‘Designers have to take responsibility of making the store meet business objectives’

The following article by Ashish Deshpande appeared first in an interview in the Retail4growth magazine July edition, 2021.

https://www.retail4growth.com/viewpoints/designers-have-to-take-responsibility-of-making-the-store-meet-business-objectives-879

“How many of us as designers go back to our stores after a year of operation and ask franchisee / store manager about the ROI from the store? It’s time we did that, “ says Ashish Deshpande , Co-Founder & Director, Elephant Design, in this exclusive interaction with Retail4Growth on the future of store design, the need for retail design to adapt to post-Covid realities, and more...

To start with, could you share your views on how the whole retail design segment is looking post pandemic? Fact is retailers are going slow on their spends now, being more cautious about expansion and renovations or moving to the online space, due to the impact of the pandemic. How is this impacting store architects and designers?

John Lennon famously remarked, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, it is not the end.” The founding member of The Beatles probably meant that it will never be okay and, it’s time for us to look ahead and get on with what we do. The pandemic is far from over as it continues to ebb and flow with uncertainty. However, do not despair: there is a silver lining. As per McKinsey & Company’s insightful report, on a global scale, the retail industry has outperformed and the consumers are as hungry as ever. The Retail sector has outrun many other sectors based on accelerated transformation during the last 18 months. As a McKinsey & Company report says, ”The past year suggests the recipe for success in retail is changing, and those that wait too long to adapt may never catch up.” So, the picture today for retailers and designers is not about complete mayhem but rather about adaptability. The earlier traditional retailers and store designers learn this lesson, the quicker they will move towards meeting the new normal.

So what exactly can store designers and architects do to navigate through this situation and move forward? What have been your own takeaways in the last one and a half years?

Traditionally, store designers and store architects have been too involved in the creative process. Be it form, space, colour or even materials: the new frontiers that the realm of store design has outlined have often been seen as too distant and otherworldly. Even in the immediate pre-pandemic period, it was rare to see designers and retailers listening to the expectations of customers. Those who did would have noticed a change in the mental model of how customers saw their store experience, given the rising adaptation of smartphones, streaming internet technology and telecommunication that was getting cheaper by the day.

The pandemic has now presented the design workforce with an opportunity to align store design with emerging user expectations, look at smarter ways to meet business objectives and seamlessly integrate the freedom of choice presented by the tech world into their brick & mortar solutions. This is not to say that technology will rule store design. It is about using enough technology to increase access, efficiency and integrate the online experience into the touch feel of the store.   

How exactly do you think store design can contribute to better ROI for the client at a time when every penny spent matters?

Businesses have always been concerned about ROI. As a designer, one could design a “wow “ store look & feel, yet the litmus test is faced one year down the line. How many of us as designers go back to our stores after a year of operation and ask franchisee / store manager about the ROI from the store? It’s time we did that.

Designers have to take responsibility of making the store meet business objectives and the pandemic has only driven this point home. We need to focus on store functions that add real value to the customers’ lives, align with their mental models and generate profit for business stakeholders. That’s our job.

As designers we need move effortlessly between our preoccupation with the subjective and into the world of quantifiable metrics. ROI from the store program can be met by the design team if the success metrices are established early on. Any design effort that leads to reducing steps, improving decision-making for the customer, enhancing transaction speed and eliminating elements that do not add value to the customer experience improves ROI.

At Elephant we follow this Five Step Model when it comes to increasing ROI:

Step 1, Efficiencies: Increase functional benefit

Step 2, Effectivity: Improve comprehension, conversion

Step 3, Effort: Reduce human load

Step 4, Errors: Eliminate waste

Step 5, Experience: Holistic value-add to shoppers

Speaking of adaptability and the inevitable shift towards contactless retail interfaces, how can a store design follow a more tech integrated, engaging and interactive approach?

Contactless transactions are here to stay. We were lucky during this pandemic period that several tech-focused 3rd party enterprises had introduced contactless transactions, including our own government though its UPI based Bhim application. So, integrating these applications has not really taxed the retailer or the store designer.

Today, designers need to look at the future of store design. We need to question our traditional layouts – as well as the need for checkout counters! Payment can be enabled at the exact point of sale, saving customers the time and effort often spent in queues, while sharpening decision making. This will lead to an increased focus on browsability and product experience will take centre stage. Customers can happily order from the comfort of their homes including choice of payment options & delivery.

