Counter Culture 5
Positive difference: Why there are plenty of reasons for retailers to move forward with optimism.
Positive difference: Why there are plenty of reasons for retailers to move forward with optimism.
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5<br />
<strong>Counter</strong><br />
<strong>Culture</strong><br />
shoptactics<br />
Come Together<br />
How to positively embrace store team<br />
diversity to achieve common goals.<br />
VM and Vigour<br />
The athleisure trend changing the<br />
appearance of sportswear VM in-store.<br />
Waste Not<br />
Maximising productivity by achieving<br />
a ‘right first time’ approach instore.<br />
How retailers will…<br />
Survive + Grow<br />
visualthinking.co.uk
Positive retail transformation.<br />
No one takes stores from better to ‘best’ faster.<br />
visualthinking.co.uk
5<br />
Contents<br />
06 The Leader<br />
Our managing director Karl McKeever introduces<br />
the thinking behind our special edition of <strong>Counter</strong><br />
<strong>Culture</strong>, and explains why there are plenty of reasons for<br />
those who have their heart, and professional reputations,<br />
set on delivering retail transformation to both think and<br />
act positively in the months ahead.<br />
<strong>Culture</strong><br />
08 Come together<br />
Age, gender, language, culture, interests, baselevel<br />
knowledge and skills – even the driver for working in<br />
retail at all. Stores are rich in diversity, but retailers must<br />
find ways to bring people together to towards<br />
a common goal.<br />
11<br />
Tastes<br />
change<br />
11 Tastes change<br />
15 Wonderful everyday<br />
Positive charge<br />
Go straight to the stories that will inspire retail<br />
performance, faster. Just look out for the battery<br />
icon inside.
5<br />
Contents<br />
Behaviour<br />
23 Best of times<br />
There is no such thing as a loyal shopper these days,<br />
23<br />
meaning retailers must now think differently.<br />
With psychology changing, the emphasis is now focusing<br />
Best of<br />
times<br />
on creating rewarding retail experiences to earn, rather<br />
than buy, shopper loyalty.<br />
28 Instantly gratifying<br />
53 Ups and downs<br />
31 Shelf esteem<br />
Physical<br />
34 VM and vigour<br />
38 Selling with sole<br />
44 Positively different<br />
Part of a much larger movement of gender liberation,<br />
the growth of unisex fashion poses serious questions for<br />
the traditional, rigidly gendered retail sales markets of<br />
menswear and womenswear.<br />
59 Moments of happiness
5<br />
Contents<br />
Climate<br />
62 Waste not<br />
As business costs continue to rise, retailers can no<br />
62<br />
longer afford to waste investment, hours and effort<br />
through failure to achieve a ‘right first time’<br />
Waste<br />
approach instore.<br />
not<br />
69 A new leaf<br />
73 Filling a gap<br />
68 Body confidence<br />
Travel<br />
47 Small wonders<br />
Over in Finland, retailer Costo is one of many aspiring,<br />
cool entrepreneurial brands proving that sustainability<br />
can be good for business, and for the planet.<br />
Offcuts have never been sexier.<br />
50 All change in NYC<br />
55 Capital gains<br />
Visual Thinking<br />
We have been at the forefront of accelerating retail transformation and implementing<br />
instore best practice for almost 25 years. Retail Excellence is in our agency’s DNA;<br />
delivering clear, consistent and integrated visual retail standards to improve retail<br />
performance.<br />
Let’s talk: +44 (0) 2080 506 028<br />
www.visualthinking.co.uk<br />
#shoptactics<br />
Published by<br />
Visual Thinking Limited<br />
UK
Leader<br />
Good news: <strong>Counter</strong> <strong>Culture</strong> is back. And the emphasis for this<br />
issue is most definitely on the positive.<br />
The debate about the health of UK retail is, like in so many<br />
countries around the world, often tinged with a sense of negative<br />
foreboding. While these are clearly difficult times (we’ll be avoiding<br />
talk of Brexit), for those of you who seek proof that better is<br />
possible, there are many stories of positive retail change to be<br />
found. Sales are soaring at Zara, while value giant B&M recently<br />
announced an impressive leap in pre-tax profits. Homeware brand<br />
Sheridan has enjoyed a 31 per cent sales uplift thanks to new<br />
store-ready VM policies. In the telco sector, O2 has increased<br />
compliance to visual store standards by a staggering 32 per cent.<br />
There’s more good news. 80 per cent of retail executives say their<br />
business understands the need for transformation.* Yet less than<br />
half know the capabilities needed to make their transformation<br />
journey a success. And just 24 per cent say they know what<br />
transformation looks like on a day-to-day basis.<br />
Thankfully, it’s a ‘solvable problem’. But be warned: if you don’t<br />
deliver positive and effective retail transformation at store level,<br />
others will. Our experience of accelerating improvements in<br />
retail performance helps to deliver winning instore experiences,<br />
repeatedly and consistently.<br />
It’s time for positive action. Are you with us?<br />
Karl McKeever, founder – karl@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
*The DNA of the Retailers of the Tomorrow report,<br />
unveiled at the World Retail Congress, Dubai, April 2017.<br />
06
If you don’t change<br />
the future, others will.<br />
See the difference<br />
Retail transformation,<br />
from the people who<br />
have been making<br />
better possible<br />
for 25 years.<br />
visualthinking.co.uk<br />
07
Come<br />
together<br />
Words by:<br />
Tina Emerson<br />
Image:<br />
Liam Cooper<br />
Share<br />
08
Rich in diversity, store teams must also<br />
work together to achieve common goals.<br />
“What unites us is far greater than what divides<br />
us.” Given recent events, those words – first<br />
uttered by President Kennedy in 1961 – have<br />
perhaps never been more appropriate.<br />
Whoever has responsibility for implementing<br />
change programs at store level, they have a<br />
huge job on their hands. A diverse team will<br />
inherently create a working environment where<br />
ideas and approaches will be challenged. At the<br />
A quick scan of today’s headlines can portray<br />
an obsession with focusing self-interest rather<br />
than common goals. The current US president<br />
is certainly doing little to help on that score.<br />
Thankfully, a renewed spirit of both community<br />
and non-conformity is clearly evident too.<br />
right level this can lead to the most efficient and<br />
creative solutions to the biggest problems. But<br />
at a store implementation level, it can have quite<br />
the opposite effect – leading to an inconsistent<br />
brand experience and, worse still, a negative<br />
and costly impact on operational productivity.<br />
If Donald Trump were a retailer, he’d no doubt<br />
have very different views on inclusiveness.<br />
Diversity courses deeply through the veins of<br />
retail. Even for those who operate in a single<br />
country, the one thing all retailers have in<br />
common is there is no one defining definition of<br />
who works in a store. Age, gender, language,<br />
culture, interests, base-level knowledge and<br />
skills – even the driver for being in a store at<br />
all – retail has one of most diverse working<br />
populations in industry. This presents a major<br />
challenge for retailers when it comes to rallying<br />
team members around a goal.<br />
It is a recognised fact that a one-size-fits-all has<br />
had its day. So why do so few retailer<br />
transformation programs reflect this? For<br />
stores to thrive that needs to change. Only<br />
by supporting store teams with flexible retail<br />
and VM training – delivered using a variety of<br />
channels that take into account differences in<br />
knowledge, skills<br />
and learning needs – will retailers be able to<br />
positively influence the “collective mood” but<br />
also ensure retail policy, VM guidelines, and<br />
expectations are clearly communicated and<br />
universally understood<br />
Tina Emerson is learning and development manager at Visual Thinking.<br />
09
Image: The O2 Visual Excellence program has seen<br />
a 34% in compliance<br />
Image: Harley-Davidson’s global VM program has<br />
