Retailers are doubling down on technology and redesigned stores that fuse digital and in-store experiences. Here’s an overview of retail trends witnessed by Mood Media, global specialist in elevating the customer experience at the point of sale.
UK
Avon calling and retailing
Several direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands have taken to physical pop-up shops, and now one of the most famous home-calling businesses is looking to go one step further as it looks to the high street to boost sales. Avon has announced it realises that D2C is not for everyone and will now be selling 150 beauty products in one hundred Superdrug stores. The brand says it hopes to reach a younger audience through selling on the high street as well as launching a service on TikTok.
AI guides new Waitrose range
There is a lot of excitement around AI in retail. For Waitrose, the technology has been put to good use by scanning online information, restaurant menus and social posts to understand the latest trends in cuisine. The information was used to choose Japanese as its latest food range launch. The company has revealed it wanted to get an edge because all supermarkets talk to the same market researchers and get the same information back. So, by using AI, it believes it has picked a combination of recipes nobody else would have realised are in demand at the moment among the UK’s fickle food shoppers.
AllSaints eyeing mobile point of sale
AllSaints has unveiled a new store format with a revised palette, which it says is aimed at giving its stores a more feminine look. The store is about to experiment with a new mobile point of sale system. This will allow sales staff to serve customers away from a fixed till station, helping them to discover the store’s full range and personalisation options. As a global average, more than one in two shoppers revealed, in Mood Media’s Charting Instore Trends research, that they are interested in mobile and self-service checkout options. This peaks at 85% of customers in China.
France
Lotus launches in Paris
British sports car brand Lotus has launched a flagship showroom close to the Champs-Élysées in the centre of Paris’s fashion triangle. The opening comes after the famous car maker launched showrooms in the heart of London, Munich and Oslo shopping districts. The Paris showroom in Rue François is set out over three floors, depicting the brand’s past, present and future. On the ground floor, customers walk in to immediately become immersed in its next-generation vehicle lineup, including the Eletre hyper-SUV, Emira sports car, Evija hypercar and Emeya hyper-GT. On the first floor, the brand tells the story of its iconic history stretching over the past 75 years. The exhibition space and gallery will also display classic road and race cars from Lotus’ past. On the basement level, the brand moves away from history and lays out its vision for the future. The level also offers a VIP lounge and virtual reality configurator where experts can help customers discover the car maker’s range and personalise their dream vehicle.
Germany
Blown away by Dyson’s service
Dyson demonstrates that consumers want to learn and discover as it opens its largest demonstration store in the world, in Berlin. In addition to experts demonstrating the brand’s full range of products, in-store hair stylists are on hand to offer a wash and blow dry service. They can also offer advice on a customer’s hair type and which Dyson products best suit their hair care regime. To add that extra touch of customer service, all purchases have the option of being gift-wrapped by a specialist. For selected hair products, customers can even get their hands on a carry case personalised with their initials.
Gucci luxury flagship opens in Munich
Gucci has launched its new flagship store at the Maximilianhöfe Centre at the heart of Munich’s prime retail district. The facade keeps the building’s original historic appeal, but inside, spanning two floors, the store features a full range of Gucci shoes, jewellery, bags, luggage, watches and leather goods. The eye-catching store design is set off by velvet armchairs and leather sofas, offering a chance for shoppers to relax. To demonstrate its sustainability credentials, the space uses energy-efficient technologies throughout, including LED lighting. This is an important feature in modern retailing. In Mood Retail’s recent Charting Instore Trends research, sustainability was picked out by two in three consumers as a significant factor in where they choose to shop.
USA
Walmart launches new pet service
Walmart’s sales are already boosted by households treating their pets as family members, and now the retail giant is taking the next big step in looking after these four-legged friends. A new pet services centre located next to one of its stores in Georgia, Dallas, is offering veterinary and grooming services. The centre will also operate as a click-and-collect pick-up point for pet food subscriptions.