Store design will focus towards making the product proposition more compelling. Here is where technology will come into play. Customers are looking to visit stores to discover new features, satisfactory trials, obtain niche’ advice, and grab those special offers. How does technology deliver these elements within the spatial ambience of a store? This is a question that the designer needs to answer. At the end of the day, technology has to be an underlying enabler for the shopper and also make money for the retailer. As designers, we have to tread this path cautiously, so that we don’t overindulge, which in turn might just overwhelm the customer or kill the business due to unachievable ROI.

“As designers, we need to move effortlessly between our preoccupation with the subjective and into the world of quantifiable metrics. ROI from the store program can be met by the design team if the success matrices are established early on. Any design effort that leads to reducing steps, improving decision-making for the customer, enhancing transaction speed, and eliminating elements that do not add value to customer experience improves ROI”

Any observations on how clients are approaching their store design projects now? Any interesting project you'd like to talk about?

Over the years and more so during this pandemic period, clients are looking at retail as an effective component of the sales & brand building process. The overall approach has become more scientific. Most clients are investing in on-ground research, customer insights and digital technology. Many have been quick to respond and have tweaked their store models. One good example is the sporting goods Decathlon Store. DecathlonTM opened post lockdown in the pandemic, seamlessly connecting their digital browsing, purchase and payment experience to usher in a queue-free, crowd-free, quick in- quick out shopping experience: all in accordance with what the customers wanted.

At ElephantTM, we have been helping a prominent global e-commerce player develop omnichannel shopping experience for tier 2 / tier 3 cities & towns in India. As store designers, we have to understand that retail doesn’t end in metropolis malls. India is a large country, and people have aspirations. Retail growth will come from tier 2 cities where touch & feel and the ability to buy online without a smart phone needs to be managed through smart stores.

How do you think the retail solutions industry, including the suppliers and manufacturers of retail lighting, fixtures, signage, mannequins, props, etc. move ahead from the pandemic impact and step up their game even as brick-and-mortar retail staggers back to normalcy?

The retail solutions industry has done a commendable job in the past decade to help India’s retail standards soar and reach a globally competitive level. This decade, especially under the pandemic, needs more from the industry. It is time for our retail solution providers to make an orbit shift from simply being followers to becoming innovators. We need efficient solutions in all sectors of store design. Fitouts need to get smarter, thinner, faster, flexible, save resources and energy, communicate seamlessly and most importantly, help integrate the online world with in-store hardware.

Stores are already opening and it’s only a matter of time before customers return with new expectations. The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to look at new solutions that will make the customer feel empowered and satisfied

Design Thinking in Retail

Value of Good Design Thinking in Retail? Effective 'Point of Purchase' Displays

How does a designer ensure all the goodness and efficacy behind Point of Sale touch points across retail environments? 
A few principles at work.

By ASHISH DESHPANDE

“ Few years ago, when my son was still a toddler, I took him one day to a candy store. It was his first visit and he was thrilled & squealed with delight. He ran about the store for a while with the intension of grabbing every bit of the colour feast unfolding before him. Eventually when I mentioned to him that he had to make a choice, he was confused for a while. He could not let go all that he was seeing in front. Finally, he settled for the brightest, biggest and the most accessible jar of candy.”

Concerned by the state of the world, revered German Designer, Dieter Rams, Chief Designer for the brand, Braunonce stated, – “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises.” Any modern retail or even a corner high frequency store presents a marketing & retail nightmare for creating an effective sales pitch at the actual point of sale. Customer may have been drawn to a store for a product brand through an effective advertisement campaign. Advertisements many a times are dramatic visual aspirations, which present the products in a utopian manner.  The same products inside stores are a different story. They are lost amongst myriad of other products, store environments and simply too many people in our country.  

Retail thinking at point of purchase must be smart & effective. Purchase aids get fleeting seconds to engage the customer about product benefits. These rare moments are the one’s that determine whether your point of purchase merchandise is successful or a waste of valuable time & resources.

Modern retail today is a jigsaw of shelves with piles & stacks of merchandise.  Each is bolder & brighter than the other. If you are lucky to spot the product brand of your choice, you may as well clap and give yourselves a pat on the back. It is in these conditions that effective purchase displays create a breathing space for your products.  A well conceived product purchase display can very easily focus entire attention towards the product it is displaying, engage the customer (not entice!). There is a thin line separating a successful point of purchase and the ones lost amongst the packs of time. Good design thinking and smart application is the base of the few lessons that I have learnt.

