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Category: Shopfitting

The Human Project

Posted on by Ana Fernández

It is evident that, at times, we forget that those who enter our stores are not just visitors and that those who buy from stores are not just customers. They are all people like you who read this article, or like me who wrote it.

Each person is unique, and not by their ID (identification number) or their account number, but by their emotions, thoughts and desires.

HMY is a group of people who make stores for people. We want every experience that is created in the spaces we design to be as unique as the people who visit them. We know that when two people enter a store, the intentions and desires of one can be (and surely are) very different from those of the other. That is why we create spaces in which all intentions and desires fit. We create spaces not for our clients, but for the people who will visit them.

The Human Project: humanizing the store experience

At HMY, we launched The Human Project, a new concept to humanize retail and remember that stores are a space for interaction between people where wishes and desires are fulfilled.

It is a vision in which we want to put people in the center. Not only to the client, not only to visitors, not only to our audience as abstract entities, but to people in a unique and individual way.

Discover a new experience in EuroShop

At EuroShop 2020 we want to take this opportunity to introduce each and every one of you this concept. You can visit the different spaces that we have created with different solutions adapted to the diverse needs that people have when they enter a store.

Find out firsthand by visiting us in Hall 13 Stand A47. We will be waiting for you and looking forward to speaking with you to get to know you better.

Digital Transformation in Retail: 3 key aspects and applications

Posted on by Ana Fernández
·         Digital transformation is not a goal, but a means to achieve omnichannel retailing in the point of sale. 
·         Corporate culture, understanding our customers and choosing a partner who knows how to guide us through the implementation of technologies in the Retail field are the key elements required for successful digitalisation.
·         Digital signage is just one of the possibilities of digitalisation in retailing. This tool, if used correctly, gives rise to new possibilities and dimensions to communicate with customers in our shop. 

The State of the Art in the digitalisation in retailing

Digitalisation does not consist in installing screens, even if they are connected to a computer and open a window to a browser within the brand/retailer e-commerce platform.

Adopting this approach is only scratching the surface, which often results in spaces full of screens with generic messages, without storytelling that conveys a global experience for customers or, in the worst-case scenario, switched off.

Is it mandatory to digitalise points of sale?

No, it is not mandatory. There are analogue ways that are perfectly valid, such as lightboxes. However, the problem is that only a few of those who want or need to digitalise their stores are aware of how they can digitalise their point of sale and, especially, how to measure the ROI of such technological integration at the point of sale. 

‘Retailers with extensive experience measure digitalisation based on their ROI (Return on Investment). Any investment made (which can scare those who are unaware of these solutions) must be measurable against objectives. These objectives are not only sales targets, but also conversions of products which are not available at the store, a service improvement (such as self-checkout machines), creating databases, etc.

Annja Mostrup, Sales and Marketing Manager at HMY.

 
The purpose: achieving omnichannel integration in retail

As everything in the Retail industry, digitalisation starts and ends with consumers: 

·         For the customer, the experience is more then ever an attraction and plays a part in the purchase decision.
·         Experience means interaction, content, information, and of course: technology Technology as a driver of integration,
·         An integration that leads to omnichannel retailing, which is a reality in consumers’ habits.

We must remember that consumers do not seek to interact with points of sale, but with brands. However, they want to interact with brands capable of turning the purchase into an integrated experience with multiple channels.

There are many tools we can use to achieve this purpose, such as digital signage, which is one of the multiple elements of digitalisation. Although this does not necessarily turn it into a way of omnichannel retailing. Omnichannel retailing does not consist in grouping elements or products, but in ensuring the convergence of experiences and services.

This brings to light the 3 main challenges of digitalisation:

1.- We must define the objectives and possibilities of our business 

In many cases (although fewer and fewer), not being aware of what can be achieved through a correct omnichannel integration in retail, the technologies required and how to outline and implement this strategy, makes some points of sale limited to this basic layer where visual communication is replaced by digital signage.

What are our business goals?
Which type of customer will use the different technologies available?
Which products and families are most suitable to start a pilot?

These and many other questions should be part of the analysis preceding the creation of the strategy, design and implementation of products and technologies.

