A product service system for green-healthy lifestyle ......GREEN ON A product service system for...

GREEN ONA product service system for green-healthy

lifestyle experience store

2017/

THE

THESIS

BOO

K

Author Zhang Yaqi

Tutor Ilaria Marelli

GREEN ONA product service system for green-healthy lifestyle experience store

833258 Zhang Yaqi

Tutor Ilaria Marelli

Printed in Apr 2017

Master’s In Product Service System Design

A.Y. 2015/2016

POLITECNICO DI MILANOFACOLTA DEL DESIGN

INDEX

1/Abstract

1.1/ English abstract

1.2/ Italiano abstract

2/ Theoretical Background

2.1/ Background of the study

2.2/ Digital technology in retail stores

2.2.1/ What digital means to retail

2.3/ The change of consumer behavior

2.3.1/ Consumer expectations

2.4/ Physical stores

2.5/ The retail trend

2.5.1/ Omni channel retailing

2.5.2/ Customer experience

2.5.3/ Lifestyle brand

2.6/ Insights and outcomes

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10

14

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32

30

28

24

22

18

04 INDEX

3/Exploration

3.1/ Methodologies overview

3.2/ Desk research

3.2.1/ What is lifestyle brand?

3.2.2/ Insight and opportunity

3.3/ Observation on field 3.3.1/ Main outcomes

3.4/ Questionnaire and interview

3.4.1/Main outcomes

3.5/ Summary of the data analysis

3.5.1/Insights

3.5.2//Potential service directions

4/Creation

4.1/ Definition of the problem and opportunity 4.2/ Goals,mission and concept statement

4.3/ The main service

Green themed events

Cross-categories of green-healthy products

The framework of the service system of the project

4.4/ Two platforms

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43

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56

76

78

80

82

75

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70

69

69

68

60

05

4.5/ Project identity

4.6/ System map

4.7/ Customer journey

4.8/ Storyboard

4.9/ Touchpoint

The offline platform—the space Visual identity

Digital project side—the mobile app

5/Final conclusion

Bibliography

Webliography

List of figures

06 INDEX

94

96

98

94

108

109

111

106

90

88

86

84

08 ABSTRACT/ENG

ABSTRACT/ENGLISH

In today’s retail world, the rise of digital technology has revolutionized the way

things operate and what customers expect from retailers. In the meanwhile, it

has influenced consumers’ patterns of behavior in irreversible ways. Shopping in the physical space is still an experience shoppers love, but in today’s

consumer-driven marketplace, where shoppers have instant access to all

knowledge they will ever want or need, the modern customer tends to expect

a better shopping experience both inside and outside the store. Goods and

services are no longer enough in today’s experience economy era , only

experience are memorable especially in order to enrich customers’ daily lives.

So, repurposing the function and role of living connected space, better utilizing

the excellent digital technologies to create lifestyle experience store both for

enriching customer lives and enhancing experience is the main direction of my

project.

Here, lifestyle experience stores don’t just sell products, they sell different visions of life. Since lifestyles are many and varied, for the development of this

thesis, I take green-healthy life as an example to developed one of these

lifestyle experience store, but the same method could also be applied to other

“lifestyles”.

Green On develops new green-healthy lifestyle platforms that more care

about the transparency, authenticity, and passion in selling green- healthy way

of life for customers. The new service system creates opportunity for

customers more easily getting access to selective cross-categories of green

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living goods in one store. This opportunity will not only bring convenience to

customers but also break the retail typology model. Providing personalized

green-themed events guided by the experienced professionals in green area

will help create a strong sense of belonging in a community and shift

customers from the role of “having to being” in a real green-healthy life scene.

Furthermore, the project will help subscribe events anywhere anytime.

10 ABSTRACT/IT

Nel mondo del retail oggi, lo sviluppo della tecnologia digitale ha

rivoluzionato il modo con cui le cose operano, influenzando le aspettative dei consumatori nei confronti dei retailers. Allo stesso tempo ha influenzato i comportamenti degli utenti finali in modo irreversibile: fare shopping all’interno di uno spazio fisico è ancora un’esperienza che le persone prediligono, ma nel mercato consumer-driven odierno, dove i consumatori

hanno accesso immediato a qualsiasi tipo di informazione di cui hanno

bisogno, il consumatore moderno tende ad aspettarsi un’esperienza

d’acquisto migliore sia all’interno che all’esterno del negozio. Beni e servizi

non sono più sufficienti nell’era dell’ experience economy, dove solo l’esperienza è memorabile per arricchire la vita diaria degli utenti finali. Così, il mio progetto, ha lo scopo di riproporre la funzione e il ruolo degli “spazi viventi

e connessi” utilizzando in modo migliore la tecnologia digitale d’eccellenza per

ricreare “lifestyle experience stores” per migliorare ed arricchire l’esperienza

dei consumatori.

Lifestyle experience stores non solo vendono prodotti ma vendono diversi

concetti di vita. Siccome gli stili di vita sono sono molti e svariati, per lo

sviluppo di questo progetto ho considerato lo stile di vita “verde e salutare”

come esempio per sviluppare uno di questi negozi-stile-di-vita, il cui metodo

può essere applicato ad altri “lifestyle”.

Green On sviluppa la nuova piattaforma verde e salutare basata sulla

trasparenza, autenticità e passione nel vendere lo stile di vita green ai

ABSTRACT/ ITALIANO

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possono selezionare più facilmente i “beni green” in maniera trasversale alle

differenti categorie di prodotti all’interno dello stesso negozio. Questo permetterà ai fruitori del servizio non solo di risparmiare, ma anche rompere

con i modelli di retail tradizionali. Proporre eventi a tema “green” guidati da

esperti professionali in quest’area aiuterà a creare un forte senso

d’appartenenza alla comunità e un passaggio da “l’avere per essere” alla vera

vita salutare. Inoltre il progetto aiuterà alla sottoscrizione degli eventi

ovunque, e in qualsiasi momento.

-FIG.00

-fig.00 Biggest Hublot Boutique iN The World On th Avenue E iN T NYC BLOG Element In Time

2.THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

14 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYAs we all know, the digital revolution has changed how the world functions

and communications dramatically, while in recent few years, the rapid

development of technology has taken us into a highly digital-led world where

every aspect of our daily life is undergoing a big transition. When it comes to

here, we could not but mention the development and evolution of the retail

industry that is highly related to the public, society and everyone of us. Let’s

see the following examples of how far we have come nowadays: traditional

printed advertisement gave ways to multi-touch terminal devices for

expanding product information and purchasing options; on-site purchase and

telephone ordering gave ways to online shopping while cash payment gave

ways to varieties of electronic payments…… Large online retailer such as

Amazon.com is constantly emerging and continually innovating, as of 2015

offering one-hour delivery in certain areas.(Retail-Wikipedia，2015) Without

any doubt, the influence of digitization wave on retail industry is enormous, it was more than the rise of a new sales model, consumer’s purchase behavior

has also changed a lot. The retailers with the goal of overcoming other

competitors in the market have to increase their insight and adapt to this new

changing immediately.

To be true, under the background of the digital development and online

emerging, retailers are faced with huge opportunities and challenges. This

does not, however, means a decline in brick-andmortar stores but rather a

repurposing. In fact, the young pioneers have plummeted into the internet

business, developed their supply chain, sales channel, market communication

15

-fig.01 Nike-Digital Retail Experience

-FIG.01


and distribution system while the other traditional retailers single-mindedly

focus on keeping sales in-house even with an unattractive store. Not many of

them have been aware of their physical stores have the potential to be the

powerful media point as the most easily accessible touch-point on the path. As

a living connected space, physical stores have their innately live, sensorial and

experiential quality and also, the sense of surprise when consumers firstly meet their well - beloved products which all cannot be replaced online(Doug Stephens,2015). With Amazon bookstores returned to brick-and-mortar

locations in 2016, it’s better confirmed that offline shopping experience cannot be replaced even by highly digitalized service, people still prefer walking in the

store and getting the satisfaction at having found something interesting.

My thesis is aiming at exploring under the digital era how can traditional retailers better reshape the function and role of physical store through utilizing excellent digital technology as a tool, repurposing living connected physical store as a theater to enhance customer experience.

It is inevitable for today’s retailers to perfect consumer experiential journey

and deliver something truly personalized, remarkable and memorable. The

theoretical research is about several main aspects of the current retail

background and based on today’s new trend devoting to develop an innovative

retail service system that addresses real challenges faced by today’s retail

physical store, whether for the retailer or consumer.

