Simplify the Shopping

In early 2010, sales per square foot at Lucky Brand stores equaled $380. The goal of a store revamp,was to raise this to $600 within five years. Fueling the profitability drive was simplification for the shopper via store redesign.

• Whatever fashions are shown in the display window outside the store are stocked close to the front door for easy pickings.
• Whole outfits are displayed together for those who question their eye-eye coordination.
• Upper shelves inside the store are used for display rather than for holding merchandise, cutting down on the need to stretch the body while stretching the budget.

     Achieving simplicity for the shopper requires complex attention to details for store management and staff. Instructions required an inch-thick manual. Further, simplicity does not mean depriving the shopper of special touches. Although whole outfits are displayed together, the shopper can easily mix and match. And employees at the cash/wrap sheathe purchases in tissue paper before placing them in the shopping bag.
     Oh, yes. The design of the shopping bag has been simplified, too.
     Simplicity is defined differently for different shoppers. Lucky Brand has learned that women prefer to have jeans displayed on hangers for easier imagination of the look on the body, while men want jeans stacked on shelves for more quickly locating the suitable size and cut.
     Strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale surveyed 6,152 consumers across China, Dubai, Germany, India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the U.S. about what defines simplicity in retailing. The four primary components might not fit what you’d predict, although each is attainable by a conscientious retailer:

• Clarity in communications
• Honesty and trustworthiness
• Efficiency in satisfying consumer needs and wants
• Accessibility whenever there are questions

     And ensure simplicity in item returns:

• You're posting the return policy. But if customers are queued at a returns desk, can they easily see the policy while waiting?
• You've trained staff on all the terms of the return policy. But can staff members keep their explanations to angry customers brief?
• You know that asking each customer the reason for the return is a good way both to improve merchandising and to curb fraud. But do your staff make this a service-oriented inquiry, not an inquisition?
• You've empowered your staff to interpret policies flexibly. But is a manager readily available if questions about returns arise?

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more:
Simplify for the Shopper
Simplify Item Returns for Customers