Welcome to the Shopability Series! Our mission is to equip shoppers with the knowledge and tools to successfully navigate the retail jungle and transform it into a shopper's savannah, where unforgettable shopping experiences are the norm. Today, we delve into a time-tested visual merchandising principle that has long been debated in the retail world: to fold or to hang jeans? Drawing on our extensive collaboration with a leading Amsterdam couture retailer and several European fast fashion giants, we present to you our latest findings on the subject, supported by meticulous analysis of shopper behavior data.

To fold or not to fold

When it comes to visual merchandising of denim spaces, there are a few factors to consider when deciding whether to fold jeans or put them on hangers:

1. Available space: If your store has limited space, hanging jeans on hangers may take up less floor space than folding them. However, if you have ample space, folding jeans can create a more visually interesting display.
2. Shopper experience: Consider the shopper experience when deciding how to display your jeans. Hanging jeans can make it easier for shoppers to see the details of the garment and imagine how they would look when worn. However, hangin jeans can create a more tactile experience for shoppers, allowing them to touch and feel the fabric without disturbing perfectly folded items on shelves.
3. Brand image: The decision to fold or hang jeans can also depend on your brand image. If your brand is more casual and laid-back, folding jeans may be more appropriate. However, if your brand has a more formal or polished image, hanging jeans can create a more elevated and sophisticated display.

In general, it's best to mix up your display methods to keep things interesting for shoppers. You might consider hanging some styles of jeans and folding others, or even using a combination of both methods in the same display. Ultimately, the goal of visual merchandising is to create an attractive and engaging shopping experience that will encourage customers to make a purchase, so it's important to experiment and find what works best for your store and your customers.

Generally both female and male shoppers initially follow the same behavioral pattern. We first want to make sure that we visually like the product (1-3 meter range), then as we get closer (< 0.5 meters) we want to feel the fabric to ensure we like the texture and quality. However, beyond this point, there are some subtle differences in the shopping behavior of men and women. For example, women tend to pay more attention to details such as color, fit, and style, whereas men may be more concerned with functionality and durability. Only after this moment, we tend to think of our ideal size. We will break these two important moments in the following paragraphs.

First Moment - Look and Feel

When male shoppers are in a jeans department, the first thing that often comes to their minds is the fabric and look of the jeans. For men, it's important to display a variety of styles and fits, such as straight-leg or slim-fit jeans, in different washes and colors. By organizing the jeans in a clear and easy-to-understand way, men can quickly find what they're looking for and feel confident in their purchase. Women, on the other hand, tend to browse more before making a decision. Therefore, creating an environment that is visually appealing, with well-organized displays and effective signage can help women feel inspired to try on different styles and explore new trends. Additionally, providing a comfortable and welcoming fitting room experience can help increase satisfaction and loyalty among female shoppers. At StoreDNA we have found that the Men's Jeans department has experienced the greatest benefit from being in close proximity to fitting rooms. Moreover, male customers tend to hesitate when it comes to selecting neatly folded items, likely due to concerns about potentially creating a disheveled display that they would then have to tidy up themselves.

Second Moment - Size Choices

Once a shopper has made a confident decision on the fabric and style of the jeans they want, the next step is to move on to the sizing experience. When it comes to men, the focus should be on providing a range of sizes that are easy to find and try on. Clear signage and well-organized displays can help men navigate through the store and find the perfect fit quickly. For women, however, sizing can be more complicated. Offering a range of sizes that cater to different body types, including petite and plus sizes, is crucial. By providing size charts and detailed product information, including product benefits for 3 different price points, women can feel confident in their purchase and find a pair of jeans that fits their unique body type. Additionally, creating an environment that is comfortable and welcoming can help women feel at ease while trying on different styles and sizes. By focusing on the fabric and sizing experiences and catering to the unique browsing and shopping behaviors of men and women, retailers can enhance the overall shopping experience for shoppers and increase sales.

