A new consumer durable
As we wrote previously, one of our clients recently launched. It’s a new high end sneaker brand that’s co-designed by creative talents all over the world and goes by the name of !SYOU. We have been working on a new retail concept for !SYOU for the past months and yesterday this new retail concept was officially launched at the Amsterdams Historical Museum at the A’dam man & fashion exhibition.
!SYOU wants to set itself apart from other sneakers and because it has such a unique story to tell, this new sneaker brand wanted to stay away from the traditional retail and explore new opportunities. We have looked at the possibilities that trends and technologies offer us on the retail side of the business and together with !SYOU have develop the ‘cube’.
The retail concept
A very important trend at the moment is of course ‘online purchases’. It is booming in specific categories like electronics already, and expected to follow soon in most others. Our client decided to take this idea to the next level and skip the traditional retail outlets altogether. By bypassing the traditional retail outlets we are also able to provide the customer with exclusive and limited editions while preserving a high yield for the return model (!SYOU financially supports the creative talents they work with) behind it. !SYOU itself benefits from the new retail concept as it can easily be scaled up and introduced into other countries.
The trend in online shopping is more than clear. In 2009 71% of the Dutch population had bought something on the internet. And we we are not only buying electronics on the internet, but also cars, gold, food, insurances, holidays and yes – shoes. However a lot of people feel a lot easier with their online purchase when they know what they are buying.
Koos set out to develop a new retail concept to provide the customer with the possibility to actually see and feel the brand, making it a tangible brand touchpoint. These touchpoints are placed at strategic locations like airports, musea, music festivals, stores and other high traffic areas.
As all these areas demand different solutions, we had to come up with a flexible system. And this is how the ‘Cube’ was born. The ‘Cube’ is a modular system with different types of cubes, all developed for their own specific function. Examples include a display cube, a fit me cube with room for 12 !SYOUs and a purchase cube with an integrated iPad.
By simply connecting the different desired cubes like a lego system we create specific retail solutions for almost every possible environment. In a small in-store environment the fit me cube containing sneakers and acting as a chair may offer the best solution, where at the airport a bigger system containing 10 cubes will provide the customer with a more complete !SYOU experience. At a major festival we would be able to set up a whole cube lounge system, with multiple iPads and possibilities to try on your favorite pair in the cube cocktail corner.
The future of retail environment
At the moment the new trend of ‘online purchases’ is clearly rising. Though in a lot of categories we still identify the need to get familiar with products and brands on a physical level. The actual sale can happen online, but only after you know exactly what you are going to get.
We have already seen this changing customer behaviour in the electronics market. People walking into Mediamarkt, trying and touching different camera’s or televisions. Afterwards they go home to find the cheapest offer online. And the ones that really can’t wait (an impulse buyer like myself) simply scan the barcode using their iPhone and ‘cheat’ on the salesperson they were just talking to before they even left the building.
While the internet has already changed the retail landscape, we’re not even close to the final solution. In 25 years, what will be sold online? Are most people still shopping in physical stores? Or do we only have shopping malls containing branded contact points, where you can meet the product and order it online? What is your vision on the development of retail in your business? And how are you tapping into these new trends?
