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Analysis of results in the 'Customer Profile' column.

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View and analyze results from the Lululemon SurveyMonkey survey. See actual response data, text summaries and word clouds.

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Lululemon early spring collection

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Gen Z vs Millennial consumer habits Podcast (primary research)

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Gen Z vs Millennial consumer habits Podcast (primary research)

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How do they feel about luxury?
Millennials aren't as concerned with the uniqueness of a luxury brand as they are with the status that goes with wearing that specific logo.

This is a place where millennials and Gen Z diverge. Whereas a millennial is looking more for that kind of showcaser status—“Look at me wearing this brand item”—a Gen Z is looking more for this item that shows that they’re different, they’re unique. (06:12:00)

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‎The McKinsey Podcast: Meet Generation Z on Apple Podcasts

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‎Show The McKinsey Podcast, Ep Meet Generation Z - 3 Aug 2020

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Customer Profiling Podcast - why and how? (Primary Research)

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Customer Profiling Podcast - why and how? (Primary Research)

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How to find the data?

Work out who is going to benefit from your product or service and start there. E.g. Lululemon sell activewear therefore a basic/broad profile would be anyone who likes to work out.

Look at the competition – who are they serving? What types of people?

Psychographics and behaviour data is a lot of imagination and informed guesswork by knowing your product. Get clear on the problem that you’re are solving with your product/service and the emotional value people are going to get from it.

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s1 e3: target customer profiling - get to know who you're serving!

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‎The Freelance Fix: S1 E3: Target Customer Profiling - Get to Know Who You're Serving! on Apple Podcasts

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‎In this episode I have outlined why it is so important to understand and know your target customer inside-out, plus how to create your own 'Target Customer Profile' for your business.

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Online petition to have alternative body shapes represented in athleisure.
Lululemon as a brand promotes inclusivity as a core value and yet they don't have any plus size mannequins on display in their stores or in their window displays. This is a weakness in their brand and a threat as they are losing customer loyalty.

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Representation matters! We all deserve to take up space in the world. It is time for brands like Lululemon and Athleta to start featuring plus-sized mannequins in their store. This is an opportunity to show the world that fitness doesn't stop at a certain size and that we all deserve to be represented. Athleta has stated that "inclusivity is core" to their brand and that they "consistently celebrate women of different shapes and sizes." So why don't their stores reflect that mission? Lululemon has consistently refused to be inclusive of plus-size women. So why don't they change the dialogue?

I usually don't find shopping in mainstream retail shops a life-affirming event. I am normally affronted with a homogenous representation of body types: thin, white, and superfit. Not too long ago, I visited the Nike Innovation Store. To my surprise, I was welcomed by a plus-sized mannequin at the front door- in plain, glorious view.

I am a yoga instructor and know how it feels to walk into a store and feel like the clothes on the mannequins aren't for me. In 2017, Athleta made a commitment to add more shape and size diversity to their models. Now that they have added a handful of plus-sized models online, it's time for Athleta to commit to using mannequins that reflect this diversity of sizes in their stores.

When I say plus-sized, I mean a body type that is most common in today's society. This body type represents about 67% of all women, but is not the conventional type of mannequin we see in a fitness retailer!

People of size want to be represented. We are allowed to wear stylish, trendy, and comfortable athleisure clothing. We are here, and we deserve to be seen.

Body positivity starts with representation for all of us. ALL BODIES ARE GOOD BODIES. If customers can see themselves represented in clothing, it goes a long way to increase self-esteem and self-worth. #representationmatters
Now it is time to show up. Sign the petition and tell Athleisure brands like Lululemon and Athleta we expect more and we deserve to be seen! Who is with me? Lululemon, Athleta, lead the way! Be the change! Put plus-sized mannequins in stores!

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Representation matters! We all deserve to take up space in the world. It is time for brands like Lululemon and Athleta to start featuring plus-sized mannequins in their store. This is an opportunity to show the world that fitness doesn't stop at a certain size and that we all deserve to be represented.

