Gdr retail week - innovation report retail 2020

01

Inn

ov

atio

n

Re

po

rtR

etail 2020

01 Innovation Report_Retail 2020

Inn

ov

atio

n R

ep

ort_R

etail 2020

01

This publication is printed by Boss Print (bossprint.com) using vegetable-based inks on fully sustainable paper.

01 Innovation Report_Retail 2020

As retailers survey the landscape they operate in and try to identify the Next Big Thing that will shape

and drive their businesses in the second half of this decade, at times the only constant can seem like change itself.

From mobile commerce to social media, augmented reality to smart television, new technologies and their effect on consumer dynamics are at once an opportunity to open new routes to market and a daunting challenge retailers need to adapt to.

The questions ‘What’s next?’ ‘Where do I invest?’ and, ‘What’s best for my business?’ have shaped many of the debates Retail Week has hosted over the last 12 months. This report will help to answer those questions.

This isn’t a blueprint of how the retail sector will look by 2020, but it is a guide to the innovations and trends we and

our partner, GDR Creative Intelligence, believe will shape that journey in the next seven years. In three key themes – the customer, the store and omnichannel – we present cutting-edge case studies from around the world to help you understand where innovation is having a positive impact on retail and redefining the customer relationship.

As well as 50 case studies there are actionable insights, enabling you to make practical use of this research and help determine where you can best add value to your retail operations.

Change will continue to be the one aspect of this vibrant industry that you can rely on carrying through to 2020. We believe this research will mean you are better prepared than ever to meet that challenge.

Chris Brook-Carter is editor-in-chief of Retail Week.

Retail Week LiveThe only certainty in retail's future is rapid change. This research will help you be better prepared than ever for the challenges ahead, says Chris Brook-Carter

Foreword

03

© GDR Creative Intelligence

Contents

The CustomerIntroduction ..................................62

Ikea Moving the Store ..................64 Crowd pleasers ............................66 Safeway Just For U ......................68 Shopcade .....................................69 LoyalBlocks ..................................70 Facedeals ..................................... 71 Tesco Share & Earn ...................... 72 Depop ........................................... 73 Spaaza MyPrice ...........................74 C&A Fashion Like .........................76 Lagerhaus Blog-up Stores ...........78Soldsie ..........................................79Arkaden ........................................80

Actionable Insights .......................82

The StoreIntroduction .................................. 12

Colour with Asian Paints ..............14Creative energy ............................ 16The Social Home Tour ..................18Desigual La Vida es Chula ............20Open4Sale .................................... 22Bonobos Guideshops ...................24Hointer ..........................................26Harvey Nichols concept box ........28Styled to Surprise .........................30Daikanyama T-Site ........................ 31Aldo Shoe Paradise ...................... 32

Actionable Insights .......................34

High Street to i-Street_6

OmnichannelIntroduction ..................................36

Audi City .......................................38Very at V Festival ..........................40Emmas Enkel ................................42Adidas Neo WindowShopping .....44 9straatjesonline ............................46 Blippar for Stylist and New Look ..48 Hellmann’s Recipe Receipt ..........50Continente Chef Online app ......... 51 Gojee & D’Agostino ...................... 52 Nike+ FuelStation .........................54 Fox Now apps ..............................56 Zeebox ......................................... 57 Yihaodian 1,000 Virtual Stores .....58 Actionable Insights .......................60

05



06 07High Street to i-Street

There’s so much talk about the demise of the British High Street yet very little celebrating the growth of the i-Street. It’s true we’ve seen the closure of some of our favourite stores in recent years, but we’ve also witnessed the extraordinary success of some

great new online British brands. Net-A-Porter, my-wardrobe and Asos, anyone?

These pioneer brands have been part of a ten-year disruption in the retail landscape on a monumental scale. Such upheaval isn’t uncommon, though. After all, the arrival of out-of-town shopping malls hit the High Street long before e-commerce. As did the spread of discount chains and hypermarkets. The difference is this evolution hasn’t been gradual, it’s been brutally fast. The speed at which the customer journey is changing is exciting and, at times, utterly overwhelming – particularly in this economic climate. No wonder we all want to know what the Next Big Thing is to future-proof our businesses. If only it were that easy…

The British High Street has an excellent survival rate because it embraces change, and it will come out winning this time, too. Even with a huge shift in behaviour and countless new retail and payment platforms – contactless NFC, M-sites, apps, Twitter, Chirpify and Facebook, for example – human emotion is finite and fixed. Shared experience, from delight to disappointment, is the common ground that should inform commercial choices rather than a fear of the unknown.

Simply put, technology should enhance life, be intuitive and make shopping a frictionless experience. If it doesn’t have a positive impact on the shopper’s emotions, think again about adopting it. Looking at the return on experience as well as the return on investment is key.

With that in mind, we can look at six areas where there are great opportunities to be had for both customer and retailer through the use of digital – and in particular mobile – technology. Each

is illustrated with examples of expertise from the UK, where we have brilliant young minds developing new and exciting ways to enhance and invigorate the retail landscape.

1 A shop in my pocketBy 2016, 75% of the UK population will be using a smartphone. With immediate access to the internet, customers can go through all stages of shopping (finding inspiration, researching, locating and purchasing) from anywhere. So not having a mobile strategy isn’t an option, but neither is simply creating an m-site. The profitable model will be found by looking at how m-shopping interacts with your customer’s journey. Much of the focus so far has been about the last step of that journey, the payment part – how NFC mobile payment will speed up and encourage purchase because customers can simply tap their phones to pay,

for instance. However, this is the last hurdle in the journey and utilising mobile devices to get to this point is where the smart thinkers are focusing their attention. But more of that later…

2 Adoption rates and customer behaviour When a technological advancement does enhance the shopping experience, customers adopt it quickly. Smartphones have taken off 10 times faster than the 1980s PC revolution (Flurry Analytics), twice as fast as the 1990s internet boom and three times faster than the social networking revolution. Even the fastest-growing social media site, Pinterest, which experienced 4,000% growth in 2012, isn’t as fast as smartphone adoption. More devices are shipped each day than children born. Smartphones can offer the customer convenience, but there’s also the opportunity to enhance their journey and respond to their behaviour.

The digital revolution has pushed retail into supersonic change and the buying journey has never been more complex. But it's a force for good, says Carmel Allen, creating unprecedented opportunities to make positive (and profitable) customer connections

It's not uncommon for retail to undergo disruption on this scale. But the High Street has an excellent survival rate and by embracing change it looks

set to come out winning. ➜


08 09A good example of this is an app from Tesco. The designers behind it, Jerome and Antony Ribot, worked with insight that busy female online shoppers were starting an order by booking a time slot, but not completing it in that session. They also observed ‘data snacking’ – when we check our phone and emails in 30-second, bite-size nuggets, perhaps waiting for the bus home or by the school gate.

The app gives users the opportunity to use that data snack time to add items to their shopping basket and browse recipes on the go, then find them in their account back at home. Its success is down to understanding the complex customer journey that might take days from login to ‘order placed’.

3 The Social, Local, Mobile effectIt was internet technology investor John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers who first coined the phrase SoLoMo (social, local and mobile) back in 2010 but its importance is only coming to the fore now, especially for smaller businesses. As we’ve said,

smartphones facilitate all stages of the shopping journey. People find inspiration and recommendations from their social media, they can also research, find bargains and, in some cases, the bargains are only available if a minimum number of people sign up, which encourages them to share (Groupon, for example).

The key element for small businesses is that smartphones are used to search. According to Mary-Lou Roberts (former professor of marketing at the University of Massachusetts, Boston), it’s the most overlooked issue surrounding mobiles. ‘Devices are the facilitators, search, particularly local search, is the fundamental driver. Whether people are looking for presents, finding their friends, or locating a place to have lunch, search dominates, and a lot of it is local these days.’

What’s important here is that all the platforms (Facebook, Groupon, Google and Foursquare, for example) offer affordable marketing opportunities to small local businesses but they must learn to take advantage of these opportunities and then, continues Roberts, we’ll see ‘the emergence of small local

retailers as equal partners’. A good example in the UK is how Shaftsbury Plc has created a ‘village’ of the 13 roads around Carnaby Street, aimed at an urban, fashion-conscious customer. Carnaby.co.uk has information about restaurants, stores, events and social media links, and an option to register for a privilege shopping card. See also 9straatjesonline, on page 46.

4 Data-driven insightsRetail analytics has previously been focused on the supply chain, merchandising, stockroom management and delivery, but the use of mobiles now allows retailers to track the increasingly circuitous customer journey, making it easier for them to monitor triggers and touch points along that path to better understand how customers are lost and gained as they meander.

One app in particular that seeks to tap into the customer journey is Tapestry, created by Guided. Essentially a CRM device for the retail sector, it allows customers to collate information about

real-world items such as clothes and shoes by scanning barcodes or tapping NFC tags as they browse a store, catalogue or ad. The chosen items are catalogued and can be accessed at home or on the move.

By allowing customers to save items and learn more about them, the app places focus on the potential for purchase rather than immediate spend. Going further, items are automatically updated with price reductions, which could mean a purchase weeks later. It also allows users to share images or write and read reviews via email or social media and for the brand to offer loyalty incentives.

For the customer, Tapestry makes their online-offline journey seamless and frictionless, for the retailer it ties each product’s digital data and identity – and its related media property – with the physical store and the customer. This means if a customer sees your product on a bus stop or in magazines or in-store, say, then scans it, shares it, posts or reads a review, bookmarks it on her mobile but buys it on her tablet at home, it’s all

For 97% of consumers, devices are the facilitators but search, especially local search, is the fundamental driver.

The Android mobile operating system is rivalling Apple's iOS for smartphone dominance.

The mobile website was revamped in March and the company has more than 250 million active mobile users.

