Which side are you?
asos
pop-up shop Store Design
Which side are you?
Store Design
ASOS.com is the UK’s largest online fashion and beauty store. Primarily aimed at 16-34 year old men and women, it offers over 35,000 own-label and branded fashion goods.
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Contents 12. The Vision 13. Concept Inspiration 17. Locations 19. The London Pop-up Shop 21. Shop Window 23. Floor Plan 25. Visuals 31. I Pad Station 35. Box Display
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39. Shop Extras 41. View Points 49. Point of Sale 51. QR Codes 55. Virtual Mirror 58. Extras 59. ASOS Leaflet 61. Swing Tag 65. Shopping Bag 67. Implementation
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Photography Charlotte Berry
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The Vision ASOS.com established in 2000, is now the UK’s largest independent online beauty and fashion retailer. With over 35,000 branded and own label products available and over 1500 new lines added each week, ASOS.com is rapidly becoming the market leader in the UK online fashion world. Nick Robertson, founder of the company first opened a website which allowed people to purchase clothes similar to clothes their favourite celebrity had worn, and decided to name the company, as seen on screen, which soon became shortened to ASOS. Another development for the company was in 2008 when the logo underwent a redesign and is now stylistically shown all in lowercase. Since opening in 2000, ASOS has seen a dramatic change from being a small website selling celebrity clothes to now having its own magazine; five own collections and now has websites launched in over four countries including the US. The crazy success of the website has changed online shopping and after eleven years it seems clear that ASOS’s future is set to be big. Many online retailers start online and never make that big move to the high street, and after eleven years we still have never seen ASOS on the high street. Many customers believe that a high street store for ASOS would take away the uniqueness and experience of the website, but it could also allow them to create a bigger customer market. For those customers who want to see ASOS on the high street in September 2011 ASOS will launch four pop-up shops in four different cities London, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle. The pop-up shops will run for 2 weeks and will allow ASOS customers to experience ASOS upfront, allowing the customers to touch, see and try on ASOS’s own collections, ASOS Black and ASOS White. The pop-up shops interior will be inspired by architect Tobias Putrih and will incorporate fashion, art and modern technology allowing the customers to access the ASOS website from the store. This autumn watch ASOS move from 2D to 3D and experience a pop-up shop that will change online shopping forever…
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Inspiration asos
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Inspiration asos
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Locations The ASOS pop-up shop will be located in four different popular cities these being London, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle, all set in the heart of the cities these properties are easy accessible and will attract much media attention.
Pop-up Shop One- London
Located on New Bond Street, the London pop-up shop will run from September 24th till the 8th of October 2011. The London store will also be open during London fashion week 2011.
Pop-up Shop Two- Manchester
The second pop-up shop will take place in Manchester on Oxford Road, a week after the London pop-up shop finishes. Set in the heart of Manchester it is a perfect location for the shop.
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Pop-up Shop Three- Leeds
The beautiful city of Leeds is the third location for the pop-up shop with a large percentage of the website traffic coming from Leeds; ASOS customers will be pleased to see ASOS on the high street.
Pop-up Shop Four - Newcastle
Finally the pop-up shop will move to the city of Newcastle on the 26th of November 2011 for the closing two weeks. The North-East is the second biggest area of the ASOS website traffic.
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London W1
107 New Bond Street The first pop-up shop to open will be in London on the 24th of September 2011 and it will be situated on New Bond Street. This is a perfect central location for the pop-up shop. The premises are situated in a prominent location on New Bond Street, north of Brook Street between Fenwick store and Oxford Street. Other retailers located nearby include; Jil Sander, Victorinox, Calvin Klein and Russell & Bromley. The shop is adjacent to Kronometry and Core Spirits first UK store. The property which benefits from good natural light is arranged over a basement, ground and mezzanine and the approximate ground floor dimensions of the property are 175.5 sq m and 1,890 sq ft. The space allows no limitations on the size of the fixtures and fittings used in the pop-up shop. However, the three other properties all have different dimensions, the Manchester store on Oxford Road is approximately 1,233 sq ft, the property on King Edward Street in Leeds has a smaller dimension of 678 sq ft and the final property in Newcastle on Market Street is 1,600 sq ft. Therefore each pop-up shop will be tailored to fit the size of the property.
