omitting sales from the Nordstrom and Macy’s dot.coms of the world.

Pureplay retail is a trend of the past, as omni-channel retailers like Bonobos, Warby Parker and even Amazon continue to expand their physical footprints, realizing the value of providing a tangible experience for customers. As physical and digital retail continue to collide, the physical store will remain at the

epicenter of the omni-channel experience. In fact, according to research dubbed the “halo effect,” there is a clear synergy between a physical store and online sales generated within that trade area. When a physical store thrives, so too does the retailer’s online business in that region; when a store closes, digital sales in that region also wane.

Today’s consumers are savvier and better informed than ever before. Digital channels and the ability to conduct research prior to a purchase have positioned consumers further along the purchasing funnel, making them more motivated when they arrive at a store. The rise of click- and-collect is a testament to how well consumers are adapting to an omni-channel world.

A strategic alignment between technology and real estate is allowing developers to close the gap between e-commerce and traditional distribution networks. The end result: minimized fulfillment costs with maximized customer satisfaction, with brick-and-mortar locations remaining at the epicenter of the omni-channel shopping experience.


Key Data Owner/Development company: The Wharf (Holdings) Limited

Production architects: LWK & Partners (HK) Ltd.

Design architects: Benoy Ltd.

Type of center: 760,000 square meters mixed-use development

210,000 sq. m. Shopping mall260,000 sq. m. Office buildings41,000 sq. m. Hotel72,000 sq. m. Residential

Featured tenants Fashion Louis Vuitton 2,927 sq. m.

Dior 1,215 sq. m. Valentino 921 sq. m. Chanel 897 sq. m.

Department store Lane Crawford 7,597 sq. m.Cinema UA Cineplex (IMAX) 3,396 sq. m.

The International Council of Shopping Centers presented its highest global honor, the ICSC VIVA Design and Development 2016 Award, to Chengdu IFS Chengdu, China, for its outstanding achievement of delivering an innovative and creative shopping destination with world-class standards of design, construction, management and operation for customers, retailers and the City of Chengdu.

Chengdu IFS

I C S C V I V A D E S I G N A N D D E V E L O P M E N T A W A R D


Western China has been undergoing an exciting transformation and the City of Chengdu serves as the new gateway to the region. Widely regarded as one of China’s first-tier cities, Chengdu rates high international rankings for fashion and expenditures in luxury goods. Among the city’s newest landmarks is Chengdu IFS, a multi-use project that combines retail, hotel, residential, dining, business, leisure, entertainment, culture and art uses.

Chengdu IFS (International Finance Square) includes a 260,000 square-meter shopping mall, two premium grade A office buildings, a 230-room five-star hotel and high-end residential properties. The shopping mall (“retail podium”) houses nearly 300 top-tier designer fashion stores, jewelry and watch brands, skin care and cosmetics units. Major names include Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Burberry and Salvatore Ferragamo. Other key tenants include a Lane Crawford department store, international food and beverage outlets, ice skating rink, fitness center, bowling alley, flagship bookstore, cineplex and events hall.

This one-stop destination serves the community’s interests, as well as retailers’. The architects conceived the project’s design to incorporate urban spaces, as well as spots for art and culture. The site preserves historic relics, such as remnants of a water supply system from the Tang Dynasty and horse-drawn carriage boulevards from the Song Dynasty, and makes them available for public view.

Designers faced interesting challenges. The north and south boundaries of the project differed significantly, with parkland at the north edge and urban development at the south. To accommodate the variation, the office buildings, with their strong architectural detailing, were placed at the south side; the residential and hotel properties were built on the more open northern edge, which also incorporates landscaped areas and terraces to complement the adjacent Daci Temple. Out of respect for the relics on the site, developers built a large Antiquities Plaza, from which visitors look down on the historic remnants through glass viewing decks.

Crowning the retail podium is the Sky Garden, at the seventh level, which offers a relaxing green landscaped area to the complex’s office workers, residents, visitors and shoppers. The Sky Garden, which also contains a sculpture yard and art gallery, is one of the project’s many environmental enhancements. Also integral are natural ventilation and skylights to maximize natural daylight, reduce the need for artificial illumination and save energy. The skylights use low-emissivity frit glass to reduce heat gain, while ensuring maximum transparency.