2.- What is the real degree of digitisation of our consumers? Customers

By digitalising a point of sale, we can:

·         Optimise sale and back-office processes 
·         Obtain real-time data through Retail Analytics
·         And, of course, improve the customer experience. 

This improvement is based, among other factors, on consumers’ interaction with space and with the experiences proposed by the brand. 

No matter how advanced and developed an omnichannel integration strategy may be, it would achieve nothing if customers are not considered as the starting point. 

·         Are they used to technology at the point of sale? 
·         What do they expect from points of sale? 
·         How much effort does it take to interact with the sales space?

Designing an experience that consumers understand, making it accessible without effort or even having to think about it and correctly defining their Customer Journey, is the second step in preparing the digitalisation strategy or designing an omnichannel retailing consulting project.

3.- Who can develop a comprehensive project? The 360º shopfitting supplier

Omnichannel integration requires the support of an expert supplier, not only for the installation, adaptation of standard solutions, scalability, etc., but also to initially develop a retail consulting process needed to define the digitalisation strategy, experience and design of the point of sale.

We must not forget that no matter how important technology is, it is one more factor of the relationship with customers and the brand, but not the only one.

Therefore, it is critical to go beyond a solution installer. If possible, the technology partner should also be an expert in retail, so that they understand retail from all perspectives. The goal is to truly integrate omnichannel retailing into the brand experience, and not just to install technology at the points of sale.

Success cases

For your inspiration: 3 implementations of a correct omnichannel transformation we have carried out in recent years

Success case1: Forum Sport

https://youtu.be/iEQi1vVICpw   

Success case2: Vodafone
https://youtu.be/aPpCp2EahaU  

Success case 3: Adopt’ 
https://youtu.be/HaieD8Xvf94

Do you have a digitalisation project for your points of sale? We are sure we can help you! Contact link.

Digital signage: the (not so new) way to connect with customers in retail

Posted on by Ana Fernández

Main points:

 

  • What is digital signage and what do you need to implement it successfully, ensuring the maximisation of your ROI.
  • How to outline a digital signage strategy for your points of sale and avoid switched off screens, additional workloads for your store staff or a bad investment.

Digital signage is a content, technology and integration at the point of sale system that allows us to interact with consumers. This definition includes the three elements we must take into account for our investment to be effective and have a positive return.

As we mentioned in our article on the evolution of visual communication towards digital signage, the following key aspects must be taken into account in the projects consisting in the integration of visual communication strategies at the point of sale:

  1.  The ultimate goal is to build a relationship with customers, not to create confusion due to excessive promotion or information. 
  2. The displays we install in our stores will only attract consumers if they positively add to their experience at the point of sale.
  3.  You do not modernize your point of sale just by placing LCD or LED displays. Without a professional strategy behind that defines goals in terms of business and customer experience, the ROI of our digital signage will only be signage. 

 

What do you need to implement digital signage in your points of sale?

Digital signage is one of the most consolidated aspects of digital transformation in retail. Integrating digital signage in your points of sale requires:

1. Strategy and content

  • Understanding how to merge in-store customer experience with your business goals. 
  • Drawing’ the traffic map for the sales area, the hot spots, the spaces where customers stay longest, where will a display add value and how can this be used in the general strategy of your business
  • Having the capacity to enter valuable content into our system. 

Obviously, placing a display on the shop window helps to attract customers inside, but what about once they get inside the store? As we said, ‘making it look more modern’ is OK, but this is something basic, especially when digital signage could not only ‘modernise’ our environment, but also become a means of communication with direct and remote control.

2. Content management platform

A display with a USB input cannot be considered as digital signage. In most cases where the retailer believes that a USB with 2 or 3 videos is ‘enough’, these displays end up switched off, becoming black boxes in the middle of the store, thus not getting value from the money invested.

Priority should be given to providing the system with ‘autonomy’. This means integrating a content management platform that allows uploading and programming videos, images or dynamic promotions remotely and in just a few clicks, avoiding dependence on store staff, whose main duties are not to remember to ‘turn on and connect USBs’.

