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The trend briefing
Where does the trend come from ?*
Where do we start in describing the HUMAN TOUCH in retailing?
The list below might just be as obvious as it is difficult to put into
practice:
1. EMPATHY: understanding not just what your customers want, but how
you make them feel.
2. GENEROSITY: moving beyond the purely commercial to give something
back to your customers.
3. HUMILITY: letting others talk about what you do.
4. HONESTY: not trying to hide your flaws or sugar coat things.
5. HUMOUR: because business doesn’t have to be serious all the time.
6. MATURITY: pushing the boundaries a little.
7. FLEXIBILITY: responding to people and their needs, throwing out rigid,
static processes.
And all of these characteristics can be enhanced through SCREEN CULTURE:
It is predicted that by 2015 – only three years away – the number of internet -
connected devices will be the equivalent of TWO for every person on the
planet. IP traffic will reach 11GB per person and global internet traffic will
reach one zettabyte. (That’s 10 to the power of 21 bytes!) We are living in a
world of screen culture.
Smart retailers will work hard to ensure that they use this traffic to their
advantage ...
Four opportunities are listed hereinafter.
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*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
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Opportunity 1: Selected links
1. US based fast food retailer Domino’s
Selected video
Admit you are human and can launched a month-long promotional cam- Times square tracker – Domino’s Pizza
paign in New York. Hiring out a huge bill-
make mistakes board space in Times Square, the brand
live-streamed customer feedback (good and
bad) given via Twitter.
This uncensored approach to feedback is
daring, but all shopping centres and retailers
might do this in time
2.Unilever-owned ice cream brand Ben &
Jerry’s issued a statement on its website stat- How do you see it?
In 2012 consumers don’t expect retailers to ing its support for and admiration of the Oc- Share your view and join in
cupy Wall Street protests. The demonstrations the discussion!
be flawless, in fact they even embrace com- were concerned with social and economic in-
panies that are (painfully-but-aptly named) equality and corporate values. Post your answer
FLAWSOME. Retailers and shopping centre owners take 4here
What do we mean by FLAWSOME? Compa- note – you don’t have to remain neutral to
nies that are open and honest about their short- political issues!
comings, that show some empathy, generosity, 4More links on trendwatching
humility, flexibility, maturity, humour and, dare
we say it, some character and humanity.
So, time to ask yourself: are you going to try
and keep up the façade of corporate perfec-
tion (which no one believes anyway), or take
a risk, open up, and trust that consumers will
find you FLAWSOME.
Opportunity 2: Selected links friends, via a video link. Hao Di Lao cus-
tomers can also use iPads to order food.
1. Porsche launched a special edition 911
This idea could be applied to retailers or
Work on the human side of GT3 R Hybrid model to celebrate reaching
shopping centres so easily, perhaps owners
1,000,000 fans on the brand’s Facebook page.
social media to your advantage The car’s surface was covered with more than of multiple shopping centres could connect
27,000 signatures from fans and was later put them all together.
on display in the Porsche museum. 4More links on trendwatching
It doesn’t take much imagination to see
how shoppers might be encouraged to sign Selected video
a wall in a shopping centre, perhaps.
KLM Live tweeting
2. Dutch airline KLM organised 140 of its
employees to take part in a real-life tweet-
ing exercise. Taking place in an empty aero-
plane hangar in Amsterdam’s Schiphol
Airport, the employees worked for twelve
hours replying to customers’ tweets.
We have yet to see a shopping centre take
Make it pervasive, personal, immersive and social media as seriously as this.
interactive. There are easy-to-apply trends, We have yet to see a shopping centre take
and then there are broader ‘ways of life’, social media as seriously as this.
shifts in consumer culture that all business How do you see it?