The new Groupon Now mobile app delivers deals to consumers based on their location.

Consumers ‘check in’ to businesses on their phones.

Social Search organises results by relevance to an individual's social network, while Latitude allows users to share their location with friends.

More than 2.5 million websites are integrated with Facebook via plug-ins such as the Like button and the ability to register using Facebook Connect.

Deals are only activated when a minimum number of people sign up, encouraging consumers to tell their friends about offers.

Users can share their location with their friends, as well as recommendations for what to do or eat at certain places.

Google Places gives local businesses a web presence (97% of consumers search for local businesses online).

Consumers can get local deals by 'checking-in' to a location.

Group-buying platforms provide an alternative to traditional forms of local advertising.

Businesses can use the platform to offer perks to users and build loyalty.

Google Facebook Groupon Foursquare

Mobile

Social

Local Commerce

➜

Leader essayHigh Street to i-Street

Technology has to enhance, make life easy, be intuitive and make shopping a frictionless experience.


10 11

tracked for you, giving great scope for analysis and learning about behavioural patterns.

These are early days, says Sam Reid at Guided: ‘Tapestry evolved from a government-funded research project we tested in Selfridges last year and Diesel used it in their store in Westfield at Christmas. But the more brands adopt it, the better the data capture and the more useful and easy it is for customers. It’s brands like Diesel that are adapting swiftly and experimenting that will win.’

5 Return on experienceIn the book Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending (due to be published in May 2013), behavioural scientists Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton explain how people can use the cash in their pockets to change how they feel. The crucial thing, says Norton, is not to focus on how much you

have, but on how you spend it. Their research illustrates how small changes in spending behaviour can increase feelings of satisfaction and wellbeing.

While we all know that shopping is an emotional experience, this new research backs the validity of measuring the return on experience as well as the return on investment. And there are various ways in which digital can enhance customer experience, not just with ease and convenience but with fun and games.

One simple example of this is the Snap Fashion app, developed by Jenny Griffiths of Bristol University. It’s based on the premise that women love magazine articles where a similar item of clothing is shown from three stores at three different prices. If a user sees an item of clothing they like (on a person, on a website, in a catalogue or in-store, say), they ‘snap’ it and the app uses image recognition to direct them to the item online as well as suggest similar versions. Griffiths has won several

awards and Snap Fashion now has a database of over 100 major retailers including Topshop, Jigsaw, Uniqlo, Warehouse, LK Bennett and Kurt Geiger, in addition to e-tailers Net-A-Porter, Asos, my-wardrobe, stylebop and farfetch, and department stores such as Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty and House of Fraser.

6 Augmented retailAugmented reality adds a new layer of information to a product, animating it through image recognition. Both Heinz Ketchup and Marmite have worked with UK augmented reality company Blippar to create recipe books that appear when the product is scanned, giving consumers ideas and inspiration. Holition, another London-based augmented reality creative agency, has worked with various luxury jewellery brands to connect real-world retail with digital by allowing potential customers to try on products virtually and experience fabulously expensive pieces without the need for security guards or even a trip to

the store. Augmented retail can ‘help sales staff to better communicate with customers, driving loyalty in-store through added-value experience,’ says Lynne Murray, managing director at Holition.

As well as unlocking additional information, augmented reality can be used as footfall driver for specific areas. At Milton Keynes shopping mall the Centre MK, customers were invited to download the iBalloon app onto their iPhones. When they open the app, it appears they are looking through a normal camera feed but at certain locations they see an AR balloon. By tapping on the balloons, discounts and offers are released. The first launch of the iBalloon initiative was so successful it’s becoming a regular promotional tactic at the mall. ●

Carmel Allen is editor-in-chief at GDR Creative Intelligence.

The crucial thing is not to focus on how much you have, but on how you spend it, measuring return on experience as well as ROI.

Augmented retail helps staff to better communicate with customers, driving loyalty.

Leader essayHigh Street to i-Street


12 13The Store: beyond four walls

Britain is a nation that loves to shop. Its inhabitants are the biggest online shoppers in the developed world, yet 85% of purchases in the UK are still being made in bricks-and-mortar stores. It’s clear people still love the real-world shopping experience

but brands and retailers need to reassess how the physical store fits in with their more complex buying journeys.

Online shopping hasn’t brought about the end of the high street, it has encouraged its evolution. Smart brands are turning their physical stores into dynamic, creative spaces that respond to new customer expectations while celebrating what only the physical can do.

As consumers become more accustomed to sharing information about their shopping habits and lifestyle patterns, there are new opportunities for brands to offer personalised experiences

in-store. You could help customers see themselves as part of your brand by building their social media profiles into the buying process, as Brazilian real estate company Carvalho Hosken did with its Social Home campaign, or you could offer spaces in-store where they can customise products using manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing.

Asian Paints is one of the largest paint manufacturers in India, but with no physical POS, it couldn’t meet its customers. Its solution is a non-transactional store which uses RFID tags to allow visitors to interact with the brand, learn about colour options and digitally record their preferences. The data collected is used to create a bespoke catalogue, presented to them as they leave. The result has been a 35% increase in sales for the brand from surrounding retail stores. In other words, just because the customer can’t buy products in-store, get to know them, give them an experience, and they will buy later.

There are some things only the physical store can offer – face-to-face service, interaction with products and brand atmosphere – hence many previously online-only stores are investing in real-world retail spaces. Bonobos, the second-biggest online retailer of men’s clothing in the US, is opening a series of high-street Guideshops where men are fitted and assisted in choosing clothes. They can’t buy items to take home there and then; the aim is to help them shop online with greater confidence. The result? Men who have used a Guideshop are buying three times as many items online as they did before.

Guideshops are the antithesis of the flagship – they are simply designed and are about investing in existing, individual customer/brand relationships rather than wooing new ones with expensive retail theatre. As well as reassuring customers about quality, this new breed of service-focused store builds trust by

giving the brand a human face. Both Bonobos and Asian Paints prove that, for the customer, ‘online’ and ‘offline’ are just touchpoints on the buying journey. Handing over a card in-store or clicking ‘buy’ depends on what’s convenient at that time.

New digital tools are enabling the physical store to improve customer service online, too. When it launches later this year, an app called Open4Sale will allow users to instant message or video chat with sales associates in the physical store while they browse the online store. It’s good old-fashioned customer service provided in a technologically advanced way.

By developing emotional rather than simply transactional relationships, and combining this with the ease of digital, brands can create empathetic stores that cater to different consumer types and offer a more satisfying shopping experience. ●

Increase sales by building layers into your selling platform via social media.

Through an ideas exchange with online, the high street is evolving.

Open a non-transactional, real-world store to playfully build awareness, or…

… Improve customer service. The result in both cases? Sales go up.

Could store staff be better engaged with customers? Tech can free up their time.

Give your customers old-fashioned service from the comfort of their home.


14 15

Location_A-3/8A, Inner Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001, IndiaDate_September 2011Design_Fitch – fitch.com

The Store

Colour withAsian Paints

The second store from Indian paint manufacturer Asian Paints uses fun, interactive displays to engage customers with the brand and teach them how to use the product.

The store doesn’t actually sell paint, yet Asian Paints has noticed a 35% increase in overall sales.

At the entrance, a lighting display called the Colour Cloud entices customers in. By stepping on coloured floor panels, shoppers can change the colour of the ‘cloud’ and the entire store façade. Each visitor is given a plastic Colour Card embedded with RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology and their name and contact details are saved. As they roam the store, they can add content to the Colour Card by placing it on

the touchpoints beside each of the displays. Information such as Today’s Top Look and Top Tips, relevant to the item the customer is viewing, is displayed on screen, based on what others customers have looked at previously. A personalised magazine is printed at the end, using data from the RFID card.

Customers can also play Style Match, a game where Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan suggests their perfect decor based on a series of questions, or ask a Colour Consultant to demonstrate their chosen colour in a virtual room setting on-screen. Asian Paints also uses the information gathered from the RFID Colour Cards to learn which displays and colours are the most popular to inform future displays.


16 17Geek ExpressGeek Express is a new store in Beirut which aims to create a technology hub in the city and inspire people to interact in a DIY environment. The workshop hosts talks and demonstrations on themes ranging from arts and crafts to assembling electronic games and hack-a-thons. The space also acts as a meeting room for start-ups. The interactive technology available to customers includes MakerBot 3D printers, SparkFun and Arduinos electronics, encouraging visitors to build their own objects and circuits through easy-to-use kits. In the 3D printing area, people can buy, select and print 3D and limited-edition objects such as vases, tables and jewellery. The store also features a gallery where technology, books and gadgets are showcased. Website_geekexpress.com

MakerBot 3D Photo Booth US 3D printer manufacturer MakerBot opened a photo booth in its New York City store allowing customers to print out a model of their head. The firm worked with 3D imaging company ShapeShot (shapeshot.com) to build a booth that captures the shape of the face and turns it into a file to be printed as a 3D portrait. The scan costs $5 (£3.30) and customers have the option to print out their face as a bust or as part of another item, with costs varying. Visitors to the MakerBot store also have the opportunity to experience and buy the MakerBot Desktop 3D Printer, which brings 3D printing into the home. MakerBot also runs classes from the store, teaching adults and children how to use the machines through introductory workshops. Website_makerbot.com

Make EyewearMake Eyewear is an online glasses retailer that uses 3D printing to allow customers to create their own bespoke eyewear. They can choose from the brand’s collection of frames, specifying size and colour, and whether they need prescription lenses (which incur an extra cost). Those with webcams can virtually try on their glasses before they order them. As well as buying from the existing collection, customers also have the option to go Freestyle and design their frames from scratch. They start by sending a sketch or inspiration photo of the style they want to Make Eyewear, then a designer will develop the design, incorporating technical factors, until the customer is satisfied. The frames are made in light, flexible, durable Nylon and have spring hinges. The material is also waterproof, unlike most 3D-printed items. The frames are delivered in two to four weeks and cost from $119 (£78). Website_makeeyewear.com