If you have more than one point of sale or multiple displays, you will need to have centralised control over the same online platform, to manage offers and messages based on sections and centres.

Platform screenshots

 3. Let’s talk about displays

 

Displays purchased from a consumer electronics store for private use are unlikely to be switched on all day without suffering a breakdown after a few months, mainly because not all displays are ready for this type of use. 

In a professional digital signage environment, we find a range of displays and technologies that involve a higher initial cost, but offer a higher return over time, since they do not breakdown as a result of their daily use. 

How to choose a digital poster, digital technology and digital signage

The most common variables we must consider are:

  • LED or LCD

The two most established technologies. LED is the most common option if more brightness or large format signage is required. 

LCD allows for greater definition and realism at a lower cost and distance.

  • Brightness and glare

Regardless of whether you use LED or LCD displays, the second aspect thanks to which professional displays stand out, besides the technology of the panel itself, is that they offer MUCH more brightness than private displays. This aspect should be taken into account, not only when thinking about their use outdoors but because the higher the brightness and the better the response to glare (from interior lighting, for instance), the easier it will be to see the content.

  • Touch screens?

This decision will obviously depend on the content available, but if we want users to interact with the point of sale, touch screens will be the best option. We will need guaranteed lifespans and facilitated integrations.

  • Time of continuous use

‘Commercial’ or professional displays must guarantee a minimum of 12 hours of continuous use with no risk of breakdown. 24 hours of continuous use is also a standard.

  • Low power consumption

With sustainability at the point of sale and retail and energy efficiency as a hallmark, there are more and more options for commercial displays that consume less energy than those for private use.

One of the best digital signage integration success stories we have developed at HMY is that of Clapés. Check this link to find out more about it.

 Can digital signage be an option to increase revenue at your points of sale? 

We are sure we can help you! Contact link.

How has visual communication in retail evolved? From photography to digitalisation

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • How we should understand signage and how printing, backlighting and digital signage are related to each other.
  • When should we choose one format over another, and what we can achieve with each one.

 

In the beginning, there was a sign…

This is not the beginning of a drawn-out story. Rather, we want to focus on the most important thing about this article: the purpose of audiovisual communication.

 The answer is that visual communication is what guides customers through a space such as a store. And unlike what multiple examples might lead us to believe, it is not just about advertising promotions and discounts. Visual communication is an important part of the relationship with customers in retail.

 The need to establish relationships with customers in-store has guided the evolution of visual communication both in terms of materials and platforms. This has led us to the digital signage and commercial LED screens that we can see at sales points but, do “old” formats have a place in modern retail or do they need to be updated?

 The iconographic sign

 The relationship between businesses and customers did not start with text signs. Literacy was not the norm in the early days of commerce. So, how would a smithy advertise their presence, for example? By hanging a horseshoe at the entrance to the business, and a big one if possible so that it could be seen from afar.

 This explains the evolution of visual communication and the path that it has followed ever since: creating images that will catch the eye of customers.

 

From materials to the use of illuminated signs

Intending to increase the level of spectacle, visual communication became more and more elaborate. The higher the quality of materials and technique (ornamentation, engraving, wood, metal, mechanical constructions, etc.), the greater the prestige of the business. Its purpose? To attract customers with the promise of novelty and quality.

These decisions have shaped the design of visual communication today. There are great specialists and entire departments dedicated to merchandising for retail, the different formats that are used to catch the attention of consumers, selecting materials according to the message that people want to communicate, etc.

“At HMY, the Consultancy and Design department works on these variables, in collaboration with Estudios Durero, helping and guiding clients design visual communication, select materials, and produce and install them”.

Ángel Manrique, Visual Communication Manager at HMY.

 The limits of how spectacular a sign, advertisement, or image can be are limited by whether it is intended to be static, and how dependent it is on external light.

 LED signage and lightboxes

 Attempts to push the envelope started with adding light. This led to the birth of signs with LED lights or neon lights to increase visibility, as well as the widely known lightboxes. 

These formats make images or signs more eye-catching, emitting more light to draw customer’s attention regardless of ambient light. 