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FINAL

Adjusted the window reflection

Replaced the digital screen imagery

Corrected drop shadows

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Progression V4

Trying to create a suitable reflection on the glass without compromising the display behind

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Progression V3

Inserted window lettering and trying to create a glass effect for window

Removed shapes that didn't work

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Progression V2

Created neon logo signs on the walls and store front.

Inserting various images for the digital screens.

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Side facing (without acetate window sheet)

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Front facing (without acetate window sheet)

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Example of a styled bistro set as a prop with a mannequin. Use of handbags/jackets to dress up the table.

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Lifestyle images from the 'campaign shoot'.

Each image showing a different outfit from the collection in the relevant setting eg. causal midi dress, cardigan and tote bag whilst the model is walking through a food market OR wearing the camo co-ord doing yoga in the park.

The images are there to reinforce the messaging

Each image is a hyperlink to the product page of the key item on the website

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Main image gif'ing through 3 different lifestyle images from the 'campaign shoot'.

Corresponding e-comm model shots beneath the gif'ing lifestyle images.

Showing 3 alternative outfits from the collection (casual day, work out and evening drinks)

Each image as a hyperlink to the product page on the website

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Styling directives to be put directly on the VM guidelines.

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Visual retailing rather than merchandising, its a full retailing solution.

They have to create more mock ups but in the end it is less time consuming across the board.

More efficient and can roll out to stores much faster.

Saving paper and money per year as it is all digital.

Is it taking the need out of a full VM role?? The software is so streamlined that anyone can use it.

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How leading UK fast fashion brand ASDA George uses Visual Retailing's powerful software suite to modernise and future-proof its retail processes - gaining unparalleled efficiency, simplicity, and speed.

As the only place where the George brand is sold, one of ASDA's main goals is to deliver a level of 'inspiration and excitement' for their legions of loyal shoppers.

But with hundreds of different sized stores across the UK, it becomes difficult to effectively plan their upcoming collections and merchandise in the same manner across each location.

A modernisation of their whole planning and visual merchandising process was therefore required in order to save time, money and deliver the right level of inspiration to their shoppers.

"We want to give them the level of inspiration and excitement that they require. However, that's very difficult without technology to deliver that to 10,000 colleagues...and display it to the same way that we started out with when we did the design brief" says Mark Matthews, Senior Director Retail, Supply & Central Operations at ASDA George.

However, Matthews adds: "We found with the technology we were using at the time, we weren't able to deliver that for every store." meaning Visual Retailing's technology and expertise was sought after in order to keep things consistent - and most importantly, efficient.

A visual merchandising directive contains clear, concise information on how to merchandise products given a specific floor space. Everything from layout of the store furniture like gondolas to the placement of on-offer products is contained within.

As a 'fast-fashion' brand, ASDA George creates a new store planogram and directive "Generally about every six weeks" according to Suzanne Reynolds, Head of Sales Development.

"Our role is essentially to brief store colleagues on how to merchandise product in the most simplistic way but also in the most commercial way to try and drive performance." says Michael Howard, Sales Development Manager at ASDA George.

However, ASDA George's previous process - without Visual Retailing's help - caused a variety of problems, not to mention a lot of wasted time. One big problem was the lack of ability to customise directives properly for their different sized stores.

"What we used to do was rack all of our products up in a large mock up store, walk around with the senior directors and get sign off for that process. We would then take pictures and brief our store colleagues on how we want to merchandise the products." says Howard.

However, this fell down in the past as "stores would only receive a top store directive so the smaller stores and the mid stores found it very difficult" to interpret the information being sent from ASDA's VM HQ.

It's crucial that visual merchandising directives contain only relevant information in order to avoid confusion and increase compliance - Visual Retailing's software not only makes this possible, it makes it easy.

"Our role is essentially to brief store colleagues on how to merchandise
product in the most simplistic way but also in the most commercial
way to execute and drive performance."

