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RESEARCH PRODUCT

How store design contributes to the evolution of retail brand positioning : a longitudinal case study

subject

description

One of the innovative ways favoured by retailers to drive change in their value proposition is to review the design of their stores. Academic contributions to the in-store experience have mostly focused on consumer perspective and identifying relevant managerial practices. The core of this research studies how repositioning a retail brand translates into the experiential design of retail spaces. To this end, the research follows the repositioning process from a managerial perspective and updates the mechanisms that underlie it. The longitudinal study of embedded cases reveals the importance of an holistic design that takes into account the desired interactions between the shopper and the store. The analysis shows the four overlapping phases of the store’s life cycle, and breaks down the process into six dimensions, each with its own events and issues. The six dimensions are vision, plotline, action, decor, assessment and coproduction.The entrepreneurial vision of the leader is the cornerstone of the whole innovation process. The value proposition is embodied by three components, namely plotline, action and decor. For each of the five stages of the shopper’s journey, elements of the decor are implemented to relay or reinforce the desired action. These are mechanisms or devices meant to stimulate the shopper’s experiential system. The assessment, which involves measuring the perceived and experienced positioning, helps to adjust the value proposition in terms of four levels of consistency and flexibility of design. Finally, the coproduction of store design between different stakeholders can cause a co-destruction of value, whether intentional or accidental.