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Birds eye view of the property location .
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Shop Window In the four different locations of the pop-up shop the window display will stay the same; inspired by the store design, one side of the window will be black and the other white. The visual merchandising of the window will be a box display made out of fibre glass which includes accessories and items from each of the two collections. The window display is important to ASOS as they have never had to create one before the window needs to make sure it attracts the ASOS.com customer and also a new ASOS customer. Moving ASOS to the high street creates a new clientele for the brand, ASOS.com has a limited target audience of just online shoppers, but the pop-up shop creates a new customer alongside the existing ASOS customer. The new experimental store allows ASOS to try something new. The London pop-up shop is located on the busy, luxury shopping street of New Bond Street. New Bond Street is home to some of the biggest names in fashion therefore the ASOS pop-up shop needs to compete with the windows of Chanel and Louis Vuitton, to be able to appeal to their clientele. The window in each of the four pop-up shops are closed windows, the closed window will capture the public’s attention from just one angle: the street. The pop-up shop that ASOS is creating is a marketing tool and also a chance for them to display their merchandise for the first time offline. The window is the first thing the customers will be seeing of the pop-up shop and will therefore create the customer’s first impression.
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Once revealed, the window display captures the attention of the passers-by with the box display and colours that separate the shop. The promotional video for each ASOS WHITE and ASOS BLACK will be playing in the window to act as a way of attracting the customers. Natural light reflects from the fibre glass surface, whilst merchandise is suspended from the boxes. Above is ASOS’s iconic logo.
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Floor Plan Like the window display, the floor plan of the pop-up shop will be the same in each of the four pop-up shops. In the London store with a ground floor size of 1,890 square metres the shop is narrow, but length wise creates a large shop space. The floor space will be divided down the centre to allow a section for ASOS BLACK and a section for ASOS WHITE. The two sections will mirror each other with the lighting, colour and merchandise creating different atmospheres. The shop is separated into different sections which allow the customers to experience the different points of the shop which include an interactive I-Pad section and an interactive mirror in the changing rooms. The separate sections also make the store into an exhibition as well as a shop, as the different sections each provide a different experience for existing and new customers.
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Shop Entrance Window Display
Garment Display
Window Display
Garment Display
Mirror Wall
Mirror Wall
Interactive Ipad Wall
Interactive Ipad Wall
Pay Station
Display Installation
Display Installation
Shoe Display
Shoe Display
Fitting Rooms
Fitting Rooms
1,890 square foot
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Visuals The visuals of the pop-up shop allow ASOS to showcase the exciting new pop-up shop. ASOS.com has run as an online fashion store for 11 years, and has never had to move to the high street to gain more customers. But the pop-up shop acts as a marketing tool for the company gaining more customers that are not comfortable with online shopping. Therefore the installations and fixtures and fittings of the store need to appeal to the existing ASOS.com online shopper as well as a new ASOS pop-up shop shopper. The pop-up shop needs to provide something unique and special for the company so that it can affect a new and existing clientele. The pop-up shop is a brand building opportunity for ASOS to reach out to customers in a more interactive way. Each area of the pop-up shop has been carefully considered and planned to suit the range of target customers. The ASOS.com website is continually updated allowing the customer to receive the best online shopping experience, so ASOS want to be clear that the popup shop will do the same. Shopping in 2011 and the future is continually expanding and customers don’t just simply want to buy clothes they want a special, whole shopping experience. .
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Photography Charlotte Berry
The clothes rails will be placed at the front of the shop in front of wall mirrors. The clothes rails used in the popup shop will be chrome clothes rails. Using the basic clothes rails works with the theme of the pop-up shop, the clothes will be displayed similar to a boutique by only having a small number of garments in the shop at a time.