achieved best practice buy-in around the world<br />
View projects<br />
Image: John Lewis 2017<br />
“National Treasures” summer campaign<br />
10
Tastes<br />
Change<br />
Supermarkets ability to keep<br />
things fresh is about to be<br />
put to the ultimate test.<br />
Words by: Suzanne Tanner<br />
Image: Verena Yunita Yapi<br />
Share<br />
11
Image: The new concept for supermarket chain<br />
Solera opened in Cologne, Germany in March<br />
this year © Masquespacio<br />
The sector could be<br />
set for the biggest<br />
change of all.<br />
12
Image: Summer Hill Supermarket, Sydney © loopcreative<br />
A good supermarket can make a huge impact on our quality of life, with the very best providing<br />
much more than basic sustenance; the City Market “urban concept” neighbourhood grocery store<br />
from Canadian chain Loblaws is a fine example of this, with its compact yet refreshing and edgy<br />
retail experience. Then there’s Coop’s Supermarket Of The Future at Bicocca Village in Milan, and<br />
the Help-yourself Herb Garden concept from Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn.<br />
This is a sector that witnesses constant transformation. From non-food and then online growth, to<br />
sustainability and provenance, self-scan technology, the shift towards all things discount, or even a<br />
bit a instore farming. Visual Thinking is even busy supporting a certain upmarket UK grocery chain<br />
at this very moment, helping it transform visual presentation instore.<br />
But now, the sector could be set for the biggest change of all. Enter Amazon.<br />
While grocery-restaurant hybrid Eataly has grown its business by advocating the “slow-food”<br />
movement, Amazon is all about speed. And it appears to quickly be getting serious about grocery.<br />
Its recent offer to buy the one-time darling of the grocery world, US chain Whole Foods Market, is a<br />
clear signal of intent.<br />
13
Image: Loblaw’s Independent CityMarket concept,<br />
Toronto<br />
Image: Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market<br />
signals a watershed moment for the sector<br />
Image from: Albert Heijn XL Help-yourself Herb<br />
Garden in Amsterdam © studiomfd<br />
Back in the UK, the lateness of Morrisons arrival into online grocery was seen in many ways as a<br />
negative for the retailer. But perhaps for them, the ‘Cloud’ could literally offer a silver lining. Having<br />
observed the successes and challenges endured by others, it announced an online tie-up with<br />
Amazon in November last year; a decision that is looking increasingly smart based on developments<br />
in the US. The move saw the launch of a new “Morrisons at Amazon” 1-hour delivery service for Prime<br />
Members in selected areas.<br />
Amazon may be a relative latecomer to the UK online grocery market but, given the opportunity, it<br />
is a business that undoubtedly has the ability to innovate in this space and deliver “game-changing”<br />
transformation. The one thing they don’t have is grocery expertise. But they are evolving, fast.<br />
Meanwhile, instead of figuring out the innovation piece, the major supermarkets have been consumed<br />
by seemingly endless focus on price. They aren’t naïve though, and surely realise that the time for<br />
fresh thinking is now – before Amazon really comes knocking<br />
Suzanne Tanner is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – suzanne@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
14
Wonderful<br />
everyday<br />
Words by:<br />
Kirsty Kean<br />
Image:<br />
Jason Briscoe<br />
Share<br />
15
IKEA is a brand apart. Never afraid to<br />
embrace novel ideas, its success story<br />
is not just down to the products it sells,<br />
but also its ability to form meaningful<br />
connections with customers, employees,<br />
and wider society. Its DNA has remained<br />
unchanged since Ingvar Kamprad founded<br />
the company – accessible and functional<br />
solutions that are meant to improve<br />
everyday life, in a uniquely IKEA way. Today,<br />
the Kamprad family (one of the richest in<br />
the world) is still committed to key values<br />
surrounding quality, differences, loyalty,<br />
and sustainability. Here is a company doing<br />
genuinely transformative things – in store<br />
and out. There are countless examples,<br />
but we have chosen just a few to highlight.<br />
16
iStock<br />
Everything we put out there has purpose.<br />
17
View projects<br />
Image: Visual Thinking helped IKEA share best practice across Russia<br />
Retail training workshops<br />
Everything IKEA does is rooted in improving everyday life. Naturally, that applies to<br />
the working lives of its retail teams, as well as to the lives of shoppers in the home.<br />
The instore experience is a big part of the Swedish brand, but how do you replicate<br />
that worldwide? We know the most effective way to deliver training is in person,<br />
so we travelled to Russia, to IKEA’s subsidiary stores – sharing our knowledge and<br />
understanding with teams to help bring the famed IKEA experience to life.<br />
Keen to foster a great understanding of the shopper journey and mindset, IKEA<br />
Russia worked with Visual Thinking to spearhead a series of retail development<br />
workshops, using group activities and digital media to lay down the foundations for<br />
retailexcellence that would transcend borders and language, driving more effective<br />
team buy-in to the brand’s purpose, policies and practices within each store.<br />
Since its inception, IKEA has been able to share best practice across Russia, with<br />
trained teams able to use learning to give shoppers a better, more engaging retail<br />
experience in every store, every day.<br />
18
19
Festival ready<br />
“We want to bring smiles to people’s faces,”<br />
explains UK menswear designer Kit Neale.<br />
He’s currently hot property in British design, and<br />
the man behind IKEA’s limited edition SPRIDD<br />
festival range.<br />
Like navigating line-ups and stages at music<br />
festivals this summer, the importance of getting<br />
your instore campaign right is undeniable.<br />
Image: IKEA festival range, Birmingham<br />
Not only do retailers often have to negotiate the<br />
British weather with deftness, but they must<br />
also find ways to deliver a credible, well-curated<br />
summer story instore.<br />
First launched in Australia at the end of 2016,<br />
IKEA’s limited edition SPRIDD collection is<br />
energetic, chaotic and young. Music and<br />
mobility are the starting points for SPRIDD.<br />
Inspired by loosely interpreted music styles, Kit<br />
Neale and IKEA have created four expressions<br />
that are still part of one and the same<br />
print-it-out-loud collection.<br />
Image: British menswear designer Kit Neale for IKEA<br />
20
Home Sweet Home<br />
The concept of the company town model is not new.<br />
In the late 19th Century, Czech shoe company Bata<br />
built a number of towns across the world, including<br />
in the UK. As well as a job, the company also leased<br />
modernist houses to their employees. In Bata-ville,<br />
as these company towns were known, even the<br />
schools, cinemas and social events were all run by<br />
the company.<br />
Now IKEA is getting in on the game, building 34<br />
affordable micro-apartments in the Icelandic capital<br />
Reykjavik for employees. The cost of buying or<br />
renting a home has become a hot topic in Reykjavik,<br />
where a tourist boom has seen prices skyrocket.<br />
“We have set the benchmark high for others to<br />
follow, which hopefully leads to higher standards,”<br />
says Thor Aevarsson, country manager of IKEA<br />
Iceland. “The total look and final result should speak<br />
strong IKEA language.”<br />
Bournville, established by George Cadbury in 1893,<br />
still remains the most famous example in the UK.<br />
Created for workers at his chocolate factory, it is<br />
home to 25,000 residents today. Strict guidelines<br />
dictate what residents can and cannot do to their<br />
properties. Hedges must be kept to a certain<br />
height, while front door colours and other aesthetic<br />
details are regulated. The guidelines may seem<br />
stuffy to some, but for the majority of residents they<br />
are a small price to pay for quality surroundings,<br />
better living standards, and a strong sense of<br />
togetherness.
