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So what is SERVILE all about?
Put simply, servile companies always put themselves second. For most shopping
centres or retailers this means a radical change in mindset, for some the idea that
their customers could dictate how, what and where they trade would not come
naturally, being more used to dictating these things.
We all know that convenience has always been important but shoppers are now
being offered levels of convenience that they could not have dreamt of a few
years ago. Retailers are keeping ahead of their shoppers through online
technology and SERVILE BRANDS.
Yes, shoppers are more demanding, time-starved, informed, and choice-saturated
than ever-before (we know you know). For shopping centres and retail to prosper,
the solution is simple though: turn SERVILE. This goes far beyond offering great
customer service. SERVILE means turning your shopping centre or store into a
lifestyle servant focused on catering to the needs, desires and whims of your
customers, wherever and whenever they are.
For marketers, SERVILE means thinking about creating marketing that isn’t
marketing. If consumers aren’t searching for, adopting, installing, or sharing your
efforts (in whatever form: product, service, app, content etc.), then you need to
get back to the drawing board. Now!
So here are four SERVILE trends to drive customers towards
your shopping centre or store:
1. Give shoppers the best deals with variable pricing or price comparisons –
instantly
2. Encourage your customers to choose your products or experience them first
3. Go that extra mile to serve your customers – be truly servile
4. Make your offer more attractive to women (or men!)
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A C C E L E R A T I N G S A L E S
*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
3. MORE8_V1_Mise en page 1 04/12/12 13:53 Page3
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Trend 1: Selected links
1. Here is a way to make sure you never miss
Selected video
Give shoppers the best deals a customer: Launched in the US, hukkster is Lemonade Vending Machines Base
a free web browser add-on which enables Pricing on Outside Temperature
with variable pricing or price users to bookmark – or ‘hukk’ – any products
comparisons – instantly they see online that they want to buy but
can’t afford at the current price tag. Users
can set the cost they would be willing to pay
for the item, and if the price drops below
that threshold (either through a sale or as
part of a discount offer), hukkster automati-
cally sends out a notification.
2.We all know the weather can change de-
mand for drinks so: temperature-sensitive How do you see it?
vending machines for Coca-Cola’s Limon & Share your view and join in
Nada lemonade beverage brand were in- the discussion!
stalled across Spain. Machines with integrated
With information technology it is perfectly Do you have a system of variable pricing or
thermometers were placed in traditional sum-
price comparisons? Share it with us.
possible to gauge supply and demand, re- mertime locations such as water or theme
sponding by driving profits at busy times and parks, with the temperature shown on a large Post your answer
sustaining turnover when things go quiet. display. Cans were priced at EUR 2 each when 4here
the temperature was below 25°C; at EUR 1.40
Know what shoppers are looking for and you for temperatures of 26-29°C, and EUR 1 when
are half way there – so help them by finding it was over 30°C.
the best deals. And this does not necessarily
4More links on trendwatching
mean permanently reducing margins, it is
about making sales when you would other-
wise not – it’s called supply and demand!
Trend 2: Selected links
1. Here is an interesting example from South
Selected video
Encourage your customers to Korea: Clinique introduced its Experience Bar Househunter Test-Drive
at the Lotte Department Jamsil store in Seoul.
choose your products or The retail counters feature sensory-themed
product displays with music and perfume dis-
experience them first. pensers, and offer bespoke consultation serv-
ices. Equipped with Clinique’s Skin Diagnostic
Tool, iPads enable shoppers to access skin-
care information, and find out which products
would suit them. The Experience Bar service
is also available in New York.
2. And here is an idea that groups products
by colour, not brand: the LuxeFinds Color How do you see it?
Shopping Engine is a free mobile app that Share your view and join in
lets shoppers search by any colour for a va- the discussion!
riety of home decor, apparel, accessories
How does YOUR business use IT to engage with
and other items. They use the app by either
With ever more competition for customers, your customers?
by clicking on a tonal colour wheel or by
retailers and shopping centres are finding snapping a photo of a shade they hope to Post your answer
ever-more sophisticated ways of attracting match. When they find something they like, 4here
AND KEEPING their customers. Unlike the users can share this with friends via text,
office or workplace, shopping centres are one email, pin, post or tweet.
of the places people are not paid to go to for 4More links on trendwatching
shopping. Information technology gives you
opportunities to track down those customers,
give them a shopping experience they will
enjoy and you can profit from the experience
by attracting them time and again.
*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
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every 2 months: 1 consumer trend briefing • 4 retail real estate player’s viewpoints • online follow-up
Trend 3: Selected links
1. Here is the perfect solution to driving sales even
Selected video
Go that extra mile to serve your if your customers cannot carry what they are buy- IKEA Lounge at Roissy-
ing. Launched by Korean convenience store chain Charles de Gaulle airport
customers – be truly servile GS25, My Refrigerator is a free mobile app allow-
ing shoppers to purchase promotional deals and
collect them at a later date.
2. Or how about taking the shop to your cus-
tomers, even when they are going on holiday?