FabCafeAs part of a Valentine’s Day promotion, customers at the FabCafe in Shibuya, Tokyo, can have their faces scanned to create a 3D printed silicon mould which is then filled with chocolate. Over the course of two sessions, customers have their heads scanned and captured in a 3D scanner. A cast is then produced on a 3D printer and chocolate is poured in. Once that is complete, they have a collection of chocolate faces to give to their loved ones and they can keep the cast for future sculptures. The service costs 6,000 yen (£42). FabCafe offers 3D printing services year round. Customers can plug their laptops in to a fabrication machine which is connected to a projector that displays the files they’re working on to the rest of the café. The café is operated by Loftwork (loftwork.jp), a local digital media production company.Website_fabcafe.com

The Vibe by Shapeways and SoundCloud Social sound platform SoundCloud collaborated with Shapeways, the leading 3D printing community and marketplace, on The Vibe, an app which allows users to create a bespoke iPhone case based on the soundwaves of their favourite piece of audio. Users download the app, choose the audio from their SoundCloud account (any piece of audio can be used, it’s not limited to songs), move the cursor to select the section of the audio they wish to depict, choose black or white, click Buy and the waveform will make up the structure of the iPhone case. The web app, which integrates with the SoundCloud API, is the first on the market that makes turning sound files into physical objects user friendly. The Vibe iPhone case is priced at €22 (£19) excluding shipping. Website_shapeways.com/creator/thevibe

Nokia Lumia phone case 3DKNokia has engaged the 3D printing community with the release of printable design files to make and customise a Nokia Lumia 820 phone case. While the printing community has large libraries of user-generated 3D files hosted on sites such as Shapeways (shapeways.com) and Thingiverse (thingiverse.com), this is the strongest affirmation of the technology by a major brand so far. The downloadable 3D-printing Development Kit (3DK) contains 3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices. Nokia also launched a 3D printing Wiki with material and software suggestions, as well as possible projects that consumers could design into the CAD files, such as built-in SIM card holders and bike mounts. In the future, Nokia envisages selling a phone template in addition to readymade models so that entrepreneurs could build phones tailored to the needs of his or her community.Website_conversations.nokia.com

The Store

Creative energy Niche interest to indie start-up, domestic use to big business… 3D printing is no gimmick. Use it to build creative relationships with customers, gaining valuable insight as a result


18 19

The Store

The Social Home Tour

Location_Avenida dos Flamboyants 500, Rio de Janeiro 22776-070, BrazilDate_April-July 2012Design_Artplan – artplan.com.br

To promote its new condominium complex in an affluent district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian construction company Carvalho Hosken created a tailor-made experience for

potential buyers – the Social Home Tour. When interested parties signed up online to visit the show apartment, they could register using Facebook Connect. If they opted in, this gave the company access to their profile information prior to their visit.

When potential buyers entered, they were greeted by digital picture frames with their own photographs, their favourite music playing and screens showing their uploaded videos. In the home

office, a computer displayed the fastest route to their work place. At the end of the visit, a phone call was made to the apartment and visitors who answered it were offered a discount. Afterwards, the experience could be shared on Facebook.

In one month, 28% of visits were converted into sales, which is 300% up on the average conversion rate for this kind of real estate venture in Brazil. The initial price for an apartment is around R$1,155,000 (£383,275). The campaign wasn’t promoted as it relied on the element of surprise. It ran for three months, although not all visits were customised.


20 21of the collection, who can provide customers with personal advice about style. Using a tablet, they guide customers through the online ordering process, with the option to pay online or in-store.

Deliveries are free and guaranteed within 48 hours to all countries currently covered by the e-commerce site. A 10% discount is offered when customers spend €100 (£86) or more. La Vida es Chula also holds fashion shows for customers.

Fashion brand Desigual has ‘try-before-you-buy-online’ stores called La Vida es Chula (Life is Cool) in Barcelona and Paris with no stock to purchase. Instead personal

stylists are on hand to help customers create outfits and make decisions. They can then go on to buy items via in-store tablets.

The store in Barcelona presents the brand’s entire collection of 1,200 items of clothing and accessories, with one of each garment in every size for customers to try on. La Vida es Chula staff are trained personal shoppers with an in-depth knowledge

Location_Carrer de Casp 33, 08010 Barcelona, Spain & 32, Avenue de l’Opéra, Paris 75002, FranceDate_December 2011Design_DesigualWebsite_desigual.com

The Store

Desigual La Vida es Chula


22 23

The Store

Open4Sale Location_Online (worldwide) Date_Spring 2013 Design_Open4SaleWebsite_open4sale.com

Open4Sale is a soon-to-be-launched platform that connects online shoppers and in-store sales associates to make e-commerce more personal. By downloading

the iOS, Android and desktop app, users at home or on the move can connect directly with an in-store sales assistant and get the help they need in real time through a video call. Participating stores are searchable by category and by country.

Within each store’s area of the app, shoppers can learn about its sales associates through profiles which display their photo, areas of speciality, length of service and availability. If their line is green, they are connected and ready to take the video call.

Customers can then ask them for help, exactly as they could do if they were in-store. They might want a closer view of an item

or an outfit suggestion, for instance. In the meantime, sales associates can see the shopper’s purchase history and tailor their advice and customer service to meet their requirements. To finalise the purchase, staff drag and drop desired items into the app shopping basket, where customers can review them in real time. Payment is charged to the credit card that was used to pay for and download the Open4Sale app.

Retailers will sign up to Open4Sale by paying a yearly subscription. Their existing e-commerce platform and stock is integrated into the app. For every transaction made through the platform, Open4Sale will retain a percentage of the purchase price. The price of the app, subscription cost and commission is yet to be announced.


24 25

The Store

Bonobos Guideshops

Location_USDate_March 2012 Design_BonobosWebsite_bonobos.com

Online men’s fashion label Bonobos opened offline bricks-and-mortar Guideshops to create a physical space where customers can try clothes on before buying

online. Orders are taken via iPad then delivered to their homes. The Guideshops are appointment only, with customers booking a free 45-minute session by visiting bonobos.com.

Each showroom has up to six Guides, who offer one-on-one assistance, fit advice and styling tips, helping customers choose clothing based on their lifestyle. Customer preferences are stored in their online account, meaning when they return or shop online, appropriate clothing in the correct size is suggested. The aim is that Guides become a familiar customer

service touch point, as they provide their email and phone number should the customer wish to use their services again.

Bonobos halved its advertising and marketing budget to raise investment for the first three Guideshops. Results show purchases at a Guideshop are nearly double the average order value at bonobos.com. Guideshop customers are also said to be 77% quicker to place a second order.

There are six Guideshops in Boston, Chicago, New York City, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Georgetown (Washington DC). The brand, which launched in 2007, aims to take the total to 25 within five years.


26 27

The Store

Hointer Location_400 NE 45th Street, Seattle, Washington, USDate_November 2012 Design_HointerWebsite_hointer.com

Multi-brand jeans store Hointer has an in-store app that makes buying the perfect pair seamless and gives store assistants access to a customer’s shopping history

instantly. Hointer was launched by Nadia Shouraboura, former head of supply chain and fulfillment technologies at Amazon.

Using the app, customers can choose, try on and buy a pair of jeans without speaking to staff if they don’t wish to. If they do want help, the service they receive will be more tailored, as the assistant will have information such as what they have tried on or rejected previously.

They download the app on arrival (iOS and Android), input their size, then browse the 150 styles of jeans on the shop floor.

When they find a pair they want to try on, they scan its tag (or tap it if the tag is NFC enabled) and the automated retrieval system in the storeroom collects and delivers the right size to a fitting room. Any number of pairs can be scanned and they will be delivered in under 30 seconds. A message alerts the customer that their jeans are ready to try and the number of the fitting room.

Customers can request different sizes through the app or a sales assistant’s help. Items are added to a virtual shopping basket in the app, but removed when items are placed in the returns area of the fitting room. Customers can pay for their jeans by swiping their bankcard at the self check-out point in each fitting room. The first Hointer opened in Seattle; further stores are planned for Japan and Europe.


28 29

The Store

Harvey Nichols concept box

Location_Etihad Stadium, SportCity, Manchester M11 3FF, UK Date_March 2012Design_Preferred Spaces – preferredspaces.co.uk

Manchester City Football Club and high-end department store chain Harvey Nichols collaborated to bring luxury fashion to football fans. A new shopping experience at

the Etihad Stadium, the club’s home ground, has transformed a 8.2sqm hospitality box into a Harvey Nichols concept box selling clothing, jewellery, handbags and shoes from designers including Christian Louboutin and Dolce & Gabbana.

On match days, guests have access to a personal shopper, beauty treatments, private dining with food prepared by Harvey Nichols chefs and can participate in wine or spirits tastings.

Catering for up to 10 people, the box is available for hire on match days and non-match days. It can be tailored to meet the needs of guests, such as a birthday or hen party. All guests take home a complimentary gift bag, which includes Harvey Nichols wine, soap gift sets and macaroons in team colours.

This is a permanent fixture at the stadium and Manchester United plans to open further concept boxes in the near future. The first of which will be a collaboration with EA Games.


30 31 Culture Convenience Club, which owns Tsutaya, Japan’s most successful book store and video rental chain, has opened a multi-brand retail village in Tokyo selling vintage

books, music and films. While Tsutaya already has 1,400 branches catering to a young demographic, joining it in the retail village is CCC’s latest venture – Daikanyama T-Site – targeting those aged 50 and over.