 Two basic concepts which are important to know to understand how and when to use these formats:

  • In shop windows, to balance the daylight or in cities where legislation limits the installation of street-facing screens.
  • In interiors to indicate different sections (guiding consumers) and delimit specific areas or points.

 

Digital signage, why, when, and how?

Digital signage was born of the need for a level of spectacle that visual communication (lightboxes included) could not meet: moving images, changing environments, action.

But does dynamism mean it is always “better”?

 Even though this article explains the key points for correct digital signage in retail strategy, it is important to understand when and how to integrate digital signage at sales points to make it a profitable investment. 

 This objective can be used to create a checklist:

  1. How often will the content change? Creating audiovisual content is more expensive than still images (even though there are ways to make it cheaper).
  2. Is VIDEO content updated regularly enough so that it is not out of date?
  3. Is there a content management system for commercial screens, or can it be updated with a USB storage device managed by employees?
  4. Where do we want to install it? Will it detract from other sections or products in its surrounding or would it go unnoticed because there are too many other competing visual elements nearby?
  5. And most important of all: what value does it add for the consumer? Because as we already explained, digital signage at the sales point is not about constant bombardment of offers, but about establishing a relationship with the consumer.

 Are you working on the digitalisation of your sales spaces? We can help you! Contact link

Key elements for expanding retail and point-of-sale formats

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • Which retail formats should be considered in an expansion strategy?
  • How does each point of sale format respond to the business objectives of a brand or retailer?

In recent years, brands and retailers have fostered huge professionalisation in their expansion and marketing departments use of physical points of sale.

 This professionalisation has led them to use stores not only as sales tools but also as systems in a more complex and complete brand strategy. A change that has given rise to the birth of new formats of commercial spaces and the reinvention of the existing ones.

 Opportunities that previously had the sole objective of ‘selling’ now play much more complex roles and seek additional benefits that position the brand and build long term customer loyalty.

 Therefore, decisions regarding the location, design, complexity, quality of materials, technologies, or importance of new points of sale are guided by the business objective pursued within the company’s global strategy.

Some of these may be:

  • Analysis of business opportunities in new local markets.
  • Brand expansion.
  • Brand positioning.
  • Customer loyalty.
  • Extending the commercial network to new geographies within a specified period.
  • Etc.






What are the advantages for big brands in opening mega stores or flagships? What is more profitable for a brand, a shop-in-shop, or a corner? What role can pop-up stores play in your brand strategy?

The guide ‘Key elements for expanding retail and point-of-sale formats’ reflects on the expansion strategies that brands and retailers are currently using. You will find the keys to understanding what role each type of commercial space can play in the expansion projects of companies dedicated to large-scale consumption.

A document that will help guide decisions on how much, how, where, and when to invest in creating new points of sale for your brand or improving existing ones.

  • Flagship stores. One of the main trends in retail today.
  • The common concept stores that we are used to. What role do they play in omnichannel retail?
  • Corners or shop-in-shops. Formats with a lot of potential beyond the sale.
  • Displays and stands. A way to highlight your brand…or even other sales channels.
  • Pop-up stores. Are they a suitable format if your brand already has its stores?

Find out all the keys in this guide!


Download it for free

We present the first Shopfitting Guide, the professionalisation of the sector

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • We present the first document that compiles the methodology of retail expansion projects.
  • This guide combines our 60 year experience in creating retail spaces and manufacturing commercial equipment for all sectors.
  • Introduces the trends that will dominate retail in 2021.

 

From retail, for retail

2020 has been a year full of events, new events and even events that have disappeared as we knew them. After everything we have been through, not only should we look ahead and move forward, but we also need to reflect.

As a result, at HMY we have been thinking over the last few months about how to better serve our customers and develop solutions to protect them, but also about the status of the retail sector.

Our first conclusion is that, despite being one of the most complex sectors, the one that integrates the most disciplines and professions (engineers, trades, craftsmen and designers, project and logistics coordinators, marketing, sales and assistance experts, etc.), retail is highly fragmented in terms of its approach.

There are no homogeneous criteria regarding brands’ and retailers’ expansion projects. As a result, each company integrates its own strategies managed by different profiles and teams, such as the procurement, marketing, expansion, trade or merchandising departments.