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I-Pad Station I-Pads will be installed into the pop-up shop to allow customers to access the ASOS website from inside the shop. Twenty I-pads will be available for the customers to use, ten in the ASOS BLACK section and ten in the ASOS white section. The I-pads will allow customers to purchase items that are not on sale in the pop-up shop, or out of stock and maybe in different sizes. ASOS.com stocks over 35,000 items and it is impossible for the pop-up shop to display all of these therefore they are only stocking their own collections daywear ASOS WHITE and evening wear ASOS BLACK. Therefore many of the customers that visit the store maybe interested in viewing other products from the ASOS website which the I-Pad station will allow them to do. This interactive feature of the pop-up shop also makes ASOS up to date with modern shopping. More and more shops are installing touch screens into shops to make online shopping available so ASOS needs to keep ahead of its competitors which include Topshop and New Look. The I-Pad station is going to appeal to the ASOS customer as they are already comfortable with online shopping and will enjoy being able to access their ASOS accounts via the store. It will also attract a new clientele that are not familiar with online shopping; they will be able to shop in the pop-up shop but also have an insight into online shopping with the help of the I-Pad stations. The I-Pad station is an interactive feature that reaches out to the ASOS customer and creates a new shopping experience.
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The customers can access the ASOS website to purchase items, but will also be able to connect to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to tweet about their experience in the pop-up shop, and Facebook will allow them to update status and inform friends.
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This interactive feature of the shop creates an experience for the customer. Brands are always looking out for new ways to reach out to customers that are more interactive and the I-Pad station allows ASOS to do this.
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Box Display The shop’s visual merchandising includes an installation inspired by architect Tobias Putrih. The inspiration for the pop-up shop comes from American architect Tobias Putrih. Putrih has worked on many installations; the artist chooses to use temporary materials such as cardboard, Styrofoam and packaging tape in a seemingly improvised way, though the results are highly ordered and systematic. His striking and thoughtful constructions may be thought of as models or design concepts where the potential of an idea is explored. This can extend to making proposals for objects or entire architectural spaces, sometimes that will never be built. Inspired by Tobias and also the materials that he uses, the box installation will be created using cardboard boxes and will feature a light box that displays the ASOS promotional video. The cardboard boxes that will be used are iconic for the brand; every ASOS customer will recognise them from buying items online. The boxes will be used to create an art installation and also merchandise the products such as bags and accessories. ASOS BLACK accessories include structured statement pieces that will be showcased at the pop-up shop therefore displaying these on the box display will add to the beauty of the pieces. ASOS is creating an exhibition as well as a store for their customers.
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The products will be displayed using the boxes enhancing the products.
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Moving into the middle of the store is a piece of sculptured architecture by architect Tobias Putrih, in the form of cubes. The sculpture displays statement accessories, embedded in the sculpture is projection light boxes engaging the customer with the ASOS promotion video.
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Shop extras Every detail of the shop has to be considered to create a new experience for both new and existing customers. The shop is divided by the two collections, ASOS BLACK, which is an evening wear label that is dark, mysterious and gothic and ASOS WHITE , which is a day wear label that is light, cashmere and angelic. However the shop uses both collections to entice a memorable shopping experience. To the left of entering the shop is a clean and light space with rails of layered and pastel inspired garments‌ displayed is a capsule collection of minimal understated pieces. Using a mirrored wall in the front section of the shop reflects the natural light and allows the customers to experience the fit of the premium fabrics such as cashmere silk, angora and Italian wool. Something they have not been able to do as an online shopper before purchase. At the back of the shop mirroring each other is the shoe section; displaying footwear on a large wall with Putrih inspired fixtures is sculptured footwear in rows which allow each item their own space to show their beauty. The shoe section mimics the ASOS website by including the product code and shoe description under each shoe.
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The ASOS shoes will be displayed in a format similar to the ASOS website. Each item will have listed below the product number and description along with a QR code taking the customer to the shoe department of the website.
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View Points
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This view point shows the ASOS WHITE section and also the point of sale that seperates the ASOS BLACK and ASOS WHITE sections.
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Front of the shop view point shows the I Pad station that is for customers to access the ASOS website.
View Points
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View point shows the box display inspired by Tobias Purith.
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Back of the shop view point. This view shows the changing area of the shop and also the shoe display
Point of Sale In the centre of the shop will be the point of sale. Placing the tills in the centre of the store is important as it links the two sections together. It is important for the pop-up shop to have a point of sale for the customers as the existing ASOS customers will be moving out their comfort zone purchasing items offline instead of online. The sales assistants at the tills will be able to use the EPoS systems that will be fitted in the shop which will give the customers a swift and easy transaction like they are used to online. The pop-up shops will be fitted with EPoS system tills. Using this piece of advanced technology provides a fast and efficient way of dealing with customers. They handle the calculations involved in sales (totals and change), issue receipts – these have historically been the main function of normal tills. EPoS systems do this and a lot more. They can integrate directly with credit card payment systems, keep track of stock levels and of course keep track of customer information. The ability to manage stock and CRM (customer relationship management) allows EPoS systems to make a measurable difference to the bottom line, both in terms of time saved, in highlighting opportunities and also weaknesses in a business.