-fig.01 Nike-Digital Retail Experience

Digital Technology As A ToolPhysical Store As A TheaterEnhance Customer Experience

17


Since the last few years, large volumes of digital technology has gradually

become widely used in brick-and-mortar stores to enhance customer

experience, increase attractiveness and convenience for shoppers. When you

are walking past a retail store, advanced beacon technology has already firstly well-prepared to entice you to enter, providing you real-time messages, offers and promotions; then you don’t need to queue for a long time, just go inside,

sit down and open your mobile phone to download the in-store app, the

process of ordering and payment have been optimized and all could be finished through your mobile phone, you could even leave without waiting for the bill.

Actually, high-quality digital innovation is going on well, spanning the full

spectrum of the customer journey, including ordering, payment, product

interaction, fulfillment and returns.(Digital Retail Innovations,2015) With the expanding of digital channels(eg. Applications,Self-service terminal and Network), the traditional shopping experience elements existing in physical

stores will be replaced and recreated soon. Here is a summary of the topical

digitalized technologies applied in brick-andmortar stores today.

2.2 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN RETAIL STORES

Touchscreen devicesTouchscreen devices may become the most commonly-used digital

components in-stores.Kiosks, digital signage and tablet are the three

representative forms of touchscreen technology. In general, the main function

of this technology is offering customer’s self-service, including searching product information and dynamic advertisement, devices also serving as

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digital catalogues、online ordering points and payment control. While

however, there are many other pioneers utilizing through an innovative way,

for example, connecting with augmented reality technology, creating virtual

fitting room that customers can “wear” an outfit without ever having to try on it; using large digital signage screen wall allowing customers directly

interacting with the display, creating a memorable shopping experience.

Use of social proofAcumen retailers began to cultivate social proof in many different ways to impact how the customers thinking about their products and their brand to

boost sales.(Kali Hawlk,2016) On one hand, Nordstrom collects customer’s wish list through encouraging followers pin their favorite items on Pinterest;

on the other hand, they choose and display top pinned shoes and handbags in

their physical stores with an obvious Pinterest tag to inspire customers.

Near Field Communication (NFC) ShoppingAccording to the near-field communication (NFC) technology, customers can tap their mobile phones to NFC Tag attached with the retail products to get all the information like price, online reviews and latest promotions. They can also

scan and add the products to the basket and finally tap their phone on a reader attached to the cash register to finish the payment process.

In store appsMany retailers begin to develop their in-store apps to engage their customers,

build brand loyalty and drive sales. According to the survey, most of the

customers use in-store apps to redeem discounts, compare price, view product

rating&reviews and find products. Of course, in-store apps could also help with the pre-ordering and pay-ahead processing.


BeaconsBeacons is the smart hardware which communicates with your smartphone

using Bluetooth to provide real-time messages about product information,

personalized offers and promotions instores. They can also direct customers to the products they might be interested in and allow them to share items

through social medias.

Virtual Reality& Augmented RealityVR and AR technologies have become the hottest topic in retail this year. It is being used in a variety of industries such as game, travel, hospitality and retail.

VR immerses the consumer in a simulated world through headsets or other controllers; while AR overlays virtual elements onto the real world as seen through a smartphone or tablet.（Dan McKone ，2016）Retailers are busy embracing these experiential technologies, and devoting themselves into

creating more immersive, entertaining shopping experience for customers.

QR codesQR codes are a common sight around us when we go to the mall. They are able to offer a quick response to ads through simply scanning by your mobile phone. It is an easy way for retailers to spread item information, coupons and

promotion, even their in store’s app.

Of course, there are a number of other technologies like video analytics, anonymous facial recognition, and mobile ID tracking that retailers use to capture customer’s behavior, understanding their profile and their preference. It is better for retailers to collect data about who came into the store, repeat

versus or not, what’s their favorite item…. These technologies transform

physical stores become into living websites.

Digital Technology In Retail Stores

-fig.02 Polo Ralph Lauren Debuts Interactive Fitting Rooms at Fifth Avenue Flagship

-fig.06 Virtual Reality Lessons & Grant Application from Nearpod

-fig.07 Tesco pilots 'virtual store' for Gatwick airport travellers

-fig.04 Strappy NFC reader brings interactive smartphone ads to Tokyo subway cars

-fig.05 Mobile App Development Grows with Beacon Technology

-fig.03 Connecting the In-Store & Online Experience Using Audience-First Marketing

-FIG.02 -FIG.03 -FIG.04

-FIG.05 -FIG.07-FIG.06

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As stated above, we took a great length introducing how digital technologies

widely applied in every aspect of the retail industry. Either smart devices

replace paper-based advertisement fro broadcasting information or mobile

payment replaces cash, ultimately, are the transformation made to enhance

the shopping experience, let customers get served easier and faster on the

digitalization base. The great doer create a truly experiential sales model

which could better works on leaving memorable experience, increasing brand

influence and boosting sales.

This is the boom period for the development of digital technology, we are now

facing with the second digitization wave. Since it is a new reform, there exists

both opportunities and challenges. The accelerating of the digital technology

inevitably led the big change of consumer behaviors and the rise of customer's

expectation. Only the retailers who positively embrace the new trend, harnessinformation, re-enlivening their sales model could satisfy the customers’ ever

- increasing demands.

2.2.1 WHAT DIGITAL MEANS TO RETAIL

-fig.08 Future Food District at Expo Milano 2015

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-FIG.08


How the consumer behavior act when the internet and search engines have

not universally applied as today? People usually have a need first, then go to the mall, check the price and gather information in different stores over and over again even though they still need another two or three times of such

experience to decided whether to buy or not. Nowadays, consumer behavior

has changed a lot. With so many touch-points at their fingertips, shoppers could search for the customer reviews while at home, comparing brands and

products, services and price. A lot of them will show the detail of the products

to their friends or families, asking for recommendations and advice. Maybe

they would quickly click and pay, waiting for the delivery to home and then

socially sharing what they have purchased through social media. Otherwise, they could also go to the physical stores experiencing goods and service in

person, using their mobile devices to finish comparison, ordering, payment, sharing and reviewing processes.

As the Dentsu Group(2004)1 summarized that the consumer behavior pattern

has changed from AIDMA model (Attention-Interest-Desire-Memory-Action)to AISAS model(Attention-Interest-Search-Action-Share).

The biggest difference between these two models is that two“S”. Consumers are more easy to get enough facts by searching and bring great impact after

sharing to more people on their social media.

2.3 THE CHANGE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

1.https://www.managertoday.com.tw/glossary/view/204

25

Interest Search Action

AISAS MODEL

AIDMA MODEL

Attention Share

Interest ActionAttention MemoryDesire


It is precisely because of such seamless cross-channel experience and almost

infinite offer, today’s consumer behavior appears quite unpredictable and incoherent. As the author Fabris described the new consumer with adjectives “autonomous，critical，competent，demanding，choosy，disenchanted

and holistic-oriented” on his book, we could better understanding their profile as the following(Arianna Conti,2014):

—Today’s consumers are autonomous cause they are no more subordinated to

the production.

—They are more critical than ever and always like “comparing apples with orange”. At the meanwhile, they want to build positive relationship with the brand.

—They are competent since in most cases they can’t always obtain

professional guidance from the expert sales advisers and having to make their

own decision.

Here, If customers have always been influenced by their trust sources-family of friends in the past years, nowadays,the sources grow up and extended with

another small group of people who have a high level of credibility in their

specific industry or category.(Tom Stockham.) Besides, social media likes and testimonials are also the key elements influencing their buying decisions.

—They are demanding, paying more attention to the quality instead of

quantity, and choosy with easy access to every kind of information.

—They are disenchanted, with a pragmatic and realistic approach to the

market.

—They are quite holistic-oriented, both tangible and intangible offering could involve their choice. And they prefer personalization and are willing to pay

more if it worthy-while.

AUTONOMOUS HOLISTIC-ORIENTED

CRITICAL COMPETENT DEMANDING

DISENCHANTED

CHOOSY

-fig.09 Read or listen” What’s new—and what’s next—in #consumer behavior around the world?