- Michael Howard, Sales Development Manager, ASDA George

Through the use of Visual Retailing's MockShop software, ASDA George can now send completely customised directives for all grades of store. All of the image and product data is contained within and can be accessed and a highly visual layout can be produced instantly.

"Since we moved on to Visual Retailing, we now produce automated planograms...which is absolutely great from a store cluster perspective" Reynolds sums up Visual Retailing's powerful planogram production element.

Sales Development Manager Howard goes further to explain that because their VM team now only receives a directive that's relevant to them "It's so much easier for them to identify the product[s] within". The fact that Visual Retailing also outputs an attractive, user-friendly layout makes it even more useful to their team in executing the directive.

ASDA George can also revolutionise the way they plan their upcoming collections through Visual Retailing's powerful range analysis tool.

The range analysis tool allows ASDA George to create a fully visual overview of all their products and sort by any number of criteria such as price, style, colour to create a collection. This visual output allows for even more detailed planning on cluster level by using an array of helpful tools such as heat-maps.

Because of Visual Retailing's software "the process is so much quicker" when it comes to retail planning. It now allows ASDA George to focus more of their time on identifying new trends and styles to push their brand and inspire shoppers even further.

Now, briefs and planograms can be delivered with unparalleled speed, control, and efficiency.

Delivering planograms and visual merchandising directives - with the help of StyleShoots

To speed up the delivery of their visual merchandising directives even further, ASDA George makes use of StyleShoots all-in-one photography machines. Controlled by an iPad, the machines use top of the line hardware to instantly shoot and upload product images into the Visual Retailing software.

"It very quickly cuts out the garment...for a very clean image that can be used from a layout perspective" adds Suzanne Reynolds, Head of Sales Development, ASDA George.

As well as delivering the directives quicker than ever before, Visual Retailing's software also allows ASDA George to internally collaborate easier than ever.

"If there's an opportunity to do something different with the layout, we will mock it up on the Visual Retailing software" Howard gives as an example of the flexibility MockShop offers.

Having the time to do things differently creates space for more brainstorming and ideation as Kate Bowler, Sales Development Coordinator explains:

"We can do a bit of a focus group and get some opinions going...you can do it all on your screen and because the image quality is so good you don't need to mock it up in real life"

Easier collaboration means teams can be more productive and creative - all helping to work towards ASDA George's main goal of delivering more inspiration and style to their shoppers. Higher sell-through and less markdown then comes naturally.

"If there's an opportunity to do something different with the layout,
I will mock it up on the Visual Retailing software"

- Michael Howard, Sales Development Manager, ASDA George

ASDA George can see the benefits of using Visual Retailing's software to deliver VM directives instantly.

"From the transition over to Visual Retailing, just by reducing the quantity of the paper we've saved over 100,000 pounds per year" Howard gives as an example of a single benefit.

Looking to the future as part of a whole retail ecosystem, ASDA George decided that the Visual Retailing suite of software would enable them to bring all of their internal processes under one software umbrella - a true end-to-end solution.

Now, ASDA George can get closer to their customers in the simplest way possible by delivering not only visually stunning directives, but also performing more effective store cluster analysis and range planning.

"It came from a process of looking at how do we get closer to the customer and how do we make it simpler for our colleagues... the tool that we thought gave us the best scope for now - and for the future - was the Visual Retailing tool" says Mark Matthews, Senior Director of Retail.

Finally, he adds: "We've only just started the journey in terms of what we can achieve."

About George ASDA

Asda Stores Limited is a British supermarket retailer, headquartered in Leeds. The company became a subsidiary of the American retail corporate giant Walmart after a £6.7 billion takeover in July 1999, and was the second-largest supermarket chain in Britain between 2003 and 2014, by market share.

George is one of the UK's most popular fast-fashion retailers, offering quality clothing at affordable prices in more than 350 Asda stores across the UK.