Image: IKEA’s emergency shelter homes was named Winner of the Beazley Designs of the Year Award<br />
Refugee and shelter<br />
According to the UNHCR, the number of<br />
refugees now tops 65 million people. It’s<br />
a staggering figure, a huge humanitarian<br />
challenge, and one that could easily overwhelm<br />
even the most committed.<br />
But perhaps the question should be: why was<br />
it so long coming? Finally, someone thought,<br />
“Who do we know who can mass produced<br />
easy-to-assemble furniture for the home, in<br />
a way that is easy to transport, and that can<br />
whack it out cheaply?” It just goes to show that<br />
But for many who have been displaced, IKEA’s<br />
flatpack refugee shelter may finally offer a<br />
symbol of hope. Winner of the Beazley Designs<br />
of the Year Award, the emergency shelter homes<br />
– a brand collaboration with the UN – offer<br />
if you want new thinking and a transformative<br />
solution, you should bring someone in who are<br />
specialists in that discipline with the expertise<br />
and knowledge to deliver solutions that work –<br />
imaginatively, effectively and cost-affordably<br />
safety and security. They can be assembled in<br />
4 hours, have a lifespan of 3 yearas and, most<br />
significantly of all, they can be locked – enabling<br />
refugees to protect their possessions, and<br />
delivering a unique piece of dignity.<br />
Kirsty Kean is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – kirsty@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
22
Best<br />
of times<br />
The psychology behind<br />
loyalty schemes is changing<br />
with the emphasis now<br />
much more on retailers<br />
Words by: Jo Roberts<br />
Image: Andrew Welch<br />
Share<br />
23
There is no such thing as a loyal shopper<br />
these days, meaning retailers must now<br />
think differently.<br />
The average person has more than three loyalty<br />
cards in their wallet. That said, many just end up<br />
gathering dust. Today, shoppers would rather<br />
cross the street to buy from a competitor that<br />
offers a better deal than ‘earn’ a few points they<br />
may never redeem. Research by TCC Global<br />
reports significant loyalty card fatigue, with 61<br />
The combination of straitened times and the<br />
rapid growth of online shopping has given<br />
shoppers more freedom to shop around, and<br />
motivated them to ditch brands which don’t<br />
provide a truly rewarding brand experience – in<br />
the US, it is reported that up to a fifth of all US<br />
shoppers feel brands take them for granted.<br />
per cent of shoppers saying that they<br />
“want to feel rewarded for loyalty by more than<br />
just another loyalty card”.<br />
Savvy retailers understand the need to earn<br />
shopper loyalty, rather than effectively paying<br />
them for it through standard programmes<br />
Supermarkets have been hit particularly hard<br />
by this ‘disloyalty’ trend, as more of us brandhop<br />
to get the best deals. Kantar Worldpanel<br />
suggests shoppers are happy to visit five<br />
different supermarket brands in any<br />
given month.<br />
designed to build brand devotion. As a result,<br />
businesses from luxury department stores<br />
through to cafés and hotel chains are rethinking<br />
loyalty altogether. Harvey Nichols has launched<br />
a loyalty app called Rewards, which uses data<br />
and location information to give shoppers<br />
personalised and “surprising” experiences.<br />
The challenge of wooing this so called<br />
promiscuous shopper is nothing new, but it has<br />
been heightened since the global recession.<br />
The department store hopes that these more<br />
memorable experiences will keep shoppers<br />
coming back.<br />
Jo Roberts is the current head of content marketing for Centaur Media. Previously, she has held the roles of editor with National<br />
Grocery Buyer, editor and deputy features editor of Marketing Week, and features writer for Brand Strategy magazine.<br />
24
Image: The Benetton Pop Up Cube, Milan engaged over 2000 people with an average age of 28 years.<br />
But this move towards a more emotional<br />
connection with shoppers is not just confined<br />
to loyalty programmes but has shifted into the<br />
wider instore experience too.<br />
terms of ‘hard’ elements, such as store design,<br />
finishes, materials, or even above-the-line<br />
advertising carry-through, but by focusing on<br />
the ‘soft power’ – personalisation, ease of shop,<br />
visual merchandising, customer service, and<br />
Almost 90 per cent of shoppers say a great brand<br />
experience is key to driving loyalty, according<br />
to Econsultancy. Creating real emotional<br />
engagement is key to this. “The idea that we<br />
always have to have a loyalty programme –<br />
brand standards. Katie Baron, head of retail<br />
at trends and research agency Stylus, says<br />
this approach is going to be key to the future<br />
success of retail as “experience will be the key<br />
brand differentiator” on the high street.<br />
I just want to break that,” believes Nathan Watts,<br />
creative director of retail design agency FITCH.<br />
“There are other ways to generate that loyalty. It’s<br />
about rewarding a visit.” He adds that brands<br />
and agencies need to think: “How do we be<br />
generous to our shoppers when they’re in the<br />
store?”<br />
Put simply, the days of shopper excitement over<br />
the number of points they have on their store<br />
cards may be well and truly over. But by creating<br />
shopper-centric instore experiences, retailers will<br />
find they attract a more engaged and passionate<br />
wave of brand loyalists – guaranteed to be very<br />
rewarding to the bottom line<br />
One way is to invest in the brand experience<br />
that shoppers are exposed to instore. Not in<br />
25
Image: WOSJH, Amsterdam<br />
Almost 90 per cent of<br />
shoppers say a great brand<br />
experience is key to<br />
driving loyalty.<br />
26
Yesterday.<br />
Now.<br />
Tomorrow.<br />
27
Instantly<br />
gratifying<br />
Millennials want to jump<br />
straight in and enjoy today<br />
instead of waiting for what<br />
might be tomorrow.<br />
Words by: Kate Nightingale<br />
Image: Jakob Owens<br />
Share<br />
28
Millennials are an impatient, ‘live for the<br />
moment’, dopamine-addicted generation.<br />
Right? I’m not a fan of putting people into<br />
boxes. As a psychologist, and more simply<br />
as a human, I know that boxes are never a<br />
holistic or exhaustive description of a person.<br />
It’s perhaps unsurprising then that, in an<br />
attempt to understand the next generation of<br />
consumers and their sometimes seemingly<br />
‘other-worldly ways’, marketers try to put them<br />
into a box.<br />
The one common trait that does seem to define<br />
all Millennials is their ability to multi-task.<br />
As the first ‘wave’ of digital natives, having never<br />
known a world without connected devices, they<br />
are, arguably, better at it than any generation<br />
that has gone before. From the point of view<br />
of brand engagement, this creates a problem.<br />
Rarely focused on one task, and almost never<br />
disengaged from their mobile or tablet devices,<br />
they are in a constant state of partial attention.<br />
29
Millennials are looking for brands which<br />
help them add value to their lives.<br />
Having grown up in a world where you can get anything you want, instantly,<br />
the macro social influences that shaped their lives certainly seem to back<br />
up this view of Millennials. Every parent wants their children to have more<br />
opportunities and a better life than they had. Millennials’ parents gave them<br />
plenty of things and experiences they never had. As a result, Millennials were<br />
over-saturated with materialism.<br />
But they have had another influence which shaped them – terrorism<br />
and violence. More and more frequent reminders of mortality have<br />