Any of these approaches is correct, as retail is an essential part of the strategy of companies, which responds to different objectives from time to time. There is probably no single pathway to success, as long as that path follows a strategy and methodology inherent to retail projects.

A methodology that until now was ‘unwritten’.

It is only recently that business schools have begun to incorporate degrees and majors in shopfitting projects. Therefore, our second reflection this year is focused on training. Should methodologies be created? Do we need to generate and share the ‘Best Practices’ of this sector, which is often stagnant and fragmented?

This is why we have created the first Shopfitting Guide. This guide seeks to convey our experience of over 60 years, turning companies’ retail projects into a reality, sharing our knowledge and everything we have learned thanks to our clients.








This guide includes:

  • Our approach to retail in 2020-2021.
  • A reflection on the status of the retail sector and the opportunity it faces to transform society.
  • The phases included in a 360º shopfitting project, both to carry out complete expansion projects and to improve current commercial equipment.
  • An overview of all the trades involved in the creation of commercial equipment for a retail point of sale.
  • The cross-sector elements that must be present in a retail expansion project.
  • The trends that will dominate retail in 2021.

We hope you find this guide useful, so that, based on your own approach and on the guide, you can build projects that involve a change not only in the retail sector, but also in society.


Download the new Shopfitting guide

Download the new Shopfitting guide

Why are Project Managers a key part of shopfitting projects?

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • Project Managers play an essential role in ensuring the smooth development of retail projects. They anticipate problems and coordinate the different stages of the project.
  • The greater the complexity of the retail project, the greater the need for a role that defines and supervises the best work methodology.

 

What are Project Managers?

Project Managers are a key figure in shopfitting and retail expansion projects. They are responsible for controlling the information and making sure the project is carried out as efficiently as possible. 

Their tasks include:

  • Analysing and defining the costs of the whole project.
  • Anticipating and minimising setbacks.
  • Coordinating all the stages of the project.

Project Managers are so important in all sectors that one of the most renowned certifications in the business world is the PMP (Project Management Professional) awarded by the Project Management Institute. The extremely high quality standards of this international institution are practically considered as an MBA for those who receive this certification.

 Almost all sectors entrust Project Managers with their projects, from IT companies to public bodies. Of course, this process includes the subject we are dealing with: shopfitting projects. 

At HMY, we consider this certification as an industry standard. This is why our Project Managers hold this certification, or work according to the methodology of the Project Management Institute.

 

“In many cases, Project Managers become the Brand Custodians, the reference to the brand within the organisation and the ones in charge of guaranteeing the service and quality level of the deployment processes in each country.

In international roll-outs, the figure of the Global Project Manager is essential when building the local teams that can give support in each country to the Branch Offices of the brands in the local language, thus increasing the success rate”.

David Proietti, Global Project Manager at HMY

Do you know all the stages and disciplines involved in a comprehensive shopfitting project? At HMY, we have prepared the 1st 360º Shopfitting Guide for you.


Download it!

 

Which role do Project Managers play in shopfitting projects?

The work methodology of retail projects, where the number of stages, disciplines and interlocutors can be decisive, has been developed around the figure of Project Managers. 

If Project Managers did not assume the coordination and control of projects, those responsible for each stage and trade would need to manage coordination tasks that would take them away from their main work and, therefore, affecting productivity. 

This would cause an increase in errors and delays that give rise to unaffordable costs in each project, also bearing in mind that the more complex the project is, the greater the probability of making these mistakes.

 Some clients or suppliers may have developed shopfitting projects (or even still do so) without including the role of Project Managers, as they may consider it is not that important. Nevertheless, in most of these cases this will be because they have probably worked with a similar figure: Quantity Surveyors This role is focused on technical knowledge. Over time, Quantity Surveyors mastered the methodologies of project management, thus turning into Project Managers.