About Visual Retailing

Visual Retailing was founded in 2004 to help retailers optimize their retail planning & VM processes. Our team members come from every aspect of the retail industry.

We are former product developers, buyers, visual merchandisers and salesmen with experience from the field and close ties to the industry.

We're not programmers with a flair for retail. We're industry insiders who speak your language.

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Visual Retailing - ASDA George | Visual Retailing

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How leading UK fast fashion brand ASDA George uses Visual Retailing's powerful software suite to modernise and future-proof its retail processes - gaining unparalleled efficiency, simplicity, and speed. As the only place where the George brand is sold, one of ASDA's main goals is to deliver a level of 'inspiration and excitement' for their legions of loyal shoppers.

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Online quote, cheap but not sure if the quality would be as good as a sign writing company who supply and install themselves.

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Supply and install £240+VAT.
Biodegradable vinyl.

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Psychographics and behaviour.

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Psychographics and behaviour.

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Results and Analysis of survey - Age & Sex (primary research)

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Results and Analysis of survey - Age & Sex (primary research)

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Majority of the people who shop at Lululemon are women aged between 25-34 years. The comments from the women in the same age group who do not shop at Lululemon state that the brand is too expensive.

Of the 24 people surveyed, 17 state they do not shop at Lululemon. 11 of these people are aged over the target range of 25-34 years. The above 35 year age group do not specify price as their only issue. They have stated various other interesting issues such as; have not heard of the brand;  concerned with the ethics of the brand or like to try before they buy.

In summary:

- They have captured the 25-34 year age group but need to broaden their price range.

- The over 35 year age group do not specify price as their only issue but are concerned with other factors - Lululemon seem to be missing a wealthier age group who can afford their products.

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FRA Careers platform

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FRA Careers platform

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Floor fixture layout (final) with sight lines

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Floor fixture layout (final) with sight lines

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Open back window so customers can see straight into store and the collection which is being showcased in the window.

Tiered table with corresponding mannequin on an angle facing the entrance.

Able to see over the table to the large bay wall.

Sight lines from the middle of the store to the mannequins and bay wall to the rear.

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Consul Personality ESFJ-A

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Floor layout designed as a grade 2/3 store (not a flagship). All wall areas would be utilised (except for the experiential area).
Primary Zone:
Early Spring Collection - key pieces shown in the window displays.
Secondary Zone:
Womenswear general collection
Menswear (incl. socks/underwear which would be merchandised nearer the accessories zone.
Destination Zone:
Womenswear -
Leggings & sports bra blocked statement display walls
Socks/underwear
Point of Sale:
Small accessories (water bottles, gloves, scarves, small towels etc)
Discovery Zone:
Large accessories - bags, yoga mats, towels, yoga props (blocks, foam rollers etc)
Experiential Zone:
Yoga studio and fresh water station. Adjacent to the yoga props.
Dwell Area:
Seating in front of fitting rooms and adjacent to yoga studio for observing or waiting.

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Progression V2

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Initial sight line to the current trends/collections. The windows would also showcase key items from these collections so customers can immediately find what they saw in the window.
Further sight line to the leggings and sports bra blocked statement walls which is always a Lululemon feature.
Furthest sight line to the yoga studio which is eye catching as it an unusual sight to see in a retail store.

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Various works totaling £910+VAT.

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PRIVATE  ESTI - CENTRAL LONDON RETAIL UNIT - JJF 24.02

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To be placed at high level above 9 bay wall.

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Campaign shoot style would be similar to this boohoo spring campaign. Lifestyle video campaign showcasing outfits in real life situations. Obviously it would be tailored to the theme I have chosen and with the key outfits from Lululemon.

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Fixture layout progression.

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Fixture layout progression.

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Analysis of the in-store VM and windows.

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Courtesy of family in Australia due to Covid-19 lockdown in the UK.

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Pop-up store (Geelong, Australia).

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Product adjacencies progression sketch.

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Product adjacencies initial sketch.