subconsciously influenced them to focus on the moment and squeeze<br />
the most out of it, because there might not be a tomorrow. Indeed, many<br />
spiritual leaders, such as the Dalai Lama, advocate this as a way to<br />
achieve ultimate wellbeing. Taking all this into account, it’s easy to see<br />
why Millennials might in fact avoid life by further addicting themselves to<br />
technology or experiences. Millennials are looking for brands which help<br />
them add value to their lives – whether it’s changing the world, improving<br />
their self-esteem, learning new skills, or creating new relationships. Apple’s<br />
seminars and LEGO Ideas are two great examples of this thinking in action.<br />
While media focus may already have turned to Gen Z, successfully<br />
connecting with Millennials remains vital for the majority of mainstream high<br />
street retailers. Greater emphasis must be placed on bringing the symbolic<br />
meaning behind the brand to life instore, rather than simply selling the ‘why’,<br />
and on embracing their keenness to share their opinions – Millennials place<br />
greater value on those who listen to them. So be curious. Never assume.<br />
Ask. Listen to truly understand. Millennials have made the conscious choice<br />
to enjoy every moment now rather than hope they will when they retire. If<br />
retailers are to get Millennials to lift their heads from their electronic devices,<br />
then they too must continue to think differently<br />
Kate Nightingale is a consumer, fashion and brand psychologist founder, and CEO of Style Psychology<br />
30
Shelf<br />
esteem<br />
The impact of<br />
mental wellbeing<br />
Words by:<br />
Lisa Lawson<br />
on happiness and<br />
productivity is well<br />
known, but too<br />
often skirted.<br />
Share<br />
This will leave you speechless. The impact<br />
of mental health is evident. It costs the UK<br />
an estimated £105bn per year*. 94 per cent<br />
of Millennials say they identify with feeling<br />
“overwhelmed” and actively want help to<br />
for it. WHSmith may be the world’s oldest national<br />
retail chain, and often lambasted for the physical<br />
state of some of its store estate, but in this<br />
respect both its leader and the retailer are clearly<br />
demonstrating a progressive attitude.<br />
make decisions they can trust, but the stigma<br />
surrounding mental ill health remains.<br />
Elsewhere, comedian and campaigner Ruby Wax<br />
In today’s fast-paced, highly pressured<br />
environment, opportunities to take stock, to see<br />
things with fresh and clear eyes, and think – really<br />
think – are few and far between. And yet we all<br />
has teamed up with M&S to launch the not-forprofit<br />
Frazzled Café – creating communal spaces<br />
within M&S stores that give people who are<br />
overwhelmed by modern life a chance to come<br />
together.<br />
know a positive state of mind is key to achieving<br />
goals.<br />
Like so many things, being able to take the first<br />
steps to thinking differently and creating positive<br />
As part of projects to mark its 225th anniversary,<br />
WHSmith is investing £250,000 to train 1,000<br />
store managers in Mental Health First Aid. In an<br />
interview in The Telegraph earlier this year, CEO<br />
Steve Clarke talked openly about how mental<br />
affected his family – something that’s rare for a<br />
FTSE CEO to do, and he should be applauded<br />
changes relies on developing a truly inclusive<br />
environment where open communication is<br />
championed, and people feel able to share and<br />
discuss ideas and issues, as well as giving people<br />
the support they need to realise their true potential<br />
and end every day with a sense of worth and<br />
fulfillment<br />
Lisa Lawson is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – lisa@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
31
Image: Celebrity Ruby Wax launched Frazzled café<br />
concept with M&S<br />
Image: The Body Shop Super Food Masks window display, London.<br />
32
One word,<br />
can end a fight.<br />
One moment,<br />
can transform<br />
a brand.<br />
33
VM and<br />
vigour<br />
Athleisure promises a more relaxed future,<br />
although its giving retailers a workout too.<br />
Words by: Katy Trodd<br />
Image: Dan Gold<br />
Share<br />
34
Image: The Canadian athletic apparel retailer Lululemon first launched in 1998<br />
Exercise can be transformative for the body. And it appears more and more of us are hoping that<br />
just looking like we’re at the gym has a similar same effect.<br />
According to research by the Australian Sporting Goods Association, activewear enables females<br />
to move more positively. Ideologies aside, athleisure is a hot commodity in fashion retail right now.<br />
Globally, it’s a market worth £213bn, led by the likes of Lululemon, Manuka Life, and Nike, with<br />
its powerful ‘If you have a body, you are an athlete’ message. While Lululemon has, arguably,<br />
developed the handwriting for how to deliver the retail offer in this sector, mainstream retailers<br />
such as Topshop, H&M, UNIQLO, Carbon38, Varley, and even discount supermarket chain Aldi,<br />
are trying to capitalise on this global fashion phenomenon and take a slice of the pie (served<br />
with low fat cream, of course). As a result, the athleisure marketplace has become<br />
somewhat crowded.<br />
But getting it right is far from plain sailing. Some industry commentators noted that Lululemon’s<br />
spring collection failed to translate its design vision with sufficient authority through VM instore.<br />
Meanwhile, Canadian casualwear brand Kit and Ace, founded by the family behind Lululemon,<br />
has recently closed its stores in the UK, Australia and the US. Its decision highlights the difficulties<br />
that can exist when there are two brands in the same space, doing the same thing. Irrespective<br />
of how great the product maybe, both examples show how important it is for retailers to put in<br />
the hard work – capturing valuable insight into how differentiation can be expressed instore,<br />
and delivered effectively. Only then will retailers be in the best possible shape for the future<br />
Katy Trodd is retail project manager at Visual Thinking – katy.trodd@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
35
Image: Lululemon’s UK flagship on London’s Regent<br />
Street<br />
Image: Lane Crawford, Hong Kong<br />
Image: Lululemon, Spitalfields, London<br />
Image: Kit & Ace store in Toronto, Canada<br />
36
Athleisure is a hot<br />
commodity in fashion<br />
retail right now.<br />
Globally, it’s a market<br />
worth £213bn.<br />
Image: Paul Smith Sport pop-up, Bicester Village, Oxfordshire<br />
37
Selling<br />
with sole<br />
With men’s shoe collections growing, brands<br />
are keen to put their best foot forward.<br />
Words by: Alfred Tong<br />
Share<br />
38
Men are becoming more adventurous and<br />
engaged with fashion and, correspondingly,<br />
with footwear as a result.<br />
The stereotype of the shoe-mad (female)<br />
fashionista is being turned on its head.<br />
Research from Mintel shows that men aged<br />
25-44 are now more likely than women of<br />
the same age to be motivated to update<br />
their footwear because of a new fashion<br />
trend. The numbers tell a story of men<br />
becoming more adventurous and engaged<br />
with fashion and, correspondingly, with<br />
footwear as a result. Much of this growth<br />
can be put down to the rising popularity<br />
of trainers and casual, fashion inspired<br />
shoes: “Sneakers are to men what designer<br />
handbags were to women: items which<br />
have huge cultural and design cache,”<br />
says DJ Kish Kash, London’s most prolific<br />
trainer collector, whose own collection<br />
totals almost 2,000 pairs.<br />
39
Image: Cheaney Shoes offers a club-like gentlemen’s<br />
outfitters environment<br />
Image: Cheaney Shoes, Covent Garden<br />
40
According to Mintel’s research, 52% of people<br />
