Retailer

What we did
• Reviewed sales performance of new concept store vs. established formats
• Conducted site checks at new concept stores
• Benchmarked perceptions of employees who worked in the new concept store
• Conducted focus groups with consumers who patronized the new concept store

What we discovered
• Consumers did not understand the functionality of the new retail concept
• Store formats and numbers of departments available to consumers were often driven by the space available in a “store within a store” environment—not by consumer requirements for shopping the category
• Where store formats had required departments, sales performance was on par
• Surrounding retail formats in the “store within a store”environment often distracted consumers from shopping

Strategy
• Develop a product and concept review of the new retail format

Tactics
• Defined consumer barriers to use of the new concept
• Recommended short-term tactical strategies to help overcome usage consumer barriers, including both merchandising and employee “quick-fixes”
• Developed alternate strategic changes to the format to overcome consumer barriers long-term

Results
• New locations which allowed for full department availability were the only ones built going forward
• Expansion of the new, limited department format ceased
• Operation of the limited department format eventually ceased as leases expired

BACK