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Anatomical merchandising - I have used this strategy on my planogram. (Morgan, 2016)

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Vertical merchandising - easy, clean lines.
Product blocking - grouping together the same product.
Symmetrical merchandising - mirror image of the product on each side, very appealing to the eye.  (Morgan, 2016)

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Colour blocking - grouping together the same colour, using the colour wheel for cohesion.
Horizontal merchandising - large items at the bottom, tightly packed together to show the effect. (Morgan, 2016)

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Straight arm

Face out bar

Hang bar

Shelf

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Progression V2

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Progression V1

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Progression V1

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Progression V2

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Digital photo frames at high level showing the front facing key outfits fully styled and in its relevant setting.
5 of each clothing item (XS-XL).
Pastel colour scheme with staple black pieces dispersed.
Adjacent item can be styled together.
Coordinating accessories above or beneath.

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Too few items hanging

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Progression V2

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Progression V1

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8 bay wall

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9 bay wall

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6 bay wall

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Mannequin showing the full outfit - table with the key pieces and coordinating accessories.

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Analysis of in-store VM (various brands)

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Analysis of in-store VM (various brands)

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Small accessories around the cash desk

WSW / MSW arranged in small collections

WSW leggings wall

WSW sports bra wall

Water station and work out/yoga studio area

Second floor fitting rooms

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Lululemon, Covent Garden | Prolight Design

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Key outfits front facing
Midi dress block statement - wall front facing
Coordinating accessories beneath
Campaign imagery at high level

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Yellow - key styled outfits - main sight line
Red - supporting sight line with the colour ways / block product statement
Blue - coordinating accessories
Mannequins - showing how to drape/wear the outfit
Campaign imagery - at high level

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Each bay approx 60cm wide

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Young/teen music

Spotlights on focal points/warm lighting

Sassy messaging

Textured ceiling

Full to the brim with stock

Stacked surf boards at low level so you can touch/see them up close

Transported to a beach party

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E-commerce retailers cannot tap into all five senses

Shoppers engaged through all five senses in the store spend more time there and are more likely to make purchases

Bricks and mortar need to take advantage of this leg up on e-commerce

Build a brand experience with all senses in mind

Retailers are only focusing on one or two senses

Visual: design, colour, lighting

Touch: feel, try on

Smell: links to memories/emotions

Sounds: music that represents the brand identity

Holistic sensory experience

Digital is rational

Bricks and mortar is emotional

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"I have racked my brain to think of a retailer that has managed to orchestrate all of the senses. ... [+]
Getty

While brick-and-mortar retailers wring their hands about the sad state of affairs in physical retail, they may be overlooking the most powerful competitive weapon at their disposal and one that e-commerce retailers cannot replicate: their ability to engage shoppers' human dimension through their five senses.

Shedding light on the power of multi-sensory engagement in retail are assistant professor Miralem Helmefalk and Bertil Hultén, Ph.D. at Linneaus University in Sweden. In an article published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumers Services, they write, "For retailers, a visually dominant store atmosphere should be designed more in the direction of a multi-sensory atmosphere in offering shoppers more appealing experiences of the retail setting."

They cite research that demonstrates "a positive effect of multi-sensory congruent cues on shoppers' emotions, through valence and purchase behavior, through time spent in the store and purchase."

In plain English, shoppers engaged through all five senses in the store spend more time there and are more likely to make purchases.

Brick-and-mortar retailers need to do more

With the rapid encroachment of digital e-commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers desperately need more effective tools to compete in the physical world. The bad news in physical retail is undeniable. For example, 7,567 national retail stores have closed so far this year with the final tally expected to reach 12,000 by year end.

And even more alarming, UBS predicts that with each percentage point market share rise in online retail, some 8,000-8,500 stores will need to close. As it stands, e-commerce holds a 16% market share and it is expected to rise to 25% by 2026. UBS expects upwards of 75,000 stores will be forced out of business by then. While estimates of Amazon's share of e-commerce retail vary, closer to 40% than 50%, it still is wielding the biggest hammer to physical retail's coffin.