Amsterdam Couture Retailer Case Study

To test the above hypothesis we worked closely with a leading Amsterdam retailer to conduct a test aimed at validating our hypothesis based on shopper behavior insights. Our objective was to determine whether changing the way jeans were displayed in-store could positively impact shopper engagement and ultimately drive sales growth. In the existing approach, jeans were meticulously folded and arranged on an eye-catching display wall.

We decided to experiment with breaking this display into two distinct moments, each catering to different shopper needs. First, we hung the jeans on a rail to cater to the first moment where shoppers focus on the look, feel, and fabric of the product. Next, we placed folded jeans in additional size runs above the rail to cater to the second moment where size becomes a more crucial factor in the decision-making process.

The results of our test were truly remarkable. We found that the hanged jeans were significantly more likely to be picked up and touched by shoppers, with an index of 3.5x compared to the folded jeans. This increased shopper engagement translated into a significant sales boost, with a 12% increase observed in jeans sales.

Our findings demonstrate the power of leveraging shopper behavior insights to inform and optimize in-store visual merchandising strategies, leading to enhanced shopper experiences and improved sales performance.

If you want to learn more, please reach out to us at StoreDNA.

Gone are the good days when established brands could wholly satisfy their shoppers by simply having a great product. Wonder why? Because nowadays, if you don’t have an excellent product, you are instantly out of the game. With thousands of brands to choose from, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach customers.  Largely due to the constant oversaturation of wrongly targeted ads, their attention span has become shorter than ever.

But what does this signify for retailers? How can they reconnect with their faithful consumers and spark loyalty? Is it barely possible to be loyal to one brand, with so many choices available?

Retail Is a Relationship-building Game

Torben Valsted and Martin Birac from StoreDNA have analyzed multiple store insights, coming up with some compelling ideas that emphasize retail as a relationship-building game. According to them, retail represents an infinite game of building consumer and shopper relationships through the way we connect emotionally and transactionally. The perceptual aspect, largely linked to our emotions, primarily occurs through the brand-building process even before the shopper enters the store. The behavioral aspect, on the other side, is tightly linked to the process of the transaction and is profoundly influenced by our in-store experience. To clarify this key idea, Torben and Martin have shared the following concept:

Based on these, the duo broke down the general shopper relationship funnel, into the store attraction and in-store experience. Addressing the first part of the aspect, store attraction, it has been classified into three sections: discover, mission, visit. The in-store experience is typically divided into the following stages: browse, choose, experience, interact, try, trial, decide, buy & do.

Looking at the funnel, it indeed provides a practical tool for retailers worldwide to grasp how the relationship between a brand and a customer is built. Moreover, it delivers a practical opportunity of identifying whether they are overlooking any aspect, or whether any adjustments need to be done.
Read more about their findings here.

What about emotions?

As Torben and Martin point out, retail indeed is a relationship-building game. But what happens next? How can a retailer ensure the shopper will keep coming back to their store, and choose them over their competitor? According to research, a lot of our favorable attitude towards brands naturally depends on our emotions, and how the brands make us feel. This feeling, which is embedded throughout every key aspect of the brand, is frequently the reason behind our choice.

Hence, purchasing a Louis Vuitton bag will increase our self-esteem as we will feel successful and powerful. Getting a Patagonia jacket, on the other hand, will work better if we seek internal self-gratification, as we have chosen a sustainable brand that causes less harm to our environment. Whatever emotion you, as a retailer, decide to generate, the question is blunt: where to start from?

You are a people’s brand more than you are a customer’s brand

Are you a Nike or Adidas person? Or perhaps an Apple person? These fundamental questions are so often asked, and within them lie some crucial features of successful brands: they encourage people to identify themselves with the brand, and the lifestyle they have created.

When building your brand, you should consistently choose to represent a people’s brand, instead of a customer’s. If you want loyalty, you should leave the mindset that customers come and go, and should instead give them the feeling they belong to the company and that they are part of its growth and success. Achieving this starts with your employees. At Starbucks, for example, employees are called ‘partners’, which undoubtedly gives them an additional feeling of accountability and responsibility, further strengthening their relationship with the brand.

