To offer customers more of an experience, retailers will not be able to pass on digital elements of their online presence in the store but demonstrate the functional benefits of the store design environment.

We think it is about a connection between sense and touch experiences, as the haptic perception means the ability to grasp something, feel touch and smell it. We believe this is integral to the development of store design and merchandising.

"The perception of a brand, in this case, is achieved through the active exploration of surfaces and objects by data collecting, informative and logistically of digitisation", explains Campbell Rigg.

In the last few years, we have focused on the integration of digital and physical retail store environment.

It is important to create added value in brick-and-mortar stores in comparison with the Internet. Click & Collect is already one model for combining online and offline but can still be expanded more. Our work with the management team of Argos supports this concept and it is a continuing business model for many businesses to copy.

We have identified four priorities for success in 2020.

They are:
Trend 1: More focus on tactile experiences
Trend 2: Converting browsing to buying
Trend 3: Designing more flexibility into the retail space
Trend 4: An essential tool is a digitisation

1. The difference between online shopping and offline shopping is the sensual experience. Retailers will continue to place increasing emphasis on this factor.

2. Shopping should be engaging and that means that the transaction becomes a primary activity that followed the discovery process.

3. The days of static store design environment have finished. Today's customers do not want to see the same product selection for months nor the same store design for years. Flexibility and economic change is key to shifting consumer perceptions of the brand.

4. If digitalisation is essential, it is important to create added value in brick and mortar stores coupled to and compared with the Internet experience. As “saving my time” has demonstrated with shopping habits for decades.

Our internal process of renewal, allows us to continually benchmark and write about the best in class branding and design in many market sectors across the globe.

Please take a moment to review other news items linked to this page.

Why not call and talk to us about your brand, design or change programme, digital and social media requirements.