3. The quintessential and yet-to-be-bet-
people should be aware of. And so it is with tered example: UK based flower delivery Share your view and join in
company Interflora launched a social media the discussion!
screen culture, less of a trend that will
overturn your business tomorrow, but more campaign to brighten up the lives of Twitter Post your answer
a medium through which so many trends in users by sending them flowers. It monitored 4here
Twitter for anyone who might need cheering
this trend report will manifest themselves. up, and sent them a bouquet of flowers.
4. Sichuan hotpot chain Hao Di Lao and Chi-
nese technology firm Huawei announced a
partnership to install telepresence screens in
restaurants. Thanks to the screens, cus-
tomers can enjoy their meal with family and
*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
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Opportunity 3: Selected links
1. US based sunglasses retailer Tom’s Glasses
Selected video
Show your compassionate face pledges that for each pair of sunglasses it sells, the Coca Cola Japanese Red
brand will either donate one pair of glasses to a Cross aid appeal
person in a developing country, provide sight-sav-
ing surgery or medical eye treatment.
For a shopping centre this approach could have
enormous potential to create local press and
media coverage.
2. After the March 2011 tsunami in Japan, Coca-
Cola and the Japanese Red Cross partnered to
create a vending machine that accepted dona-
tions. Customers could give either JPY 10 (USD
0.12) or JPY 100 (USD 1.2) via dedicated buttons How do you see it?
Shoppers will become more and more aware on the machine. After receiving the donations, the Share your view and join in
machine expressed a loud exclamation of thanks. the discussion!
that personality and profit can be compatible.
As consumers see retailers succeeding while re- 4More links on trendwatching Post your answer
maining reasonable, helpful and even almost 4here
‘human’, they will be increasingly disillusioned
when encountering the opposite. Your cus-
tomers will be less accepting of bland, inflexible
organisations, excuses or communications. We
are in a position of a buyers’ market, and don’t
forget, there is no obligation for shoppers to
come back to you ...
Opportunity 4: Selected links Up-to-date collections of over 300 stores are
available, with users spending 'Fantasy Money'.
1. BMW announced a program asking con-
Learn from your customers or sumers to test out its all-electric vehicle, the Ac-
Shoppers can share ‘wardrobes’ with friends, de-
sign outfits, ‘follow’ famous style icons, ‘unlock’
even go Beta tiveE car. After application and acceptance to major world destinations, and complete shop-
the program, 700 drivers (called the Electronauts) ping challenges to boost their ‘fashionista repu-
will test the vehicles over a two-year period, leas- tation’.
ing the cars from BMW for USD 499 per month.
Users will be required to provide insights and 4More links on trendwatching
data to BMW, and attend feedback groups.
This project was similar to a sophisticated public Selected video
consultation programme.
The future of retail
2. Taking the experimental shopping theme
even further: A Startup Store is a retail space and
shopping exhibition which changes its stock in-
ventory every four to six weeks. Undertaking a
complete reinvention with the stock change, the
What started in the digital world as a way to interior, merchandise, theme and store name are
launch test versions of software will move ever also refreshed. When the store first launched, the
further into the offline world in 2012, as brands theme was 'beta' and brands featured included
launch beta products, concepts or experiences, Artspace, Birchbox, Baublebar, Joor, and Quirky
– all New York-based start-up companies offer-
How do you see it?
and invite customers to help develop them. ing consumer products. Share your view and join in
Audiences will of course like anything novel and the discussion!
3. This is particularly interesting for retailers and
exciting, especially if it’s exclusive and they can shopping centre owners who want to develop Post your answer
contribute. But it will take a confident retailer to footfall or manage their stock lines: Discount 4here
admit that it doesn’t know it all, and that it can codes and genuine shopping vouchers for par-
and wants to learn from (and with) its customers. ticipating retailers that can be unlocked through
However releasing beta products or services will gameplay, directing users to brands' ecom-
merce sites. Launched in the UK in Beta version,
not be an excuse for poor quality or substandard
Fantasy Shopper is a social shopping game al-
service. In fact, it will be the opposite: a very lowing users to browse, style and purchase ap-
public commitment to continual improvement. parel virtually - without spending any real money.