Lead a dialogue instead of a monologue

To foster a relationship with your customers, asking questions and listening to your audience is crucial. Besides monitoring their behavior in-store and coming up with useful analytics, go a step further and ask them directly: how do you feel regarding our brand? What do you desire in our store?

We recognize an increasing number of companies turning to social media and reaching out to their audience to obtain some direct insights.  Properly conducting a sentiment analysis and directly hearing from your customers can undoubtedly help you save effort and time, while simultaneously receiving full, honest feedback. A genuine dialogue sets a sturdy foundation for a successful customer-retailer relationship.

Switch your focus to experience

Once more, we go back to the emotions that a leading brand should typically trigger in a potential customer. Because there are so many different brands out there, it is not only about the product/service you are offering, but also about the experience. Here, having brick-and-mortar provides a key advantage, as it is the place customers come for an experience.

Display your items in a way that encourages exploration. Luxury brands purposely decide not to display all of their products, because they want customers to ask the personnel for them. In this way, the well-trained, knowledgeable staff will be able to not merely tell more information about the specific product but also share the magic and the story of the brand, while offering a genuine, personal experience. This tactic is also employed to avoid the reputation of having a  ‘pushy’ sales staff.

Build your story

Ultimately, a key way to generate emotion in your customer is to fabricate a story around your brand that will resonate through every move you execute. Traditionally, there are two fundamental models of brand building:

The history brand-building model:

Used more frequently by European brands, this specific model pays regular allegiance to the legacy of its creator, and it is nurtured at a symbolic level by history. Chanel, for instance, represents a primary example of a brand that has secured its success on the designer’s name, taking the product quality to the extreme. The image of Coco Chanel, her spirit and way of achieving things, resonates in every aspect of the brand, and her values are constantly communicated to the shoppers. This model is particularly useful to connect with your audience if you have a strong designer name.

The storytelling building model:

Thanks to its US origins, this model is mostly used by American and novel brands. In that case, there is no myth or original story, but the company has to design one for themselves. Ralph Lauren, in this case, represents a classic example. Originally called Ralph Lifshitz, he has based his character on Great Gatsby and has invented a whole story that has been enthusiastically shared around the world. Here, a store fulfills a leading role in intentionally creating the wanted atmosphere and genuine expression. You can use this model if you are a relatively new brand, and with no single key figure in your company.

We all naturally want shoppers who will be loyal to our brand, who will consistently choose us over our competitors, and who will spread some great WoM with their friends and families. Although this sounds too good to be achieved, apply our aforementioned tips and you will undoubtedly bring your brand to the next level.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here.
 

The holiday season is one of the most exciting periods for retailers, with plenty of opportunities to maximize their sales and reconnect with their customers. This year, with the global pandemic impacting the retail industry hard, it is safe to say the holiday season will be an unusual one. From the complexity of logistics to additional planning and safety guidelines, the upcoming period will require brands to go the extra mile.

But how has the pandemic shifted shoppers’ attitudes towards holiday shopping?

Despite the hard time retailers are going through, customers’ expectations are not lowering down. According to a recent survey by Accenture, 77% of shoppers claim they require their online purchases to be delivered home, while 56% said they wouldn't shop at the same brand if they have an unsatisfactory delivery experience this Christmas.

As many put their travel holidays on hold, an IBM survey shows that nearly 7 out of 10 respondents will shift some of their spendings from services to retail products. On that note, Deloitte predicts a 1 to 1.5 percent increase in holiday retail sales compared to last year. When it comes to products that will attract the most attention, these include comfortable clothing, at-home fitness equipment, home decor, and healthy beauty items. Such choices are mainly due to people prioritizing practical purchases during the pandemic.

Safety concerns over holiday shopping?

Despite optimistic vaccine discoveries, many justly fear the cold winter months could still spark the possible spread of the coronavirus, especially as some countries once again see a remarkable rise in cases. On that note, it is reasonably expected that many will promptly turn to e-commerce to purchase their holiday gifts for the season. Deloitte, for instance, expects holiday e-commerce sales to surge by 25 to 35 percent, equating to between $182 billion and $196 billion. Taking into account that covid-19 has accelerated a fundamental shift to online shopping by approximately five years, these considerable numbers come as no surprise.  