Be innovative.

Great Point of Purchase displays are always differentiated. They present a new solution to display the goodness of the product in a manner not seen every day. Wow! moment’s can be built within innovative displays yet they must never overstep the product. 

Right position.

Point of purchase element must present itself at the right moment in the customer journey through any retail environment. This is that moment in the journey of the customer when her mind should not be occupied by other engagements. Catching her attention at the right moment is crucial to creation of an engaging share in the customer's mind.

Product placement.

It always helps to present the product at a convenient eye level. The product must be approachable and within easy reach. The visual access to the entire product must never be blocked in the line of sight. View must be the best view of the product.

Clear message.

When a customer understands benefits and key differentiation presented by the product on display, it is an example of good Point of Purchase. Message is dispensed quickly & effectively. Key points of the message are boldly presented and secondary information is segregated to areas where it will be most effective.

Visible aesthetics.

Shopping is an experience and a good display must appeal to the customer senses. Well-designed & executed displays add to the customer delight and general well being. They help create a positive attitude towards the displayed merchandise. Yet a display designer must always make products stand out through their presence or absence. Choice of colour, form and material must take into account the environment, competing products, shelf colour and lighting conditions.  

Tipping point.

Display designers must be aware of the unique selling proposition of the product on display. An effective display is a culmination of a series of events that take place in a flash, the moment your display catches customer attention. All these events must lead to effectively closing the deal by clearly indicating the unique benefits of buying the product. It must provide sufficient inputs to the customer to make an informed decision based on conviction and assurance. The display must help close the sale.

Honest.

Point of Purchase must never attempt to manipulate a customer with promises that cannot be kept. Displays should never portray a product in a manner that makes it more innovative, more powerful and more valuable that it really is at present. Very quickly customers can lose trust built over years in the product or even worse, the mother brand.

Design is Detail.

Great modernist designer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, once said, “God is in the details.” Execution of your Point of Purchase idea is as important as the idea itself. Don’t leave details in the display to chance. Good detailing shows respect towards the customer. A well placed screw or a tacky sticking attempt can spell disaster for a good product launch. Remember the quality of your display rubs directly on the quality of your product and brand.

Life and reuse.

Many times the displays can be reused to display products over a longer time period. Displaying other products from the range makes the display proposition cost effective. Make the display last even in today’s use & throw social norm. Be aware of the life cycle of the product display. Think if the structure can be reused or recycled.  Can it double as packaging? This way your rupee runs longer and so do the resources on our Earth. Don’t add to the waste already being created. Think environment ( No client or boss will tell you this ! )

Keep evolving.

Prototype. Prototype. And Prototype. Point of Purchase is not a onetime exercise where you fire & forget. Build in a step in your process of taking feedback from customers and field workers. A designer must understand what works and what does not work. This is critical to creating flawless displays, which relate to the customers.

I have always enjoyed displays that interact with me, educate me and say, “Hey, the choice is yours.”   That is what I call, a great Point of Purchase display experience.

ASHISH DESHPANDE is an Industrial Designer, Co-founder & Director at Elephant. 
An alumnus of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, he is a keen Design Thinker, a member of India Design Council & Jury for India Design Mark. He has worked on several retail design programs, notably, Titan Eye+, Bajaj Auto, Probiking, Ceat Tyres, Axis Bank, ICICi Bank amongst others

<  Back to Blog

Adapting technology to create experiences

Adapting technology in physical environments : Create exuding experiences.

Branded environments in India are evolving. What trends are affecting experiences, how does new technology play a role in design of spaces and how does one connect with the new age end user.

By SHRISH TILEKAR

Experience based environments encompass a variety of sectors in today's world, they span across the service , manufacturing and retail industry .

Within the manufacturing sector, traditional companies, rather than carrying out boardroom presentations, are now setting up experiential spaces to communicate their offering. Working alongside designers companies are creating user journeys to best experience and explain their products & services.

The service industry having realised that customer engagement for good service is about good experiences, are creating positive memories at various touch points. They understand the relevence of this model to keep up in the ever competitive market. Mobile service providers are offering in store expert advice and value added service like free wifi, refreshments in an attempt to give a wholesome experience to their customers.

