Digital Signage Expo (DSE) Apex Awards is an annual competition that honours innovation found in technologies that are deployed in the global DOOH (Digital-Out-Of-Home) industry.  There are eleven awards categories, New Concept (future-forward digital signage applications in either design or prototype stages) being this year’s new category offered.  This couldn’t have happened at a better time as it aligns with Red Leaf’s latest technologies which will be launched at an upcoming show.

Red Leaf has been investing in technology and research to create programs and solutions for clients,  helping them assist and guide shoppers along the path to purchase.  Our new product ‘Consumer Engagement Platform’ is an interactive wall that encompasses digital signage, guided selling applications and much more technological advancements.

With this being said, Red Leaf is excited to announce that we are 1 of 3 finalists in the New Concept category.

-Maggie

You are on the way to that sunny destination; you have finished being interrogated by that customs officer on a power trip and you have made it through the invasive security pat downs. At this point you are on your way to your gate when all of a sudden you see a vision. It is beautiful and breathtaking one… No it isn’t the art sculpture in the terminal! It is stores! Lots of them! Duty free, gift shops, and clothing stores including luxury brands!… Aren’t you glad you gave yourself that extra time! It is now time to shop before the take off!

Over the years airports and retailers have had a symbiotic relationship with one another; airport operator’s benefit from lease revenue and retailers profit from steady foot traffic and the ability to reach a broader target market.

Key metrics for airport retail designers are “transfer rates”, “retail dwell” and “sight density”

Transfer rate refers to the rate of passengers that are staying in the terminals between flights as opposed to those catching planes and those on the way out after arriving.

Retail dwell refers to the length of time passengers reside in a retail space.

Sight Density refers to the number of passengers that are directed through a particular space.

Although leasing costs for retailers within airports are substantially higher- approximately $150-$200 per square foot compared to $20-$50 per square foot in a mall setting, the returns can be high. Take UK knitwear retailer Pringle of Scotland. Their small terminal 3 shop has twice the sales per square foot than its boutiques in central London.

Here are some other neat facts about retail and retail transactions at London’s Heathrow Airport – recipient for the second year in a row of the Skytrax World Airport Award for Best Shopping.

• Heathrow has over 740,000 square feet of retail space
• Heathrow is home to more than 500 shops
• Luxury designer brands such as Prada, Gucci and Ermenegildo Zegna can be found as well as premium UK retailer Harrods.
• Heathrow sells 55,000 bottles of fragrances per week
• If all the bread from the sandwiches made at Heathrow in a year were stacked you could make a tower 22 miles high
• Heathrow sells enough bottled water each year to fill two Olympic size swimming pools[1]

What are your thoughts on airport retailing as a consumer? Are your expectations even higher in this type of environment? Have you seen any innovative concepts you would like to share?

Write us your comments.

- Veronica

Click on the above slideshow for an in-depth look at ASSOS’ New ProShop.

What goes up must come down!

With the explosion of in-store marketing, the rate of brand spending has increased drastically while traditional advertising has taken the backseat. Approximately 95% of brands are placing more focus on maintaining or increasing their in-store marketing spends, while de-emphasizing television and newspaper advertising.

ASSOS’ advanced high-tech cycling apparel paired with attractive models and modern sleekness helps to create compelling in-store experiences.  Their store concepts really are a true reflection of the brands identity, operational capabilities and the constant evolving consumer behaviours.

- Maggie

More and more companies are introducing modern contemporary, open-concept, creative, bright and spacious working environments.  With corporate giants such as Google and Pixar demonstrating great success with their non-traditional workplaces, an increasing amount of people are embracing the idea.  These new concepts have proven to be a stimulus for the human mind and an inspiration for innovation.  Open-concept office work space encourages collaboration and synergy amongst all teams making for a more productive and effective work environment.  Most of all, it emphasizes the company’s creativity and personality.

- Maggie

Debuted in 2009 NRF, Frog design and Intel worked together building a point-of-sale kiosk design. The kiosk combines the experiences from a real life shopping experience with the informative benefit of online shopping. It contains touch screens on different surfaces to allow unique and dynamic employee-customer interactions. The interactivity of the display allows users to view reviews, recommendations, store information and sales.

“The design also provides opportunities to increase revenue through digital signs, intelligent cross-selling tools, and targeted ads.”

 

- Terrence

Apple just recently opened the doors to their stunning new store on the weekend in France.  Set in a former bank, the Paris Opera Apple Store is a refreshing sight in comparison to the usual mall Apple Store.  Unobtrusive and respectful of the Parisian cityscape, the new store is a delightful amalgamation of historic architecture, innovative technology, and stunning product design.

What would retail experiences be like if all major companies integrated their brick and mortar stores uniquely to their local environments?  What if there were no such thing as 40 page in-store guidelines to adhere to?

- Heather

There is an emerging trend in retail that you have likely encountered during your last trip to the mall. It’s known as scent branding. Retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch have been using this technique for years but it is becoming more apparent in several other retail segments.

The theory behind using atmospheric scent is that smell is considered to be the strongest of the five senses. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the limbic system in the brain; this is the area that controls behaviour and emotion. (Refer to diagram below) Scents help trigger memories and evoke emotions it can also help consumers associate with a particular brand.

This ambiance tool needs to be carefully used, what may draw one person into the store may repel another! Therefore subtle more neutral aromas are likely more fitting. The scent should also complement the product offering i.e. baby powder fragrance in a children’s apparel store or coconut oil scent in a swimsuit department, which UK retailer Harrods used.

What are your thoughts? Do you think scent branding provides an improved retail experience?

- Veronica

New Yorkers are lucky to have the recent addition of the Bowery Nike Stadium in their neighbourhood for the World Cup this year.  Completed in May 2010, Nike Stadiums are multi-purpose event destinations.  With stadiums already in Berlin, London, Milan, Paris, and Tokyo, the Bowery visual-experience can be summed up as an organically-strewn triangle sports party.

Featuring an interesting use of pegboard for visual effect, the layering of micro pegboard over macro not only provides a sense of depth and acts as a product highlighting tool, but also paves the way for huge functionality and versatility in the future for the mixed-use environment.   From the images, it appears that the walls and merchandise can be playfully planogrammed like a game of tangrams – indicating a sign of smart and adaptable retail design.

Retailers are beginning to recognize the benefits of using digital displays to influence consumer decisions. It allows consumers to create their own individual experience based on the digital elements they choose to interact with.

As demonstrated in the photos, this technology has been implemented in-stores using touchscreen components to help educate consumers, provide ease of navigation while displaying virtual images of the product on the user’s body without having to physically try it on. Interactive technology such as this has helped brands increase their sales (ie. 85 percent increase in sales at the Tissot concession in-store). For more information click on the Tissot photo.

- Maggie