want retailers to help them find a better fit.<br />
Brands such as Red Wing, Clarks Originals,<br />
Timberland and Dr Martens also have huge<br />
appeal for men who are into trainers, explains<br />
Kash.“For instance, Clarks Originals, say a pair<br />
of Wallabees, sit somewhere in the middle of the<br />
formality spectrum. If you had a venn diagram<br />
there’d be brogues on one side and trainers<br />
on the other. A pair of Dr Martens or Wallabees<br />
would sit bang in the middle. It’s a sweet spot<br />
because it helps men to dress for a variety of<br />
According to Mintel research, the biggest<br />
challenges for shoppers instore is finding the<br />
right ‘fit’. 52% of people want retailers to do<br />
more to help them. The investment being made<br />
by the likes of schuh in technology not only<br />
makes the instore experience more efficient, it<br />
also allows retail teams to do what counts: to<br />
offer expertise and advice, acting as a kind of<br />
instore influencer rather than running to and fro<br />
from the stockroom.<br />
social situations, without the stuffiness of a fully<br />
English leather shoe.”<br />
In London, start-up shoe company Baudoin &<br />
Lange make a version of the Belgian Slipper, a<br />
Currently, the mantle of Leading UK Footwear<br />
Brand belongs to Clarks. One of the ways in<br />
which it has successfully achieved this is with the<br />
rollout of its ‘Clarks Originals’ lines, all of which<br />
have huge cult appeal from their association<br />
with youth culture in Britain, Jamaica, and the<br />
US. Clarks Originals taps into the trend for<br />
authenticity, craftsmanship and heritage, at a<br />
lightweight loafer, which was once a favourite<br />
of New York WASPs (Bernie Madoff owned 300<br />
pairs). “Our product is a staple like the Tod’s or<br />
Gucci loafer, or Warby Parker glasses. We offer<br />
the same shoe in different colours and materials.<br />
So that makes it easier to offer consistent sizing.<br />
Sizing and fit are a crucial issue,” explains the<br />
brand’s founder, Bo van Langeveld.<br />
relatively accessible price point of £90-£110. But<br />
analysts believe it has to do more to keep up<br />
with current trends.<br />
41
In spite of some challenges, the men’s footwear<br />
market, as with menswear as a whole, is ripe<br />
with opportunity<br />
42
It’s a space that encourages<br />
shoppers to appreciate the<br />
handcrafting and skill that<br />
goes into making quality shoes.<br />
For sheer theatricality and service, few stores<br />
beat Crep Protect in London’s Fitzrovia.<br />
It isn’t even a shoe brand, but a type of sneaker<br />
cleaning product. Rare, exclusive and collectible<br />
trainers sit upon Jenga-style bricks that jut out<br />
of the wall and move along conveyor belts,<br />
while screens display stock market-style ticker<br />
tape showing the rise and fall of prices in the<br />
international sneaker market. The store also<br />
offers a cleaning service with which to fully<br />
History, tradition and craftsmanship are the<br />
themes for the design and interior of the<br />
Cheaney Shoes flagship in Covent Garden. It’s a<br />
space that encourages shoppers to appreciate<br />
the handcrafting and skill that goes into making<br />
quality shoes. Shoe lasts adorn the walls like an<br />
art installation, while leather swatches, soles,<br />
stitching etc., are housed in glass cabinets. It’s<br />
a stylised Northamptonshire workshop brought<br />
into the heart of central London.<br />
refurbish trainers – using Crep Protect, of course.<br />
In spite of challenges (best illustrated by the<br />
While other shops such as Grenson and Oliver<br />
Sweeney make use of photographs of men in<br />
aprons polishing shoes, and have the odd tool<br />
scattered around a mock in-store workshop,<br />
atelier George Cleverley has no need: bespoke<br />
shoes are actually still made here entirely by<br />
near collapse and last minute rescue of Jones<br />
Bootmaker and Brantano earlier this year), these<br />
– and there are more – fine examples of best<br />
practice in men’s footwear retailing illustrate a<br />
sector which is in rude health, and ripe with both<br />
instore creativity and opportunity<br />
hand. Cleverley’s exclusive collaboration for<br />
online men’s retailer MR PORTER and the MR<br />
PORTER X Kingsman spy film franchise has<br />
recently brought its ready-to-wear shoes to a<br />
wider audience.<br />
Alfred Tong is a journalist, trend forecaster and brand consultant who has written for The Times, The Face, Timeout,<br />
Harpers Bazaar and Esquire. He has also consulted for American Express, Ralph Lauren, Nike and Thomas Pink.<br />
43
Positively<br />
different<br />
Words by: Katy Trodd<br />
Image: Adam Littman Davis<br />
Share<br />
44
The liberation of gender roles could also<br />
deconstruct traditional approaches to VM.<br />
Bowie, Prince, Grace Jones, Lady Gaga…hell,<br />
even Miley Cyrus – anyone who doesn’t care<br />
for labels, defiantly bends rules and gloriously<br />
challenges stereotypes is to be celebrated.<br />
Progressive brands, such Toogood London,<br />
TILLYandWILLIAM and FLAVNT Streetwear<br />
are leading the way in gender-neutral clothing,<br />
while Selfridges celebrated fashion without<br />
definition with its Agender shop-in-shop<br />
Once viewed as counter-cultural, gender<br />
blending isn’t new or even a trend per se.<br />
Despite some (Mr Piers Morgan) calling nonbinary<br />
identification a “fad”, Bowie was offering<br />
a different way of being a man or a woman –<br />
and the idea that you didn’t have to choose –<br />
back in the 1970s. Today, Gaga encourages<br />
her followers to embrace their “individuality”,<br />
concept. Last year also saw Zara launch its<br />
‘ungendered’ line of garments in 29 stores<br />
across the UK. Some criticised the retailer for<br />
using cisgendered models to present the range,<br />
rather than anyone gender non-confirming, and<br />
questioned just how ‘bold’ the move really was<br />
– arguing that genderless should not simply<br />
equal plain t-shirts and sweatpants.<br />
promoting fashion, makeup and heels for all,<br />
regardless of gender.<br />
If more brands continue to embrace androgyny,<br />
it could lead to a fundamental instore<br />
Part of a much larger movement of unisex<br />
fashion, the shifting of gender boundaries poses<br />
serious questions for the traditional, rigidly<br />
gendered retail sales markets of menswear and<br />
womenswear. A report by agency J. Walter<br />
Thompson found that only 44 per cent of Gen<br />
transformation – the end of traditional instore<br />
segregation – requiring retailers to explore how<br />
clothing ranges could be merchandised more<br />
fluidly. It would also mean that brands could<br />
potentially sell twice… just think about that for a<br />
minute<br />
Z shoppers buy clothing designed for their<br />
own gender. It was also revealed last year that<br />
around 80 UK state schools were allowing pupils<br />
to wear agender uniforms.<br />
Katy Trodd is retail project manager at Visual Thinking – katy.trodd@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
45
PRIDE<br />
WINS<br />
Wilko ‘House Proud’ initiative +18% YOY sales increase<br />
Achieving ‘Best in Class’ retail standards – in every store, every day.<br />
46
Costo is one of Helsinki’s many<br />
aspiring, cool entrepreneurial brands.<br />
Offcuts have never been sexier.<br />
Words by: Karl McKeever<br />
Share<br />
Small<br />
wonders<br />
Much is made of the Nordic commitment to<br />
recycling. Tax breaks are available to Swedes<br />
who repair rather than throw away, for example<br />
– the nation sends less than 1 per cent of<br />
waste to landfill each year. In fact, Sweden is<br />
so effective at recycling that processing plants<br />
import rubbish.<br />
Over in Finland, one retailer is also proving<br />
that sustainability can be good for business,<br />
