Category: Shopfitting

• The environmental situation has led almost all brands and retailers to adapt their processes and products to be more sustainable, but has this transformation reached the shops?

• In this post you will find the keys to make your shops more sustainable and the 10 types of eco-friendly furniture and decor that can help you do so.

Sustainability as one of the pillars of modern Retailing.

Retail, as a product of society, is constantly evolving, driven entity by the consumer’s needs.

In the last century, access to products and geographical expansion dominated these developments. Today the form of Retail is focused on the consumer experience and represents its values. But among them, sustainability stands out.

Today the form of Retail focuses on the consumer experience and representing consumer values.

Sustainability is an effort that goes beyond responsible waste management, or rather, well before.

For less than a decade, large Retail firms and small start-ups have been investigating ways to make retailing sustainable from the start of the project, giving rise to eco-design.

What is eco-design and why is it vital to Retail?

Eco-design is a set of guidelines that help us to make the right decisions when manufacturing products, furniture, infrastructure, etc. Decisions that guarantee responsible sourcing of raw materials and an equally responsible recirculation of final goods at the end of their useful life.

This is helping both brands and Retailers transform their products, but is it possible to go even further?

It is both possible and necessary. That is why one of the main trends (and challenges) for Retail in the next decade is to create environments that materialise customers’ ideal of sustainability. Fully sustainable environments.

But how do we go about eco-designing the Retail of the future, today? These are the solutions with which you can now create environmentally responsible shops that enable your brand to connect with consumers on an emotional level.

 

8 sustainable furnishing and decor solutions for your commercial premises.

1. Re.Vita: decorative textiles

One of the most interesting materials in recent years is recycled textiles. By using processes that shred used clothes and subsequently press them, we obtain new textiles or even solid boards. Their uses are many: from making organic boxes without cutting down trees to lining ceilings, walls and other elements. They are also acoustic insulators which improves the well-being of the premises.

2. Digital Signage

Replacing printed communications with digital content has three main benefits: it attracts more consumer attention, makes it easier to update promotions and content, and reduces the consumption of paper, plastics, ink, etc.

However, to discover all its benefits and how to integrate it into the sales strategy of our shops, it is best to read this article that we published recently.

3. Furniture made of FSC and PEFC woods

Two certifications that have been with us for many years and that, undeniably, increase the price of the raw material; but if our shop uses solid wood (chipboards are essentially recycled) and our brand stands for sustainability, we cannot do without them.

4. BIO tag holders

Made from plant-based materials and therefore biodegradable and compostable. One of the items that suffers the most turnover in shops is finally no longer a major pollutant and is now compost or fertiliser. Sustainability in its purest form.

5. Polyurethanes (plastics) of organic origin

With the same formula we find other elements of a more decorative nature for our shops or even offices. Armchairs, chairs, sofas, etc., made from medium-density foams that replace plastic components with vegetable compounds (which do not degrade).

6. Zenith ceilings and wall louvres: stylish recycled plastics

Plastic recirculation processes (recycling of coat hangers, water and soft drink bottles, packaging, etc.) have made it possible to give them a second use as raw materials in extrusion and injection processes to create interesting decorative products such as Zenith ceilings and wall louvres. Sustainable, economical and very versatile.

7. Gondolas and murals with second-generation steel

One of the most polluting aspects of some materials, such as steel, is their extraction and purification processes. Energy consumption accounts for a very high percentage of their environmental impact.

Requesting that the shelves, walls, racks, etc., that we install in our branded shops be made of recycled steel avoids unnecessary harm.

8. Sustainable visual communication: recyclable materials, ECO inks and air-purifying coatings (Pureti)

Displays and other high-turnover items in shops are some of their most polluting aspects, as due to said turnover, their cost had to be minimal. This inevitably meant that they had to be made of plastics that were difficult to recycle and printed in inks with a high chemical component.

If we cannot avoid this polluting aspect of our business, we can at least minimise its impact by using plant-based materials (such as high stiffness cardboard) and ensuring that the inks used in printing are eco-solvent inks (made from biodegradable chemicals).

But, above all, we can make use of Pureti. A compound that, when applied to visual communication, gives it photocatalytic properties. In other words, it purifies the air of pollutants and bacteria using sunlight.