The 1,200sqm village consists of three T-shaped buildings, with Tsutaya occupying the main space, complemented by a curated group of outlets including an electric bicycle shop, a travel agent, a bar-restaurant and an event space.

All publications and films are available in physical or digital versions and are RFID-tagged for stock tracking. Tablets have replaced traditional menus at the restaurant and can be used to read ebooks or to locate a physical copy on the shelves. Customers can pay at a till or use the self-checkouts.

Mature employees choose products based on knowledge of their customers’ tastes and departments are signposted in kanji (Japanese characters) as well as the western alphabet to appeal to the older generation. Although designed as a space for the over 50s, it has also attracted a younger crowd.

Location_Sarugakucho 17-5, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, JapanDate_December 2011Design_Klein Dytham Architecture – klein-dytham.com

Daikanyama T-SiteThe Store

Styled to Surprise Location_6075 Mavis Road, Unit 10, Mississauga, Toronto L5R 4G6, CanadaDate_August 2011 Design_DDB Canada – ddbcanada.comWebsite_1-plus.com

P lus-size fashion retailer Penningtons used augmented reality to create playful changing rooms. Motion-sensor technology in the mirror detected when a customer was

in front of it, triggering video footage of dancing firemen in the reflection, who appeared to offer her a rose or champagne.

The one-month initiative formed part of Penningtons’ Styled to Surprise campaign, which aimed to give plus-size fashion a sassier image. The mirror was unveiled during an in-store promotional event for customers and bloggers – their reactions were filmed and shown on the retailer’s website. It was also available on YouTube, where it received over 51,000 views.

Pho

tog

rap

hy: M

iche

al H

olm

es


32 33

The Store

Aldo Shoe Paradise

Canadian shoe brand Aldo made its spring/summer 2012 catalogue into a fun game. Customers played Shoe Paradise via a microsite to win discounts which would be

redeemed in-store and online. The campaign aimed to build brand/customer interaction and increase dwell time.

To play the game, users chose a male or female character and raced to collect as many shoes as possible in three minutes. They could gain extra time to complete the challenge by sharing the game on Facebook, Twitter or via email. When players had collected all the shoes, they won a 15% discount coupon. In addition, each player could enter a draw to win an All-You-Can Grab Aldo shopping spree.

Location_Canada, US & UK Date_May-July 2012Design_VITRO – vitroagency.com & Kokokaka – kokokaka.comGame_Dynamo – dynamopr.comWebsite_aldoshoeparadise.com & aldosp.com

Shoe Paradise was also available as a mobile game that users signed up for through Facebook then played in-store using their smartphone. It was promoted via in-store signage in participating stores in Canada, the US and UK.

To play the game, users visited aldosp.com on their smartphones while in-store and entered a four-digit location code displayed on a sign. They then had to identify three special pairs of shoes on three game levels, as directed by the app, to win an instant prize ranging from $5 to $500 to spend in-store. They had to play the game at three different Aldo stores for a chance to win free products and a shopping spree.


34 35The Store: Actionable insights

Asian PaintsWeb link_http://bit.ly/AsianPaintsColour

The Social HomeWeb link_http://bit.ly/TheSocialHomeTour

Open4SaleWeb link_http://bit.ly/Open4Sale

Styled to SurpriseWeb link_http://bit.ly/StyledToSurprise

Scan to view videos

Consider…● A new model, where sales aren’t the main focus. How

about incentivising staff not on sales but on relationships forged?

● How can new devices help your in-store staff build relationships with customers who could be at home or even on the move?

● Social Local Mobile marketing allows promotions not just on a weekly and daily basis, but in hourly slots. Are you taking advantage of this?

Download…PS Dept to contact staff and stylists inside your favourite stores to share and shop for you.

The Harrods app for an audio tour of the famous department store (and a much-needed map).

The Westfield London app, which includes maps, discounts and voice recording to note where you’re parked.

Visit…Build-A-Bear Workshop at Westfield’s Annapolis shopping mall in the US to see very smart, targeted interaction. The new retail format will be rolling out across the UK this year. McQ London on Dover Street, where 21st century thinking and technology meet in a luxury retail environment. Lego stores, watch toddlers use augmented reality intuitively as they hold the packaging in front of child-height screens to see how the model will look when they’ve built it.

Read…HWKN co-founder Matthias Hollwich on why pop-ups are a place for brands to experiment in new territory and break their own boundaries.Web link_http://bit.ly/ANewAgeOfBrandEmbassies

Simon Stacey of Household on marketing to men, revealing three male shopper mind-sets and retail approaches that work.Web link_http://bit.ly/RetailSpacesWithMenInMind

Mind Map – an infographic on encouraging more people into the physical store, by consumer communications expert Paul Bay.Web link_http://bit.ly/InvitationToThink


36 37Omnichannel: a frictionless journey

When online shopping first took hold in the late 90s, real world and digital were parallel universes. No such separation exists now and the notion of channels competing for the customer’s attention is mostly limited

to the boardroom. Talk to a shopper and they’ll say they use three or more channels from researching to close of sale. Online, in-store, smartphone and print catalogues are equally valid touchpoints on the journey to buying.

The retail journey might not be simple, but its complexity is far from a hindrance to business. In fact, the omnichannel revolution has created unparalleled opportunity to engage with customers in a meaningful, long-lasting way. There have never been more methods of talking to customers before, during and after a purchase. You can start a conversation, then keep it going.

A brand implementing this thinking effectively is Audi. Its new Audi City showrooms are light years from the traditional model. They’re on smart high streets, in the urban centre, and use digital and RFID technology to let visitors interact with every possible configuration of Audi virtually. Even if they are decades away from buying a luxury car, when they do, there’s a greater chance of it being an Audi if they’ve built a relationship with the brand. Responsive, intuitive technologies have the power to create emotional reactions.

Just as the brand/customer conversation can begin years before an actual purchase, the omnichannel can also extend that relationship into the future. As ever, it’s often the little, unexpected details that create an impression. Hellmann’s mayonnaise in Brazil developed software which recognised the other items a shopper was buying as they were scanned at the till. It brought them together in a recipe including mayonnaise

which was printed on the customer’s receipt – demonstrating the brand’s interest in the customer’s life beyond the purchase.

The omnichannel revolution wouldn’t be happening in the same way without the arrival of new platforms, the population’s eager adoption of them and the resultant shift in their expectations. Platforms such as Blippar are bringing content to life, adding a new dimension to everything from shop windows to catalogues. There’s no such thing as static content anymore, customers expect animated, exciting experiences.

Omnichannel is also a chance to make your brand playful, creating a more memorable customer experience. Augmented reality technology and platforms such as Microsoft Kinect are taking gaming from the sofa to the shopping mall. Picture a world where entire virtual supermarkets can open at famous locations or right outside competitor’s stores – that’s the retail

landscape we live in right now. Online Chinese store Yihaodian’s fully shoppable Tiananmen Square branch exists only in the hands of customers pointing their smartphones at the location.

Crucially, the customer’s emotional response to shopping is as strong as ever, the only fundamental change is the practical application of it. Think about two-screen viewing at home – customers are happy to watch TV while surfing the web on their tablet, so why not make TV shows shoppable? Fox Broadcasting in the US has partnered with American Express on Fox Now, a suite of apps which lets viewers buy items they see on screen in real time.

Embrace omnichannel as a force for good and keep a close eye on how people are actually using new technologies and platforms, this will result in developing a fresh, successful and meaningful relationship with your customer. ●

The 2013 shopper uses multiple channels on their buying journey.

Once, offline and online retail existed in parallel universes.

Emotional technology can build meaningful bonds years ahead of actual purchase.

The modern omnichannel shopper expects interactive, playful content.

Omnichannel has built a new retail landscape, which is shoppable via smartphone.

People still love shopping, it's just how they do it that has changed (forever).

Audi city


38 39

Location_75 Piccadilly, London, W1J 8HU, UK Date_July 2012Design_Razorfish – razorfish.com Website_audi.co.uk/audi-innovation/audi-city.html

Omnichannel

Audi City

Audi’s new retail format allows it to showcase every model configuration in central urban locations for the first time. But there aren’t hundreds of millions of cars in Audi City

near London’s Piccadilly Circus – potential customers use digital touch tables to build their dream vehicle, which is then transferred onto a giant screen called a Powerwall in 1:1 scale. They control the image and navigation menu through gestures and steps picked up by Kinect sensors, to turn the car through 360 degrees and drive it through virtual landscapes.

The concept builds direct customer experience into a stage of vehicle purchase – initial research – now frequently carried out online at home. There is increased opportunity for creating relationships and dialogue with future customers, those perhaps not in a position to buy an Audi right now but still interested in

the brand. Through Audi City, Audi can position itself alongside fashion stores, creating the mood of a lifestyle destination.

The customer’s design is transferred onto a USB stick with RFID function (radio frequency identification), so when they return to Audi City or an Audi dealership, RFID readers will recognise their configuration. As well as digital interfaces, Audi City has swatches of fabrics, leathers and paints which have RFID codes so the customer can upload variations to their model.

Specially recruited customer relationship managers will guide customers through the process, from initial consultation and test drives (Audi City operates in conjunction with existing dealerships) to the after-sales process. This first Audi City will be followed by more than 20 locations worldwide by 2015.


40 41

Omnichannel

Very at V Festival Location_Hylands Park, Essex, UKDate_August 2012Design_Cow PR – thisiscow.com

O nline department store Very went to Virgin Media’s V Festival to extend its delivery services to festival goers. During the two-day event, the retailer offered its free

Collect delivery service, so shoppers could buy any item online from their mobile phones on the Friday of the event and have it sent to the festival the following day. Deliveries and collections were made at the on-site Very tent which had DJs playing.