To sum up, these are the tasks corresponding to Project Managers, and the stages where they take part in retail projects:

  1. Analysing the tender from the brand or retailer [LINK a infografía de Factores para la elección de un proveedor de Shopfitting], and helping the commercial team gather the necessary information to be awarded the project.
  2. Being familiar with the company and its network of partners and suppliers. 
  3. Being experts in the sector they work in, knowing what the competition does and how they carry out their shopfitting projects to learn and improve.
  4. Preparing a time and cost planning. This planning is included in the tender. 
  5. Creating the necessary communication structure for the project information to correctly reach the departments involved on time.
  6. Selecting and monitoring external collaborators or developers if the project requires.
  7. Making sure all departments comply with the planning and helping solve issues that may arise during the project.
  8. Anticipating the logistical and assembly deployment, ensuring all those involved in the process hold the required work, transportation and installation permits.
  9. Controlling live performance.
  10. Preparing a final report on the project and the following stages.

“In an international deployment such as Yamaha’s, the figure of Project Managers is key to ensure the project completed on time, with quality, and on budget. Furthermore, Project Managers are in charge of planning with the team and centralising with the brand the monthly evolution of the roll-out, optimising production to reduce stock and logistics costs”. 

 David Proietti, Yamaha Project Manager at HMY

 

Establishing a work methodology in retail projects

As explained, the main responsibility of Project Managers in the retail sector is to establish the most appropriate work methodology to develop the shopfitting project and act as a coordinator and controller.

This expertise is made up of two key aspects:

  • Being a great project management professional.
  • Having a thorough understanding of the retail sector, the stages that make up expansion projects and the trades involved in the process.

In order to help readers in this regard, at least with the second aspect, we have prepared this first 360º Shopfitting Guide, which you can download here for free.

Key factors to choose a shopfitting supplier

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • How to choose the best shopfitting supplier for your project?
  • We analyse the areas and factors on which major brands, multinational brands and retailers base their decisions to choose a shopfitting supplier.

All projects begin with a brief defining the objectives of the project, the audience or buyer whom the project is addressed to, the strategy, etc.

The great challenge of the brief is to generate a clear explanation, ensuring that shopfitting suppliers understand the project and to provide them with enough information to meet the level of service and quality that is sought.

In other words, when we go from the brief to the tender of the shopfitting project.

 

How are tenders usually organised?

The most common structure of retail project tenders is as follows:

  1. Presentation of the company, the brand, its objectives and its consumers.
  2. Breakdown of tender or objectives.
  3. Key factors shopfitting suppliers must deal with.
  4. Planning and deployment proposal.
  5. Other requirements to be met by the chosen shopfitting supplier.
  6. Pricelist.

The presentation of the company and the breakdown of objectives are defined by the client, while the planning and deployment proposal is essential for each project, and varies from one supplier to another. There is no one correct way to organise a deployment. Moreover, different options can be found to meet the objectives.

It is from the third point onwards where suppliers must show their full potential in a tender, as explained below in detail:








 

Key factors to choose retail suppliers

Most commercial equipment manufacturing companies can prepare a plan or present a price proposal, but not all of them can respond to the factors that determine whether a supplier is in line with the approach of the brand or retailer and if their services can cover all needs.

Key factors to be considered when choosing a retail supplier

  • Industry expertise

How is the bidder organised technically and geographically? What project management methodology do they follow? Can their Project Managers coordinate international expansion projects and control the entire project, or do they have limitations? What management successes and certifications have they achieved?

  • Industrial capacity

What disciplines and materials does the supplier master? What is their capacity to scale up production? Multi-material capacities and average production time play a significant role in this regard. As we do at HMY, suppliers should offer clients a single point of contact, regardless of whether the commercial equipment includes different materials and electrifications. Furthermore, being able to swiftly scale the manufacturing process of these elements is a great added value in expansion projects.

  • Quality: Methodology and Certifications

Brands and retailers should establish guidelines for minimum criteria for the finalist suppliers. However, suppliers should be able to guarantee their quality levels live up to expectations. At this point, brands and retailers usually set criteria such as maximum tolerances in the gaps between parts of the same element, and require certain tests to be carried out to check whether materials are resistant to corrosion and discolouration over time and to contact with objects and chemicals.

