Feature

The shop floor as an experience hub

Hilary Bradley, Client Services Director, Undercurrent

The pandemic has driven a record number of people online. Any consumers that had been resisting online shopping have likely tried it out of necessity by now. The general feeling is that the convenience – an easy way to browse a wider range of products and fast delivery – can’t be rivalled instore, meaning physical retail has to offer something different to keep shoppers coming back.

Consumers’ expectations for physical retail have been steadily rising. Westfield, in its How We Shop: The Next Decade report unveiled that 59% of shoppers expect the majority of retail space to be dedicated to offering up experiences by 2025. The estimated figure rises to 75% by 2027. A towering 81% of customers globally said they’re willing to pay more for experiences, proving the retail tipping point will drive revenue growth for experiential retailers in the future.

The edge of retail stores

Physical retail offers multi-sensory experiences for customers that cannot be replicated online. This can be attained by using a mix of mediums such as textures, lighting, sounds and smells that embody the brand, and awaken shoppers’ senses.

Paramount to the physical stores of the future is building an atmosphere that encourages exploration and heightens the shopping experience beyond browsing products, such as offering customers the opportunity to play, learn and share their experiences with their wider circle. Therefore, product displays need to evolve from purely functional to those that are visually interesting and convey a brand’s aesthetic. The Instagram generation, after all, expect to be wowed by branded environments.

Transforming shop floors to experience spaces

Offering experiences at scale is no mean feat. Brands and retailers need to prioritise the experiential channel and include it as part of their quarterly planning. By carving out a space within the retail footprint specifically for experiences, they can make it an integral part of the store planogram and refresh it alongside new seasonal collections. This will enable them to create a shared connection with their customers by opening up a two-way conversation where they feel encouraged to explore the store.

Integral to this is using innovative technology to extend experiences and create magic within the store. Immersive tech, such as augmented reality (AR), merges traditional and digital advertising tactics to fully engross the consumer. When used correctly, the retail space itself can be transformed and changed in unimaginable and exciting ways.

AR triggers can be embedded in the store to ensure it is an exclusive interaction for customers. A prime example is the Nike and LeBron James activation in Foot Locker’s ‘House of Hoops’ in Hollywood, California, in partnership with Snapchat.

Interactive panels and mirrors can further bring AR into retail environments by providing customers with real-time evaluations of how a particular product will look on them. These mirrors can further be used to communicate with staff to request different sizes, colours or ask for alternative style suggestions. In Zara’s flagship Westfield Stratford store in London, interactive mirrors equipped with RFID can detect the item a customer is holding and make outfit suggestions, enabling customers to see what a complete outfit will look like in the mirror.

Using your physical presence

Tech alone is not enough. Brands need to use their physical footprint as a hub for highly targeted events that will appeal to their customers and keep drawing them back. At Undercurrent, we partnered with Pandora to create a series of events that would help engage a younger audience, using their flagship store on Oxford Street.

The Pandora Lounge was a series of free acoustic gigs featuring female artists like Ella Eyre, Pixie Lott and Gabrielle Aplin. Up to 500 Pandora customers could queue for free tickets, while the gigs were also broadcast online and in the shop windows to extend the reach.

Following the success of these events we extended the programme to include influencer styling classes, inspirational talks from female icons like chef Loraine Pascale, and celebrity-led Christmas campaign launches.

TK Maxx have taken a similar approach by using quarterly events to

draw customers in-store. They recently partnered with Grazia for the ‘Give up clothes for Good’ campaign, which they launched with an in-store event delivered by Undercurrent and hosted by Laura Whitmore. Customers were invited instore to an event about sustainability and everyone was encouraged to donate an item of clothing.

It’s important to consider the local communities they will serve when scaling this across a retail footprint. Consumers are done with cookie cutter retail experiences and expect stores to reflect their surroundings. Localisation is key to remaining relevant and inspiring customers to support the high street.

Retail stores should look at investing in signage that champions the local area and shows pride at being a part of it. Using campaign imagery with local backdrops or even just including the areas’ name will strike the right chord with consumers.

Consider carving out an area in-store to stock and showcase local brands, a collaboration with a smaller supplier will show investment in the community and build brand love with shoppers. In-store events that highlight local inspirational people or charities is also a great way of building a supportive audience.

Following the 2020 and 2021 nationwide lockdowns, it’s safe to say that shoppers have had a positive experience of shopping online. Luring them back in-store will not be easy and it will involve offering them something they cannot get through their screens. Transforming the shop floor into more than a show room is not just important, but the only solution if the high street is to survive.

www.undercurrent.uk.net

keeping in touch: The long awaited return of face-toface meetinGs

Antony Behiels, Director, SDEA

We are now a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and have grown accustomed to working from home and attending virtual meetings. Yet in this fully connected digital landscape the question on many peoples lips is ‘when will we get back to face-to-face meetings?’ The tangible aspect of our industry has always meant that face-to-face meetings and exhibitions are incredibly important: in-person viewing and touching products, options and prototypes that will be used in physical environments should never be overlooked.