Very also created Festival Favourites, a capsule collection of 50 festival-related items including staples such as tents and

rubber boots. The collection was available to order using a bespoke mobile site during the festival weekend, and was delivered within an hour. For those without a smartphone, there were Very representatives on site taking orders using iPads.

In addition, festival goers who used the delivery service were allowed to enter the Glam Pods in the Very tent, equipped with hair straighteners, mirrors and beauty products.

Pho

tog

rap

hy: s

uper

gorg

eous

.co.

uk (t

op r

ight

)


42 43

Omnichannel

Emmas Enkel Location_Berliner Allee 56, Düsseldorf, 40212, GermanyDate_October 2011Design_Emmas EnkelWebsite_emmas-enkel.de

Emmas Enkel is an independent grocery store in Germany which blends the values of a traditional shop with technology to offer a convenient, multichannel experience

while building personal relationships with customers.

The store (the name translates as Emma’s Grandson) offers several ways to buy groceries. Customers can drop off handwritten shopping lists to the store, input them online at home or via in-store iPads. In all cases, products are handpicked by staff and customers are notified when items are ready for collection or delivery.

The online store also offers pre-filled baskets based on themes, with discounts if items are bought together. The range is not vast, but it aims to cater for all budgets with a focus on quality.

After hours, customers can use the QR code shopping wall on the store’s façade to fill a virtual shopping basket. They scan QR codes beside items, which will be ready to collect in-store the next day or delivered to an alternative address.

Separate from the aisles of the store is the Parlour – a seating area styled on a traditional family home. Customers can relax on comfortable chairs, chat with friends at the central table or keep children entertained in the play corner. Coffee, drinks and cakes can be bought in-store and guests can make use of free wi-fi.

As part of its launch, the store held a senior citizen afternoon, when older people were introduced to its features. It also runs activities at various times of day, appealing to different groups. The brand will open a second store in March 2013.


44 45

Omnichannel

Adidas Neo WindowShopping

Location_Breite Gasse 46, 90402 Nuremberg Herzogenaurach, Nuremberg, Germany Date_September-October 2012Design_TBWA\Helsinki – tbwa.com

Adidas’ teen-focused brand Neo trialled a shoppable window that connects to windowshoppers’ smartphones without the need for an app. It allows customers to

drag items into a virtual shopping bag, which transfers to their smartphone through simple hand gestures. They can also see clothing in more detail and make digital mannequins move.

The shopper establishes a connection between the shopping window and their smartphone by visiting a URL displayed on the window to receive a one-time pin. The customer selects a product by tapping the shop window and dragging the item to the bag. A server communicates this to the shopper’s smartphone that instantly shows the product on its display. This gives the shopper the impression of dragging products

from the shopping window to their smartphone. Products can then be bought directly from the phone. Only one user can connect to the shoppable window at once. The window was initially installed in one Neo store in Germany; a full roll-out across the country is planned for 2013.

WindowShopping is a patent-pending tool by creative agency TBWA\Helsinki. Although exclusively available to adidas within the sports sector, the agency is in talks with luxury, banking and automotive brands about future iterations.


46 47

Omnichannel

9straatjesonline

Location_Online and De 9 Straatjes, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsDate_September 2012 Design_De 9 StraatjesWebsite_9straatjesonline.com

K nown for its independent boutiques, Amsterdam’s De 9 Straatjes shopping district has a group e-commerce site and PayPal-partnered smartphone app. This ‘online

neighbourhood’ turns small brands into 24-hour shopping destinations. Stores are not individually branded on the site, unless shoppers search via their name, and orders are shipped in 9straatjesonline packaging.

The 30 participating stores have QR code stickers in their window displays, which shoppers with the 9straatjesonline

mobile app can scan to be directed to the area of the group site for that specific store. From there, they can also browse products from other stores, searching by name or product category. When the customer has finished shopping, all the items from the various stores are included in one online basket. The customer’s transaction is then completed with one payment to 9straatjesonline. Once the order is received, 9straatjesonline visits each of the stores to create the customer’s order, which is shipped (including worldwide) in one package. 9straatjesonline takes commission from the retailers for the service.


48 49

Omnichannel

Blippar for Stylist and New Look

Location_UK Date_2012Design_Blippar – blippar.com

B lippar is an augmented reality platform that allows extra content to be layered over magazine pages, posters, products, packaging and window displays. The extra

content can then be viewed via a dedicated app.

During the London 2012 Olympics, Blippar was used to create an interactive issue for free weekly magazine Stylist. Readers could use the Blippar app to scan 21 of the title’s 64 pages to access content such as recipes, a live feed of the Olympic leader board and fashion pages where they could share and virtually try on outfits. The cover, below, was the most-scanned page. In seven days, over 26,500 unique users (7% of the readership) interacted with the magazine and 71% scanned more than one page. A running shoe special, enabling readers to ‘click to buy’, was particularly popular, accounting for 6% of all scans.

Fashion brand New Look used Blippar in the window displays of 700 stores across Europe to promote a make-up range by model Kelly Brook. A sticker in the window could be scanned with the Blippar app to try different nail varnishes virtually. Users placed their hand in front of their smartphone camera then used augmented reality controls to scroll through the colour options, which appeared on their nails. They could also watch a video of Kelly talking about her new range and take a photo of themselves posing beside a virtual image of her.

Blippar has also worked with FMCG brands including Cadbury to create interactive packaging, with chocolate bars that can be scanned to access games. In London, commuters can scan their Oyster travel cards to view live travel updates and a Tube map.


50 51

Omnichannel

Hellmann’s Recipe Receipt

Location_Rua Carlos Weber, 502 – Vila Leopoldina, São Paulo, 05303-000, BrazilDate_March-June 2012Design_Ogilvy Brasil – ogilvy.com.br

To inspire customers to use Hellmann’s mayonnaise in new ways, the brand launched a campaign in Brazil telling them how the groceries they had just purchased

in the supermarket could be combined with the product to make a meal. The customer’s receipt was printed with the ingredients and preparation instructions for the recipe.

The brand partnered with the City Lapa branch of the supermarket chain St Marche to install specially designed software at 100 till points. It recognised when the customer

had bought a jar of Hellmann’s and automatically checked the other items of food in their shopping basket as they were scanned to compile a recipe suggestion. The recipes were taken from the Unilever-owned recipe website br.recepedia.com.

During the first month of the three-month campaign, Hellmann’s noticed a 44% increase in sales. The brand is aiming to expand the campaign to other St Marche stores and hoping to roll it out to the UK, US and Canada in 2013.

Continente Chef Online app

Location_Online (Portugal)Date_July 2011 Design_Havas – havas.comWebsite_chefonline.continente.pt

Portuguese supermarket chain Continente has launched a free, interactive app which gives its customers cooking inspiration and step-by-step tutorials from hundreds

of video recipes by selected chefs. It also allows users to buy missing ingredients from the brand’s e-commerce website and to find their nearest store through GPS.

Content is searchable by ingredients, name of chef and ‘most popular’. Users can pause, skip, go back and repeat every step in a recipe. New features include an integrated timer, the ability to

email friends from within the app to invite them for dinner and a notebook to add written and voice notes to each recipe.

Previously available only as an online platform, Chef Online has been implemented and delivered as an iOS app as the brand assumed users were consulting tablets or smartphones while cooking. Immediately after the app launched, the brand’s Facebook fans (currently 212,000) quadrupled. Chef Online was also the most-searched free iPad app in its first week. It has been downloaded 140,000 times so far.


52 53

Omnichannel

Gojee & D’Agostino Location_OnlineDate_July 2011Design_Gojee Website_gojee.com

Manhattan-based grocer D’Agostino partnered with visually led recipe recommendation site Gojee to offer its customers a special service linked to its loyalty card.

After shopping, customers login to their Gojee account, where the ingredients they have just bought have been automatically added. They can then browse food and cocktail recipes based on their most recent purchases. Nutritional information is also displayed.

To help its 500,000 members discover new food and drink ideas from 10,000 recipes, Gojee chose 300 respected food and cocktail bloggers from around the world. Members list the ingredients they love, dislike, are allergic to and those they

already have to filter and tailor recipe suggestions. When the member selects to see the full recipe, they are redirected to the website or blog where Gojee’s independent recipe writing partners originally posted their creations.

A free Gojee iPhone, iPad and Android app allows users to find inspirational ideas when they’re on the go. Gojee has recently expanded into fashion, jewellery and handbags.


54 55

Omnichannel

Nike+ FuelStation Location_Boxpark, 2-4 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London E1 6GY, UK Date_March 2012Design_Nike Technology_Nike & AKQA – akqa.com

T he Nike+ FuelStation, a retail space with interactive digital experiences to appeal to today’s connected athlete is located in Boxpark, the pop-up mall in East London.

It targets users of all Nike+ digital devices, including the Nike+ FuelBand, a digital wristband that tracks daily movements to help motivate users to be more active.

A floor-to-ceiling motion-sensitive screen at the entrance reacts as visitors walk past, LED lights change from red to green in reference to the Nike+ FuelBand (where green light symbolises movement). Elsewhere, motion-sensitive cameras create a life-sized digital version of visitors, who can save and share the resulting digital artwork via social networks. They can also plug

their Nike+ device into USB ports on touchscreens to download their information which they can save to their profile online. Store assistants are equipped with iPads to tell shoppers about the technology used in Nike shoes. The iPad identifies a shoe through image recognition triggering an augmented reality animation showing how the Dynamic Support outsoles work.

Upstairs at Boxpark, Nike has opened its NikeiD Studio, where customers can design their own footwear. The store is also the first space outside the US to feature the Bowerman Wall, a large interactive touchscreen named after the brand’s co-founder that shows an audiovisual brand history. A second FuelStation opened in south London in the summer of 2012.