-FIG.09


Just like the profile described, new consumers are not that easy to satisfy and their expectations have greatly increased over these years as well. Today’s

consumers seek instant 360-degree service, “they want you to provide all the perks, then disappear (until the next time you’re needed)”1as Mary Meehan

siad. But, how to understand this abstract “360-degree” service. I think it’s better to analyze from a holistic view of the customer experience.

While immersed in the era of information-explosion, accessibility and

personalization are the two key points for retailers to achieve on the process of

information transmission. With so many available devices at their fingertips, it’s quite easy for consumers to obtain enough facts within seconds but what

they really expect is quickly capturing the valuable information they actually

needed among the bewildering advertisements.

During the process of analyzing and comparing, no matter professional in-store assistants, customer forums or likes&testimonials social media, they

are all trusted resources for consumers to make an informed purchase. Of course, the tastemaker group we mentioned above are the new trusted

advisers in the coming year. Consumers expect easy and convenient channel to keep a close relationship with them in order to get credible advices.

Besides, consumers are more willing to have a “Wow” moment during the shopping journey. Discovering in the service process as a positive participant,engaged through an empathic way, consumers want a favorable feeling and

2.3.1 CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS

1.Mary Meehan,2015,Customer Expectation Trends: They Want It All. So Get Out Of The Way

“time well spent” memory to shoot their hearts, they think it is more important than great saving for them（the new research from Stanford

revealed）. He wants to build an active relationship with the brand.

Last but not least, multi-optional payment process and effective post-purchase communication service are also necessary to satisfy the

accelerated consumer expectations.

While it is thus easy to see that consumer expectations exist in every phase of

shopping journey. The astute brand must care more and more about the

emerging trends that influence consumer’s choices, through a holistic view to make the maximum fulfillment of their target expectations.

“They want you to provide all the perks, then disappear (until the next time you’re needed)”

–Mary Meehan

29

Today’s retail landscape is undergoing a highly digital transformation. Savvy

retailers with great foresight have plummeted into the internet business,

developing their new sales model, other in-store retailers still keep a

conformist way running their practice. Not many of them have been aware of

the importance of investing in developing their traditional brick-and-mortar

stores.

In fact, although e-commerce and online shopping have caused wide and

continuous attention these days, however, according to data from market

research firm eMarketer, 94% of total retail sales still generated in brick-and-mortar stores in 2015. As the most easily accessible touch-point on

the path, physical stores are without question the best channel to provide

their customers a full-on sensory experience. If invested and developed as a

2.4 PHYSICAL STORES

94%of total retail sales still generated in brick-and-mortar stores in 2015


-fig.10 Amazon's first brick-and-mortar retail store opened Tuesday in Seattle.

significant source, it will have a vaster foreground and competitive advantage. After all, people still prefer using their five senses to gain cognation not just staring at the electronic screens. This is better verified when the traditional e-tailers Amazon.com opened their first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle in late 2015. We believe that they clearly understand the benefits of expanding the physical footprint. Not only for reducing the shipping cost, but

also creating highly personalized service, savvy experience and strong brand

image to better serve their customers and increase the customer loyalty. As

Doug Stephens has mentioned that “given their innately live, sensorial and experiential quality, physical stores have the potential to become powerful media points from which retailers can articulate their brand story, excite consumers about products and then funnel their purchase to any number of channels, devices and distributors.”（Doug Stephens1，2015）

1.Doug Stephens,2015,The Future of Retail Is The End Of Wholesale

31

-FIG.10


Thinking of customer’s shopping journey, from the pre-purchase information

searching、analyzing、comparing and accepting to buying and post-purchase

evaluation, more are about the information transmission. Therefore, we could

almost say that retail channels are getting more close to the information

channels. Thanks to the development of the Internet and mobile technology,

the information disseminating channels could get a further extending, and

producing an increasing number of new retail channels like mobile channel,

tablet and social media. The retailers exert themselves to optimize and

Therefore, the real challenges faced by physical stores are not falling into

decay but redefining their role and repurposing. What the consumers expect is not just a place for finishing selling and buying but a living connected space where customers enjoy engaging with interactive solutions and ideal

experiential journey. Here, the experience is the product. This means that, in

the traditional physical store, besides experiencing five senses, new high-value contents and services must be added to satisfy users’ expectations. In addition

to simply design the interior of the retail spaces, brands must create the space

whose variables are aesthetical, functional, emotional, strategic and of

meanings and shift to the design of experience.

2.5 THE RETAIL TREND2.5.1 OMNI CHANNEL RETAILING

33

maximize the performance of each channel, integrate different channels in unison and develop a holistic design of the customer experience. The retail

landscape continues to change and nowadays, they came to a new era where

retailers place their customers in the center of the strategy, fully understand

their need and contribute to create a seamless customer experience available

at any time anywhere. We call this new model —“the omni-channel”retailing.

The dawn of the omni-channel model inevitably lead the rising of the

omani-channel shoppers. According to the data from Insight Express, in 2011

there were 59% smartphone owners using their devices for comparing price when they walk through the physical stores and the proportion were increased

by 40% than 2010. An investigation from ComScore shows that among the shoppers entered into the physical stores, almost 60% of them will choose the online shopping then.The customers utilize all available channels including

brick-and-mortar store, online catalogues, internet and mobile devices to

browse, purchase, receive products at any time anywhere, they expect a

seamless shopping experience across all the channels and touch-points. This

habit is becoming increasingly common worldwide.

THE OMINICHANNEL FULFILLMENT EXPERIENCE


Today, the winning brand will closely connect with their most important

customer: the omni-channel shoppers. Retailers have to win omni-channel shoppers which are named “the gold shoppers”.(Julie Krueger,2015) According to a 2015 study by IDC, these shoppers have an 20% higher consumption than those who shop using multi-channel on average. But even more importantly is

the customer loyalty. Omni-channel shoppers have much higher loyalty than single channel and multi-channel shoppers, and they could have a more

profound impact on others through social media and online activities.

In order to win these challenges, retailers have to fully understand their

customers needs, manage all the touch-points on the customer’s journey no

matter online or offline and integrate the best of each channel. Through creating the right organizational structure to provide the customers a

seamless and personalization experience, reaching them wherever they are, on

whatever device they may be using.

Few years ago, retailers tie their business success with the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the easy access customer service.

With the coming of experience economy era, the experience plays a central

role in our lives, “customer experience”are mentioned time and time again as a popular word and became today’s business benchmark. Brand emphasis is

gradually shifting since they found that today’s customers are no more

2.5.2 CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

-fig.11 CONCIERGE GADGET DELIVERY SERVICE ENJOY HELPS BUYERS SET UP THEIR PHONES.

-FIG.11


someone who consume physical products, the intangible benefits from one trade became the object that being highly sought after by today’s customers—

they are expecting their shopping experience more valuable through both the

tangible and intangible products.

As describes the author Gilmore and Pine support in their book “The experience economy”1 : “while commodities are fungible, goods tangible, and services intangible, only experiences are memorable.” While prior market

offers external commodities, goods and services to the customers, current market diverts more attention to inherently personal experiences that could

leave a very influential effect to the engaged customers from an emotional, physical, intellectual, or even spiritual way.(B. J. Pine and J. H. Gilmore,1999) Customers begin to judge the brand by their shopping experience more ofter and there are too much of time this judgement even influence the final decisions and the following loyalty. Once customers are offered a pleasant shopping experience no matter by in-store personnel, engaged services or

events, even just by the sense of the space, most of them would prefer to enter

and come back next time.

So nowadays, it s essential for retailers to offer an influent engaging shopping experience to the customers. Fortunately, thanks to the high-quality digital technologies and communication medium, the huge experience design project

could be better developed and has been taken place in experiential stage and

living in a memorable and meaningful way.

1.The Experience Economy ，B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass., 1999, ISBN 0-87584-819-2

37

Life is weaved by experiences which all adds to reach the richness. In recent

few years, an buzzword has gradually bursted into the public view and became

the object being sought after by everyone from fashion brand to consumables.

Well, it’s lifestyle brand. Just as the distinct vision of life and experience

around us enrich our lives, we really expect that lifestyle brand could do more

especially those who purport to represent aspirational lifestyles. In the

revolution wave of reshaping the retailing stores, more brick-and-mortars

increasingly look like museum、art galleries and even antique stores, while

some other brands started diversifying into personalized services,

multifunctional spaces to created 360-degree lifestyle brand identity. For example, Nike+ offers customers running club and various other beyond transactional sport events except just selling their physical products; The

athletic clothing company Lululemon runs free 'yoga retreat’ with drinking

fountains, thriving plant life in their physical stores. The engaging experiences

like these could bring consumers closer to the brand, increasing the customer

loyalty and in addition evoking the aspiration about 'real life' lifestyles and an

exploration of individuality. When you picture your idealized life, a successful

lifestyle brand could always show you a real perfect scenario.