*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
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Interview 1 How do you see the balance between the happen to have made our life easier. The in-
David Wright, Group move toward screen culture and the need tegrated offer uses technology to support the
Marketing Director of design to maintain a human touch? sales team and the customer, firstly to attract,
consultants Dalziel & Pow The store is the perfect location for technology then inspire and inform, and finally to aid the
to enhance the experience but transactions in- transaction. There are many ways to achieve
store on the screen are not as prevalent as we that Attract, Inform and Transact process.
might have expected. People are just not in It is predicted that by 2015 there will be
the mindset to transact on screen instore, it more wireless internet traffic than wired
just doesn’t feel natural. The screen is a useful devices. How do you see that impacting
tool for inspiration, information and some on the shopping centres and the retail en-
transactions but they lack the 'realness' of the vironment?
product interaction. For us technology is a tool The days when you could treat your store as
we need to use like lighting or VM to enhance an open stockroom have long gone, it is no
the shopping experience. longer good enough simply to allow access to
We talk a lot about the creation of 'One Brand the product on offer, you need to enhance that
Space' and that concept will gain momen- product, tell a story and give a reason to buy.
tum, where integrated and appropriate uses Through every aspect of the retail experience,
of technology exist within the store environ- we are creating showrooms rather than stock-
ment and throughout the customer's jour- rooms, spaces that attract and engage. In this
ney. New shopping channels, specifically 'Showroom' we can edit, enhance and entice.
internet, but increasingly mobile, are chipping Whether the story is one of heritage, customi-
@dalzielandpow away at traditional retail. The better brands sation or value, there is always a story to tell,
have increasingly integrated their on-line and we just need to work a little harder to find it. In
off-line channels in one seamless offer, recog- a showroom environment a shopper will be
nising that in the customer's mind, retailers encouraged to stay longer and spend more, it
are monolithic, homogenous traders who delivers on every level.
Interview 2 How do you see the balance between the their purchases: shopping centres, airports,
Jean-François Bouvier – move toward screen culture and the need train stations, e-commerce websites, etc. But
director of GALAE, to maintain a human touch? it’s a fact that today 76% of purchase decisions
Klépierre’s specialty leasing Human touch and screen culture shouldn’t be are made in-store. Customers still need to
subsidiary opposed. They complement each other in touch and feel products before convincing
many regards. Customers are growing accus- themselves to buy. That kind of genuine cus-
tomed to using touch screens for their per- tomer experience is impossible to translate in
sonal use with their phones and tablets. an online environment and acknowledges the
Moreover, they see more and more digital need for bricks & mortar retailing.
totems in their daily lives. This has led Klépierre It is predicted that by 2015 there will be
to sign a deal with Clear Channel, the world more wireless internet traffic than wired
leader in digital advertising inside shopping devices. How do you see that impacting
centres. 73 of our French malls will be on the retail environment?
equipped with 900 digital screens and totems. Traditional retailing will need to seize that op-
72% of our visitors believe this enhances their portunity by giving customers more services.
positive perception of the shopping centre. In At Klépierre, many of our shopping centres
the end, this gives both Klépierre and brands have mobile applications offering visitors a
a new way to reach customers. Events and an- map of the mall and exclusive deals. Most re-
imations are often organised using these digi- cently, we have launched a geo-localisation
tal screens, showing how screen culture and application for our Val d’Europe shopping cen-
human touch can cooperate. tre. It allows customers inside the centre to
Do you see the future of shopping centres find the easiest way to specific stores, their
and retail being challenged by online, or parking space and even their friends! By the
do you see them coexisting. end of 2012, our Blagnac shopping centre vis-
They will definitely coexist. Traditional retailing itors will also have the opportunity to down-
channels feed off online shopping and vice load a similar application. We put a great deal
versa. Nowadays, consumers have a wide of effort in designing new services for cus-
array of options to discover products and make tomers to better their shopping experience.