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Photography Charlotte Berry
Mannequins will surround the point of sale enticing customers into a last minute purchase.
EPoS Systems will be used in the pop-up shop for quick and easy transations like the ASOS website.
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QR Codes As well as being an advertising tool a QR code will be created allowing customers to connect with the brand on a new level. Having never used the QR codes before, ASOS are able to use them for the garments displayed in the pop-up shop. Placed on the back of the swing tag, customers are able to use their phones to connect to the correct page on the ASOS website. This interactive feature will be useful for both new and existing customers. Existing ASOS customers are happy with purchasing items online so the QR code gives them the opportunity to view the item and then purchase it online like they have done previously. New customers will find this added feature broadens their complete shopping experience. QR codes will also be placed on advertisement such as the ASOS magazine, leaflets and on billboards. This then allows customers that are familiar with the QR codes to learn about the up and coming popup shop. An advantage of using the QR code is that it is not neglecting the ASOS customer that might prefer to purchase items online and it is also creating an experience for customers that haven’t used the ASOS website before. The QR codes will also be available in the changing rooms with the virtual mirror. If a customer is unable to find the size of an item in the store they will be able to use the QR code to go online and purchase that item.
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QR Codes will be placed on all the swing tags and products in the shop.
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Scanning the QR Code on the back of the swing tags using a phone will take you directly to the ASOS website, which will allow the customer to view the item online to make a purchase.
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Virtual Mirror A feature of the pop-up shop that will attract much attention is the virtual mirror. Placed in the changing room, customers will be able to try on clothes and take pictures of themselves using the mirror instead of trying to do it themselves using camera phones. The picture can then be uploaded to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook allowing the customer to get feedback from their friends on the product. The virtual mirror also allows the customer to change their hairstyle adding a wig in different styles; they can also add shoes and change the lighting in the room. This feature of a virtual mirror is an aspect of future shopping. The future of technology and fashion is expanding increasingly and soon the virtual mirrors will be in more and more shops. Using the virtual mirror makes the pop-up shop special and unique and will act as a marketing tool to attract new customers. By using the virtual mirrors, ASOS not only creates an experience for their potential customers but it also attracts attention from shoppers who are wanting to experience these mirrors. The ASOS target market of females aged 18-30 are known users of social networking sites and these mirrors will appeal to them as they are able to show their friends their new outfit instantly! A negative comment about the ASOS website from customers, is that they can not try on their purchase to see how it fits, the ASOS pop-up shop alongside the virtual mirror will create an experience that the customer couldn’t receive online therefore creating a potentially larger customer base.
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Extras The atmosphere of the shop needs to be carefully considered to make sure it creates the right experience for the customer. ASOS.com customers usually make purchases in their comfort zone like their own homes. Here they feel relaxed and have no pressure from being in a store or from sales assistants. Therefore the ASOS pop-up shop needs to relax the customer too and make them enjoy the high street shopping experience. Every aspect of the online shopping experience needs to be duplicated in the pop-up shop to maintain the existing customer base. The lighting of the shop will differ in the ASOS BLACK section of the shop. The lighting needs to be darker, using soft lighting along side spot lights beaming onto the merchandise. The dark lighting will help create an evening experience which reflects the clothes in the ASOS BLACK section. Contrasting lighting will be used in the ASOS WHITE section, the bright lights will help show off the fabrics used in ASOS WHITE. Music in the shop will also create an atmosphere. The five senses have been considered for the shop, the visual sense, the sound, the smell, the ability to touch the items and taste. The appealing smell of the scented store will help attract the customers, and will act as part of the shopping experience. The touch sense will include the touch screen I-Pad’s used in the pop-up shop as well the experience of being able to touch the garments. These will also interlink with the visual sense.