2.5.3 LIFESTYLE BRAND

2.6 INSIGHTS AND OUTCOMES


The accelerating digitization wave inevitably leads to the big change of retail

industry, physical store faced with tremendous impact but still has the strong

reason to exist with their innately live, sensorial and experiential quality. So

how retailers better reshape the function and role of physical stores through

utilizing excellent digital technology and repurposing physical store to

enhance customer experience becomes the inevitable thing. Based on today’s

retail new trend and consumer’s expectation of lifestyle brand enriching their

daily lives through various of retail experience, I choose to develop lifestyle

experience store .

Here, lifestyle experience stores don’t just sell products, they sell different visions of life. Imaging a future scenario about the physical commercial street

where you don’t have traditional typology shops that are distinguished by

different categories, but you have different visions of life when you open the door…… Lifestyles are many and varied giving you a wide-range of choices.

With the constantly improving of people's living standard, more and more

people start to advocate a more healthy and natural way of life. Green and healthy consumption has become one of the popular theme of today’s

consumption development. For the development of this thesis, I just take green-healthy life as an example to develop one of these kind of lifestyle

experience store, but the same method could also be applied to other

“lifestyles”.

-fig.12 Patiris Tiles Store

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-FIG.12

-FIG.13

-fig.13 Wild Swans,Scandinavian fashion in London

3.EXPLORATION

RESEARCH

In the exploration phase the goal is to go deep into the topic, in order to inform and inspire the concept generation phase. The research was conducted with qualitative approaches: Desk Research/Observation On Field/Questionnaire&Customer Interviews. The aim is to capture the big picture of what lifestyle experience stores are; trying to catch tangible or intangible elements that helps in strengthening the green-health brand identity; understanding what are the customers’ criteria and expectation to a green-healthy lifestyle experience store in the aspect of interior, product offering and experience. All these steps are carried out to extrapolate meaningful indications and based on the insights from benchmark cases to build the concept phase.

3.1 METHODOLOGIES OVERVIEW

42 EXPLORATION

Desk ResearchObservation On FieldQuestionnaire+Customer Interviews

ANALYSISInsightsPotentail Service Directions

Maybe, you have heard more marketing strategies that are about “selling a lifestyle”. But what does the abstract “lifestyle brand” really mean? I got the masterful definition from the Bill Gullan, the President of Finch Brands. Actually, there are two criterion those who only meet both of them could be called lifestyle brand. First, categorical breadth of the product and service is necessary for a lifestyle brand or a brand claiming to develop from these way. The lifestyle brand must offer a bunch of cross-categories to satisfy across various needs and desires of their consumers. Just thinking about that people live their lives across different ways, so that has to be there. While the fact is that it’s quite not enough to want to be a successful lifestyle brand only with the first criteria. A lifestyle brand also must embody in some way the values, aspirations, interests and aesthetic of a group or a culture, offering a means of self-expression and a sense of community to the consumers through their products and services.(Bill Gullan,2016)

TWO CRITERION1

”First, it must have a broad enough product or service assortment to satisfy a consumer across various functional needs or desires. “

”It must embody in some way the ideals, aspirations, or aesthetic of a specific group or culture.” —Bill Gullan

3.2 DESK RESEARCH3.2.1 WHAT IS LIFESTYLE BRAND?

1.One Big Idea: Lifestyle Brands 101,https://finchbrands.com/rwb54/

43

-fig.14 Artemis aesthetic lifestyle store

In the exploratory phase of the desk research among many so-called lifestyle brands, I found two kinds of mainstream types that one evolved from the old European fashion buyer shop rising in the middle of the last Century and became today’s aesthetic lifestyle store. The products they offered are broadlysimilar: a cosy room with pretty clothes and pleasing trinkets、tableware、

3.2.2 INSIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY

44 EXPLORATION

-FIG.14

chair、perfume、candle、and works of art, maybe with available coffee service or delightful music. All the set let an ideal life began. Almost all of this so-called aesthetic lifestyle brands name their stores, decorate the interior and select the goods by adhering the same set of aesthetic standards in order to keep the unique identity of the brand. These retailers laboriously seek for niche brands or even brands that are from independent designers all over the world to attract the like-minded people. A lot of times, the biggest difference people felt is from some kind of abstract “atmosphere”. But everything with high taste caused the fee so dear which directly led to the liquidity shortage of the candles、pleasing trinkets and some other daily unnecessaries.

However, the owner still choose to invest in them for brand shaping and consistent atmosphere. While in fact, the main target group of these branding are the“ultra-wealthy” who have been shopping for luxury goods for several years and have extraordinary willingness to pay a premium for “exclusive”design. Obviously, this kind of lifestyle brand can not keep the general consumers grounded. So, “how to own an ideal life?” I think such a so-called lifestyle aesthetic brand can't give you the answer.

45

-fig.15 Artemis aesthetic lifestyle store

-FIG.15

By contrast, another kind of lifestyle brand I would like to say has reached a more higher level. Usually, these successful brands come out of a particular category with an expanding philosophy both from the product perspective of what they sells and the related service what they can embody. They really define not only a consistent look, but also stylized values to attract like-minded individuals to share and experience. So these kind of branding made a better interpretation of the second criterial of a good lifestyle brand. For example, when it comes to the SoulCycle in the fitness category, except the label of a good fitness brand, people more care about the offering of the immersive fitness experience; besides buying organic food, people are more easily attracted by balanced diet lessons when shopping in EATALY.

46 EXPLORATION

-fig.16 SoulCycle fitness studio-Spin Class

-FIG.16

We could notice that the first kind of lifestyle brand faithfully represent a sense of real life, offering a wide categories of products but not quite reach the deep level of a specific group or culture; while in second case, very very strongly come to fit the spirit needs but the only trouble is their product or service utility may be fairly narrow.

So there is an opportunity to create an ideal combination between these two

types and develop a strong view of lifestyle experience store that fulfilling both of the criterion of the successful lifestyle brand. In such a lifestyle experience store from one side, cross-categories of products bring you a kind of idealized life with authoritative suggestions; from the other side, offering a sense of community that is truly benefit for the soul communication of a group of like-minded people.

During my field research phase, to be more precise, I spent one weekend in “Garibaldi” and “Duomo” commercial central to proceed the observation where various typologies of brands appealing huge and different types of consumers. Since I take “green-healthy”lifestyle as an example to develop the project and there isn’t an existed integrated green store, so I selected several

47

3.3 OBSERVATION ON FIELD

cross categories of brands purporting “green” as their style and mainly focused my attention in the “PLACES, PEOPLE and ACTIVITIES” fields to do the observing and analyzing. (Different categories of green brand I chosen: Green food brand—Eataly; Green canteen—That’s apore; Green furniture and housewares brand—MUJI; Green cosmetic store—Lush; Green fashion store—Meet 2 Biz)

Eataly, one of the greatest Italian food brand concentrates on offering high quality agricultural products in a leitmotif of sustainability, responsibility and sharing. Located near Garibaldi commercial central, It’s a great free-standing block with different functional layout. For example, the ground floor include a big supermarket offering abundant food、cooking appliances and organic make-up; bakery and “Pastificio” area show the hand-crafted production processing; book corner and coffee area make customers available to read and print the recipes as well have a good rest whenever they needed. Both the first and the second floor are mainly for offering different themed restaurant services and launching related events, the second floor also set the area of design cooking school. The whole space looks bright and spacious, and I can’t find the sense of depression like shopping through the narrow aisle of other stores.

As regard PLACES, I collected insights through taking pictures and making voice records about how these kinds of stores represent their “GREEN-HEALTHY” philosophy with their store’s interior style, layout, mainly range of products, offering service and mainly atmosphere.