and for the planet. Tucked away in Helsinki,<br />
accessories brand Costo (not Costco) is the<br />
brainchild of three Finnish designers, who began<br />
purchasing industry leftover materials to craft<br />
sustainable products at low cost. Driven by the<br />
belief that ‘fewer, better’ is better than ‘more,<br />
cheaper’, Costo products can now be found<br />
in stores across Finland, including the capital’s<br />
Stockmann department store. Last year, the<br />
brand launched its first concept store.<br />
Made using carefully selected industrial off-cut<br />
materials from furniture and fashion production,<br />
the exceptional hats, bags and other accessories<br />
are far from being a patchwork of recycled<br />
materials – they are beautifully designed, with<br />
a clean Nordic style in vibrant shades. This<br />
attention to detail is also carefully woven into<br />
product presentation instore. Hats line the walls,<br />
equally spaced to create an impactful product<br />
collage. Store teams clearly have a good eye<br />
for pattern and colour, while retail standards<br />
are high throughout. If its concept store fails to<br />
inspire you (although that’s unlikely), the story<br />
behind the brand and every one of its products<br />
most certainly will. This really is an enviable store,<br />
from a brand that we will hopefully see, and hear,<br />
much more from in the future<br />
47
The exceptional hats,<br />
bags and other<br />
accessories are far from<br />
being a patchwork of<br />
recycled materials.<br />
48
Follow Karl on Twitter @karlmckeever.<br />
Leftover material is purchased in small quantities and<br />
in this manner; COSTO can sort the remnants and use<br />
only the highest quality of fabrics in our “hats”.<br />
49
All change<br />
in NYC<br />
It may have been named twice, but<br />
New Yorkers appetite for urban<br />
transformation is seemingly limitless.<br />
Words by: Karl McKeever<br />
Image: Ellie Pritts<br />
Share<br />
50
A few years ago SoHo was the talk of the town –<br />
a ‘trendy retro’ neighbourhood where all the big<br />
name designer brands and national retailers wanted<br />
to be seen.<br />
51
It’s the city that never sleeps. But on my most<br />
recent visit, it appeared to be snoozing. It was<br />
quiet – eerily so. It may boast some of the world’s<br />
most dynamic retail, but where had all the<br />
shoppers gone?<br />
The absence was most noticeable in SoHo. An area in flux, rent and rates<br />
are ravaging the area, a clutch of boarded-up stores the inevitable outcome.<br />
NYC is a fiercely competitive environment where trends come and go<br />
without celebration.<br />
The constant transformation that’s visible across the city – and further afield in<br />
Brooklyn, with its thriving indie scene – is fascinating to observe. And in spite of<br />
the densely populated cityscape feeling like it is already full to bursting, somehow it<br />
keeps finding ways, and the space, to surprise and delight inhabitants and visitors.<br />
Next year, all eyes will turn to the regeneration of Hudson Yards. In the nexus of<br />
Chelsea and Midtown West, it is the epicentre of Manhattan’s New West Side –<br />
boasting the much-celebrated High Line. This neighbourhood is booming. The<br />
transformation of the grungy Lower Manhattan neighbourhood, one of Manhattan’s<br />
last undeveloped areas, is already looking stunning – a clear demonstration that,<br />
like the Hudson river, everything has a natural ebb and flow that may bring bad<br />
times, but also good<br />
Karl McKeever is founder and managing director of Visual Thinking – karl@visualthinking.<br />
co.uk Follow him on Twitter @karlmckeever.<br />
52
Ups and<br />
Retail footfall is always a bit of a<br />
rollercoaster. Here’s a special report<br />
from IPSOS Retail Performance on<br />
the latest trends instore.<br />
Words by: Dr Tim Denison<br />
Image: Claire Satera<br />
Share<br />
53
With the UK enjoying record temperatures, here is<br />
a round up of footfall hot spots around the isle.<br />
Look at a map of retail footfall across the UK and you’ll see that levels somewhat<br />
stagnated in May. Last month’s Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures show that UK shopper<br />
numbers were 4.2 per cent lower than in May 2016, despite a busy May bank holiday<br />
week in which footfall was just 0.8 per cent lower than last year.<br />
Footfall fell in every region of the country when compared with both last year and last<br />
month, with South West England & Wales suffering from the biggest year-on-year drop<br />
at -8.9 per cent. In comparison with April, Scotland & Northern Ireland witnessed the<br />
biggest drop at -10.6%. The report is published monthly and derived from the number of<br />
individual shoppers entering over 4,000 non-food retail stores across the UK.<br />
As summer begins we usually see weekly footfall progressively rising, as the weather<br />
improves and shopping becomes a more frequent pastime. The upswing didn’t happen<br />
this year; that’s not to say it won’t, but it’s certainly late. At a time when we find<br />
ourselves in political and economic no-man’s-land, it’s perhaps not surprising that<br />
shoppers are exercising more caution when it comes to spending disposable income.<br />
With four in ten shops managing at present to convert more browsers into spenders this<br />
year over last, it’s apparent that shoppers are being more discerning and selective with<br />
what they buy.<br />
But as the sun begins to shine throughout the summer there is hope that the next few<br />
months will deliver a more positive forecast<br />
Dr Tim Denison is director of retail intelligence at IPSOS Retail Performance www.ipsos-retailperformance.com.<br />
54
Capital gains<br />
Toronto is known as a city of diversity so<br />
it’s no surprise to see that variety carried<br />
over into retailing too.<br />
Image: Yeshi Kangrang<br />
Share<br />
55
Explorer: Toronto’s best loved<br />
Guide by: Karl McKeever<br />
The diversity that exists within Toronto reveals a thrilling and eclectic mix of must-see<br />
retailers. For the latest in our global retail travel series, Explorer stopped off in Canada to<br />
discover the retailers that are helping to transform its largest city.<br />
Bite 678 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1E5<br />
Cumbrae’s 714 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1E8<br />
Arc’teryx 339 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V<br />
House of VR 639 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2B7<br />
Lavish & Squalor 253 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1Z4<br />
Square Fish 461 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A9<br />
TIMBUK2 359 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V<br />
Anthropologie 761 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G1<br />
Air Jordan 306 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 1R4<br />
Independent City Market 301 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1S2<br />
Let’s explore. Read our Explorer: Toronto article in full at<br />
visualthinking.co.uk
Such is the blend of<br />
influences in the city that<br />
it is like visiting New York,<br />
Covent Garden and Paris,<br />
all within the same space.<br />
Image: Lavish and Squalor, Torronto<br />
57
Explorer:<br />
Finding inspiration is easy with our Explorer global retail<br />
travel series as your guide. From Istanbul to Las Vegas,<br />
Helsinki and Toronto, we visit cities around the world to<br />
review standout brand experiences in all their enticing,<br />
energetic glory.<br />
C<br />
H<br />
I<br />
Subscribe. Sign up to our mailing list at visualthinking.co.uk<br />
to receive every Explorer straight to your inbox.<br />
@shoptactics<br />
Let’s explore.<br />
58
Moments of<br />
happiness<br />
Words by:<br />
Helen Bonser<br />
Share<br />
It’s no secret that here at Visual Thinking<br />