  • Project and Supplier Sustainability

Today, sustainability is essential in almost all tenders. In this regard, shopfitting suppliers must offer guarantees that the project will meet the requirements of current consumers. What is the origin of the materials? Are the designs and engineering processes eco-friendly? What is the impact of logistics on the project as a whole? Are the inks and paints used by the supplier eco-friendly? In line with our SmartEco project and the principles of eco-friendly design, at HMY we use Fujifilm-certified eco-friendly inks and water-based paints, limiting VOCs such as ketones, benzenes or formaldehydes.

  • Value Engineering

One of the aspects brands and retailers value the most, and that most shows the expertise of the supplier, is knowing what improvements they can make to furniture designs and technology in terms of materials, production process, savings, packaging, etc. Brands are expected to provide the visual guide, and suppliers to provide the technical guide.

  • Scalability

How will suppliers organise their production and logistics for projects to grow in line with the needs of brands and retailers? Many tenders are pilot projects where clients assess the overall capability suppliers before entrusting them with the full deployment of the project.

  • Agility and Versatility of the Elements

The more comprehensive the client’s retail expansion strategy is, the more point of sale formats the tender includes. From flagships to shop-in-shops, through pop-up stores. Suppliers must prove they can act with as much autonomy as possible when adapting clients’ designs to these formats while sticking to the essence of the brand and adapting the budget to the said formats.

  • Logistics and International Installation Capacity

Suppliers must prove their management strategy centralises resources and establishes action will be carried out with a deep local knowledge of each area where the brand will operate. Glocality is the key concept big brands are looking for. A good installation is key for success in the last mile.  Installers should have received previous training regarding the client’s concept.

As explained, many factors must be taken into account when choosing a shopfitting supplier to make sure your retail business meets the objectives set efficiently and sustainably.

 

Solutions for omnichannel in retail: 7 sins and 10 commandments

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • All Retail digitisation strategies commit at least one or two sins. We present the 7 deadly sins that can condemn an omnichannel project.
  • Download our guide and learn, not only the sins, but also the 10 commandments of a successful digitisation strategy.
  •  

Omnichannel and the digital transformation have been the subject of debate in retail for years. 

After the first stage of development and technical tests, retail is now in a second stage, in which the digitisation of stores is a lever to achieve business objectives, beyond surprising the customer with audio-visual content.

What has it taken to get here? 

Basically 2 factors:

  1. An evident technical improvement.

Polishing the developments and finding, or building, standards that allow sufficient scalability so that the costs are viable, and we can talk about ROI of technology at the point of sale.

2. Assimilation capacity and understanding of the potential business.

Brands and retailers understanding the possibilities of technology and, suppliers, understanding the retail sector. Moreover, together organising a digitisation strategy for their points of sale–which we give you the answers for in this article.

 Having laid the foundation for your own digital transformation, this article and our downloadable guide present the 7 sins and 10 key commandments for successful point-of-sale transformation:

1st SIN: not measuring the ROI of technology due to laziness

2nd SIN: focusing on quantity instead of quality due to gluttony

3rd SIN: having multiple suppliers due to lust

4th SIN: making consumers angry with frustrating implementations

5th SIN: doing what the competition does out of jealousy

6th SIN: being too proud to collaborate

7th SIN: being too proud and thinking ‘I don’t need that’






Common mistakes? It may be, but just as not all business decisions are made based on ‘the rule book’, it is not uncommon to find that aspects left to chance or undefined at the start of a retail digitisation project result in discontinued technologies that are not profitable.

One of the obvious consequences of digitisation is that fewer brands and retailers commit these sins every day. Which is why it was necessary to internalise the 10 commandments that should serve as a guide: 

1: Thou shall put the consumer first when making decisions.

2: Thou shall not take the word omnichannel in vain.

3: Thou shall honour integration.

4: Thou shall honour data.

5: Thou shall not kill the project before it has begun.

6: Thou shall not use impure technologies. Always bet on quality.

7: Thou shall not steal ideas. You shall be original.

8: Thou shall not create false expectations for the consumer.

9: Thou shall not allow bad quality content.

10: Thou shall not covet easy developments over necessary ones.