In the face of these dire assessments about the fate of physical retail, brick-and-mortar retailers have a powerful advantage that no digital upstart can compete with, even Amazon with same-day or next-day delivery. It is their power to engage in the real world by activating all five senses.

E-commerce retailers can't do what brick-and-mortar retailers can

Unfortunately too few retailers are effectively using the power of multi-sensory experiences at retail, believes Darren Coleman, founder of Wavelength Marketing and author of Building Brand Experiences: A Practical Guide to Retaining Brand Relevance. "Retailers would benefit from building brand experiences with all our senses in mind," he shared with me.

With a Ph.D. in branding and as a guest lecturer in corporate brand management at the University of Warwick, Coleman comes bearing plenty of footnotes to back up his opinions.

"I have racked my brain to think of a retailer that has managed to orchestrate all of the senses in a truly unique and personalized way. Not one retail brand has cracked it. So the good news is there's an opportunity there. But I don't know of anyone that has found the right cocktail," he says.

Rather than hitting on all five-sensory cylinders, retailers have tended to focus on one, like the visual, or two, adding scent or music, while ignoring the potential of telling a cohesive brand story with all five senses.

"Senior executives become a bit like a kid in a candy store when they realize its potential. Then they dive head first into using sound or scent without considering how they're relevant to their brand," he says. "The result is disjointed and inconsistent experiences that customers struggle to connect with."

Retailers need to take a step back, get above the fray, and assess what their brand ultimately means and how they can communicate that consistently across all five senses. Such messaging can cement the brand in customers' memories because brands operate in the emotional space.

"The key is to build multi-sensory experiences in retail that trigger an emotional response before the conscious, cognitive and rational parts of the brain kicks in," Coleman says, as he takes me on a tour of retail brands that are taking a multi-sensory approach.

Visual

The visual sense is by far the one that retailers activate most frequently in terms of design, color, style and lighting. But it may still be used ineffectively if the visual cues and clues in the store are not tuned to the ones that will engage the customers most effectively.

Coleman points to Versace that uses bright and bold colors to maximum effect "to convey their ostentatious, confident and extroverted personality," as compared to Armani, which embraces "a more refined, understated and timeless approach."

The visual cues and clues of jewelers Hearts on Fire and Tiffany and Company stores right across the way in the King of Prussia Mall couldn't be more contrasting. Hearts on Fire is dark and mysterious with spotlights aimed at wall-mounted display cases that enhance the diamond's sparkle and fire.

Shopper walks past a Hearts On Fire Co. jewelry store at the King of Prussia Mall in King of ... [+]
© 2017 Bloomberg Finance LP

Tiffany uses standard table height glass cases with bright lighting throughout. But then, when paying thousands of dollars for a diamond ring, maybe it is better to have all the lights on, so customers don't feel like they are being conned.

One of the more important visual cues that too many retailers ignore is when too many products are on display. Too much product detracts, rather than enhances the shoppers' experience and creates a cacophony of visual noise which only adds to the paradox of choice.

Retailers would be better served by judicious editing to give shoppers something to really look at and enjoy. In addition, products that are displayed too closely together tend to be overlooked unless the customer is engaged to touch the product too.

"The consistency of visual execution is key and this can be seen in brands from product design, visual merchandising through to the overall store experience," Coleman advises.

Touch

The tactile experience of shopping-to touch, feel and try on-is a tremendous draw for customers. About 50% of consumers are turned off to online shopping because they can't do that. And it certainly contributes to the large number of returns e-commerce retailers face.

Further the more people touch products while shopping the more likely they are to buy and spend more money when doing it. The psychology behind it is called the "endowment effect," whereby people value things more that they own and touching a product in the store tends to make them feel that sense of ownership.