we’re big fans of those who strive to<br />
provide us with moments of perfection.<br />
From retailers, to hotels, airlines and<br />
even the humble cab ride, here are a<br />
few examples that act as a beacon for<br />
excellence and prove that it isn’t just retail<br />
that is ‘detail’.<br />
59
Image: Every day, 730,000 people get around Tokyo<br />
by taxi<br />
Image: Kimpton Hotels’ ‘soft’ benefits are designed<br />
to make everyone feel special<br />
Image: Finnair understands the value of investing in<br />
the fine art of flawless hospitality<br />
60
Nihon Kotsu<br />
Everyone needs a lift now and again. Nihon Kotsu – Tokyo’s biggest<br />
taxi company – ensures its customers receive exactly that, in more<br />
ways than one. Customers are greeted by white-gloved drivers,<br />
arriving with deferential polite manners and spotless cars, and driven<br />
by a real pride in their work. They even have hydraulic levers to open<br />
and close the back door for customers. The company is thriving<br />
by offering better service than anyone else. Nihon Kotsu’s training<br />
programmes ensure every driver learns what it takes to deliver the<br />
brand experience, and why taking pride in the job matters. Nothing<br />
is left to chance. To the company’s boss Kawanabe, the value in his<br />
drivers getting it right is obvious: “Customers will want to ride with you<br />
and you will perform better.”<br />
Kimpton Hotels<br />
Kimpton Hotels demonstrate a true commitment to cosy benefits<br />
and the small touches that make guest stays truly memorable<br />
– even if they are of the four-legged variety. Founded in 1981 in<br />
San Francisco, Kimpton has a simple pet policy: if the pet can fit<br />
through the hotel doors, they’re welcome to stay. No size, weight<br />
or breed restrictions, and no additional charges. Each of its 60<br />
hotels provides water bowls, treats, pet beds, toys and pooperscooper<br />
bags. Some hotels even have a four-legged ‘Director of Pet<br />
Relations’, whose job it is to ensure pet amenities are up to snuff<br />
and provide a very personal welcome. There are plenty of signature<br />
wellness perks for regular guests too, such as in-room yoga mats,<br />
and the use of complimentary public bikes at all properties to pedal<br />
around and explore town.<br />
Finnair<br />
Done well, a national airline is the ultimate soft-power ambassador<br />
to reinforce a country’s global reputation. Finland is recognised as a<br />
country in which to enjoy quality, delivered by professionals. It’s why<br />
employees of national carrier Finnair are busy learning the fine art<br />
of flawless hospitality. With the Finnair Flight Academy it’s all about<br />
people. The airline puts its success down to its people having a<br />
true can-do attitude and a focus on clarity. It has also joined forces<br />
with Finnish fashion company Marimekko. Its designs have become<br />
an inherent part of the Finnair air travel experience over the past<br />
few years – the Marimekko for Finnair collection has been specially<br />
designed to add a light and fresh visual dimension to the<br />
on-board experience<br />
Helen Bonser is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – helen@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
61
Waste<br />
not<br />
Words by: Lisa Lawson<br />
Image: iStock<br />
Share<br />
Cover feature<br />
62
I have hope.<br />
I know it’s possible…<br />
to do it a better way.<br />
Eileen Fisher<br />
Founder of US womenswear brand, Eileen Fisher<br />
63
Keep your eyes on waste. We’re not talking physical<br />
waste, although if you work in the fashion industry that<br />
is a problem – a huge one. In spring 2017, 235m items of<br />
clothing were sent to UK landfill, a figure largely blamed<br />
on the throwaway culture that ‘fast fashion’<br />
has fuelled.<br />
No, there is another kind of waste: one that harms productivity rather than<br />
the environment. As business costs continue to rise, retailers are suffering from<br />
the burden, both operationally and financially, of being wasteful with two of their<br />
most precious instore resources – time and people. Which is why, when retailers<br />
are keen to optimise store performance, we start by showing them how they<br />
could get more from what they already have. If you want to truly transform<br />
bottom line store performance, that’s where the smart money is (saved).<br />
Endless investment, hours and effort can be wasted through failure to achieve<br />
a ‘right first time’ approach instore – either through uncertainty, confusion or<br />
unnecessary repetition of daily tasks, or through store operations and visual<br />
merchandising policies that simply are not fit for purpose.<br />
64
Endless investment,<br />
hours and effort can be<br />
wasted through failure<br />
to achieve a ‘right first<br />
time’ approach instore<br />
Image: & Other Stories, New York City<br />
65
Image: O2 has seen compliance with visual standards rise by 34%<br />
To say it’s about making stores, and the people who work in them, more efficient and effective would<br />
be an oversimplification. Indeed, there is a great deal of insight and work that goes into making instore<br />
practices work better for a retailer and not, seemingly, working against it. Then there are the specific<br />
knowledge and skills needed to embed new ways of working correctly and consistently.<br />
According to WRAP UK, if the average life of clothes could be extended by just nine months, waste<br />
footprints could be reduced by up to 30 per cent. Similarly, policy information could be cascaded by<br />
retailers faster and more clearly, and instore compliance could increase by the same figure,<br />
as telco retailer O2 discovered with the launch of its digital visual excellence tool. The good news<br />
is that proven solutions already exist. The question is why, when innovative digital solutions allow<br />
retail standards and store team performance to be monitored, measured and reported in real-time,<br />
aren’t more high street retailers already benefiting from the savings they bring?<br />
Lisa Lawson is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking<br />
– lisa@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
View projects<br />
66
67
Body confidence<br />
Words by: Helen Bonser<br />
About 30 years ago a truly pioneering brand arrived on the high street, led by its campaigning founder Anita<br />
Roddick. Highly disruptive, this was a brand full of energy and, most importantly of all, purpose. It was<br />
the first international beauty brand to campaign against the practice of animal testing in cosmetics. With<br />
strong, clearly communicated and meaningful values, the brand resonated well with increasingly ‘aware’<br />
shoppers. Rapid growth followed.<br />
Today, The Body Shop has 3,000 stores across the world. But huge growth and global consumption<br />
turned out to be an oxymoron for an ethical brand. Many were not persuaded by its eventual sale to<br />
L’Oréal. Sanitised and weakened in corporate corridors, The Body Shop appeared to lose its spirit. Brand<br />
approval amongst shoppers, and profits, plunged as a result.<br />
It may have once exemplified ethical retailing but, as in every retail sector, time and markets move on.<br />
Today, its once game-changing retail concept has not just been copied, but bettered. None though have<br />
the value of The Body Shop legacy.<br />
Its latest campaign seeks to capitalise on this. Going back to its roots with a fresh ethics push, it is calling<br />
for a total global ban on cosmetics animal testing on products and ingredients by 2020 – Cruelty Free<br />
International estimates that approximately 500,000 animals are still used in cosmetics testing every year.<br />
The campaign boldly proclaims that it is “here to finish what it started back in the 1980s”. With its £800m<br />