Although safety is undoubtedly the main reason shoppers shift to e-commerce this holiday, we have dived deeper into its specific causes.  Looking at the US, there are few leading concerns regarding in-store holiday shopping during the pandemic. Consequently, shoppers are primarily concerned about having to deal with others who are not taking coronavirus seriously, being too close to others, and worrying about their own health and safety.

Employing data to design your holiday store

As the National Retail Federation debuts their ‘Shop safe, shop early’ campaign, shoppers are tacitly encouraged to start their holiday shopping on time, when stores are less crowded. For retailers, this undoubtedly means it is no longer about the product, pricing, and promotions, but instead about prepare, perceive, and pursue, at least according to consulting firm Kearney.  

When adequately preparing their store for the holiday season, retailers must start planning with accurate data.This suggests knowing how many people are allowed in the store at a given time, what is the traffic, peak hours, and area that attracts most customers. A key part of planning the holiday store also means taking into account how much staff will work in the store.

The remarkable resurgence of the pop-up shops

As shoppers carefully avoid crowded places but still seek a unique experience, we witness the resurgence of an established concept - the pop-up store.

Temporarily set at a unique random location, the open-air stores can be exceptionally interesting during the global pandemic. In light of various necessary restrictions, pop-ups allow shoppers to rapidly acquire what they require and leave the store. This is a convenient feature as most shoppers currently avoid browsing through shops, but rather come prepared with what they desire to purchase.

Design tips for maximizing space

As social distancing restrictions are put in place, many brands seek to maximize their space implementing smart solutions like vertical shelves. With such a necessary arrangement, they can rack items at varying levels, delivering an appealing minimalistic look. Besides vertical shelves, retailers can also implement a power wall with the best-selling products as that will instantly capture the shoppers’ attention.  

As many avoid entering the stores but rather stay outside, placing effective visuals and messages about popular products and deals is mandatory. Whether it is by telling a compelling holiday story, or by showing your most popular products, window displays should also capture the attention of passengers. Retailers can, in addition, use the display to distribute significant messages about how they are looking out for the shopper’s health and safety.  

On that remark, retailers should devote increased attention to carefully managing their queuing system by relocating key staff members outside of the store. It is substantial to note that while shoppers queue, brands can still communicate with them through advertising material like posters. If finally, there is a significant wait time, they can encourage shoppers to buy online from outside of the shop, and collect their purchase in-store.

From queue management and maximizing store space to designing a pop-up and applying various safety measures - retailers will undoubtedly have many tasks this pivotal year. Being thoroughly prepared will, however, help deliver a good shopping experience and ultimately increase their sales.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here

The pandemic has forced retailers worldwide to adopt novel strategies and marry the digital with the physical as efficiently as they can. The necessity of acquiring a customer-centric and data-centric approach has become more evident than ever: even the retailers that have been lagging behind have been forced to embrace innovative, omnichannel experiences.

Increasingly turning to disruptive technology to achieve such a critical mission, retailers have come up with various innovations to ameliorate our shopping experiences. Besides developing contemporary ideas, they have also been taking already existing concepts and have been redefining them to fit the covid-19 crisis. From virtual high streets to digital fitting rooms, we have gathered a collection of current trends that can assist retailers to adjust to the rapidly changing retail landscape:

Virtual high streets

Due to safety reasons, many shoppers unsurprisingly feel more comfortable buying clothes online. No matter how convenient online shopping is, it still has a severe disadvantage - the apparent lack of the social aspect that so many shoppers crave for. Although finding the middle ground between physical and digital shopping can be particularly complex, it is today possible thanks to the unique powers of technology.

Streetify, an e-commerce platform that launched at the beginning of the year, brings the high street to the shoppers. Blending digital with the physical, it lets its users select the desired high street and with a simple scroll, they can walk up and down the street. What’s more, app users can see virtual storefronts, enter the stores, and use all the deals and special offers made in promotion with sites like Rakuten or Groupon. To communicate with the shoppers, retail owners can place messages about deals, delivery options, and in-stock goods onto their virtual storefront.