Thanks to such innovations and developments, Retail is becoming one of the biggest drivers of environmental awareness in society.

It is now up to the brands, distributors and shops to convey the message to their consumers, through environments that prove that a sustainable alternative is possible.

 

 

Can I make my shop even more sustainable?

Furniture is one of the many areas of sustainability for Retail. Reducing or better managing waste or improving the energy efficiency of the premises are two other aspects which, with more will than effort, we can work on to achieve environmentally responsible shops.

• We give you 7 practical tips to enhance your rows and make them more attractive to consumers.
• From simple tips leveraging the modularity of the shelving units and ambience to high impact custom technologies with a high return on investment.

The consumer habits and the lifestyles of new generations have changed radically in the last decade. From the type of products purchased by each age group to the reasons for purchasing.

This, added to the boom in E-commerce and increased competition as a result of globalisation, has further demonstrated the need to rethink how we distribute products at points-of-sale.

To help the different sectors, we will give you 7 tips on how to make Retail shelving systems more attractive quickly and profitably.

1.Optimise zones by purchasing time and reason

Differentiating between bulk products and “pack” or thematic products in a row will attract different consumers.

An obvious example is the bulk product sections with legumes, pasta or nuts. This type of solution, which consists mainly of dispensers, contributes to food waste prevention and reduces the use of containers while creating a separate environment from packaged products.

2. Add a variety of materials to revitalise and enhance perceived row quality

There are many reasons why brands are regarded as being of high quality. One of them is the care and style with which they display their different products. Using a variety of materials in these displays can enhance the perceived quality of these products. 

We can easily and inexpensively apply this example to our rows using end caps in the structural elements of our systems, which allow us to highlight the product displayed. A solution that allows us to attract consumers through a reinforced quality proposal.

Here are some examples of the varieties of materials:

• Wood: a sustainable and renewable resource that allows us to create differentiating spaces in wine, bakery or perfumery sections, among others.
• Porcelain: a solution that is warm to the touch, similar to natural stone; in addition to its resistance, durability and hardness, its lack of pores protects against bacteria.
• Metal: a fully recyclable and customisable material, ideal for developing elements that allow us to properly display products.
• Aluminium: resistant, hygienic, long-lasting and recyclable, ideal for use in bulk foods like fruit and vegetables, legumes and seeds.
• Biodegradable: aimed at reducing plastic and leveraging our customers’ resources to develop solutions that will help us care for our environments, such as price tag holders or shelves.

3. Integrate visual elements to make the product display more attractive and engaging

We can make the row more attractive for consumers using:

• Row end caps and accessoriesas attractions with thematic and promotional banners.
• Magnetic vinylsto easily adapt the shelves to the product being promoted. Very useful and easy to install, for example, “back to school” campaigns.
• Inexpensivemethacrylate display cases and other attractive elements to promote specific products in an original way, taking advantage of the modularity of the shelving units.

4. Give the consumer respite between one product and another

When the product displayed is very similar, we can give consumers visual respite by, once again, taking advantage of modular shelving systems to open a small space where we can include a lightbox or a product testing area.

When distributing aisles in a store, we must consider safety standards in order to prevent possible incidents, which will vary depending on the sector.

5. Combine technology and product placement for greater effectiveness

There are many retail technologies, but it is essential for point-of-sale technologies to be based on a business objective and not only seek a “wow effect”.

What is the purpose of applying technology to rows? Three examples:

• Digital signage in aisles, with promotions and directions to the products. 
• Electronic price tag holders with pressure sensors. 
• Technological shelving unit end caps that combine digital signage and product display.

6. Involve your staff to create new distribution ideas and detect points of improvement

Store staff have to deal with consumers’ questions and requests every day, so their feedback is without doubt highly valuable.

Involving them in brainstorming-type dynamics can give us ideas about how to distribute our product so it is more attractive to consumers.

7. Leverage lighting

Lighting is much more versatile and effective than we might imagine. Not only because an efficient installation can lower the electricity bill and reduce the environmental footprint, but also because a good lighting study can completely change the appearance of the point-of-sale, including the rows.