Banks are adopting user centered approach to design to make customer journey seamless and a pleasant banking experience. Such experiences help create an emotional connect with the  customers, helping build long lasting relationships enabling a loyal customer base.

 Hotels are coming up with theme based rooms to offer exclusive experiences to their guests and to try and present something new each time. Spaces like hotels are emphasising on distinctive moods and perceptions. Themes, lights, textures, alternative seating options make each visit into a novel experiences within a single space.

In Retail, brands have moved past the requirement of maximum SKU displays , brightly lit spaces, and use of multiple colours and materials. They have started to realise the importance of consumer centric designing , thus focussing on creating differentiated  journeys  and better experiences in the space which do not directly relate to the selling of the product but to build lasting memories , loyalty and superior impressions of the brand.

We are seeing a period when local players are realising the need for innovative and creatively designed experiences in the space that would help them compete with the global brands that are storming the Indian markets.

E retailing is also growing at the rate that one had never imagined. Though the e-retailers are changing the way people have been shopping and a complete change in the mindset of these people as well , the brick and mortar stores still hold their own charm amongst these users and also are an important element in the marketing mix.

Axis bank branches designed to suit every need and comfort of the customer to the highest order. A customer centric design approach that ensures customer comfort and hence builds better relations and brand loyalty within the customers.

Over the last two decades advancements in technology and the rising internet and mobile phone penetration has changed our lives and the way we communicate, do business and the way we shop or receive a service.

Technology has reinvented almost every aspect of the journey of a user within spaces through new ways of browsing,  digital shopping cart, reinventing changing rooms, sizing and customising on screen, in store remote video broadcast, real time SKU tracking, multiple payment options and methods. Technology is affecting how a store operates, thus presenting a completely new canvas to the designer.

Design will not just be restricted to one channel but there will have to be a holistic approach towards omni-channel retailing. Design of these physical spaces will have to be thought of keeping in mind other channels, where essentially the same kind of experience will have to be replicated or where the digital experience will have to be seamlessly integrated with the physical space. It is about the digital interactions and journey that comprises of human to space ,space to human, human to digital and digital to human interactions.

One such current technology is the mPOS ( mobile point of sale). The introduction of this technology has comprehensively transposed the journey of a user in any given environment.

It eliminates cash counters, queues, paper receipts, dependency on wired or even WIFI internet connections, bulky billing devices, and much more. For the customers it means safe transactions, cash free wallets, hassle free multiple payments and no long boring queues, all this for more shopping time with a better experience.

mPOS is now being used by every retailer around us, at fuel stations, grocery stores , retail stores ,cab drivers,  e-tailers for payment on delivery and so on. Ezetap is a good India centred example.

User fast adapting to new tech, are also evolving simultaneously. The needs and the demands of these users have changed drastically prompting the brands and the designers to take quick steps towards creating environments to suit their expectations. In this scenario designing environments will be more about mapping an experience of a target customer and less about clever furniture or a different looking space. Experience Retail will be less about trying to sell more things but moreso be focused towards great customer therapy.

Retail will no longer be just a place to buy. It will be more of social zones, hangout places, informative and educative. It will be a place that provides a holistic experience and a seamless integration with out-of-store engagements. People manning these places will be a lot more than just sales people. They will be the facilitators to conversations, educators and also designers that would make changes in the journey of a user based on his past experience with that particular user. Personalisation of experiences will be taken beyond the visible expectations of a customer like on the go, adventurous, relaxing, involving and so on.

Designers now will play a crucial role as an integrator, showing keen understanding of new tech, e commerce and people psyche’.

SHRISH TILEKAR is a Senior Designer, Environment Design at Elephant. An alumnus of National Institute of Design, Bangalore and with a Masters from IED, Milan, he leads a cool team of designers focussing on retail, special functional spaces and branded environments.

<  Back to Blog

Gold Trophy for Elephant

VMRD Best Specialty Restaurant Design, Gold Trophy awarded to Elephant for its work for Krustys at a glittering award ceremony in Mumbai today! Three cheers — with Rohhan Joshi, Vinay Dhavalaey, Ravi Kabara, Vidhiya Joshi, Meenakshi Borgohain B, Apurva Sonawane, Ankita Shrivastava, Vidya Gore, Elodie Nerot, Gerry Rebello, Ashish Deshpande and Partho Guha.

<  Back to Blog