But it’s not just about viewing products, a well-planned, structured and organised meeting can save your company time and money. This sits perfectly alongside another highly crucial factor: building strong relationships. A study by Great Business Schools found that 85% of business leaders believed in-person meetings and conferences build stronger, more meaningful business relationships. Even the renowned technology genius Steve Jobs believed that face-to-face meetings were essential, stating: “There’s a temptation in our networked age to think that ideas can be developed by email and iChat. That’s crazy. Creativity comes from spontaneous meetings, from random discussions.”

With this in mind, the SDEA alongside Retail Focus have revamped and relaunched their highly successful meet the buyer event for 2021, creating Creative Design & Display Connections (CDDC). A one day event packed full of one-to-one meetings, insightful seminars and early evening networking to build the strongest business relationships possible. Taking place on 23rd September at Bounce, Old Street, London, the day will provide an indispensable opportunity for attendees to meet face-to-face with high level design and display professionals from retail, hospitality and leisure.

www.cddconnections.com

SCAN TO find out more

products FLOORING

IDS

The LiViT LVT flooring range from IDS combines a high performance specification, design and competitive price point. The range offers seven oak plank designs of 178mm x 1244mm and three rigid tile designs of 303mm x 607mm. Both are easy to install thanks to patented I4F click technology, are slip resistant, easy to clean and are compatible with water piped underfloor heating. LiViT offers a 5-year warranty for light commercial use and is available for 24-48 hour delivery from all IDS branches nationwide.

T.+44 (0)8457 298 298 E: info@idsurfaces.co.uk www.idsurfaces.co.uk

IDS

The characterful look of reclaimed flooring can be easily created with the popular Brada designs, part of the Malmo™ Senses Multi-Width luxury vinyl tile collection. Malmo™ Senses features the latest registered and embossed technology where the printed design is in line with the surface texture, enabling the material to perfectly mirror the look and feel of real wood. The Brada multi-width designs are part of the 12-strong Malmo™ Senses LVT range available for 24-48 hour delivery from all IDS branches nationwide.

T.+44 (0)8457 298 298 E: info@idsurfaces.co.uk www.idsurfaces.co.uk

BOLON

With our new and improved sound insulation layer, our design flooring is becoming an even better acoustic choice for premises such as retail, hotels, offices and public spaces. The innovative improvement of the flooring’s sound insulating performance can be found in the design. An insulation felt layer has been added to reduce noise and sound impact up to 21-22 dB, making Bolon market leading in woven design flooring with this feature.

T.+44 844 561 0918 E:sales@flooring-concepts.co.uk www.bolon.com

PRODUCTS SELECTION SELECTION

Troldtekt

Danish manufactured Troldtekt panels are commonly specified throughout the UK and Europe to improve the interior acoustic environment. Troldtekt® line forms nine acoustic solutions that make up the “design solutions” range which combines the best ideals of form and function. Founded on the Cradle to Cradle design concept, 100% Troldtekt’s natural wood wool panels are manufactured in a new state-of-the-art production facility. With a variety of different surfaces and colours, they can be supplied in the FSC® 100% category (FSC®C115450) contributing to a building’s BREEAM, DGNB and LEED rating. In addition to their high sound absorption and tactile surface, the panels offer high durability and low cost life cycle performance, as well as inherent sustainability. They are also a natural, breathable material which can absorb and release moisture, which is why they have been awarded an Allergy Friendly Product Award by Allergy UK.

T.+44 (0)1978 664255 W. www.troldtekt.co.uk

Armourcoat

Decorative specialists Armourcoat have provided the finishing touches to The Soak, a new bar and restaurant next to London’s Victoria Station with an all-day menu that is built around signature soaked flavours through fermenting, pickling, brining and steeping techniques. Armourcoat’s Koncrete polished plaster finish is used to great effect on the bar front with recessed logo. Koncrete is an urban range of polished plaster colours and finishes designed for contemporary projects. The range offers a wealth of design options to achieve a distinctive modern look including distressed effects or recessed ‘shutter’ markings. Outside the building, Armourcoat PPX has been used to repeat the restaurant logo design. PPX is a low maintenance, durable external limestone render system that can create stunning honed and textured stone like finishes for both new build and renovation projects.

T.+44 (0) 1732 460668 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk. www.armourcoat.com Twitter: @armourcoat

Flooring + Surfaces

FAAC Entrance Solutions

Following the completion of the EUR 100 million acquisition by the Italian multinational FAAC Group earlier this year, 7 European divisions of Assa Abloy Entrance Systems and Agta Record (also part of the ASSA ABLOY Group) are now being rebranded as FAAC Entrance Solutions. As part of the EU Commission approved purchase, FAAC Entrance Solutions UK Limited will be the sole supplier of all ASSA ABLOY branded automatic pedestrian door products in the United Kingdom, including swing, slide and revolving door systems and operators. The UK division (Auto Pedestrian Doors Limited Registration No. 1256207), based in Sunbury-On-Thames – has now been rebranded as FAAC Entrance Solutions UK Limited. The transaction doesn’t represent any operational changes to management, staffing, services, or product offering. The legal entities registration number remains unchanged. The new identity roll out will start on 30th of November and will be completed in 2021.

