Month: September 2019

The prestigious sports brand FILA will begin an expansion process in Latin America where it will open 3 stores every year and at HMY we are prepared to accompany them throughout the design and conceptualisation process as we have done with the opening of its new Flagship Store.

Concept and design of the new FILA stores
This new flagship store, located on the second level of Unicenter Shopping in Buenos Aires, is therefore one of the brand’s most important spaces in the country.

For its design we have made use of visual communication and illuminated displays, among other elements, based on multimaterial manufacturing that combines traditional materials such as metal, acrylic and LED lighting, but also other premium materials such as Corian® and polished veneered wood.

Through this combination of materials and the chosen colours, we have sought to provide stores with a more urban style closer to the aesthetics of cities such as L.A., New York and Detroit with which their audience may identify more.

This new FILA store will feature a number of the brand’s classic and state-of-the-art models. The main highlights are its FW19 collection and the exclusive Disruptor 2 “Made in Italy” edition with only 3,000 of these trainers in existence in the world.

FILA’s expansion continues
After this new store in Argentina, FILA will continue its expansion process in Sao Paolo (Brazil). This new space in Buenos Aires thus becomes the foundation stone in this expansion process that will allow FILA to expand and gain a foothold in the region.

As a result of our ability to work in multiple countries, at HMY we provide “glocal” solutions that enable the brand to expand while maintaining the same aesthetics and consistency with which the public will have the same brand experience wherever they are.

Scalpers, a Spanish brand that was created as a fashion brand for men, recently launched its new Scalpers Woman line, with the aim of following the growth path and continuing to make inroads into new segments, as it did with children’s fashion.

After the great success with its men’s line, the brand has launched its women’s collection and has the support of HMY for its expansion, which began by developing two shop-in-shops in the Corte Inglés at Campo de las Naciones (Madrid) and Guadalajara.

Diversifying the brand while maintaining its essence

One of Scalpers’ main challenges, which we took on as our own, was to maintain the brand’s essence. The brand was created for men and this had to be transferred to a female audience; not only in terms of the collections, but also the sales spaces.

When designing these shops-in-shops we have worked on a concept that allows us to identify the brand, but also to bring it closer to its new target market with its women’s collection.

HMY consequently had the challenge of adapting the new brand manual to retail. To do this we have refined the look & feel, appealing to the female audience and playing with urban outdoor textures that contrast with the dark wood tones and interior materials that predominate in its men’s line.

Scalpers joins fashion for women

To maintain that gentleman style (or gentlewoman in this case) that is so characteristic of Scalpers, we needed to combine these exterior textures with interior elements, such as a wooden cabinet with cornice and a zipper to regulate the height of the shelves. We thus managed to create a setting that combined street elements with other characteristics of the privacy that a dressing room provides.

HMY has consequently become the ideal partner for this iconic Spanish brand. We have been able to create new sales spaces, aimed at a very different audience, and integrate them into existing ones, with that identity and brand philosophy that is so characteristic of Scalpers.

Over the last few decades and years, consumers have not only changed their buying habits, they have also changed their way of consuming and their values when choosing what and where to buy.

An increasingly important trend, which we must take into consideration, is that of bio and eco products. These types of products have become increasingly important in the space they occupy in commercial establishments and in the lives of customers.

France, at the head of the consumption of bio products

France is one of the countries in which this trend is strongest, ranking as the second country in Europe with the highest consumption of BIO products, according to a study by FiBL and IFOAM. France’s position with respect to its neighbours is largely due to the changes that the French have made to their eating habits. In fact, two thirds of the population in this country already buy at least one organic product per month, as indicated in 2018 by the “Baromètre consommation Agence Bio / CSA Research”.

Brands and retailers are adapting to this trend by offering a greater variety of these types of products and giving them greater prominence in their spaces. However, consumers go further than that, and not only try to eat and drink responsibly, but to participate and collaborate in a responsible sales and production chain, thus making manufacturers face up to their responsibilities.

Added to this is the increasing importance that they give to their nutrition to lead a healthier lifestyle. According to a Kantar study conducted in 2016, 79% of the French agree with this, with a growth of 20 points compared to 2012. This awareness has led consumers to look for healthier, organic, natural and ecological products.

Towards an eco-designed store model

At HMY, we are developing our solutions with the eco-design in mind. For example, we are limiting the number of materials in our products, using a large part of recyclable materials, such as wood and metal. We are also developing new products as steel distributors for bulk products.

At HMY we help you to create or adapt your store to turn it into an environmentally responsible space. This does not only mean an eco-design, because sustainable development forms part of our corporate values. We support you throughout the process, from the design to the installation.

Our three factories in France and the presence of our team throughout the country means that we can guarantee a local and sustainable response and provide our customers with a quality service.

To find out more about us, please take a look at our website to see more information about our solutions.

