As part of the ongoing store opening and development programme – M&S continually seeks to innovate in design, merchandising and overall customer experience. Household was appointed by M&S to help push the boundaries in store and offer the customer something fresh each time.
Although M&S operates a successful Food and Home offer, customers were not fully aware of the complete choice available and still perceived Food and Home as separate shopping trips driven by mission rather than impulse and lifestyle needs.
Our challenge revolved around creating a more natural transition between Food and Home, engaging customers with stories that are more relevant to their lives and that encapsulate the mood of the moment. The catalogue goes some way towards bringing ideas together, so we wanted to create a mechanic that allowed us to bring the catalogue to life in store for added theatre and authority.
The concept of ‘Product to life’ was created to transform products into objects of desire – taken them out of a conventional static sense and giving them a lifestyle context, treating them with inspiration and authenticity.
Seasonal umbrella campaigns were created to drive out an emotive lifestyle message, ensuring continuing change and fresh ideas for customers. Two zones were designed – each with a shop in shop feel for maximum standout.
An architectural anchor in the shape of a giant cross was designed to create a visible destination on the shop floor, whilst also serving to visibly link floors. The giant cross is not just about display, it offers an exciting new shopping experience for the M&S customer as they can shop across an edited collection of seasonally driven home and food products.
The pilot concept in Cardiff has been evaluated and a blueprint created for roll-out.
Cardiff has been shortlisted for Retail Interiors Department Store of the Year 2009.
Pilot launch March 2009
Store: M&S Cardiff
Retail Week, 27.03.09
M&S launches new Home and Food concept in Cardiff with Household Design.