www.assaabloyentrance.co.uk/en/products/automaticdoors/

PowrPOD

PowrPods are unique charging stations, delivering increased footfall for businesses such as salons, restaurants, or retail outlets. Not only do they solve a perennial problem for consumers, low battery anxiety, but the PowrApp app also directs consumers to their nearest local charging station, and can promote vendor special offers. This is a key way to drive more consumers into businesses. Sponsored pods are currently in place at various locations in the UK, including universities, where the pods have proved a huge success with sponsored brands and students. Lauren Jade Adams, Founder of PowrPod, said that: “Everyone is suffering now due to the dire economic consequences of the pandemic. Our charging solutions provide an essential service for people on the go and helps increase footfall into businesses in a safe and controlled manner and generating a much-needed new revenue stream for the vendor.” Each PowrPod is a custom-made, high-tech table that is supplied with a range of comfortable seating, super-fast Qi wireless charging pads and charging cables, a touchfree hand sanitiser dispenser and an 18.5” LED digital advertising screen. The Bar Call app is a digital ordering system that is based on consumer input and feedback.

E: info@powrpod.co.uk www.powrpod.co.uk Twitter: PowrUpClub

Clara Delmuns

Spanish fashion label Desigual have launched their first 100 per cent sustainably-produced collection called ‘Love the World’. Retail Focus hosts a Q&A with Clara Delmuns, Desigual Product Director, to discuss the collection and how the brand is fully committed to a sustainable future.

RF. How important is sustainability to Desigual as a brand?

CD. For Desigual, sustainability has been one of the main priorities of our business strategy since its origins. In fact, our first garment created in 1984 by Thomas Meyer, Desigual’s founder, was the Iconic Jacket, a denim jacket made from pieces of vintage jeans that can be considered one of the fashion industry’s first upcycled garments. From then on, sustainability has been integrated in the brand’s operations and philosophy under the name “Love the World”. It encompasses all the actions performed by Desigual in line with its social and environmental commitments.

In 2020, aiming to accelerate these commitments, Desigual launched its 2020-2023 Sustainability and CSR strategic Plan. It focuses on six working areas: product, suppliers, environment, human resources, customers, and community; and is aligned with the UN SDGs.

This plan brought new objectives for the next three years in terms of our carbon footprint, the use of sustainable fibres, plastics and the supply chain.

With regard to our carbon footprint, we aim to make a 25% reduction by 2025 and become a carbon-neutral company by 2050. As for sustainable fibres, Desigual is working to incorporate up to 30% sustainable fibres in its collections by the end of 2021, increasing the percentage to 50% by 2023. Moreover, the brand is committed to removing single-use plastics from product packaging by 2021 and to using 100% more-sustainable cotton by 2025. Also, with the objective of achieving a responsible supply chain, in 2021 we will continue to increase our transparency by making our list of Tier 2 audited factories public (in 2020 we published our list of Tier 1 factories).

RF. Is this the first 100% sustainable collection from Desigual? Why now? Why launch in 2021?

CD. No, Desigual has launched other sustainable collections before. In 2019, Desigual partnered with Ecoalf, another Spanish fashion brand, to launch an entire collection made from recycled materials. Also, as part of the spring-summer 2020 collection, we launched a capsule collection designed in collaboration with Spanish artist Miranda Makaroff which was made from 100% organic fabrics. The main part of this collection was also comprised of 11% sustainable fibres. This percentage rose to 20% in the fall-winter 2020 collection.

The Love The World collection is aligned with Desigual’s strategy of increasing the sustainable materials used in its collections, while also incorporating sustainable criteria in the entire life cycle of the brand’s products. A declaration of principles which establishes the company’s future objectives as part of its commitment to a sustainable fashion production model that respects both people and the planet. And, at the same time, a collection that’s 100% committed to sustainability.

RF. Is sourcing 100% sustainable fabrics/trims a challenge?

CD. Desigual’s commitment to manufacturing a 100% sustainable product range includes the selection process for raw materials, which is why the company has a Raw Material Department. It aims to supervise and ensure that both the selected suppliers and the materials being used meet the brand’s requirements.

Desigual also collaborates with international organisations, like the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). We are also part of The Fashion Pact. Through these alliances, the brand is strengthening sustainable and ethical production and increasing the use of sustainable fibres and materials, such as more-sustainable cotton.

RF. What new sustainability innovations should we expect from this collection?

CD. Desigual’s new collection is composed of 100% sustainable garments that are made from organic, eco-friendly and recycled fibres. It is a permanent collection that will be renewed during the year. This means that Desigual will be adding new sustainably produced garments under “Love the World” name.

Another new feature is that all the Upcycling capsule collection’s garments (part of the Love The World collection) are denim patchwork, inspired by the Iconic Jacket, the first Desigual garment which was made in the same way and from the same materials.

Desigual has also recently manufactured other sustainable collections, such as the Camoflower capsule made entirely from Tencel and the beachwear collection made almost completely from recycled fibres. In addition, the brand has launched its “Better Cotton Initiative denim” made from more sustainable cotton.