Eataly —Piazza XXV Aprile，10 - 20121 Milano01/Green food brand

48 EXPLORATION

PLACES

49

Eataly1

01/Green food brand

1.http://www.eataly.net/it_it/mondo-eataly/

I noticed that bamboo basket, gunny cloth, assembled wooden box and furnitures as well other “natural” materials are used everywhere for serving products or decorating the restaurants in order to build an green healthy atmosphere. Different kinds of cloth bags are offered near the cash desk. About the signage system, they applies both printed advertisements and digitalized screens to deliver a positive image of the products. Furthermore, various related services are offered in order to spread a green-healthy slow food movement that is about the combination of ecology and delicacy. The authenticity of food processing, balanced diet lessons, food design labs, meatless Monday.… All of theses personalized events must be the highlights to verify the identity of the brand. Besides, I also found the cross-channel selling advertisement describing the step of ordering online and the information about day delivery service.

Muji is a Japanese retailing brand through offering “simple, functional and affordable” products to advocate a rational lifestyle(Holloway & Hones, 2007). It has been expanded all over the world and now there are three physical stores located in Milan. I visited one of them in Garibaldi. The first impression of the store is a strong identity—simplicity and neutrality, with the space not that much impressive since most of the product appear bland or without color, but I could always enjoy soft melody with lovely fragrance. The main atmosphere is soft and cosy like home, and materials they choose for shelves system and furnitures are steel and wood, even the large background wall of branding is raw wooden material. Store offers a wide range of products almost encompassing from cloth, make-up, household item, kitchenware, furniture to stationary and all of the packaging are plain and uniform. Different shelves labeled with outstanding signage system clearly introducing

MUJI /Torre Unicredit, Piazza Gae Aulenti, 8, 20124 Milano02/Green furniture and housewares brand

50 EXPLORATION

the function, some products even with visualized usage scenario or assembling steps. Besides, I haven’t found any related service that can have a better interaction with customers.

51

1.http://www.muji.eu/

MUJI1

02/Green furniture and housewares brand

Lush is a cosmetic brand defined as being green for producing fresh, handmade, ethical beauty products(ICMR , 2007)Fortunately, I visited their

Lush / Piazza del Duomo,20 03/Green cosmetic brand

52 EXPLORATION

1.https://it.lush.com/

LUSH1

03/Green Cosmetc brand

new physical experience store which is said the biggest one in the range of Europe. The main element that highlight the space is the use of colors to creates a visual picture, black background with white bold handwritten font for the wall guild system and the packaging of the products, while naked products with brilliant colors are the real protagonists of the space. The overall style is vibrant and youthful. The main materials are wood for shelves and tables, white tile for the washing basin area, and some brown - bags for serving. Packaging of the gifts box are written with the word“100% recycled paper”, and naked soaps are always weigh for selling without any packaging just a small paper bag.

The store offer almost all kinds of cosmetics and some related items like scarves, displaying with the original ingredients about what the related products made by, this make the products looks more faith-worthy and clear. The layout of the space is functional, with cashier ' s desk set both at the entrance and the back of the store; open washing basin areas easily accessed for trial and other personalized areas for customers customizing products by themselves and celebrating birthday party in store. Different from the first two stores, here I was served with hospitality assistants about detailed introduction of the products and the suggestions of the purchasing.

53

That's Vapore is a green canteen offering a wide selection of green dishes cooked exclusively by steamed. Decorated with wooden furnitures、green plants overhanding under the wooden-frame ceiling as well as big blackboard with the words of “smart food&smart life” , the store clearly represent an

That's Vapore /Piazza Gae Aulenti, 20124 Milano MM P. Garibaldi04/Green canteen

54 EXPLORATION

overview vision of nature by the large french facade glass. The fresh mix of vegetables and other ingredients are contained within wooden basket, fresh beverage are served by customer themselves. Besides the sitting area inside, there are several big benches for customers staying and having meet whenever needed.

Meet 2 Biz is one of the largest showcase for the collection of fashion, recycling and sustainability accessories. As a green fashion temporary shop collaborating with different brands, it makes a real expression of green theme from different categories. Without too much about well-orchestrated interior,

Meet 2 Biz – Alzaia Naviglio Grande 14 05/Green fashion

That's Vapore104/Green canteen

1.http://www.thatsvapore.com/

55

the main characteristic of the store is the creative use of natural materials. Nice and simple line of clothes made with reclaimed fabrics and garments look loose and comfortable; bags and accessories from recycled advertisement PVC boards; cell phone bags and laptop bags from soft recycled cloth while mobile phone cover and headwear made by recycled wood…..

Meet 2 Biz105/Green fashion

1.http://www.meet2bizshop.com/wordpress/?page_id=396

56 EXPLORATION

In the observation phase based on the city of Milan, I found most brick-and-mortar stores with the core value of green-health are food and cosmetic brands. Relatively speaking, these brands are more easily defining its brand identity through better using raw ingredients to imitate a grocery or delilayout creating an overall vibrant picture. Fresh acts as the innate quality portraying the brand positioning. Further, these kind of brands more often decorate their physical space using various related elements such as green plant, bright colors and raw wooden and gunny materials to evoke a “green-health” vision in customer’s mind. By contrast, furniture and household brands commonly steer a neutral course and implement their green-health branding image through displaying authenticity. Authenticity about (natural) materials, authenticity about texture, authenticity about minimizing both cost and waste of the producing and packaging.

As regard service, most speciality retailers focus on offering one special typology of product maybe with small-scale of over related categories, like Lush as a beauty brand mainly offers wide range of cosmetics but with scarf in association; Muji as a household brand include all kind of daily items but expand their products to the fashion and furniture categories; while except

3.3.1 MAIN OUTCOMES

Interior style

Services

20 EXPLORATION20 EXPLORATION

57

some comprehensive brand, not too much of them provide cross merchandising service as I observed.

In fact, besides unavailable categorical breadth, a lot of the green-health physical stores are still remain the basic function just for selling and buying. Some brands have been aware of offering related personalized service to strengthen brand image and improve the customers’ experience, but the effects are not always works. For example, besides offering customized service, Lush also create an area to celebrate the birthday party which I think the original thinking was to create a small communal table for green make-up customers to communicate with each other and build a sense of belonging, but labeled with birthday party is obviously unsuitable in such a crowded cosmetic store so that the area is always idled. While Eataly did this part very well in celebrating their 10th anniversary through launching a bunch of experimental services like traditional homemade food lessons to create a positive word-of-mouth communication among their customers. During my interview with some of the participants and their families, they all express their willing for joining these kinds of activities. The opportunity is that Eataly is a food brand that did very well in their own area of improving the customer experience, there will be more ample room for a lifestyle brand to develop.

Moreover, among several stores I visited, only lush made me feel very welcome by their hospitality assistants. Everyone of them act as the friend of the customers, help them around the store experiencing the products and provide suggestions based on customers’ needs. Digitalized components are unfamiliar in these stores, besides using the LCD panel, Eataly and Lush commonly publish their own magazine and brochure to introduce the product information.

20 20 EXPLORATION

58 EXPLORATION

Based on my several times of personal observations, I found that the main users of different categories of green-health brand are distinguished. Usually, food brand has more wide range of customers and from my interview with different ages of people, almost everyone of them pay more attention to the green-health quality of the food. But during the noon peak, the main consumers of the green canteen are the young and middle-aged office workers. Middle-aged woman more often visit green household stores while man pay less attention to these area, just a few of them who came in usually accompany with their wife and without any buying intention. Things are different in furniture stores, man usually come with their wife or families and they always act positively in consulting suggestions. Otherwise, young woman more usually appears in fashion and beauty stores, in particular their alone or with friends.

As regard different typologies of customers’ behavior, I summarized the common phenomenon I observed in stores. About man’s behavior especially man alone inside the store, thinking more about time-saving and efficient solutions they always ask immediately to the sales assistant about the product information they needed and generally they can easily take a quick decision, pay and goes out. While things seem not that easy for woman, they often spend more times staying in store looking calmly at each products, compare the price and similar products, hesitate to make decision during the whole process. Such situations happen frequently in particular when woman going shopping alone without anyone giving them suggestions. I even noticed a lot of them picking out several solutions together and taking pictures one by one and then sending to their families or friends finding for suggestions.

PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES

20 EXPLORATION

20 20

59 20

60 EXPLORATION

No.1–6 From a general way to know the basic attention most people towards green-healthy brand and their criteria to choose the physical stores.

No.7-11 Exploring what kind of service or experience people expect to have in a green-healthy experience store. In the interview part, I also prepared a set of visualized design tools to engage interviewees in an imagined scenario and open their mind for the open questions.

