I’ve been very occupied with my work and therefor forgot to blog. Beside that I started my Flipboard where I post interesting, relevant news about retail. Since I discover that there are still a lot of viewers left I will try to rehabilitate my blog by starting to post an updated personal presentation about retail. Inhere I explain the driving forces, principals of retail and the movers and shakers in the field of retail. Hope you enjoy it.
Archive for the ‘design strategy’ Category
What were the 10 retail trends of 2012
1 January 2013
On the blog of Gensler architects Barry Bourbon always gives us, at the end of the year, a retrospective of what trends appeared the past year. This month he again pointed out 10 trends that got shape this year and will influence next year. I think with all points he hit the nail on it’s head but there are 3 that caught my attention because they aren’t talked about that much but seems to be just as significant.
Turning the pop-up into experience design: For years, pop-up shops have signaled fun if not fleeting introductions to new brands and new products, but my number one observation from 2012 is that pop-ups are here to stay. I don’t mean that we’ll see even more of the here-today-gone-tomorrow temporary shops (though I don’t think that trend is over), but rather I believe the experience that pop-up shops have provided is a major impetus for traditional retailers’ push to reengage their own customers. It’s about finding unexpected elements within retail – a health care advisor inside a grocery store or a tea shop inside a furniture store – that create value, convenience and unique experiences. Shoppers want to be wowed, and that’s a trend that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Elevated brand image overseas: As Western brands increasingly migrate to new international markets, it’s exciting to see prototypes adapt to global consumers’ tastes for innovative, boundary-pushing design. If it weren’t for the logo, would you have guessed that this is a Starbucks? I think this is another trend that has a long future; in fact, I think retailers’ willingness to test new ideas in new markets will raise the bar for design and branding back at home in the U.S., too. One to watch.
Department store reinvention: With credit to my colleague Kathleen Jordan for her keen eye on this trend, I’m especially excited about what department stores are doing to make themselves relevant again – improving customer experience, integrating technology, offering exclusive brands, and de-cluttering their store designs.
The seven other trends are
– Personalized coupons
– Digital transactions simplified
– Local made products
– Showrooming
– Big data
– Brazil in the spotlight
– Design collaborations
via Gensleron
Girls only telecom store.
21 December 2012
In an extremely mature retail environment like Japan, retail is less generic and often very niche, specialized or single subject focused. An example of this single subject focused retail is lifestyle or gender orientated stores. One of the most recent cases is from Japanese mobile carrier DoCoMo who has just opened a new communications concept called The Shelf. It is a relaxing environment for young women where technology is being presented as part of people’s everyday lives rather than a (beautiful designed) technology orientated phone store.
Located in the backstreets of Omotesando (Tokyo, Japan) The Shelf has two floors to explore and test the communication technology, books, magazines and make-up. The first floor features four areas surrounding the themes of Travel, Work, Beauty, and Fashion. All the different services and products are curetted by a popular role model who represents one of the themes. They have collaborated in creating a space that shows how the smart phone integrates into everyday’s life for young women. The second floor is the café and lounge to sit down, enjoy tea, read a magazine and check out some make up.
The Shelf is a fascinating idea That is based around understanding lifestyle and need instead of features and models.
via Shift East
Retail concepts and formats that are transforming retail
10 November 2012If you are interested in Retail innovations. Check out the slideshare of Ebeltoft Group they gave during the World Retail Congress 2012.
In this slideshow presentation they point out nine key innovation themes and show examples of retailers that excel in this theme either through format innovation or business innovation.
Themes are:
- Curated Collection
- Eco-Friendly
- Hyper-Local
- On-line/Off line Mash Up
- Channel Transformers
- Service Experience 2.0
- Technology Intervention
- Customization/Ask the Crowd
- Retailvention
Check also the rest of their presentations here
A pop up store about the future of retail
13 October 2012
On the 5th and 6th September 2012 – The Marketing Store celebrated 25 years in retail and brand marketing by opening ‘Everything Must Go?’ a pop-up shop on Shoreditch High Street, aimed giving visitors an exclusive look into the future of retail. The exhibits and seminars appear to addressed a number of themes and raised some interesting points and ideas
The death of RRP In the next 25 years it is possible we will see the death of fixed pricing The merging of shops, shopping and shoppers ‘Everything will be for sale everywhere and by anyone thanks to technology.’ Personalised, time-sensitive and location-based shopping discounts are expected to become a common strategy used by retailers to encourage on-the-go impulse shopping. A move from high street to ‘try street’ The high street will become the ‘try street’. As routine and habitual shopping is taken care of by online, then other shopping will likely be driven by an emotional, social and adventurous recreation. The retailer will become entertainer, curator, expert, event organiser. The rise of metail In 25 years’ time retailers will be masters of the technologies and data that will help them cater to every consumer’s unique desires and preferences – delivering the true reality of metail.via retail focus
The Future of Retail in Six Trends
25 September 2012
Nurun published a useful trend report on the future of retail defining . They define Six trends that they think will shape the future of retail.
1.) Social Product Discovery, Consideration and Evaluation
2.) Product placement morphs into content and commerce
3.) Integrated Expansion of the Omni-channel
4.)The New Geography of Merchandising
5.) I’ll trade my privacy for a 5 dollar coupon
6.) Sophisticated Frugality
For the whole report Digital for real life
News Analysis – Online brands are coming to a high street near you | News | Design Week
14 February 2012H&M and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” cross-promote brands at pop-up store
8 January 2012
Brands have teamed up with famous individual designers or other brands for a while now, but Swedish retailer H&M taken this trend a step further by developing a clothing line for the book and movie Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The line was launched with a pop-up shop in the Meatpacking district in NYC, open only from December 14th to the 18th, 2011. This cross-promotion also refers back to the brands’ Swedish origins and celebrates a cultural path with an unconventional theme and attitude. Integrating brands and cultural events is a promising trend that benefits everyone involved, and is ideal for customers who are open to identifying with popular characters or social movements. We fully expect to see more of these cross-promotional activities as brands look to integrate themselves further into their customers’ lifestyle.
Retail trends in 2012: Let the Blur Begin
2 January 2012The blog New Retail by marketing agency Idea works published its predictions for 2012. They see an overall trend that blurs and blends everything in retail. The psychical worlds with the digital, manufacturers are becoming retailers or vice versa and global players transform to local heroes. In a list they define 3 key trends and 12 things to watch.
- Digitization
- Globalization
- Polarization
Amongst these three key trends, they picked out 12 things to watch out for in 2012.
- The Rise of SoMoLo (SoLoMo)
- The Growth of Retail Hackers
- Small Time is Back Big
- Putting the Squeeze on Prices
- The Treasure Hunt is On
- Mashops and Digitail
- Responsible Retail
- Digital Wallets Take Off
- Store as Hang out
- Pop Ups Mash Up
- Anti Mall
- Click & Collect
For the explanation of all points click here
Brand Retail and Design 