Not only that, but touching something can activate other senses in the shopping experience. The touch and feel of an iconic Coca Cola bottle brings the taste of Coke to mind. Similarly, the body-shaped bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier perfume invites touch as it consistently fits the personality of this sensual, highly-sexualized brand. Once in hand, a spritz of the cologne on the wrist seals the deal by activating the sense of smell.

Smell

"Smell is the only sense that has a direct line to your brain's limbic system," Coleman shares. "That's important because the limbic system deals with long-term memory and emotion. Brands rely on memories associated with an emotion we feel and this is why scent is so significant when you build brand experiences."

Starbucks is a case in point. Back in 2007 Howard Schultz realized one of the reasons Starbucks' sales were slipping was caused by the loss of the powerful coffee aroma in the stores due to a shift toward sealed packaged coffee and automated espresso machines.

"I believe we overlooked the cause and the effect of flavor lock in our stores. But at what cost? The loss of aroma - perhaps the most powerful non-verbal signal we had in our stores; the loss of our people scooping fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, and once again stripping the store of tradition and our heritage," Schultz wrote.

And shortly Starbucks will be further activating scent as it welcomes fall with the evocative pumpkin spice scent wafting through the stores.

"The use of fragrance allows retailers to create a branded experience which intuitively tells their brand story," explains Logan Andres, director of products and marketing at ScentAir, a company that provides scent marketing services to retailers such as Under Armour, Ashley Furniture and Piaget.

"If you want customers to become endeared to your store, you have to give them something they can connect with to remember. Scent gives customers this connection," Andres says.

Sound

The right music in-store also influences memory, emotion and movement. "One study identified how 'pulse and tonality' of music activates wide networks in the brain, including the limbic system tied to memory and emotion," Coleman says.

He points to Wrangler jeans activating positive feelings associated with its country-music roots by teaming up with Universal Music Group Nashville to feature music videos in store.

Another brand strategically activating sound is Burberry. Its Burberry Acoustic service allows up-and-coming bands to share their music online or in Burberry stores. "This supports Burberry's positioning which is increasingly aimed at the well-heeled members of the Millennial generation," he shares.

For retailers to use sonic branding effectively they need to think beyond random sound tracks chosen by the store manager in the morning and create a symphony of sound that captures the heart and soul of the brand.

The power of analog connection in a digital world

In summing up the opportunities in activating all five senses in the retail experience, Coleman advises that retailers need a firm fix on what their brand experience and message is in order to have a solid base for building multi-sensory experiences. He further cautions not to go "multi-sensory mad," but to pilot, test and iterate first, then use learnings to implement multi-sensory experiences at scale.

And finally, he stresses the need to think holistically. "The true magic happens when you build brand experiences that orchestrate multi-sensory cues that appeal to a number of senses. The results will be compelling retail experiences which deliver differential value that will be hard for your competitors to emulate, and most especially the digital ones" he concludes.

As people increasingly engage in the world digitally, they are hungry for what Canvas Worldwide's Paul Woolmington calls analog connection.

"Digital doesn't address our emotional needs. Digital meets our more rational needs-it's faster and easier and lets us keep more control-but as human beings we need our emotional beings satisfied, and obviously that need isn't being met by our digital experiences. Therefore, in order to balance that, we're seeking the analog more than ever," Woolmington states and I couldn't agree more.

... Read More

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Retailers Need To Engage Shoppers' Five Senses To Save Physical Retail

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While brick-and-mortar retailers wring their hands about the sad state of affairs in physical retail, they may be overlooking the most powerful competitive weapon at their disposal and one that e-commerce retailers cannot replicate: their ability to engage shoppers' human dimension through their five senses.

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'Put simply, it is enabling businesses to go one step further than they can with any other marketing – it is not just about meeting customers’ needs, but anticipating them.' (Pardi, 2021)

Rather than a consumer going to one website and searching for what they know they want, the product they didn't know they wanted pops up first. Essentially, having the content find us rather than us searching it out.
Measured by constantly analysing the consumers online behaviour, their motivations and their needs.