No.12-13 Since I want to develop a lifestyle store from one hand creating a sense of community for the like-minded people, so I created No.10 to understand if the store sells some related activities, would they like to pay; on the other hand attracting customers experiencing different ways of life. So I need to know generally what is the factor influence them to make a new change.No13.

In order to jump into the customers shoes in the third step of the study, I developed a personal and an online questionnaire to get more information about their attitude and expectation of green-health lifestyle experience store. The questionnaire was taken by 54 people from different nationalities and diverse profiles. The questions are set with different objectives:

3.4 QUESTIONNAIRE + INTERVIEW

61

# DESIGN TOOLKIT

62 EXPLORATION

64%36%FEMALEMALE

1.What is your gender? 2.Which age range are you in?

3.Would you specifically choose green-healthy brand in your daily life?

9% 31~40

41~50

9%

9%

OVER 51

73%20~30

76%YES

24%NO

63

4.Which “green” consumption area did you pay more attention to? (Multiple choice)

5.The reason why you choose “green” brand?(Multiple choice)

80%47%

31%22%

18%15%

11%2%

GREEN FOOD&DRINKGREEN TRANSPORTGREEN COSMETICGREEN HOUSEHOLD ITEMSGREEN FURNITUREGREEN BUILDING MATERIALSGREEN FASHIONOTHERS

53%84%

2%5%

HEALTHY AND SAFE

FASHION

LESS POLLUTION

JUST BUY IT

64 EXPLORATION

6.Generally which criteria make you choose the store?( Multiple choice )

7.Have you ever known the new emerging lifestyle brand before?(For example retail experience store bring together related apparel, furniture, beauty, food... under one roof to create a specific vision of life.)

60%25%

53%47%

22%29%

5%

EASY ACCESSNICE AND KIND STORE PERSONNELINTERIOR’S LOOK AND ATMOSPHEREWIDE OFFERING OF PRODUCTSPERSONALIED SERVICE OF EVENTSA SENSE OF BELONGINGOTHERS

NO YES

31% 67%

65

8.What kind of products do you expect to find in a green-healthy lifestyle experience store?(For example green food&drink; green fashion; green furniture; green building materials; green cosmetic....)

9.What kind of experience do you want to have in this green experience store? ( Self service.....)

GREEN FOOD&DRINK

GREEN TRANSPORT

GREEN COSMETIC

GREEN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

GREEN FURNITURE

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS

GREEN FASHION

DIETARY SUPPLYMENT

MEDCINE

WELL-BEING BOOKS

PACKAGING

RECYCLINGLIFE ADVISERPROFESSIONAL IN-STORE ASSISTANTS

FOOD DEGUSTATION TASTINGNUTRITION LESSONSHEALTHY FOOD RECEIPY

YOGA CLUBMEDITATIONAROMATHERAPHSENSITIVE ARTWEEKEND CYCLING

MEETING WITH GREEN COMMUNITYSELF-SERVICECUSTOMIZED SERVICE

EDUCATIONWEEKEND WORKSHOP

66 EXPLORATION

9.What kind of experience do you want to have in this green experience store? ( Self service.....)

10.Would you gladly to pay a little money if such a green experience store offering related events such as Weekend cycling, Nutrition recipes, Home decoration lessons.....

11.If we integrate the technology in this space, what kind of technology/service will you like to use? Why?

NOYES

82% 16%

64%33%

16%24%

31%

TOUCHSCREEN DEVICESIN-STORE APPSQR CODEBEACONSNEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION

67

12.Are you willing to try different ways of life?

13.Generally,what could encourage you to make a new different change? （Multiple choice ）

NO YES83%17%

13% CELEBRITY’SSUGGESTION

13% OTHERS

64%

53%

A LIFE CHANGING EVENT

FAMILY OR FRIEND’S

SUGGESTION

68 EXPLORATION

6- Question No.6 gives us a glimpse of the main criteria for customers to choose a physical store. Most of them firstly care more about the basic offering such as easy access, nice in-store look and atmosphere as well as wide offering of products. Only based on these, they can begin to ask for more personalized services that can bring them a sense of belonging.

8- From the interview of the open question No.8, I found that people expect to find almost various types of green-health products and services related to nature quality,especially green food and household items.Except the most common categories(green food&drink; green fashion; green furniture; green building materials; green make-up) I offered, they also mentioned well-being books, packaging, medicine and other dietary supplement. They want to find an overall view of green life to enrich their lives.

9- Question No.9 is set for understanding the experiences customers want to have in green healthy experience store. Events about healthy topic(Yoga club, meditation, aromatherapy, sensitive art, weekend cycling); healthy food services(food degustation tasting, nutrition lessons, healthy food recipes); life adviser and education services giving suggestions of green-healthy lifestyle; selfservice&customized service…… No matter what specific service they want to experience in store, the essence is an expectation of shifting from“Having to Being”.

3.4.1 MAIN OUTCOMES

69

Based on the field research made, the insights gathered were:

Currently, most of the commercial spaces are based on typology. In the field of Green-Health market, many are the food and cosmetic brands and few comprehensive lifestyle brand could offer one-stop service(providing the cross-categories widen range of goods or services from every aspects of daily life that a customer might require).

Most of the retailers choose a visual way to decorate the interior and build the atmosphere so that customers could establish brand identity cognition. A first general look and feel of the physical space have a very important influence on the customer experience, even determine the inherent impression and position in customer’s heart.

10- 82%of the interviewees are gladly to pay a little money for the related personalized events, and the price should be equal to the service.

12- Based on the reflection of the question No.12 that 83% of the consumers are willing to try different ways of life, I found that generally life changing event is the main reason evoke this changing mind. Besides, the suggestions from their family and friends also have a big influence for their decided.

3.5.1 INSIGHTS3.5 SUMMARY OF THE DATA ANALYSIS

Some brands have already took effort to enrich the customer experience with personalized service but the outcome is not always effective, while another brands offering a proud example in this area but just in their own category. It means a lifestyle experience brand could do more.

Customer want to be part of the authentic story, and shift their role from “having to being”.

Digitalized technologies are not that widely used in green stores since this group of consumers who pursue natural life can not being in a passion of high-tech. But things are gonna change when we come to the digital era. After a detailed explanation about the new function of technologies, most of consumers are willing to experience.

The indeterminacy of the product information and unprofessional in-store assistants that could’t give an authentic hand would be a pain point during the customer experience.

70 EXPLORATION

3.5.2 POTENTIAL SERVICE DIRECTIONS

Based on the summary of the exploration phase, the author proposed five potential service directions：

71

-The display of an overall image of green-healthy life ：How might we reshape the green-healthy lifestyle experience store that more care about the transparency, authenticity, and passion in selling green-healthy way of life for consumers.How might we give customers a taste of green-healthy lifestyle through a general ‘green’ interior look and atomosphere.

-Green products recommendation:

How might we provide one-stop service that could help people easily finding their exclusive choices and customized products in one store?

-Personalized service experience:

How might we create a sense of belonging and community for the like-minded consumers through providing personalized green-healthy events experience.

-Digital platform and devices :

How might we offer cross-channel selling or subscription both for tangible products and the intangible services. How might we optimize the shopping experience through using digital technologies.

-Online subscriptions：How might we address people’s desire for easily accessing to green-health life anywhere anytime?

-FIG.17

-fig.17 MATHIEU LEHANNEUR,NEW STUDIO

4.CREATION

74 CREATION

4.1 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM AND OPPORTUNITYWith the coming of experience economy era, today’s consumers are no more someone who just consume physical commodities to gain a sense of satisfaction. Goods and services are no longer enough and personal experiences that could provide intangible benefit and meaningful effect through an emotional and spiritual way became highly sought after by today’s consumers to enrich their daily lives. This is the crucial moment that people are in the interim of the perception about product is tool, physical space is theater to obtain experience.

As a green-healthy lifestyle experience store, it represents responsibility of displaying an authentic overall vision of green-healthy life and providing opportunities shifting consumers from the role of “having to being” in a real green life. And based on the outcomes of exploration phase, it is important to break the typologies retailing model and create one-stop green-healthy experience for consumers.

75

4.2 GOALS , MISSION AND CONCEPT STATEMENTGOAL

The goal of my project is to develop an innovative retail service system that addresses real challenges faced by today’s retail physical store, whether for the retailer or consumer. It is meaningful for reshaping the role and function of physical store and creating one-stop green-healthy experience for customers.