IKEA opened a pop-up showroom at the Roissy-
Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. The 220-square
metre space featured nine differently rooms, and
passengers could take naps on the beds, watch
television or relax on sofas. The space also had a How do you see it?
supervised play area for kids. Share your view and join in
3. And what if your customers could try your prod- the discussion!
This edition of More VISION is all about beating ucts online before they buy? Marks and Spencer’s Have you received particularly good service?
recessionary forces by focussing on customer Virtual Manicure is a free online service which en- Share your experience.
needs. And it is creating needs that your cus- ables customers to test the UK retailer's nail polish
range on their own hands. Shoppers can upload Post your answer
tomers don’t even know they want that can get
an image of their hands (or choose a similar one 4here
best results. That is true marketing, studying the
from a selection) and then click on a nail colour to
market and predicting trends. These examples see what it would look like, before clicking to pur-
show how retailers have thought about the chase the product if they wish.
whole retail process, looked for gaps and filled 4More links on trendwatching
them, creating need where it didn’t even exist.
Trend 4: Selected links Selected video
1. Now we are not allowed to make comment
Make your offer more on the ability of women drivers, but: Lotte shop- Ladies parking at shopping malls
attractive to women (or men!) ping mall in China's Tianjin province introduced
parking spaces designed for women. The un-
derground parking area is for use by women
only, and features extra-wide parking bays, fe-
male parking attendants and hazard bumpers
(to ensure that women can park easily), as well
as pink signage and female-friendly décor.
2. And here is one for the male shopper: the How do you see it?
Christian Louboutin men's store offers the
Photo: Eric Laignel
French brand's ranges of shoes and accessories Share your view and join in
in a retail space designed to appeal to male cus- the discussion!
tomers. The store's interior features leather pan- Tell us what you would want in a shopping centre ...
elling and industrial-style decorative accents,
It is not politically correct in any way to say this, while a 'tattoo parlour' space allows shoppers to Post your answer
but women and men are different. They have have images of their own tattoos embroidered 4here
onto any pair of Louboutin shoes.
different skills, needs and wants. In an age when
it seems that women and men are assumed to 3. Here is an example that matches fashion to
cities: French apparel retailer Pimkie launched
have the same needs, there are opportunities to Color Forecast, a website that provides live up-
drive retail sales through direct targeting at dates of trending colours in Europe's "most
females or males. These are examples of offers fashionable cities". High-definition cameras
made specifically for women or men – were set up in Milan, Paris, and Antwerp, filming
recognising those differences. people on the streets, and analyzing the most
worn colours in real-time. Pimkie also provides
suggestions of apparel available to buy online
matching each city's trending shade.
4More links on trendwatching
*Source: trendwatching.com a London-based, independent trend firm, scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights
and related hands-on business ideas. Its free monthly Trend Briefings get sent to more than 160,000 business professionals in 180+ countries.”
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Interview 1 Mr McNamara talks about the innovations at “Well today you can use our mobile phone app
Mike McNamara, CIO, Tesco that will help customers get through to scan a bar code of a product and add it to
Tesco plc their shopping faster by integrating the best of your virtual shopping list or your online order.
Bricks and Mortar shopping with the conven- Tomorrow you will simply take a photo of it.
ience of Online. Can you imagine opening up your fridge door
“One of the great things about my job is that simply holding up your camera. It recognises
I get to work with loads of creative people to the content and hey presto they are all added
figure out how we can use technology to to your virtual basket.
make our customers shopping trip of the fu- “In the future the Smartphone will be your
ture easier and quicker and even more fun and Club Card, your shopping list, your wallet and
enjoyable. Some of the innovations we are even your own personal till. As a customer
working on like interactive screens and the you will come into our store, you will connect
micro home delivery. Interactive screens with our WiFi and you may even get a per-
might sound like something straight out of a sonalised greeting informing you that your
minority report, but we are not that far away. click and collect orders will be waiting for you
Our customer of the future is going to go into when you leave or maybe even that there is
one of our cafes and put down her iphone onto a personalised promotion exclusive to you.
a digital table and it will recognise who she is You will use your mobile phone to scan as
and maybe give her trailers from Blinkbox or you go. When you get to the checkout it’ll be
recipe based on her shopping list. simple, it will be reduced to a couple of taps
“When I’m making something like say, and bye bye paper receipts, we are going to
@TescoMedia Chicken with Tarragon, I always forget either email you your receipt from hereon in. It will
the chicken or the tarragon! Micro home deliv- be quicker to checkout, no more queues. The
ery would be a service that will save my life in pace of change is blistering and none of
those instances. In the future, our customer these innovations is that far-fetched or that
who is baking a cake and forgets the flour, a far into the future.”
couple of clicks later and within the hour and Transcribed from an online interview with kind
it’s delivered to her home. permission from Tesco plc.