56 57

Omnichannel

Fox Now apps Location_Online (US)Date_November 2012Design_Fox Broadcasting Company & Delivery Agent – deliveryagent.comWebsite_fox.com/shopping

To make its TV shows more interactive and shoppable, Fox Broadcasting has tapped into second-screen viewing behaviour and T-commerce (television commerce) with a

suite of TV apps called Fox Now. The apps allow viewers to keep up with the conversations around their favourite programmes and interact with the live broadcast via tablet devices.

The apps connect with the user’s Facebook account to create a personal feed based on their interests and those of their friends. They can watch clips, share photos and videos, access exclusive content and customise their experience based on their tastes and location.

The iPad app for popular comedy programme New Girl also allows viewers to shop in real time while watching episodes.

It synchronises with the TV through audio recognition technology, giving viewers information in time with the story. When fashion or homeware items available for purchase at fox.com/shopping appear, the app alerts viewers with a pop-up message in the lower part of the screen.

Fox has partnered with American Express to promote the feature. American Express is offering cardholders who have synced their card with their Facebook account a one-off $35 card credit to spend on items seen in New Girl via fox.com/shopping.

Fox will expand the T-commerce service to other programme apps in 2013. American Express has other T-commerce partnerships, including Zeebox (opposite) and NBC.

Zeebox Location_Online (UK, US and Australia)Date_October 2011Design_ZeeboxWebsite_zeebox.com

Zeebox is a second-screen app for smartphones or tablets which analyses what the viewer is watching on TV to display relevant content. The content includes social

media activity based around the programme, which shows are popular as well as shoppable items, allowing brands to target viewers who are inspired to shop by what they see on TV.

By signing into Zeebox through Facebook, the user can see what their Zeebox-using friends are watching and also share what they are watching using the Shout Out button. They can invite friends to watch a programme by messaging them through Facebook and chat via the in-app messaging system.

The dashboard displays the shows that are popular on TV at that moment by monitoring the number of Zeebox ‘check-ins’ and

also the Twitter buzz the show is generating. By clicking through to a show, the viewer can see its Twitter feed updating in real time and can Tweet directly from the Zeebox platform. The platform generates Zeetags related to each programme, which are links to useful websites. A cookery show might have Zeetags relating to the chefs and ingredients, for example.

Zeebox was founded by Anthony Rose, former CTO of BBC iPlayer and Ernesto Schmitt, ex board director of EMI Music. In 2012, BSkyB bought a stake in Zeebox and it has since expanded to the US and most recently Australia. Zeebox taps into Google’s recent study suggesting that 77% of viewers interact with a second screen while watching TV.


58 59

Omnichannel

Yihaodian 1,000 Virtual Stores

Location_ChinaDate_October 2012 Design_Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai – ogilvy.com.cn

Popular Chinese e-commerce website Yihaodian has brought its presence to real-world locations with the launch of 1,000 augmented reality (AR) stores

across China. The retail spaces can only be visited virtually using the Yihaodian Virtual Store app, an app which generates the GPS location-tagged augmented reality stores.

The AR stores can be found in strategic locations such as residential neighbourhoods, next to iconic landmarks (using AR allowed the brand to open on Tiananmen Square, for example) and in front of competitors’ brick-and-mortar supermarkets.

When customers point their smartphone at the location using the app, a virtual shop pops up on their screens. They are then able to ‘walk’ around the aisles and shop goods from the store for home delivery. The AR stores are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzou and Shenzen, and each offers discounts and coupons to shoppers. Yihaodian is promoting its virtual stores online and via an ad campaign, driving customers to download the app.

Results from the campaign include a 16% sales increase from launch until end of year, 1.8m views of the promotional video, and global media coverage.


60 61Omnichannel: Actionable insights

Audi CityWeb link_http://bit.ly/AudiCityLondon

Adidas NeoWeb link_http://bit.ly/AdidasNEO

9straatjeslonlineWeb link_http://bit.ly/9Straatjes

Hellmann's mayonnaiseWeb link_http://bit.ly/HellmannsReceipt

ZeeboxWeb link_http://bit.ly/ZeeboxVideo

Nike+ FuelStationWeb link_http://bit.ly/NikeFuelstation

Consider…● When and where are you starting conversations with

your existing and potential customers?

● How does your social media strategy feed into this pre-purchase, mid-purchase and post-purchase dialogue?

● Are you interacting with the 77% of TV viewers who use a second screen while watching TV?

Download…Blippar. Blip a jar of Marmite, a bottle of Heinz ketchup, or a five-pound note.

Zeebox. Strictly will never be the same again.

The Ikea app, then use it to scan its latest catalogue for an augmented reality surprise.

Visit…Audi City on Piccadilly to see a brilliant example of a brand starting a conversation with customers, possibly years ahead of purchase.

Nike+ FuelStation at Boxpark in Shoreditch, where technology lets customers interact with products and staff beyond the physical store.

Read…With 90% of the world’s digital data having been created in the last two years, Tangent Snowball’s Simon McEvoy reveals how brands can own Big Data.Web link_http://bit.ly/MakingTheMostOfBigData

By 2014, mobile internet will overtake desktop internet usage – smartphone psychology is changing as a result, say the founders of Ribot.Web link_http://bit.ly/MotionSlickness

Scan to view videos


62 63The Customer: a connected influencer

Two-way conversation lets your brand gain valuable insight…

There was a time when being Liked was enough. But there's more to 'social’ than thumbs up.

… Which feeds into smart, targeted campaigns and builds in lasting loyalty.

Invite customers into your brand to create proud stakeholders.

Social media can help you reward your loyal customers according to their reach.

Customers say friends and followers influence their buying – so get to know their Klout.

Social media is not a popularity contest. The days of simply chasing Fans on Facebook are over – genuine, meaningful engagement is the new social aim. By its very nature the medium leaves no hiding place for retailers, but think of the exposure as an opportunity

to broadcast positive feedback on a mass scale and build long-lasting loyalty.

In social media, as in the real world, if it’s not two-way, it’s not conversation. And tone is just as crucial. Swedish mall Arkaden showed how, given a perfectly pitched offer, people will rush to take part in activity. It invited them to direct a fashion campaign photo shoot, the result was 8,800 visits to the microsite, a 629% increase in Facebook Fans and a viral spread of 197k. That’s impressive – the population of Gothenburg, where the mall is based, is 500k. Arkaden got to know its most vocal customers and could start positive conversations with them.

For customers, the benefit of this relationship goes beyond discounts and freebies, to feeling like an active brand stakeholder. Ikea has taken customer collaboration one step further by inviting not just individuals, but a whole community to be involved in a store move in Norway. The success of this collaboration was phenomenal and, while much of it was down to customer affection for the brand, some must be attributed to potential feel-good factor gained from a collaborative experience.

Brands can use the data generated by social media interactions to offer targeted promotions and purchase suggestions that customers will find relevant, not generic. Safeway Just For U in the US offers personal pricing based on frequency of purchase of particular items, linking online shopping behaviour to discounts in the physical store. Spaaza MyPrice in South Africa, meanwhile, gives customers an individual price on products

according to their brand loyalty and interaction. Customers won’t be shy in promoting great retail relationships via social networks – word of mouth has gone digital.

The UK was once known as a nation of shopkeepers and much of that cottage industry has gone online. With 22 million Etsy members worldwide, brands and start-up companies are tapping into this desire to create, curate and sell. Affiliate schemes such as Shopcade make real-life shopkeepers of anyone willing to put in the time on Facebook to promote their store. An app called Depop lets individuals take images of goods, upload them to social media, sell and process payments all via their smartphone.

Retailers can’t ignore the power friends, followers and influencers have – 81% of US respondents said friends’ social media posts directly influenced their purchase decisions (Forbes), with 44% of social media-

savvy women indicating their favourite blogger influences their buying (Business2Community). Then there is the rise of services such as Klout, which measures an individual’s influence based on their ability to drive action on social networks. This adds up to some powerful individuals talking to your customer, so get to know them, too.

C&A has brought this customer-to-customer recommendation in-store with digital hangers that display the number of Likes an item has online. Lagerhaus, a homeware store in Sweden, created a widget that allows influential bloggers to create a shoppable section in their blog using the brand’s products.

While social media used to be about generating numbers, now brands can think of themselves more like individuals. Have a voice and listen closely – get to know your customer and gain valuable insight as a result. ●


64 65 Based on the idea that neighbours and friends help you move house, Ikea created a campaign to publicise the relocation of its Bergen store which invited local people

to organise and take part in the opening day celebrations. The result was that the entire event was managed by the community, with 20% of Bergen’s population in attendance.

Ikea spent three weeks enlisting volunteers to carry out tasks at the store opening via press, billboards, banner ads and social

media. People could sign up at a microsite to make a speech, plant trees or host an in-store radio show, for example.

In the end, people volunteered for tasks Ikea hadn’t even advertised, including skydiving and performing dance routines. Norway’s best-selling hip-hop artist, Lars Vaular, asked to perform a live gig at the opening, then a family volunteered to pick him up from the airport. The event broke previous sales records and is Ikea’s most successful store opening ever.

The Customer

Ikea Moving the Store

Location_Åsane, Åsamyrane 250, 5131 Nyborg, Bergen, NorwayDate_April 2012Design_SMFB – smfb.com


66 67

Be a Harrods Buyer Luxury department store Harrods asked its Facebook Fans to become ‘honorary buyers’ by helping to select pieces from the Burberry autumn/winter 2012 collection. The Burberry catwalk show at London Fashion Week was live-streamed to the Harrods Facebook page and images of the 47 outfits were uploaded the following day. Harrods Fans then had 24 hours to vote for their favourite looks by Liking them. The most popular items were incorporated into the store’s buy for the season.