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Interview 3: How do you see the balance between the Can you give us some examples of cases
move toward screen culture and the need to where retail companies have received and
Pamela Wolf,
maintain a human touch? acted upon consumer feedback?
partner/digital business,
I’m a believer in using digital as a way of improv- Many examples come to mind, but overall I
INVALIO, distribution
ing the quality of “human touch”Digital gives us
. think that retailers react to customer feedback a
channels consultants
a choice as to how we want to do things. Shop, lot more today than in the past thanks to digital
read the paper or a book, watch a movie, play a tools. These multi touch points give the shopper
game, organise a meeting, talk to a friend… direct access to the product and to the people
With shopping, people will continue to want the behind the product offering.
touch and feel experience but they will also want Digital really is a two way channel and smart retail-
fast and easy service at the touch of their finger- ers who have realized this are adjusting their strat-
tips. Why can’t we do both? egy accordingly. Customer reviews, direct emailing
Do you see the future of shopping centres and online chat with customer service, affiliation
and retail being challenged by online, or do programs, social networks, fan pages, retailer sites,
you see them coexisting. blogs, fan made sites/videos, and many more, are
I believe that they will coexist. For the shopper, all opportunities for the retailer to exchange with,
it’s not an either/or scenario. And let’s not forget learn from and react to their customer base.
that some of the biggest online brands are also It is predicted that by 2015 there will be more
big bricks & mortar (B&M) retailers (ie. Macy’s, wireless internet traffic than wired devices.
Home Depot, Sephora). How do you see that impacting on the retail
@wolfpamela The mental barrier dividing online shopping and environment?
B&M, which was created with PC web use, is Traffic will come from the increased number of
being removed with the increasing use of mo- connected devices but also from the types of
bile devices and will eventually disappear. data being exchanged (video being the greediest).
Both forms of retail will continue to evolve as I see this as an even bigger opportunity for richer
customer habits evolve. New forms of retail will shopping experiences both online and at the
emerge through this convergence allowing for Point of Sale allowing for more powerful connec-
further opportunities for today’s retailer. tions between the shopper and retail. Cus-
Nonetheless, the main challenge for all retail tomers will want to dive more deeply into their
channels will remain the same, now that the favourite brand and digital will make it possible.
customer is in your store (whether physical Customers will come to expect quick, seamless
selling point / or Numeric (website / blogs/ shopping across multi-touch points and retailers
etc.), how do you keep him there? will be able to provide it.
Interview 4 How do you see the balance between the Do you see the future of shopping being
Ron Epstein, President, Baltic move toward screen culture and the need challenged by online, or do you see them
America, real estate to maintain a human touch? coexisting?
investment company It is the question of the difference between The internet is a giant new shopping center
quantity vs. quality; and the balance of in every neighborhood. All the rest will just
cost/benefit, with the later imposing a new be less appealing but most will survive in
paradigm in which the former is being an- one way or another.
swered. In a global economy those that do It is predicted that by 2015 there will be
not have the time or resources to fly to every more wireless internet traffic than wired
client for a relationship reinforcing lunch devices. How do you see that impacting
vastly outnumber those who do. Modern on the retail environment?
communication tools allow this group ac- The obvious is location based coupon
cess, and by their numbers, are defining a text/email contact from merchants when
new modus operandi in business. In the prospective customers are geographically
end, no one will deny the ‘human touch’ is convenient. The reverse is also likely with
more effective, but being able to reach mul- online merchants sending product or cate-
tiple potential business opportunities from gory-related promotions to consumers when
single locale is a worthy second place, allow- their location is detected in a retail store.
ing more with less. If you agree that it is a This is probably why Google has the edge
world that anyhow values quality less and over Facebook in monetizing the internet,
quantity more – it seems that even the gap though each has the data the other needs to
is closed even further. institute this in an efficient and massive way.