Interview 2 Mr. Cottingham talks about going the extra wards brands they trust, and the challenge
Phil Cottingham, mile… for developers is to create an environment
Head of Retail, Quintain “Given the current trading conditions in most befitting these brands and a more fulfilling
European markets it is increasingly important and enjoyable experience for the shopper.
that developers create an environment which “The leading outlet centres have increasingly
is attractive to consumers and in which retail- become more holistic retail and leisure des-
ers can thrive. tinations. Restaurants, bars and leisure facil-
“The starting point has to be: what do shop- ities such as cinemas have become a key
pers want? Fashion magazine Drapers re- element of many schemes. At LDO, we will
cently polled 2,000 consumers on what they have a range of bars and restaurants and a
want and don't want when shopping. Across nine-screen cinema, which together will
the sample, product ‘quality’ and ‘price’ were mean shopper dwell time is increased and
identified as the most important factors with it, customer spend. However, one of
when deciding where to shop, closely fol- LDO’s key differentiators is that it is located
lowed by ‘value’. Indeed, research into cus- between one of the world’s most iconic
tomer needs and wants has become the holy sports arenas, Wembley Stadium, and one of
grail in respect of creating a viable and suc- the UK’s premier entertainment venues,
cessful retail development in any geographi- Wembley Arena, which between them at-
cal location. tract millions of visitors every year. These el-
“Over the past ten years the outlet centre mar- ements will ensure a high level of footfall, not
ket has grown significantly. There are now 200 just from event-goers and tourists, but the
centres operating across Europe, with a further local catchment as well.
50 in various stages of development, including “The combination of strong leisure attractions
@QuintainPlc our own London Designer Outlet (LDO) at is a vital ingredient in helping developers de-
Wembley – London’s first outlet centre. liver a mixed-use scheme that in turn enables
“Consumers are continuing to gravitate to- retailers to achieve significant sales growth.”
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Interview 3: How is Printemps attracting shoppers How to you see luxury department
Stephane Moise, Head of when the economic situation is hard for stores such as yours continuing to com-
Real Estate, Printemps everyone? pete against online retailers?
One word could qualify our way of attracting The major difference between online retail-
our customers. This word is “Uniqueness” . ers and our department stores, is really the
What we are trying to create for our cus- unique shopping experience we create for
tomers is a unique shopping experience in our customers.
our department stores, with a mix of 3 major With the web, you won’t get a personalised
elements: shopping experience. New concepts like
A specific concept in terms of architecture, our “Belle Parfumerie” with perfume cre-
,
with our flagships in Paris built in 1865 and ators that will allow you to realise your
1924 “made for you perfume” or “Denim Bar” ,
Particular attention to our services towards that offers all colours, shapes and types of
our customers worldwide, coming from jeans, are specific concepts that are very
Asia, Middle East, Americas and Europe difficult or impossible to offer online.
The best offer in terms of ‘Savoir-Faire’, in all As a second example, specific events cre-
departments, Fashion, Beauty, Acces- ated: A wonderful pop-up store with Louis
sories,… Vuitton and the artist “Yayoi Kusama” in our
We have been implementing this strategy store in Haussmann, or specific partnership
in our department stores since 2006 and it with “la Maison Dior” for our Christmas
@Printemps is becoming a success, always being trendy decorations. These are events that should
and answering our customers wishes with be lived in our stores and it is hard to get
our unique concept. those unique emotions on the web.
Interview 4 Mr. Mollé, as our guest interviewee, sums help build loyalty without impacting the
Paul Mollé, Managing Director, up his view of the retail economy in No- long-term revenues or dilute the brand
Design International vember 2012 image. Social networks such as Facebook
“It remains to be seen if the rumours of or Twitter play an increasing role in this
green shoots in the economy will turn into area, as they allow the fast dissipation of in-
reality in the short term, but the downturn formation and speed up the ‘word of
has certainly prompted some interesting ini- mouth’ advertising.
tiatives in the retail industry that will have a • Smart owners are also using these tough
lasting impact for years to come. times to negotiate advantageous terms with
“Faced with failing shops, reluctant cus- contractors and tenants to refurbish and im-
tomers and increased costs developers and prove their centres in time for the upturn. The
centre owners have had to develop innova- benefits are obvious: Contractors are keen to
tive strategies and new partnerships with secure work, the centres are not as busy so
their tenants in key areas: building work can be more easily accommo-
• Centres are increasingly prepared to offer dated and tenants are able to obtain im-
short-term rentals and we are seeing an in- proved outlets on their current leases.
creasing number of pop-up shops being de- • And those developers and funders with
ployed to maximise occupancy and keep deep pockets are taking advantage of the
customer interest alive. Pop-up shops are slump in property prices to purchase poten-
frequently used by major retail brands to tially valuable parcels of land to bank for fu-
maximise their exposure while start up retail- ture development in more favourable times.
ers are happy to reduce their risk with short “The survivors of this recession will be those
leases which fill space and are an advantage centres that were well designed in the first
to both the centre owner and the tenant. place, have the right mix of retailers and are
• Special events and promotions in cooper- operated by owners that are prepared to
ation with the tenants are used to tempt partner with their tenants in trying innovative
shoppers to spend longer in the centre and approaches to retain their customer loyalty. ”