ModCloth Be The BuyerUS online women’s fashion retailer ModCloth set up its Be The Buyer platform inviting customers to vote on potential garment designs. Browsing through the designs for clothing, shoes and accessories, users can select the Pick It or Skip It options to vote for or reject each item – the most popular pieces are manufactured and then sold online. The initiative encourages customers to become part of the brand’s buying process and provides a platform for emerging designers who might otherwise be unable to produce their designs. Users can share favourite designs via Facebook and Twitter, while feedback left on the site is used by the creators to improve unpopular styles.

Oscar De La Renta The BoardFashion label Oscar De La Renta launched The Board website, which invited users to help source inspiration for its 2013 resort collection. Fans could sign up to the pinboard-style website and upload content that they felt could be useful for the brand’s design team. There was no brief – users could add anything, from photos and paintings to adverts, fabrics and videos. The site displayed the content on a revolving board; it also appeared on a screen in the Oscar De La Renta offices. Users could share the material on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Oscar De La Renta is known for using social media to interact with Fans and customers. Since 2010 the label has live-streamed its catwalk shows online and, in 2011, the brand used Facebook to sell exclusive products.Website_theboard.oscardelarenta.com

Domino's Think OvenDomino’s has launched a Facebook app, Think Oven, where customers can contribute their ideas on how the brand can improve products and services in two categories. In The Idea Box, consumers can submit a new menu item or insights on store design, for instance. Current Project is for specific topics chosen by Domino’s, where users can contribute thoughts. The first topic invited suggestions for new staff uniforms. Each Current Project runs for about one month and anyone can contribute suggestions, although only US citizens are eligible to win prizes for now. After the deadline, Domino’s will choose four submissions that will be rewarded with $500 each. The project is open to store owners and employees as well as customers. One new product, Parmesan Bread Bites, was a store owner’s idea. Think Oven is an ongoing initiative, with further projects planned for the coming year. Website_thinkoven.com

Heineken Ideas Brewery Heineken’s innovation platform Ideas Brewery invites people around the world to share concepts on set challenges. It launched in 2012 with a challenge for sustainable beer packaging. The second challenge sought innovations to develop draught beers globally. The latest challenge seeks insight regarding the lives of today’s 60-70 year-olds. The jury, including director Donald Petrie, will select three winners from ten finalists. Participants will compete for a chance to win a share of $10,000 and to have their entries included in a 60-plus documentary film. Winners will be announced at the end of March 2013. To mark its 140th anniversary in 2012, Heineken launched a global design challenge inviting people around the world to connect through Facebook to form design teams to collaborate on a limited-edition bottle. The winning duo saw their design sold round the world from December 2012.Website_ideasbrewery.com

Lego CuusooLego Cuusoo is an online platform by Lego that allows people to submit product ideas. Users sign in, upload proposed concepts and vote on the ideas they’d like to see produced by the brand. Once a project has received 10,000 votes it’s evaluated by Lego. If the idea is made, the creator earns 1% of the total net sales. When voting, users are asked where they live, the price they’d pay and why they’d like to see the idea made. The platform allows the brand to harness opinion from huge numbers of fans while gathering data on what resonates with them. Lego Minecraft World is in production as a result of the platform, after receiving over 10,000 votes in 48 hours. Future plans include letting users add Cuusoo functions to their own websites to generate more votes and perhaps sell products.

The Customer

Crowd pleasers Do you want to know how a new product or service will sit with your customers? Some brands are taking an old-fashioned route – asking them. After all, in a conversation everyone loves to be heard


68 69

The Customer

Safeway Just For U Location_USDate_July 2012Design_SafewayWebsite_safeway.com

Supermarket chain Safeway in the US has enhanced its Just for U loyalty scheme to publicise flexible pricing based on a shopper’s purchase history. As well as being able to buy

items with their personalised prices via Safeway’s e-commerce site, tablet and smartphone apps, members can use these channels to load their physical loyalty card with bespoke offers and discount coupons before going to shop in-store.

Members receive 10-20% off items they buy regularly or are likely to buy based on their spending patterns, with new offers and promotions added on a weekly basis. If an item goes on sale at less than a customer’s personal price, the system will honour the lowest price. This flexible pricing structure is

designed to increase loyalty among upper-level spenders and maintain performance in mid-range spenders. The Just For U app is divided into three sections. The ‘coupon centre’, which contains digital coupons (to reduce the amount of clip coupons and promotional flyers sent out by the retailer), ‘personalised deals’, unique savings and promotions for each customer and ‘your club savings’, a list of the customer’s frequently purchased items next to their personal discount.

Since trialling in mid 2010, the scheme now has around 5 million registrants, of 9 million unique households who shop with Safeway each week. Incremental spend continues to exceed the retailer’s original estimates by more than 50%.

derived from the affiliate fee. They can also earn points by logging into Shopcade, recommending products through their shop, inviting friends to join or by browsing products. The points can be used to upgrade and customise their store.

The app features tabs for Top Trending Products; Trendsetters, most popular Shopcades; Influencers, the stores run by celebrities, and Deals, where offers are announced. Shopcade will recommend products to users based on what they have displayed within their stores, purchased themselves or Liked.

While Shopcade is available worldwide, the app is in English and participating brands are UK- and US-based, although many do worldwide delivery. Purchases can only be made among the Shopcade community.

Recognising that social media users are heavily influenced by Friends when shopping, Shopcade is a Facebook app that allows users to create their own store within the

social network. They curate the products and promote them, earning a cash reward for each sale made through their store.

Shop-owners can choose from more than 40 million products from 20,000 participating brands, with items categorised into sections such as fashion, apps and downloads, and health and beauty. Their store can then be recommended to others, who must join Shopcade before they can browse and buy.

Shoppers are directed to a brand’s website if they want to purchase an item, with Shopcade used as an aggregator for displaying the products. The shop-owner’s cash reward is

Location_OnlineDate_November 2011Design_ShopcadeWebsite_shopcade.com

Shopcade


70 71

The Customer

LoyalBlocks Location_US Date_September 2012Design_LoyalBlocksWebsite_loyalblocks.com

Location_US (concept) Date_2013Design_Red Pepper – redpepperland.com

LoyalBlocks is a digital loyalty app for smartphones. Retailers can reward customers for visiting the physical store, with or without purchasing. They can push

promotions directly to mobile devices as the app runs constantly in the background. The platform also reports detailed individual customer behaviour data as well as group analytics.

LoyalBlocks uses GPS to determine the user’s location. When they enter a store, it automatically ‘punches’ their digital loyalty card for that brand. Customers receive one punch per store, per visit – the app is time sensitive and recognises when the punch card is full. Retailers can also send tailored promotional Tokens.

LoyalBlocks can be personalised with a retailer’s branding, or messages and interactions. A Merchant Dashboard interface

Facedeals is a new app concept being tested in the US which can check people in on Facebook and send them personalised offers using facial-recognition cameras.

Facedeals uses cameras installed at entry points in stores to scan people’s faces as they walk in. If the customer is a user of the app, they’ll be checked in and, based on their Like history, receive a customised offer. Shoppers must first sign up to the app. Facedeals will work with users to verify pictures of them to get a better facial reading. The technology is being tested in Nashville, Tennessee, but its developers plan to expand to other cities worldwide in 2013.

allows chains and retail groups to manage a universal loyalty club for their entire chain or group, tracking both individual and aggregate analytics to optimise the impact of their efforts. McDonald’s, for instance, has recently started using the platform for its McDonald’s Loyalty Club.

Any Android device can be used as a base station for LoyalBlocks. The app is free to download for both iPhone and Android users, retailers pay a monthly fee for using the platform. After launching as a pilot with 300 retailers in New York in 2012, LoyalBlocks now operates in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. It signed 1,000 new merchants worldwide in 2012, and expects to reach 3,750-4,500 by the end of 2013.

Facedeals


72 73

The Customer

Tesco Share & Earn Location_Online (UK)Date_July 2012Design_Tesco Website_tesco.com/direct

B ritish supermarket Tesco is trailing a Facebook app – Share & Earn – which encourages its 967,000 Facebook Fans to share any of the products for sale via its online

lifestyle store Tesco Direct in return for double points on the brand’s loyalty card scheme, Clubcard.

Shoppers begin by downloading the Facebook Share & Earn app, then connect their Clubcard account to it. When they’re interested in a product within the Tesco Direct website, they click

on the Share & Earn button. This action adds a link to that product on their Facebook wall, allowing them to share the item with their Friends who can Like it. If that Like turns into a purchase, made either by themselves or their Facebook Friends by clicking on the link, both the sharer and the purchaser receives double Clubcard points up to a maximum reward of 7,500 points per customer for the whole month.

Depop Location_OnlineDate_May 2012Design_Garage Italy S.r.lWebsite_depop.com

Depop is an app which turns the iPhone user into a shop curator, by allowing them to promote and sell items interactively through their existing social networks. The

launch version was for individual users, but the app now offers a Premium service to brands and stores.

After downloading the app, users link their Depop account to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. When they upload an image of an item they wish to sell, the app automatically shares it with their contacts. Unlike eBay, users can follow their favourite sellers’ profiles and receive updates about their latest offers via their image-based Depop feed.

The app also displays information about size, price and condition below each image, and items can be browsed by popularity, location and price. Sellers and purchasers communicate through an integrated instant messenger service so their transaction becomes more personal, while price and delivery method can be adapted in real time. Once an offer is received and accepted, payments are completed via PayPal.

The app is free to download, with sellers paying 4% of the price of their item to Depop, plus €0.35 (£0.20) for each transaction completed. An Android version is currently in development. The app launched under the name Garage.


74 75

The Customer

Spaaza MyPrice Location_WorldwideDate_2012Design_Spaaza Technologies BV – spaaza.com

Spaaza MyPrice allows retailers to tailor in-store prices to an individual customer depending on their social influence and loyalty to the brand. It’s intended as an alternative to

plastic customer loyalty cards.

