Display & Design Ideas - August 2009 - (Page 48)

48 | Think Tank Put yourself in the customer’s shoes t the start of almost every retail design project, there is often an expectation on the creative side that the client truly knows their customer. Questions like who buys, why they buy and how they buy should already be answered. An understandable formula defining all of this should be known and available. And if it were prepared and waiting at the first meeting—even better. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work out that way. In fact, what is realized early on is that the client thinks they know what’s inside the head of their customer—but all too often, they don’t. When this situation occurs, it’s best to accept it and move forward. Establishing an approach for gathering research with guidance from the client should be the next step. For a client who is honestly seeking a retail solution that will lead to more satisfied customers and increased sales, the following approach to getting answers and information should come as welcome news. A associates, and get a real sense of what’s happening on the street. Identify what works and what doesn’t, and keep listening. Many times, the ideas that make a successful design are directly inspired by first-hand accounts from people who were interviewed at the store level. Step 1: Stay focused. The objective in developing and designing retail solutions is that those solutions stay focused on delivering more inviting, more efficient and more positive customer experiences with greater profitability always acting as the driver. Bringing about intuitive and engaging customer experiences requires thoughtful investigation and a fresh perspective. Step 4: Shop the competition. Often the information from clients is skewed or dated. So once again, get out into the field, and in addition to knowing what’s happening in the client’s store, find out what’s happening in their competitor’s store. Design teams should visit a sampling of competitive store locations around the country to get a broader view of approaches, industry standards and new trends. Step 2: Talk to field generals. Regional “boots on the ground” managers should be sought out for interviews via a list of critical questions that have been established. You often discover that the most astute feedback does not come from company headquarters, but from a field person living the mission of the company— every day—in a retail store. These people need to be selected as interview candidates. The results, following careful analysis, will lead to insights that ultimately drive design solutions. Step 5: Make it great and make it affordable. This exploration should be guided by the overriding precept that great solutions can also be cost-effectively implemented. The final solution has to drive measurable results, e.g., increased traffic, increased sales and increased profit per square foot. And finally, when all is said and done, the successful end-result will have been driven by the experiences that were had in the field, the questions that were asked, the answers that were candidly given, and the ideas that were generated and implemented by the designers working on the project. Putting yourself in the shoes of the customer is about becoming the customer—and it’s also about becoming the associate who engages the customer. It’s about immersing yourself in a retail experience and then coming up with a way to make it better. And this benefits everyone—the client, the sales associate and, ultimately, the customer. —Robert L. Holdsworth is president and CEO of Wheelhouse, a retail design and strategy group based in Atlanta. The company has extensive experience in the home décor industry, with clients including Lowe’s, Kohler and Mohawk Industries. Contact him at bob.holdsworth@wheelhouseretail.com. Step 3: Become the customer. Put your assumptions aside, and with questions in hand, go out into the field. Meet and talk with the people who are most familiar with the products or services that you are researching. Interact with customers and sales |ÊÊAug ustÊ2009 www.ddimagazine.com http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Display & Design Ideas - August 2009

Display & Design Ideas - August 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Consumer Insights
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Barbie Shanghai
Channel Focus: Alternative Retail
Store Windows Showcase
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Preview: DDI Forum 2009
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

Display & Design Ideas - August 2009