While the project provides 1,700 vehicle parking spaces on three underground decks, it also connects seamlessly to mass transit systems, such as light rail and a bus network. Pedestrian-only streets surrounding the complex further enhance

Chengdu, China

the environmentally friendly character of the site.

Chengdu IFS – the first of the developer’s five proposed projects throughout China – has succeeded in its plan to become a “city within a city,” a world-class destination for tourists, as well as satisfy retail, dining, leisure and other needs and desires in high style, for local residents, close to home.


Ebeltoft ITALYKiki Lab | www.kikilab.it

Ebeltoft THE NETHERLANDSQ&A Research & Consultancy | www.q-and-a.nl

Ebeltoft PORTUGAL Instituto de Marketing Research | www.imr.pt

Ebeltoft ROMANIA Architected Business Solutions | www.abs-europe.com

Ebeltoft RUSSIAIRG I www.intrg.com

Ebeltoft SINGAPORE A.S.Louken | www.aslouken.com

Ebeltoft SOUTH AFRICA Fernridge Consulting | www.fernridge.co.za

Ebeltoft SPAIN KISS Retail Management Consultingwww.kissretail.com

Ebeltoft AUSTRALIA Retail Doctor Group | www.retaildoctor.com.au Frontline Strategies | www.retailnavigation.com.au

Ebeltoft BRAZIL GS&MD Gouvêa de Souza | www.gsmd.com.br

Ebeltoft CANADA J.C. Williams Group | www.jcwg.com

Ebeltoft DENMARK Retail Institute Scandinaviawww.retail-institute-scandinavia.dk

Ebeltoft FRANCE Dia-Mart Group | www.dia-mart.fr

Ebeltoft GERMANY Gruppe Nymphenburg Consult AGwww.nymphenburg.de

Ebeltoft INDIA Technopak Advisors I www.technopak.comRAMMS I www.ramms.com.in

Ebeltoft IRELANDOne-Eighty-Degrees I www.180.ie

Ebeltoft SWITZERLAND Fuhrer & Hotz | www.fuhrer-hotz.ch

Ebeltoft THAILAND Hypertrade Consulting | www.hyper-trade.com

Ebeltoft TURKEY Eurosis Consulting | www.eurosis.biz

Ebeltoft UK Pragma Consulting | www.pragmauk.com

Ebeltoft USA McMillanDoolittle | www.mcmillandoolittle.com Okamura Consulting | www.okamuraconsulting.com

Ebeltoft VIETNAMThe Athena Retail Consulting Company www.athenaretailconsulting.com

Ebeltoft GROUPwww.ebeltoftgroup.com

Tracking Retail Innovation trends around the world...

For the past 12 years, Ebeltoft Group has been tracking innovative retail concepts across the globe. Many

factors are pushing retailers to accelerate the rhythm of their reinvention: digitalization and retail-tech

creativity; new, more horizontal relationships between brands and customers; and the surge toward radical

differentiation in stagnating markets.

In addition to new game-changing retailers developing disruptive formats, more traditional retailers have

launched reinvention as well. The 26 member companies of Ebeltoft Group witness this through consulting

projects across all regions, formats and industries. Retailers are racing to create new formats, offer new

added values and explore new frontiers. Retail Innovations highlights a selection of these bold initiatives.

What Retail Innovations also does is demonstrate the intimate involvement of the customer in the innovation

process. If technology remains a major driver for innovation, it must be applied usefully to serve consumer

needs. Most of the innovations showcased in this issue rely on a deep, intimate understanding of how people

live, dream and shop.

What if the next retail revolution is…the customer?

Vive le commerce! Global Sponsor


We are a global alliance of retail consulting companies with member companies in more than 25 mature and emerging retail markets.

Since 1990, we have been helping retailers and their suppliers remain competitive and achieve their goals by blending global retail expertise with members´ local insight. Ebeltoft Group serves 36 of the top 100 retailers and 29 of the top 50 manufacturers worldwide.

Ebeltoft Group´s global studies and publications include Global Cross Channel Report (2014), Retail Internationalization (2013), NeoConsumer (2011), The Trust Factor (2011) and Environmental Sustainability (2010).

For a personal presentation about current retail innovations, trends and cases, or information about our latest global publications, research and services, please contact Ebeltoft Group or visit www.ebeltoftgroup.com

I n n o v a t i n g f o r C u s t o m e r s

JCWG Retail Innovations 12 - High Res · 2018-04-23 · 4 | Retail Innovations 12 The retail, real...

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