Wanzl and Bosch develop a new shop-in-shop concept
Bringing together digital and bricks-and-mortar shopping experiences
Do home improvement customers inevitably head for DIY stores? Not all of them, although the majority of DIY enthusiasts do in fact buy their tools and materials at bricks-and-mortar stores. However, the customer journey – i.e. the path to making a purchasing decision – is changing. Customers are less likely to think of individual work steps such as sawing, drilling and countersinking, and more in terms of projects. What do I need to build a raised bed, renovate the bath, or decorate the living room? People get their inspiration and initial information online, but make their purchases offline. Why shouldn’t these steps be linked in the DIY store? That was the thought that occurred to Bosch, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of DIY tools. In Wanzl, a leader in innovation for retail systems and shop solutions, Bosch has found the ideal partner for developing a pioneering shop-in-shop concept. The objective is to achieve a comprehensive DIY shopping experience that combines the advantages of online retail with the aspects that make bricks-and-mortar shopping special
The innovative shop-in-shop concept from Wanzl and Bosch inspires, informs and animates customers to test and buy products. In a symbolic representation of the keen DIYer’s own home, it unites under a literal roof three concept areas: the inspiration world, the project world, and the product world. The inspiration world and the project world are positioned at the gondola end cap as eye-catching elements. The remarkable design of the shop-in-shop piques shoppers’ curiosity. In the inspiration world, the focus is on innovations and information. The latest machines from Bosch are on display under a large screen, with a buzzer assigned to each device. Pressing a buzzer causes the content relating to that device to be displayed on the screen. The user can access comprehensive input, from creative images depicting use, to short and inspiring videos, right through to technical data. The software manufacturer Online Software AG, a partner to Wanzl for many years, is responsible for the software-related implementation and realisation of the digital content. The project world provides visual stimulus. Projects that have actually been implemented are exhibited here: the self-built table lamp, the custom knife block, or the tailored shoe rack. A screen with two buzzers is mounted next to the sample object. Buzzer 1 takes the user to the Bosch online community page www.1-2-do.com/projekte where members can present their passion projects, including the materials and machines they have used. Buzzer 2 takes the customer to the online shop for the DIY store they are currently in. If products or materials they need are not available in the store stock, the customer can immediately order them for delivery with just a few clicks. Of course, while in-store customers can also take the opportunity to directly familiarise themselves with the world of goods available from Bosch. The product world, located in the interior part of the shop-in-shop, showcases a wide selection of available Bosch machines that customers can take home straight away.
An innovative and interactive shopping experience for the customer – and also for the store operator. This is because the goods presentation systems that Wanzl has developed specially for Bosch are smart. They measure the stock of goods in real-time and make the figures directly available on the Wanzl connect dashboard. If the availability of certain products falls to a certain, previously defined level, an order is automatically generated as a recommended action and transferred to the head of the store. In addition, the shop is equipped with five stereoscopic cameras. These measure footfall, time spent in front of a group of items, and general customer flows, without recording personal data or personality features. The anonymous data obtained is immediately made available on the Wanzl connect dashboard, from where it can be collated with additional parameters such as weather, calendar days or similar, and analysed. This is a service for which Wanzl also offers the option of providing the market operator with analytics experts.
With the innovative shop-in-shop concept, Bosch and Wanzl are setting a new milestone in the development of the future of retail. It is an appropriate response to the changing customer journey and increasing digitalisation of society. The concept is currently still in the test phase. A first shop-in-shop was launched at the beginning of the year in Lohja, Finland, by Motonet Finnland, a retail partner to Bosch. More will follow.