• Quality, well-distributed lighting evenly illuminates the products, avoiding shaded areas and high contrasts to prevent visual discomfort.
• We can integrate lighting in rows and shelving units, improving the visual placement of the products and even increasing their perceived quality.

We recommend different solutions that adapt to each sector to efficiently leverage rows in a way that is attractive to consumers, namely:

• Food: a sector in which conventional and robust shelving systems that are easy to assemble and have flexible height modulation prevail, but which are often under-utilised in accessories and visual communication.
• DIY, household items, machinery, workshops and hard discount: which come in a wide range of weights and sizes; their storage options combine systems with racks and accessories. Often not focused on maximising visual product display.
• Pharmacy and toy stores: sectors that seek the most standard possible shelving systems to optimise costs, but without relinquishing the possibility of personalising their final appearance using materials and colours.
• Wines: this section has wine varieties that are presented according to quality. Using rustic woods to differentiate them or sorting racks would be advantageous in this sector.
• Cosmetics: a sector where image is everything. Lighting and digital signage would play a vital role in cosmetics. Additionally, you can surprise customers with solutions based on materials such as Krion, which help to preserve the products. 

If you are not only considering transforming the rows of your points-of-sale, we have prepared our 360-degree Shopfitting Guide, which you can download free here, in which we explain our outlook on Retail in the immediate future, inspiring success stories and the best way of approaching comprehensive shopfitting projects. 

• One of the sectors that has experienced the most digitalisation in 2021 is food.
• Among the benefits, we can highlight: improvement of the user experience, cost reduction and process automation.

 

The pandemic and the tech boom

After months of the pandemic, all organizations dedicated to monitoring the economy and, more specifically, retail, have a clear conclusion: the technology adoption curve has skyrocketed.

Accenture, the consulting firm, has been especially clear about how online sales have grown in each sector, a clear indication of this adoption of technologies. In particular, the food sector has experienced a 333% increase.

On the other hand, in an article published at the beginning of the pandemic, McKinsey stated that the adoption of consumer technologies had taken a jump of 5 years.

But, doesn’t that go against physical retail?

It turns out that 73% of consumers are looking forward to going back to physical stores, according to a study published by IBM. Something that, along with the rate of technology adoption, sends us a clear message: the consumer is much more willing than ever to interact with technology in retail.

And one of the historical problems for technological investment by the retail sector was the absence of a consumer base educated in its use. Prudence and consumer ignorance made the risk of a negative ROI when digitizing stores and supermarkets too high.

The case at hand: even today, few food chains are truly committed to self-payment systems.

The true value of the contribution of technology to food retailing

The pandemic has changed consumers’ buying habits and they are now more comfortable with technology. It’s the food retail sector that now has to move to adapt to these new consumption habits.

The only difference is that if this change is going to be merely adaptive or there will be any brand brave enough to bet on technology as the main differential in the shopping experience.

In any case, it’s necessary to understand that online and offline are not parallel environments, but complementary. Of course, a purchase will invariably be made in one place or another, but consumers have shown that they do not want a single model, so what can food retail bring to the consumer through technology?

The 3 goals of technology: experience, costs and process improvement

At HMY we always work towards a goal: each technological solution that we offer to our clients must help them achieve three key benefits: an improvement in the user experience, based on their consumption habits, a reduction in costs for the consumer and the retailer and an increase in process efficiency.

Contact us  and let’s discuss together how to activate those three benefits for your food retail chain.

8 trends in technology that are transforming food retail

1. Digital signage

Visual impulses are becoming more and more common in an industry that, until now, barely had screens outside of the electronics section. Promotions become much more effective when we can remind the user of them at key points of their journey in an audiovisual way.

Thanks to this, the communication in our centres takes a qualitative leap, since we avoid the saturation of printed posters, and it becomes much more effective.

2. Food Click & Collect

In an interview published in Forbes, the consulting firm LatentView Analytics estimated an increase of almost 20% in the preference of consumers for contactless methods of collecting their orders. That is a 20% increase in the preference for using BOPIS (Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store) or Click & Collect systems.

Consumers are telling us that they want to avoid the economic and environmental problems of home or assisted delivery. Something that we can provide, thanks to Click & Collect systems such as HMY Cleveron solutions. 