If you would like to know more about the sins and commandments of omnichannel in retail, download the Guide Keys to Omnichannel in Retail: 7 Sins and 10 Commandments, which explains what you have just read in more detail.


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Click & Collect systems have become indispensable in Retail and these are their benefits

Posted on by Ana Fernández
  • Click and collect systems have many benefits for all Retail sectors, for consumers to store backrooms.
  • The enhanced experience and cost savings make them an ideal ally in the digital transformation of brands, retailers and even for cities, creating Smart Cities.

The Internet and logistics give consumers access to a wide variety of products anytime, anywhere. A phenomenon which has revolutionised all customer contact points to focus on the final step: last-mile logistics.

But the storage and delivery of parcels consume enormous resources and raise the obvious question of how to optimise this step.

In this article we explain:

  1. What click and collect systems are and current types.
  2. The benefits for brands, distribution, small businesses, consumers, cities and even rural populations.

 

What are click and collect systems?

They are any system through which customers can shop online and select a collection point where they can pick up the order. There are four types:

  • In-store pickup: The simplest. A retailer brand enables ship-to-store service.
  • Collaborator establishment network: What if our company does not have enough points of sale or none at all? In this case, the problem is solved by logistics companies by combining:
  1. Solution of a business need (delivery).
  2. Customer choice capacity.
  3. Local collaborative and digitalised economy.
  4. Cost savings.
  • Smart Lockers: Unattended lockers for storing parcels, such as Amazon Lockers or Cleveron click and collect systems. They can be installed both indoors and outdoors and play an essential role in the benefits we will discuss later on.
  • Automated click and collect systems: An evolution of Smart Lockers that dispenses with the locker system in favour of fully automated storage. It may seem excessive until we realise that all this technology increases storage capacity tenfold.

 

Benefits of Click and Collect systems

  1. Consumers: convenience, security and speed

Travelling, working or spending long periods in transit areas such as stations or airports often make it difficult to arrange a home delivery. Therefore, consumers prefer to have convenient collection points that do not require them to be at home.

Furthermore, thanks to click and collect systems, consumers are not forced to visit a store, but rather choose a collection point near their home or workplace, which is secure because they avoid crowded places and fast because they avoid queues.

2. In-home delivery: enormous reduction in costs

Going directly to the economic analysis of the click and collect system as an investment, the conclusion is always the same: it is substantially more profitable.

Home delivery entails enormous transport and staff costs, with exclusively dedicated vehicles. Centralising routes and deliveries in a decentralised click and collect systems significantly reduces said costs.

In this regard, one of the sectors that have benefited the most from the latest advances in automated click and collect systems  is the food sector. In this regard, refrigerated models are the perfect solution for both large parcel logistics (and, therefore, more expensive) and fresh product storage.

3. Any customer-facing storage: hyper optimised time and space

This includes business centres, office buildings and backroom storage. They too can benefit from click and collect systems.

Personal parcels delivered to the workplace has become a widespread occurrence and, without a centralised collection system, administration and reception staff must devote their time and attention to handling them.

One of the main advantages of automated click and collect systems is the time required to collect the stored parcel: just 7 seconds.

4. Small businesses: extended opening hours and joint purchasing

Installing decentralised click and collect systems is even more profitable if we consider the possibility that various retailers or businesses can partner and share their collection points.

An advantage that allows small businesses to extend their opening hours through retail trade associations. 

A collaborative economy model such as that already observed in cities like Zaragoza and which, within the context of European support for the digitalisation of SMEs, will speed up the transition towards Smart Cities and revitalise local trade.

 We have reached a stage in the Retail sector where consumers and their experience are at the heart of brand and distributor strategies. An aspect that click and collect systems resolve perfectly as an additional, digitalised and fast option that saves travelling and time.

They are also a great ally at times of large influx of customers or in transit areas such as stations or airports (travel retail).

The digital transformation of Retail not only requires the creation of digital platforms. It also requires connecting analogue platforms over the Internet and addressing situations such as last-mile consumer and city logistics to achieve Smart Cities.

Complex processes that we will analyse in our guide: the keys to omnichannel Retail.


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