Digital Fitting Rooms

To provide a  safe experience to their shoppers, many retailers are forced to close their fitting rooms. On that note, a modern innovation that has been rising are digital fitting rooms. As many shoppers switched to shopping online, 3D fitting rooms promptly became the go-to method of trying out clothes. The growth of 3D technology does not solely provide a safer experience but also delivers its customers a unique, customized experience while progressively reducing the return rate.

This innovative technology, before largely reserved for luxury stores, is now becoming more available through collaborative partnerships of malls with fitting tools like FitMatch. The tool measures shoppers through 3D, and redirects them to personalized experiences at stores like Ted Baker and Under Armour.

3D look, on the other side, is a tool that scans your body and develops personalized size and fit recommendations. The company also collaborates with brands that produce tailor-made clothing by sharing customer’s accurate measurements.

Vending machines

When it comes to vending machines, it is likely that most of us associate them with candies, stuffed animals, coins, and the 2000s. Although the remarkable rise in popularity of the vending machines is not something we expected, the innovation we refer to is slightly different than what you imagine.

Designed as a vending spot for fragrances and cosmetics, the H&M group has developed the machine with the principal aim of making its most popular items easily accessible. Shoppers can in this way get the most sought-after items from & Other Stories (by HM group) with no need to wait. The brand strategically placed the machine in the department store Galeries Lafayette Paris, and we are curious to see whether this concept will capture the attention of the high-end shoppers. More so, in a time when safety and convenience are some of the key features shoppers look for, this concept seems like an attractive alternative to our typical retail.

Although placing a vending machine sounds like a no-brainer, implementing this concept to your strategy is more complex than it seems. From choosing a strategic location to developing an efficient restock method, these are just some of the various components to take into mind.

Robotics for shelf analytics

Before the pandemic, the thought of robots moving around the store still seemed quite far away. The coronavirus crisis, however, has introduced this concept to reality, leaving us with conflicting feelings of excitement and discomfort. Although the thought might seem a bit scary, it can be very beneficial: robots can be directed to perform manual tasks routinely handled by the floor staff, while the latter can be redirected to the much-needed customer support.

In the US, for instance, robotics company Simbe Robotics is developing robots that move around, up and down the aisles of a store, with goal of gathering real-time insights about product stock levels and alerting staff. Although robotics are at this moment predominantly used by supermarket chains, Simbe Robotics is also entering the clothing scene through partnerships with brands like Decathlon.

Another successful company, Brain Corp, has developed robots that can verify product pricing, ensure items are located in the right place, and check for out-of-stock items.

Redefining QR codes

As the pandemic redefines shopping, brands start establishing new forms of social experiences. Burberry, for example, has partnered with China’s leading tech company Tencent to form an app that blends real-life shopping with the digital. When visitors scan product QR codes in the store, they will be shown styling tips and supplementary information about the items.

QR codes are also popular in sportswear, with brands like Nike and Levi’s partnering with Hero, the virtual shopping app. The app produces a unique QR code for any product in a store’s catalogue, whether or not it is available in-store. When scanned by a customer, it will take them to a product page where they can purchase the item and continue communicating with the shop assistant who served them after leaving the store.

Although joyful news of effective vaccines is brightening our harsh reality at least for a bit, it is evident that the effective end of the crisis is still far away. What’s more, even when the pandemic is over, its consequences will be the ones redefining our daily lives and the ways we shop. As the retail industry is particularly hesitant to change, it is undoubtedly a daunting challenge for them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Still, instead of waiting for things to ‘go back normal’ (they won’t), this is a chance to apply these innovative concepts and start a tech-driven, fresh beginning.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here.

Are you curious to learn more? Through our integrated decision-making platform at StoreDNA, we help you deliver dramatically improved performance through better product assortments, store layouts, visual merchandising, and associate optimization. Learn more here.