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asos leaflet An information leaflet has been created for customers to take away from the pop-up shop and also read while visiting. The leaflet includes information about the pop-up shop, including the different sections, the inspiration and the different dates and locations. The information leaflet will act as a guide for the visitors as this is a new experience for both new and existing customers.
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Swing tag The swing tags that will be used in the pop-up shop are used to distinguish the two collections but will also include a QR code on the reverse side that allows the customer to scan the QR code and be taken to the correct page on the ASOS website. The swing tag design continues to follow the ASOS pop-up shop design using the black and white theme. The swing tag includes the pop-up shop logo along with the location of the shop printed on the front. Every item in the shop will be labelled using the swing tags and the two collections will be separated by acetate tags on the back of the swing tag stating which collection the item comes from. The QR code will be printed on the back of the swing tag and is a feature that is becoming more popular in retail. Using this unique feature keeps the pop-up shop ahead of ASOS’s other high street competitors. It also makes the pop-up unique and is a component that makes the pop-up special and also the feature is inviting to new and existing clientele.
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This image shows the ASOS pop-up shop swing tag in a garment. The customer will be able to tell which garment is from which collection, by the label on the swing tag and also the different colour ribbon.
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Shop Bag Every detail of the pop-up shop has to be carefully considered and made so that it makes the pop-up shop an unforgettable experience for the customer and also gain positive attention from the public that will lead to more online customers. The swing tags have been considered to make sure they work with the theme of the pop-up shop and create a high quality feel for the pop-up shop. The shop bag design is also an important feature of the shop. After a customer has visited the shop the shopping bag then acts as an advertising tool for the company. While a customer is walking around the streets of London, Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle, carrying around the ASOS pop-up shop shopping bag this will hopefully be attracting new customers that are interested in visiting the shop. The pop-up shop bag is a white paper bag with a black handle. Coming in three different sizes, the bag can even be used to carry small accessories. Printed on the front of the bag is the ASOS pop-up shop logo along with the location of the pop-up shop. The quality of the pop-up shop products is important to ASOS as they are creating a side of the brand that hasn’t been seen before by new and existing customers. Creating the right impression of the brand includes small essentials such as the shopping bag.
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The ASOS pop-up shop shopping bag, a luxury bag which also will be a advertsiing tool for the shop.
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Implementation The implementation of the pop-up shop will start 12 months before the opening of the first pop-up shop with the essential planning and viewing of properties. Eight months before the opening the venues will be booked and designed around the pop-up shop theme. The fixtures and fittings will need to be ordered seven months prior to the opening which will include the design of the virtual mirror and the shop installation inspired by Tobias Putrih. The next step of the shop’s implementation will be the marketing and advertising of the pop-up shop. ASOS.com has been a successful online shopping website for eleven years because of their marketing techniques. The pop-up shop will act as a further marketing technique that is inviting customers to view the products for the first time before purchase. It is also a chance to create new customers by attracting clientele that may not have been comfortable with online shopping before, therefore pleasing both new and old customers. The marketing and advertising will include billboards and bus advertisements as well as a look book and an ASOS information leaflet for customers to take away. The two months before the opening of the pop-up shop will include production and the visual merchandising of the shop.
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Customer Experience “The ASOS pop-up shop is created to be unique and special and inviting to new and existing clientele.” Every component of the pop-up shop needs to make the ASOS pop-up shop special, unique and inviting to new and existing clientele… The features like the virtual mirror and the I-Pad station are aspects of the pop-up shop that are inviting to new and existing customers. The virtual mirror allows the customers to experience new media technology. The mirror allows customers to take photos and upload them to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter; this feature is created to attract the ASOS target audience as 18 to 30 year olds use these features regularly. The shop needs to include unique features that can create an experience for each individual customer that visits the pop-up shops. This experience can be created from the virtual mirror, I-Pad station, the QR codes and the art installation that is installed in the shop. Each of these fixtures and fittings create different experiences for the different types of customers that the pop-up shop will attract. Branding is all about story telling, ASOS want the customers not only to buy the products and to want to come back, but for the customer to have a great time and to have taken away a new shopping experience. Every feature that is included in the pop-up shop is important for creating the right customer experience. ASOS realises the importance of making the customers feel comfortable in the new offline store.
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Which side are you?
Which side are you?