sale to Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosméticos now complete, perhaps there really is hope<br />
for a better future – one that will see The Body Shop finally deliver on potential instore too<br />
Helen Bonser is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – helen@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
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A new leaf<br />
Words by: Kirsty Kean<br />
Image: Verena Yunita Yapi<br />
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69
Houseplants are<br />
hip again.<br />
Scientific evidence suggests that<br />
greenery boosts productivity and<br />
wellbeing. But while architects<br />
are giving integrated greenery<br />
a prominent role in the design<br />
process, retailers have been slow<br />
to catch on.<br />
Image: H&M London<br />
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Image: Kiehl, London<br />
It’s fair to say that there’s always been something<br />
of a drought in support for the idea of ‘greening’<br />
stores. Recently, there’s been a noticeable change,<br />
with stores up and down the land transformed by<br />
a host of botanical offerings.<br />
Apple has planted 12 Ficus Alii trees in its Regent<br />
Street store. Over in Helsinki, design and textiles<br />
store Kauniste has taken this concept to the next<br />
level: its innovative ‘plant hotel’ service encourages<br />
shoppers to display their houseplants in a private,<br />
well-lit spot, where they will be cared for while<br />
As well as helping to ‘domesticise’, humanise<br />
they’re on holiday.<br />
and soften retail spaces, biophilic design is seen<br />
as a means of creating living, breathing sensory<br />
experiences in which, crucially, shoppers will want<br />
to dwell, and spend more money. The use of<br />
plants and foliage is prominent within many current<br />
instore schemes – H&M, Next and West Elm. As a<br />
living contrast to the electronic devices on display,<br />
But these seeds of change could deliver much<br />
wider benefits. Research from Exeter University<br />
suggests that being surrounded by greenery<br />
makes employees more psychologically<br />
engaged, aids memory retention, and can boost<br />
productivity by 15 per cent. For retailers keen to<br />
boost team performance instore, that would be<br />
‘win-win’<br />
Kirsty Kean is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – kirsty@visualthinking.co.uk.<br />
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Greenery continues to play a greater role in instore schemes<br />
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Filling<br />
a gap<br />
Ethical<br />
consumerism<br />
Words by:<br />
Helen Bonser<br />
isn’t just good for<br />
the planet – it’s<br />
big business too.<br />
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73
There is a change of quite significant proportions<br />
that is starting to gather momentum. Shoppers<br />
have been aware of spending with conscience for<br />
a number of years now. Anita Roddick led the way,<br />
pioneering ethical consumption with the launch<br />
of The Body Shop in 1976. Then there was Linda<br />
McCartney, often mocked for her public support for<br />
vegetarianism, who launched her own, at the time,<br />
niche food range.<br />
Fast forward 25 years and comedian Simon Amstell’s<br />
highly acclaimed mockumentary on veganism, ‘Carnage’,<br />
is breaking down barriers. According to the Vegan Society,<br />
veganism is now one of Britain’s fastest growing lifestyle<br />
movements. Its growth rate is up by 360 per cent over<br />
the last 10 years, and more and more vegan products are<br />
making their way into mainstream shopping baskets. Now<br />
the Big 5 grocery retailers all have ‘free-from’ ranges. On the<br />
high street, Pret A Manger has been quick to steal a march<br />
on others by also advocating plant-based diets – recently<br />
opening its second Veggie Pret, in London’s Shoreditch.<br />
The decision by Pret to roll out this new fascia highlights<br />
that, for those brave and committed enough, there are still<br />
exciting growth opportunities to be found within what would<br />
otherwise appear to be highly saturated markets. So while<br />
the urge may be to seek stability, it is always vital for retailers<br />
to guard against that resulting in an inability to evolve. After<br />
all, as many positive examples from the past have shown,<br />
today’s ‘fringe’ often becomes tomorrow’s mainstream<br />
Helen Bonser is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – helen@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
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Image: London’s first vegan grocery store opened in<br />
August 2016<br />
Image: The latest Veggie Pret concept opened in<br />
Shoreditch, London in spring 2017<br />
Image: Lush is well-known for its ethical<br />
employment practices<br />
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Closing<br />
the loop<br />
Attention all who think change isn’t<br />
possible or sustainable: M&S has<br />
proved it is. Aside for its new Plan<br />
A 2025, it surely offers a sense of<br />
hope that transformation of the retail<br />
environment is achievable too.<br />
Words by: Suzanne Tanner<br />
Image: Timothy Paul Smith<br />
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76
A decade has past since M&S first launched its<br />
Plan A. As it proudly states on its website (and so<br />
it should), M&S has gone far beyond its original<br />
100-commitment – delivering 296 commitments<br />
and receiving more than 240 awards. Now, it has<br />
unveiled another 100-commitments. Build on the<br />
success of the first 10 years, Plan A 2025 aims to<br />
support 1,000 communities, help 10 million people<br />
live happier, healthier lives and convert M&S into a<br />
zero-waste business.<br />
The success of Plan A highlights the transformative<br />
impact that can be achieved when objectives are clear,<br />
communicated effectively and universally adopted and<br />
embraced at store level, and beyond – all M&S stores<br />
promoted Plan A and appointed Plan A Champions.<br />
The question has to be; why M&S has been able to<br />
rally people around its push for greater sustainability so<br />
effectively, and yet delivering real change in retail and<br />
visual operations seems to remain such a huge challenge?<br />
According to M&S director of sustainable business,<br />
Mike Barry, “Plan A 2025 is designed to help inspire<br />
customers to be the best they can be.” The focus for M&S<br />
now must surely be on putting a plan in place to ensure it<br />
can achieve the same kind of goal when in comes to the<br />
shopper experience<br />
Suzanne Tanner is senior retail project manager at Visual Thinking – suzanne@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
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18%<br />
YOY sales uplift<br />
– Wilko<br />
96%<br />
compliance<br />
with retail<br />
standards<br />
– O2<br />
24%<br />
EMEA sales (YOY) increase<br />
– Harley-Davidson<br />
YOY sales increase<br />
in pilot stores<br />
– Big W<br />
27%<br />
45%<br />
uplift in GM and<br />
accessory sales<br />
– Audi<br />
visualthinking.co.uk<br />
78
Positive retail transformation.<br />
No one takes stores from better to ‘best’ faster.<br />
visualthinking.co.uk<br />
79
Good buy<br />
Visual Thinking is a retail transformation agency<br />
based in the UK and headed by a team of professional,<br />
experienced and highly talented retail minds.<br />
For almost 25 years, we have worked with retailers, at home<br />
and abroad, to deliver powerful ‘best in class’ retail excellence<br />
programs and leadership visual merchandising thinking –<br />
improving team engagement, boosting productivity and<br />
accelerating retail growth.<br />
Let’s talk<br />
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mail@visualthinking.co.uk<br />
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