MISSION

The project mission is starting from the real scenes of green healthy life, shaping sensory experience and brand identity, then based on this, attracting the attention of consumers to enhance the purchasing behaviors.

CONCEPT

My project is born with the goal of being a green-healthy lifestyle brand more care about the transparency, authenticity, and passion in selling green-healthy way of life for consumers. It is a featured service system that helping people more easily experience various of personalized green-themed events guided by the experienced professionals in green area; get access to selective cross-categories of green living goods in one store; moreover, easily subscribe events anywhere anytime through the online virtual platform.

76 CREATION

Green themed events:

The events cluster could be the most active part in this service system while is also the complex one because it includes various of temporary activities that could be organized indoor or outdoor according to a specific events calendar. With the cluster events, I identified 12 specific activities to describe what kind of events could be happened here. Based on what people always pay the first attention to when it comes to green-healthy life, I defined five main events directions, they are green diet, well-being, hand-craft workshop, green beauty (cosmetic&fashion) and green healthy information communication. Different performances and activities could be launched corresponding to the main events directions. Since the space is limited, the events could be developed according to the specific events calendar.

4.3 THE MAIN SERVICE

77

Green themed eventsMoodboard,by author

EVENTSMOOD-BOARD

78 CREATION

Cross-categories of green-healthy products:

The cross-categories of green products include 8 different aspects from the main needs of our daily lives. They are green food&drink; green fashion; green furniture; green household item; green cosmetic; green transportation; well-being books; and packaging .

The products are generally displayed through matching with related peripheral green products to correspond the specific inside or outside Green On events scene. Besides, green fashion, green household products and transportation are provided for creating an overall image of green-healthy life without too many events providing.

79

Cross-categoreis of green productsMoodboard,by author

PRODUCT MOOD-BOARD

80 CREATION

Personalized

On events:

(Diet) Food Combinations For a Balanced Diet

(Diet) Go Vegan or Vegetarian for the Day

(Hand-craft) Handcrafted green furniture

(Hand-craft) Recycled materials reuse

(Communication) Green living experience salone

(Well-being) Yoga– Greet the day with a good stretch

(Well-being) Group meditation

(Beauty) Organic makeup service

(Hand-craft) Easy Kitchen Garden, Step by Step

The framework of the service system of the project:

(Well-being) Be a green walker

(Communication) The incredible veggie show

(Hand-craft) Farm experience weekend

Personalized

On events

(outdoor)

81

wifi

Derivative

services

Website

Book Events

Membership service

Cross-categories

of green-healthy

products:

green food&drink; green fashion;

green household itemgreen furniture;

green cosmetic; green transportation,

well-being books,packaging.

coffee

environment

The project consists of two

platforms, a physical one and a

virtual one.The two aspects are

strictly in collaboration and

interconnected to make the service

project works well.

VIRTUAL PLATFORM

82 CREATION

4.4 TWO PLATFORMSTHE MAIN OFFERING

Profile

Event

Calendar

Book

Services

Payment

Services

Service

Passport

Benifit

PHYSICALPLATFORM

83

Events

Cross-categories

of products

In-store

Assistant

Coffee

Wifi

84 CREATION

4.5 PROJECT IDENTITY

As a comprehensive green healthy

lifestyle brand offering one-stop service, the organization hope bring healthy,

happy, and more humanize to people's

different aspects of life. Therefore named for the brand GREEN ON. Green

on diet, green on living, green on travel,

green on everything......

Since the main service— cluster events

are from five different directions that people pay the most attention to when it

comes to green-healthy lifestyle, this is

very well presented in the design of logo.

The GREEN ON logo is shaped like the

alphabet ‘G’as well as ‘O’ with five sepa-

rate parts representing the five different event directions. The shape like a button

which symbolises starting a green

healthy life anywhere, anytime.

Brand name and logo

GREEN ONSTART YOUR GREEN LIFE

85

Cooperate typeface

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

1234567890

MACHALA SANS

Brand color scheme

#809349

Regular

#202E16

86 CREATION

The main stakeholders of the service are:

4.6 SYSTEM MAPTHE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS

GREEN ON the service organization

EVENT GUESTguilde the event

SUBSCRIBERseeking for green-healthy living

SUPPLIERprovide cross-categories green products

87

GREEN ONexperience store

GREEN ONvirtual platform

Supplier

Event Guest

Consumer

Book,pay green on events;

Events information

Promotion

Guide the events

Events information

Infomation flowMain Stakeholders

Secondary Stakeholders

Financial flowMaterial flow

4.7 CUSTOMER JOURNEY

PRE-SERVICE PERIOD

AWARE

While shopping

passes in front

of the Green On

experience store,

gets attracted

by the active

events launched

inside

Sees the dynamic

branding

advertisements

and events

timetable

description

nearby to know

what it about

Enters into the

store, gets

familiar with the

cross-categories

of green products

and green on

events

Chooses some

green products

in need

Gets informed

that downloads

the app could

help gain Green

On energy for

more discount

Sees the

advertisement

of Green On

experience store

on website

Chloe-36Consumer

Lili-28Consumer

Quite interested

in the Green On

events and starts

following the

account

Sees Green On

events schedule

and detailed

information about

events on the app

Registers with

the valid personal

information, as

well as bank card,

and then receives

the personal

Green On passport

Books and pays

a Green On

‘Go Vegan’ event

88 CREATION

89

SERVICE POST-SERVICE PERIOD

Scans the QR

code and

starts to register

personal account

Scans personal

passport while

checking out and

gain Green On

energy

At home,

browses the

Green On app

about the events

schedule and

books the

weekend free

“Be a green

walker”event

Share the “Be

a green walker”

information to

her friend zoe to

join together

Receive

personal

Green On

passport

Enters in the Green

On experience

store ‘Go Vegan’

area through

scanning personal

Green On passport

Experiences ‘Go

Vegan’ event

and interacts with

like-minded people

and professional

adviser.

Gains the

Green On energy

after finished the “Go Vegan”

event

At home, browses

the Green On

website and

purchases some

familier green

products and

delivery to home

Gains more

Green On

energy

Books and pays

a Green On

‘Go Vegan’ event

Receives the

booking

confirmation

90 CREATION

4.8 STORYBOARD

1.Lili sees GREEN ON event

advertisement when she is

shopping in the commercial

space.

2.Lili finds it’s absorbing so she scans the QR code with

her smart phone and start

to follow it.

ADVERTISEMENT

GREEN ON

GREEN ON

GREEN ON

4.LiLi checks the event calendar in

this week, book and pay a” Easy

Kitchen Garden, Step by Step” event

and share to her friend Zoe to join.

5.Sunday moring,Lili and Zoe come

to the GREEN ON experience store,

scan their passport and enter

”Kitchen Garden” practical area.

3.At home, Lili creates her own

profile and then receives her personal belongling Green On

passport.

CIAO,

LILI

91

!CIAO,

LILI

GREEN ON

92 CREATION

4.LiLi checks the event calendar in

this week, book and pay a” Easy

Kitchen Garden, Step by Step” event

and share to her friend Zoe to join.

6.After the professional guidance

by a gardening expert, Lili and Zoe

feel so pleasure to experience the

fun of Kitchen gardening.

7.They found the store provides

selective grow kit near the

“Kitchen Garden” area, together

with other events and services

made an excellent overall view

of a green life.

4.8 STORYBOARD

+ +

GREEN ON

93

8.Lili choose some green products,

pay and scan their virtual passport

to gain Green On energy and points.

9.The shop cashier told Lili, after gain

enough Green On energy, she can

gain special discount and promotion.

125/500

GREEN ON

CIAO,

LILI

!

GREEN ON

=

94 CREATION

8.Lili choose some green products,

pay and scan their virtual passport

to gain Green On energy and points.

9.The shop cashier told Lili, after gain

enough Green On energy, she can

gain special discount and promotion.

4.9 TOUCHPOINT

Touchpoints in marketing communications are the varying ways that a brand

interacts and displays information to prospective customers and current

customers. In GREEN ON the main touchpoints are offline platform— the space, visual identity and mobile app.

1.THE OFFLINE PLATFORM—THE SPACE

About the space, since the GREEN ON events are the core of the service system

and defined through five main directions that are based on what people always pay the first attention to when it comes to green-healthy life, so the events space contains five areas which are green diet area, well-being area, hand-craft workshop area, green beauty (cosmetic&fashion) area and green

healthy information communication area. Different specific performances and activities could be launched corresponding to the main events directions

and developed in their corresponding area. Otherwise, outside events

information could be published in the information communication area.