3. Capacity control

In some countries (such as France), due to legal obligations and, in others, to reinforce consumer confidence, automatic capacity measurement systems are being implemented, which notify consumers when they can enter the establishment. 

Additionally, this is a technology that we can also take advantage of to collect data on the influx of customers, in real-time, to the points of sale.

4. Digital queue management

Until now, queue management systems have been mere functional elements to solve a problem: bottlenecks in supermarkets and hypermarkets. But the result is still consumer accumulation in the fresh food areas, who do not want to lose their turn with the consequent increase in frustration and insecurity.

Digital queue management solutions help food retailers solve this problem through a system that allows customers to pick a turn in multiple sections and viewing the progress of orders on digital signage systems distributed in different parts of the centre.

Thanks to this, the consumer can take a turn at the entrance of the establishment, make their purchase while they wait and have the peace of mind that, regardless of the section they are in, they know when it is going to be their turn.

5. Autonomous stores, getting closer and closer

Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba have led this fast-growing trend in the past decade. 

In early 2020, an estimated 200 automated stores were opened in China alone, although the waters seem to have calmed a bit on this matter and investments in automation seem to have been redirected to delivery robots , but along the way, there are many lessons learned in sensor technology, artificial intelligence for visual analysis and fast payment.

6. Scan & Go on your smartphone

Some businesses are already using this new self-scanning trend, through which consumers simply scan the barcode in the products with their smartphone, minimizing physical procedures during the purchasing process.

This system is having a great reception among users due to its simplicity and how much more agile making a purchase is thanks to it. Such is the acceptance it has had, that according to the latest survey carried out by SOTI, 66% of consumers prefer to use this method in the supermarket.

The self-scanning system is also a step ahead of traditional scanners in health terms since it eliminates the hygienic risk of these and automatically allows people to maintain social distance.

And, as if all this were not enough, this technology has a great capacity to collect data on customer behaviour, which allows companies to assess key aspects such as users’ purchasing patterns and their level of satisfaction.

7. The Digital Sommelier

This simple technology allows the Digital Sommelier to guide you, via a simple questionnaire, to the wine that best matches the menu you have chosen for every occasion.

In addition to helping to choose the right wine, it enhances cross-selling, because the system recommends recipes and displays the shopping list so that the customer can purchase the ingredients right there and then.

These advantages are not just at the user level, but also at the company level, the main ones being:

1. Increase in sales volume: this occurs directly, through the information given to the consumer about the characteristics and storytelling that make the product unique. This allows the user to make a comparison between the different products and generate a great brand impact due to the attraction they achieve, thanks to this technology. Once they know the buying behaviour, companies can launch various promotions to achieve customer loyalty. 
2. Reduction of operational costs, compared to more traditional solutions because it enables the immediate launch of campaigns and carries out a real-time analysis of their effects. This facilitates increased scalability and operational efficiency. By having all the products at hand, the Digital Sommelier gives greater visibility to the e-catalogue and ultimately generates more sales.
3. Memorable shopping experience: thanks to the information provided to the customers, this inspires them throughout the purchase process and offers them an exciting experience, thus increasing brand awareness among users. This technology offers a new form of dynamic communication between companies and consumers. 

8. Dynamic labels

A typical customer is only capable of seeing 0.2% of the products on the shelves during a normal purchase. This electronic ink labelling technology draws the customer’s attention to the exact product we want to promote.

Its advantages include:

• Increase in sales.
• Attracting the user’s attention by animating the contents.
• Direct differentiation from the competition.
• Higher profitability than traditional POS material.

If you want to find out more about how we can digitalise the food sector, do not hesitate to contact us, or download our free guide with the keys to omnichannel sales in retail.

• Can lighting be a key factor in the brand experience in Retail?
• A brand’s point-of-sale lighting can reinforce its identity when it is well designed.
• With these 6 insights, we will be improving the brand experience and sales.

Most retailers functionally deal with lighting, especially in the fashion sector, where the entire product is usually treated in the same way:

• The tent should be evenly lit to avoid shadows and contrasts.
• The product must be highlighted.
• Use furniture that supports some integrated LED lighting.

But does this conception of shop lighting allow us to exploit the true potential of light?