Bio products are booming and the trend is expected to increase. Consumers are aspiring to more sustainable consumption and seeking products that are good for their health, environmentally friendly and fair to the producer. Proof of this is the consumption of bio products has more than doubled in Europe in the last decade and according to Baromètre consommation Agence Bio / CSA Research published in January 2018, sales of bio foods are set to triple in the coming years.

One of the countries where this trend is most pronounced is France. Three out of four French people say they consume an organic product at least once a month. They are not only buying bio products, but also changing their habits by fighting food waste and prioritising bulk, local and seasonal products.

Adapting to an eco-responsible consumer

This change in behaviour by consumers implies brands and retailers must adapt, especially if we keep in mind that approximately half of the sales of bio products are made in supermarkets.

Players in the sector have already taken measures in this regard and are taking advantage of this boom. Stores specialising in bio products are being developed, adding environmental standards and proximity to the codes of the large supermarket chains. The latter have launched the offensive in several ways, by associating or acquiring specialists or developing their own brands (Casino and Naturalia, Carrefour and Carrefour bio).

Towards a more sustainable store and purchase model

The increase in the area dedicated to bio products in stores implies changes in terms of design and store concept. Given this scenario, HMY, which shares the same concern regarding sustainability as brands and retailers, is working to provide appropriate solutions, opting for eco-conception and using recyclable and reusable materials such as metal and wood.

The most successful are widening focusses far beyond their financial targets and incorporating company-wide practices that assist in achieving global, sustainable development goals.

Sustainability forms part of HMY’s commercial philosophy, and we strive to achieve environmental satisfaction for brands and retailers and their customers. When designing and developing any retail space, there are a number of key things to consider to ensure your shopfitting approach is as “green” as possible.

Firstly, thanks to advances in technology, retailers can go completely paperless – whether through offering digital receipts, as opposed to wasting paper, or incorporating digital signage into the store. HMY has developed a unique digital signage solution which allows the dissemination of promotional or commercial content in real time on store screens, enabling brands to customise content according to location and the promotional context.

Adopting technology and merging the online and offline experience in this way, means updating in-store displays is quicker and more efficient, while offering customers an enhanced and personalised customer experience.

Resourcefulness is vital for running a sustainable business and the choice of materials in retail is becoming increasingly important. Using raw and renewable materials means waste is significantly reduced. Recyclable items made from metals, woods and plastics, for example, can be turned into new products, saving the need for materials that can drain our natural resources down to dangerous levels.

As a testament to their commitment to sustainability, HMY has exclusively designed E-Bulk, the first bulk stainless steel furniture to offer its customers. This is the same price as plastic, whilst being widely recyclable and better for the environment, ultimately helping fight against food waste and overpacking, yet still very aesthetic and customisable.

Another simple way to reduce your business’ carbon footprint, is replacing traditional light bulbs with LED lighting. LEDs are known to be much more efficient as they use less energy and the low heat means there’s considerably less heat loss, which can result in wastage. These come in several models too, allowing for customisability.

Are you thinking about creating a more sustainable retail space? Get in touch today, to find out how we can help.

On several years now, consumer preferences and habits have been drastically changing. Along that line, one of the main trends, and one which is having a serious impact on the French market has been the consumers’ commitment to take care of themselves and eat healthier, as well as being more respectful to the environment and demanding that companies do the same.

As a result, more organic products are consumed every day and the fight against waste is gaining momentum, people chose to cook more often, use seasonal foods and reduce the use of certain types of less sustainable packaging, among many other incentives.

To respond to this trend, Jean–Albert Bureau and Anne–Christine Poisson created the Biomonde network, which began with the opening of a 120 m² organic store in the city of Cachan.

A global concept of the bio store

The organisation faced a complex challenge: they needed to create a store concept consistent with the values of the network, but that allowed the associate retailers to respect their own identity and preferences. That’s when they asked HMY to develop this project, the aim being, creating a global concept of a cosy, friendly and organic store that respects diversity.

HMY, with more than 60 years of expertise in the market, is accustomed to finding 360 solutions tailored for all its customers. In this case, we started the project by launching a research and analysis phase, which allowed us to propose a unique and strong identity. In addition to the need for an identity, there were other requirements such as having a design and furniture to display 3,000 products in the 120 m² of sales area, while making the space convenient for consumers.

A comprehensive approach to a 360° project in record time

The HMY team proposed a global concept that included several solutions such as furniture specifically designed to display fruits and vegetables in a small space, which adapts to seasonal products, makes it possible to hide boxes and show prices on small blackboards. We also worked on specific shelving, a rear counter (to display that day’s products), discreet but colourful signs that segment the different areas, and a carefully designed combination of lighting and use of materials.

Despite being a complex challenge, we were able to do it in just three months thanks to our experience, production capacity and the amazing work done entirely by members of our team. In addition, in line with the focus of the project, we also made it possible for the concept to have a sustainable approach since all the furniture was made in our French factories and installed locally by our own assembly teams.

Since it opened, the concept of the store has been very well received and, above all, the first measurable results have already been collected: traffic has increased and consumers are becoming more loyal.

Previous
Next