Besides, the related cross-categories of green products are displayed near

their related themed events in order to create a better relationship between

each other.

green diet

well-being

green beauty

hand-craft workshop

green healthyinformationcommunication

About the spaceBy author

96 CREATION

2.VISUAL IDENTITY

Working outfitBy author

Events scheduleBy author

98 CREATION

In an effort to facilitate the relation between the consumer and the Green On service, make the Green On customer experience more convenient and fluent, I designed digital system—an in-store app as the fundamental touchpoint to

optimize my GreenOn service.

Through this app, each user can create their personal profile and get their personal belonging Green On Passport(QR code）. The main function of this

app is to discover all the news related to the events inside or outside the Green

On lifestyle experience store, interact with the activities available, book some

events and pay. The personal passport can be scanned with points and Green

On energy gained from both product and events purchasing. The point system

will then lead to coupons, discounts and special promotions.

The app is constituted by three main interactive sections: event, search and

Green On account. The first area is related to “Event”. Here, user can see all the list of events planned separately on today, this week and soon. The second

area is about “search”. User can search interested event by key words and

events here are classified into certain types; they can also scan the QR code on the events advertisement and go directly to the related online page. The third

area is Green On account. User can clearly see how much Green On energy and

points have they got as well as view their notification. There is also a menu that allows people to modify their profile, menage their booking and so on.

3.DIGITAL PROJECT SIDE—THE MOBILE APP

99

THE APP

STRUCTURE

LOG IN

HOME

MENU

EVENT

SEARCH

ACCOUNT

MY ORDERING

NOTIFICATIONS

WISHLIST

SETTING

HELP

THE APP

100 CREATION

APP InterfaceBy author

REGISTERThe email or social media information are requested on the register steps.

101

JOIN IN GREEN ON EVENTSUser can see all the list of events planned separately on today, this week and

soon.

102 CREATION

JOIN IN GREEN ON EVENTSChoose the interested events, click and pay.

103

OFFLINE TO ONLINE; ONLINE TO OFFLINEUser can search interested event by key words and events here are classified into certain types; they can also scan the QR code on the events advertisement

and go directly to the related online page.

104 CREATION

HandcraftGreen beauty

Green On accountCheck Green On energy and points as well as view the events notification; Scanthe personal Green On passport while purchasing or entering the events area

in order to gain more energy for benefit.

105

106 FINAL CONCLUSION

5.0 FINAL CONCLUSION

I really believe in my project “Green On” because actually it is a service system

that wants to propose a method for operating in retail industry and help

retailers keep pace of innovation not only in products but in selling and

strategic activities. We are living in an experience economy moment and I

really believe our actual idea of consumption has changed drastically. It is

important to understand the fact that people have gradually moved from

hyper-individualistic consumer behaviors, and became more and more caring

about what they have or have not experienced yet. This shows consumers have

shifting from their role of having to being, they wants to be part of an

authentic story. In this sense I believe that presenting more genius and human

experiences as bundles, bringing customers into the process should be a

common objective for today’s retailers. For a lifestyle experience store, this

providing of personalized customer experiences seems particularly important

and the experiences should be better designed from every aspect of life as far

as possible and authentically represent specific lifestyle identity. Making the lifestyle brand unique, authoritative and passion, breaking the typology retail

model and providing one-stop service both for tangible and intangible benefit are the key factor for developing such a lifestyle experience store. I just take

one type lifestyle—green healthy lifestyle as an example to develop in this

thesis, for the future implementation, other kinds of lifestyle experience store

could be expanded in order to enrich different kinds of customers lives.

APPENDIX

20

5.0 FINAL CONCLUSION

1.What is your gender?

a. Male b. Female

2.Which age range are you in?

a. 20-30 b. 30-40 c. 40-50 d. Over 50 3.Would you specifically choose green-healthy brand in your daily life?

a. Yes b. No 4.Which “green” consumption area did you pay more attention to? Multiple choice

a. Green food&drink b. Green fashion c. Green furniture d. Green transport e. Green make-up f. Green building materials g. Green household articles h. Please add_______________

5.The reason why you choose “green” brand?

a. Healthy and safety b. Fashion c. Less pollution d. Just buy it,not pay more attention to whether it is green brand or not

6.Generally, which criteria make you choose the store? Multiple choice

a. Easy access b. Nice and kind store personnel c. Interior’s look and atmosphere d. Wide offering of products e. Personalized service or events f. A sense of belonging g. Please add_______________

7.Have you ever known the new emerging lifestyle brand before?(For example retail experience store bring together related apparel,furniture,beauty,food…under one roof to create a specific vision of life)

a. Yes b. No

8.What kind of products do you expect to find in a green-healthy lifestyle experience store?(For example green food&drink; green fashion; green furniture; green building materials; green make-up….)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.What kind of experience do you want to have in this green experience store?( Self service…..)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

10.Would you gladly to pay a little money if such a green experience store offering related events such as Weekend

cycling,Nutrition recipes,Home decoration lessons…..

a. Yes b. No

11.If we integrate the technology in this space,what kind of technology/service will you like to use?Why?

a.Touchscreen devices b.In store apps c.QR Codes d.Beacons e.Near Field Communication (NFC)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Beacons are the smart hardware which communicate with your smartphone using Bluetooth to provide real-time messages about product information,personalized offers and promotions in-stores.)

12.Are you willing to try different ways of life?

a.Yes b.No

13.Generally,what could encourage you to make a new different change? Multiple choice

a.Celebrity’s suggestion b.Family and friend’s suggestion c.A life changing events d.Please add_______________

GREEN-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

108

Fabris G., “Il nuovo consumatore: verso il Postmoderno”, FrancoAngeli,

Milano, 2003

Rainer Zimmermann & Prof. Philipp Teufel.,“Holistic Retail Design – Reshaping Shopping for the Digital Era”,2015

B. J. Pine and J. H. Gilmore., “The experience economy”, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 1999

S. Saviolo and A. Marazza.,“Lifestyle Brands: A Guide to Aspirational

Marketing’’,2013

Rachel Botsman, Roo Rogers.,“What’s mine is yours”，2010

All-Channel Experience:Engaging with TechnologyEnabled Shoppers

In-Store,by Capgemini’s Consumer Products & Retail Strategy Lab: Manvendra

Khati and Pranav Toshniwal

Digital Rerail Innocations 2015-Profiling digitally-riven innovation in retail, by Glynn Davis Retailinsider.com

Omani-Channel retail-A Deloitte Point of View,Feb,2015

Little Fashion Gallery Boutique-A Product-service System For Retail,by

Arianna Conti,2014

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109

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110

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fig00[http://www.landtwing.ch/?longines&sites=6&static=44991]

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fig02[http://fashionista.com/2015/11/oak-labs-fitting-room]

fig03[http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/connecting-in-store-experience-with-digital-marketing/]

111

LIST OF FIGURES

fig04[http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/4/3061047/strappy-nfc-tokyo-subway-smartphone-ads]

fig05[https://www.madebyspeak.com/blog/posts/mobile-app-development-grows-with-beacon-technology]

fig06[http://classtechtips.com/2016/02/16/virtual-reality-lessons-grant-application-nearpod/]

fig07[http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/photos-tesco-pilots-virtual-store-for-gatwick-airport-travellers/]

fig08[http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/future-food-district-at-expo-milano-2015/]fig09[https://fredzimny.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/read-or-listen-whats-new-and-whats-next-in-consumer-behavior-around-the-world/]

fig10[https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/11/03/why-would-amazon-open-a-real-bookstore]

fig11[http://fortune.com/2016/08/08/att-former-apple-retail-enjoy/]

fig12[https://it.pinterest.com/explore/storefront-doors/]

fig13[http://wild-swans.com/author/stewart-starkin/page/33/]

fig 14/15 [http://www.diqiuxiaoribao.com/html/nd100124.html]

fig16[http://www.oprah.com/health/common-questions-about-indoor-cycling-spin-like-a-pro]

112

113

THANKS

Thanks to Pro. ILARIA MARELLI for the patient guiding of the thesis.

Thanks to all the help from my friends and the support from my family.

Thanks to all the customers who agree to the interview and willing to give their personal advices for the project.

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