Or on the contrary, what would happen if we went beyond the conventional and considered the way we illuminate our points-of-sale as another element of our brand image? Could we use light as a differentiating element that has a greater impact on the consumer experience and sales?

The answer is undoubtedly yes.

The state of the art in lighting is far more advanced than we might think if we look at the fashion shops that populate our cities, and more and more brands and retailers are exploiting this untapped niche.

From the dim, hyper-contrasted lighting of Abercrombie & Fich or Hollister shops to the visual display of the “freakiest” shops in London’s Candem Town. It has been proven that those who include light as a key point in the brand experience of their shops are at a higher level in terms of retail.

So here are 6 insights for integrating light as a key point of the shopper experience in our brand’s shops.

1.Combine multiple types of lighting throughout the shop

Many fashion retailers make great visual displays in their shop windows -Inditex or El Corte Inglés, among others, do not usually leave anyone indifferent- and make use of light bars, LED strips, light racks with integrated lighting, light blocks or lightboxes. However, once you go inside the shop, there are usually only two types of light: ambient and accent lighting.

Why not apply the same concept to the whole shop? These are just three of many possible ideas:

• Creating different atmospheres by using light from a lightbox.
• Highlight furniture with perimeter LED lighting or internal milling.
• Use constructions or light blocks to highlight areas with premium collections, collaborations or new seasons.

2.Work on lighting as part of the experience

If the consumer experience is something that is defined by the concept, so must lighting, as another tool to deploy that experience.

Light is not only an indispensable element for highlighting and magnifying shop visuals. As we will see in the following tips, it also has a great impact on consumer mood.

To realise its full potential, the Design teams defining the brand concept in the shops must have technical knowledge of the possibilities offered by light and the different types of lighting that can be integrated.

3.Conduct a professional lighting study

It is one thing to know the visual result we want to achieve and quite another to make it happen.

From choosing the best luminaires -or LED spotlights- for each visual effect, to their position, direction and intensity. All these aspects are controlled by an expert lighting technician (who will work hand-in-hand with the design team). Aspects that, without their help, can be very difficult to get right.

4.Quality vs quantity

When we follow the maxim that “everything should be well lit” it is easy to fall into the error of being guided by the quantity rather than the quality of light, and the spotlights that provide it.

On the one hand, working with lighting in this way can cost us several things (energy, installation, maintenance, etc.). On the other hand, what at first glance may seem correctly lit, the changes in colour that each new fashion brings can result in an exhibition of garments and looks that are overexposed or too dark.

Therefore, it is not a question of installing a large number of spotlights, but rather spotlights with the right characteristics that, together with a good lighting study, will always achieve the best visual result (and at the same time, we will not inflate the electricity bill).

5.Master the HCL concept

HCL is the acronym for Human Centric Lighting, a way of understanding lighting in terms of the effect it has on consumers (moods, metabolic response, general well-being, etc.).

A type of lighting that not only takes into account how the product is presented but also how comfortable the consumer feels in the space in question.

The implications of this way of conceiving light radically change consumers’ experience in our shops, the time they want to spend in them and how they feel while trying on clothes.

6.Opting for innovative trends

Lastly, what better industry than fashion to be daring? If fashion shops are not transgressive, what other sector is going to be?

Light, through all the shapes and colours it can adopt, is one of the best ways to attract consumers’ attention. Especially in a digital age in which images (static and video) are the main attraction for consumers who spend as much time on Instagram and TikTok as they do in shops.

If you want to give a boost to the point-of-sale of your fashion business, contact us. Our architecture and interior design team will create an efficient and personalised space at your point of sale to offer the best customer experience.

• Eco-design is the most useful tool for Retail to be environmentally responsible.
• Its 10 precepts help design more sustainable furniture and fixtures for brands and retailers.

The evolution of retail towards a more sustainable business model has gone through several stages to date.

The first of these has sought to improve recycling practices and the use of consumables in the offices of brands and distributors. Additionally, it has pursued the inclusion of recycling in daily operations. The second phase, on the other hand, aims to make products more sustainable.

Retailing is now in a third stage: getting the message across to the consumer and committing to sustainability (without greenwashing).

To this end, shopfitting experts like HMY must carry out the same work with furniture and retail services that brands have done with their products: redesigning them to make them more sustainable.