Going back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, people are ultimately fairly simple in what they need - it is just working out how to feed it to them effectively.

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Taking responsibility for your supply chain

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Taking responsibility for your supply chain

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“Concerns about the use of forced labour in factories or to pick cotton in China and in other countries also highlight the need for much greater traceability in overseas supply chains." (Fish, 2021)

Retailers are pledging to be 100% transparent and take responsibility for their supply chains (by a certain date). It seems there needs to be a fundamental change for all retailers to be more open with their consumers about their entire supply chain, not just the factories that sew the final product but who picked the cotton? Who dyed the fabric? Who drove the fabric to the factory? And it goes on.
The more transparent the retailer is, the more open they are for scrutiny but is that better or worse for them than not being transparent at all?

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Based on data forecast for 2021, the following is true:

People aged 25-29 years and 30-34 years are among the few groups that make up the highest number in the population (Millennial generation).

The proportion of the entire UK population is currently 50.60% female and will stay the majority gender until at least 2026 (50.51%). (GlobalData, 2021)

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Requirements of a Lululemon employee (Store key leader, London)

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Requirements of a Lululemon employee (Store key leader, London)

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Able to train and coach others and develop a quality team

Strives to achieve store goals/targets

Fitness orientated in life

An advocate for Lululemon’s values and guest experiences

Educated background

Strong sense of personal style

Entrepreneurial, proactive and solution oriented

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Requirements of a Lululemon employee (Selfridges educator)

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Requirements of a Lululemon employee (Selfridges educator)

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Highly communicative

Able to educate customers on products

Believes in the the brand and the wellbeing culture it promotes

Being relatable to the customer by demonstrating their own experiences with the product

Attitudes: fun, respectful, passionate, empowering, encouraging, responsible, dependable

Fitness orientated lifestyle

Strong personal sense of style

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Lululemon Careers - Educator  Selfridges - - 3091

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£37.00/m2
Fushcia ombre and rust ombre options.
Fuschia is more vibrant than I would actually use and the rust is a bit too brown but they both have the desired gradient effect.
To be used on both side walls, I approximate each wall to be:
1.5m (D) x 3m (H) * 2
Total cost to supply wallpaper £277.46 ex VAT.

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Use existing Lululemon neon signs for both sides walls.

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Reasonably priced options but as I develop my window further, I am steering away from a neon sign as the primary the focal point as it can only ever provide one message, where as the content on a digital screen can be interchangeable.

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*Images courtesy of a friend in Sydney due to Covid-19 UK lockdown.

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Street Style - Colour blocking and contrasting seem to be on trend. Colours pops with blacks or neutral. I see more texture rather than patterns. Layering with small satchels or handbags and bucket hats. (Cosmopolitan, March 2021)

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Layered styling with complementary colours. Contrasting patterns lift the look and various textures give even further depth with the velvet shoe, leather bags (also layered) and textured overcoat (Cosmopolitan, March 2021)

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Tonal whites with a pop of colour on the bag and mild pattern on the shoe (Cosmopolitan, March 2021)

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Flat lay - colour clashing and layering of the accessories. Bright and eye catching on the page (Women’s Health, March 2021)

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Email Interview with Lululemon Employee - Alpha Ng

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Email Interview with Lululemon Employee - Alpha Ng

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I knew Alpha when we lived together in London a number of years ago. I reached out to see if she still worked for Lululemon which she does! I based my questions on the brand and customers so see if I could get some insight from someone who has worked in-store and head office. Unfortunately I didn't get the depth of answers I was looking for but I still took some key points:

Innovative and fun brand

Fitness orientated female customers

Strong omni-channel presence in North America

Still have guests shopping in-store and online

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Use existing Lululemon mannequins. Female abstract.

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Green bistro set.

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Ceiling mounted bracket for three digital screens.

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Use existing screens from Lululemon Regent Street display.