The retailer adds a MyPrice tag to labels in-store. It has the regular price listed but invites the shopper to scan a QR code to access a tailored price. If they haven’t used MyPrice before, they can log in via Facebook (login with Twitter or Google will follow). The retailer determines the MyPrice, which is based on the shopper’s social influence, their preferences and Likes on Facebook, or how loyal they are to the brand.

An algorithm works out the discount and the MyPrice is displayed on the smartphone screen. Also displayed are

suggested actions the shopper can take to further reduce the price – determined by the retailer, but could include Liking the brand on Facebook or sharing the product and price with Friends.

Once the shopper is satisfied with the price, they show a customer number or barcode to the retailer, who either uses point-of-sale software integration or Spaaza’s mobile or website apps to verify the price. MyPrice can operate as a standalone app or be integrated into a retailer’s existing app. When integrated, MyPrice can use the retailer’s existing barcode system (shoppers can then scan these instead of QR codes).

The retailer can gain significant information from the customer using MyPrice, including the scan-to-sale ratio, which can be broken down by demographic information. In the future it will

be possible to automate pricing in real time. The retailer pays a fee per redemption, plus set-up and licence costs.Spaaza envisages its patent-pending service being used in both everyday customer scenarios and during promotional periods. The service can also be extended to print and online.

As well as personal pricing, Spaaza allows brands to offer discounts based on factors such as age, birthdays, time of day, local weather and stock levels. It can be connected to an existing inventory system, allowing brands and retailers to integrate the discount system. Spaaza is currently developing additional tools that use this information to connect online and offline shopping channels – enabling customers at home to assess stock levels in different stores, for example.

Spaaza MyPrice is now being trialled by Quiksilver and DC Shoes in South Africa. Quiksilver is trying the system in four stores and has signed up to use the product for two years.

1. Scan

2. Regular price

3. My personal price


76 77

The Customer

C&A Fashion Like Location_Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima 2232, Jardim Paulistano, São Paulo, 01489-900 Brazil Date_April-May 2012 Design_DM9DDB Brazil – dm9ddb.com.br

Fashion retailer C&A used hangers in its São Paulo store with built-in LED screens which displayed the number of Facebook Likes the item had achieved. Merging online

and physical retail, the hangers tap into the fact that many women seek their friends’ opinions when buying clothes.

C&A had created a special collection for Mother’s Day in Brazil, selecting 10 items to highlight on its Facebook page and giving each a Like button. In-store, the 10 items were displayed as a mini collection. A specially developed rack contained an integrated web-connected computer that transferred Facebook

data to the hangers. The numbers of Likes for each piece was updated in real time in-store, meaning customers could see instantly which item was most popular with C&A Fans, reassuring them about their purchase. The C&A Facebook page also gave fashion tips and outfit suggestions combining the selected pieces with other items from the Mother’s Day collection.


78 79

The Customer

Lagerhaus Blog-up Stores

SoldsieLocation_Sweden Date_May 2011Design_Prime PR – primegroup.comWebsite_lagerhaus.se

Location_Online Date_September 2012Design_SoldsieWebsite_soldsie.com

To build an online fan base for its new e-commerce site, homeware brand Lagerhaus enlisted six bloggers to create online stores within their blogs, promoting their

favourite products. When a reader clicked an item, they were directed to the Lagerhaus e-commerce site. If they went on to buy the item, the blogger received an affiliate payment.

Bloggers were given a template widget into which they could drop items from the collection. Blogger-endorsed items were highlighted in-store with Blogger Favourite stickers. After the success of the launch, the project is ongoing and Lagerhaus has been contacted by numerous bloggers wishing to start a shop.

Soldsie is an app that turns Facebook into a point of sale by allowing brands to sell products via comments. It taps into an existing behaviour – uploading images to

Facebook – but gives it e-commerce capability. Customers simply type Sold in the comments box to instigate a transaction.

To use Soldsie, brands must have a Facebook business page and be able to accept US Dollars, it also recommends at least 500 Fans. To upload images, they open their Soldsie dashboard via the Apps section and select New Collection. They click Add Products to upload a picture of the item that they wish to sell and add a brief description (price and inventory numbers) which should include instructions to the customer on how to buy it. Brands can manage and edit their product catalogue via the Products tab in their dashboard.

The Lagerhaus Facebook page is now the second-biggest interior design page in Sweden after Ikea. During the campaign, Facebook Fans increased by 226%, page interactions by 360%. When Lagerhaus’ full e-commerce site opened, Facebook Fans invited 13,000 of their Friends to a Fan-only online store launch. The average purchase sum from the online stores is 3.5 times higher than in physical stores.

Customers type Sold in the comments box, along with the email address where an invoice is to be sent or they can register their information with Soldsie through the brand’s Facebook page. Comments are aggregated in the brand’s dashboard, where they monitor transaction statuses, which are processed via PayPal. For brands handling between $700 and $80,000 in monthly transactions, 3% of each sale goes to Soldsie. Businesses handling less don’t have to pay a fee to Soldsie. All brands are offered a free 14-day trial when they sign up.

Future plans include letting customers type Sold to have their credit card billed immediately and expanding to other social networks. The San Francisco-based start-up previously operated under the name Central.ly.


80 81

The Customer

Arkaden’s Fashion Photography Project

Location_Online (Sweden) Date_July-August 2012Design_Shout – shout.se & Kokokaka – kokokaka.comWebsite_fashionphotoproject.se

Swedish shopping mall Arkaden turned its customers into brand stakeholders by allowing them to shoot a virtual fashion campaign. Users then shared their shots

via a campaign microsite for the chance to have one used as Arkaden’s official autumn/winter print advert. The Fashion Photography Project aimed to increase Arkaden’s digital presence by engaging customers and digital content creators, while keeping partial control of content being shared online.

Users accessed a film of a model posing in three different outfits on the microsite. They could shoot as many pictures as they wanted from the film by clicking their mouse button as it played.

When they were satisfied, they could pick their favourite shot and adjust the saturation, gamma and contrast. To have the chance to see their image used as the mall’s print advert for its autumn/winter campaign, be credited as a professional photographer and win a camera, users had to enter their email address and share the picture on the microsite. The winning image is seen on the opposite page (top left).

The microsite had more than 8,800 unique visitors and the average visit lasted for three minutes. It was promoted on Facebook and in local newspapers. Over the campaign period, Arkaden’s Facebook Fans increased by 629%.


82 83

Ikea Moving the StoreWeb link_http://bit.ly/IkeaMovingTheStore

FacedealsWeb link_http://bit.ly/FaceDealsVideo

ShopcadeWeb link_http://bit.ly/ShopcadeVideo

C&A Fashion LikeWeb link_http://bit.ly/FashionLike

ArkadenWeb link_http://bit.ly/ArkadenFashionPhoto

Lagerhaus Blog-up StoresWeb link_http://bit.ly/LagerhausBlogUp

Consider…● What is the reach, resonance and relevance of your social

media strategy? And, do you have an influencer strategy?

● Have you identified the customers who are your natural brand ambassadors?

● Do you give customers targeted, appropriate opportunities to share the experiences they have with your product?

● How can you track your customers’ journeys, before, during and after purchase?

Download…Chirp. Did you know that data can be sent and shared through sound? Could this platform make in-store audio a new retail channel?

Spaaza MyPrice, as yet only available in South Africa. This is personal pricing based on a customer’s influence.

Visit…Three social scoring sites to meet and evaluate top influencers. klout.com, empireavenue.com and peerindex.com reveal who holds the social media power.

modcloth.com and click on Be a Buyer – when customers are the decision makers, the brand gains valuable insight.

choo247.com and artofthetrench.com to see how customers are sharing their love and appreciation of cult items.

Read…Jason A Metz looks at the business of influence – how it was, where it’s at and where it’s heading.Web link_http://bit.ly/UnderTheInfluenceJasonAMetz

Tictrac founder Martin Blinder discusses putting the quantified self into practice and its benefits to consumers, brands and businesses.Web link_http://bit.ly/TheWorldAccordingToMe

How do you sell to the generation of consumers who have never shopped without social media? Sheena Patel goes shopping with Millennials. Web link_http://bit.ly/ShoppingMillennials

The Customer: Actionable insights

Scan to view videos

GDR Creative Intelligence researches, analyses and showcases key retail trends to ensure your marketing, customer experience and product development strategies are at their most powerful.

We show how relationships between consumers, brands and retailers are evolving, and how that can deliver competitive advantage for businesses. Global Innovation Report A quarterly publication detailing key retail trends and their implications for business. The Global Innovation Report is part of the retainer programme presented to clients by their personal GDR Creative Intelligence consultant.

Digital and multichannel excellence We tailor digital and retail field excursions to relevant stores and creative agencies, and include meetings with industry experts to help businesses develop future-proofing strategies.

Thought-leadership We host ideation workshops specific to a business’s needs, with the aim of stimulating innovative and practical solutions in a dynamic and collaborative setting. We offer follow-through consultation from concept to shop floor.

Consultancy projects We undertake primary research to deliver unparalleled insider knowledge and visually rich case studies, backed up with quantitative data, analytics and insight.

Agency referral We offer a business matchmaking service based on our unrivalled knowledge of the world’s best creative agencies. We compile shortlists and facilitate introductions.

GDR Retail Academy We provide next-steps training to leverage strategic insight in practical, commercial ways.

For further information contact:Kate Ancketill, CEO [email protected]

The Innovation Report: Retail 2020 was produced in the London offices of GDR Creative Intelligence

Dilke House, 1 Malet Street, London WC1E 7JN, United Kingdom, +44 (0) 20 7580 5589, gdruk.com


84