This redesign process focused on sustainability is what is known as eco-design, and it follows the 10 principles that we present today in this post.

1. Use as little material as possible

This considerably reduces the environmental impact of the furniture by saving during the production process. Thus, the energy used in the extraction of raw materials and the associated depletion of natural resources is reduced.

However, the challenge lies in the willingness to add this material reduction phase to the development of the furniture. This stage requires hours for the redevelopment of pieces and their processes, but it is necessary.

2. Facilitate the separation of goods

For years, the focus on optimising time and material costs has led the industrial sector to use glue and silicone-based assembly processes. However, these processes make it impossible to segregate the different materials that make up a piece of furniture for separate recycling.

Facilitating that separation, with new production methods and materials, is another phase that HMY’s engineering teams are undertaking to make the shops environmentally responsible.

3. Use environmentally friendly raw materials

None of the above makes sense if we continue to rely on materials whose production and extraction leads to the desertification or pollution of the natural environment. Therefore, one of the duties of the supply chain is to look for alternative sources, such as controlled forests, from which raw materials can be extracted more responsibly.

4. Design to last

In Retail, the duration of an installation is the duration required by the current brand concept or the campaign or product for which it is designed.

This does not mean that, for cost reasons, the most durable possible materials and processes should not be used, but rather the most appropriate ones. In doing so, a balance must be struck between the lifetime of the installation and all other eco-design precepts.

5. Multifunction, recycling and reuse

The versatility of the premises (or agility) is one of the Pillars of the New Retail for practical, but also environmental reasons.

Designing furniture, technologies or visual elements to adapt to the different needs of the brand or retailer makes it easier to avoid entering a production spiral and cost overruns with each new project.

6. Compaction

There are good practices such as Flat Packing, which designs furniture in such a way as to optimise loading space in transport trailers. Such methods have a direct impact on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Retail logistics.

This, added to the optimisation of transport routes and the use of local assembly equipment, helps to reduce the carbon footprint to a minimum. Specifically, up to 22% less, which is the GHG reduction achieved by HMY in 2020, certified by AECOC and which led to the achievement of the first Lean&Green star.

7. Design services instead of products

Is it possible to replace a piece of shop furniture with a service? Perhaps it is a somewhat distant ideal nowadays, but there are analogue elements of the shop that we can transform into digital content. This is the case of visual communication and digital signage.

This is a good practice that improves not only the environmental impact but also the brands’ POS costs.

8. Optimisation through technology

This is in line with the previous point although it also affects the entire manufacturing and logistics process in shops. Some additional key elements where technology helps to reduce the environmental impact of Retail are:

• Development of furniture using software, incorporating calculations of quantity and density of materials.
• Advances in production processes and new materials that make it possible to consume less raw material or reuse waste.
• Picking technologies to optimise trailer loads.
• Software and logistical methodology to optimise the unloading routes of the premises.

9. Use of standard systems

Production is a basic need of society and, therefore, the maxim of eco-design is to optimize the manufacture of goods as much as possible (not substitutable by a service).

This optimization reaches its maximum exponent when we make use of standardization.

Taken to store design, it means defining the furniture taking advantage of existing structures or from scratch, but using a limited number of structures that, if necessary, can be customized through complementary colors or modules (also standardized). In this way, everything can be produced on the same line, reducing time, costs, transport, waste …

10. Promote sustainability

The impact that Retail has on people’s daily lives is comparable to that of their homes and jobs. The amount of space dedicated to shops and the amount of time consumers spend in them (online and offline) make them hugely efficient communication platforms.

This is why retail spaces have the potential to function as loudspeakers for sustainability. They can become awareness-raising platforms that help fuel efforts to redirect Retail towards this more sustainable and much-needed business model.

With these simple 10 principles of eco-design in the retail sector, we can increase sustainability in production processes at all levels. This will allow your brand to contribute directly to improving the environment and become an environmentally responsible company.

• Sustainability in Retail is as important and profound a paradigm shift as digital transformation.
• Redesigning a brand’s store concept to make it more sustainable means intervening throughout the supply chain, not just at the point-of-sale.

Sustainability has generated an undeniable attraction in society in general and in retail in particular. Fewer and fewer sectors and brands can afford not to incorporate respect for the planet into their corporate objectives.

Until now, this odyssey has focused on two aspects of brands and retailers: day-to-day operations and products or services. This is logical because the former is the easiest to control and the latter has the greatest impact on the relationship with the consumer. Two relatively quick wins.

But sustainability is far from being a fad. Consumers are demanding an increasing involvement of companies in caring for the planet. They are calling for a complete transformation that encompasses the entire supply chain. This has ended up putting the spotlight on a third aspect of FMCG companies that combines daily operations and products: the shops.

In today’s post, we outline 5 tips for incorporating sustainability as a visible attribute in the redesign of a brand’s shop concept. 

1. Sustainability is a value, not an action

First and foremost, it is necessary to understand sustainability as something that affects the brand at all levels. Putting a single piece of furniture, a single product line or a single sign as a marketing staple is no longer enough for consumers. The user considers these practices as greenwashing and ignores them or, directly, penalises them.

Putting sustainability at the heart of a brand’s redesign means rethinking everything about its points-of-sale. Here are some examples of how to turn them into environmentally responsible shops:

• The materials and processes used in the furniture.
• Waste management.
• The rotation of consumable material.
• The separability of packaging and bags.
• The energy consumption of the establishment.
• The logistics required to implement the new concept in all points-of-sale.
• The role of retail outlets in last-mile logistics.
• The social impact of the shop in the surrounding area.

This is all part of the brand’s relationship with the consumer and society, of which both are part. Therefore, to the extent that customers perceive the brand’s involvement in making all these points (and more) sustainable, their consideration of the brand will increase.

2. Incorporate the “life cycle” concept into your brand, products and shops

One of the keys to sustainability in the Retail sector is the concept of “life cycle”. It helps us to analyse goods and services beyond their production and sale, and therefore, their environmental impact.

The clearest example of being negligent in this basic sustainability issue is plastic islands. They have become a major threat to oceans and we can see many of them forming electronic waste dumps, sadly common in African countries. On a microeconomic level, these situations may seem excessive to us. However, consumers increasingly associate them with the brands that produce and market the products that end up in this waste.

To apply life cycle to our new shop concept we can:

1. Highlight the value of the production process and the recirculation of elements and products, transmitting it to the consumer as part of the storytelling.
2. Find ways to give a second life to elements of the shop within the new redesign.
3. Involve consumers in the recirculation of the waste generated by our products. For years, supermarkets in Northern Europe have been collecting aluminium and plastic beverage containers from consumers and refunding part of the cost.

3. When considering change, eco-design it.

Eco-design is currently the most important trend in almost all areas of the industrial world, especially in the sustainable retail sector. The name itself is quite explanatory: applying environmentally friendly practices when designing a product or service.

At HMY we follow the 10 precepts of eco-design when designing, manufacturing and installing shops, stands and POS, seeking to make them as sustainable as possible:

1. Use as little material as possible.
2. Facilitate the separation of goods.
3. Use of environmentally friendly raw materials.
4. Design to last.
5. Multifunction, recycling and reuse.
6. Optimisation of packaging and logistics.
7. Design of services that can replace products.
8. Use of technologies that facilitate sustainability.
9. Use of standard systems where possible.
10. Ecomarketing, promoting consumer awareness through design.

4. Sustainability is more than recycling

Another concept we incorporate in HMY, together with life cycle and eco-design, is that of second life. This means that thanks to our network of warehouses and assembly teams, we can offer our customers the dismantling, reconditioning and reinstallation of their shop furniture.

This concept is particularly useful in the management of multiple closures and openings, which are very common in expanding brands.

5. Be aware of the sustainable possibilities

It is difficult for brands to have the time or the necessary expertise to be able to put it into practice outside their scope of action (operations and products). However, it is easier if we are aware of the latest trends in sustainable development that any retailer can now apply to their points-of-sale.

We compiled them recently in this post:

1. Vita: textile decorations.
2. Digital signage.
3. Furniture in FSC and PEFC timber.
4. Organic labellers.
5. Polyurethanes of organic origin.
6. Zenith ceilings and wall slats.
7. Gondolas and walls made of second-generation steel.
8. Visual communication with recycled and recyclable supports, ECO inks and air-purifying coatings (Pureti).