NZ retail stores update September 2017. Having been in retail for many decades, I cannot help but visit stores and consume retail, even when not officially working. On a recent trip to South Africa I was therefore compelled to see the new developments in Johannesburg, Pretoria (Menlyn Park) and Durban (Umhlanga). These are all major new retail developments in a country known for its strong retailers. My first observation, before delving into store product ranges – and trying to look inconspicuous as there is staff everywhere – was the fantastic ‘space’ that had been created in many of the new stores and malls.

Retail Shopping in 2017 is about “The whole Experience”

Much of the talk around Australian retail at present is about using ‘Experience’ to combat the threat of stagnant sales and in particular the coming Amazon tsunami.

I have not seen many great new fit-outs or new concepts in the newer Australian malls. I am not sure how the costs of shopping fitting here equate to the costs in South Africa, but there is no doubt South African specialty stores are breaking new ground by creating exciting new concepts in ‘good experience’ space and with design elements that are fresh and pleasant.

Is it that our shopping centre landlords have been too inflexible in enforcing a standard set of criteria, which does not encourage ‘out of the box’ thinking and design? Or have we had it too good for too long and become complacent in giving our customers the pleasure of a good experience through design and service?

One of the stand out retailers growing fast is Old Town Italy…

One of the stand out retailers who is growing at a really good pace and expanding throughout South Africa and the world, is a concept named Old Town Italy. It is a large footprint cafe and restaurant that also houses a bakery, a top rate deli, butcher, cheese monger, chocolate shop, wine and cocktail bar plus many interesting collections of home wares and gifting.

So apart from serving delightful, fresh meals, casual dining and snacks with great coffee, it provides a wonderful array of merchandise that is presented in a bold and authentic manner.

It also makes me wonder if our authorities are too stringent in how they allow us to present foodstuff. When one thinks of all the wonderful food experiences available throughout European streets, markets, stores and stalls, are we not too clinical to be authentic?

There are displays and creations evident everywhere in the new South African malls that make for great ‘dwell time’ as well as creating an environment that encourages us to open our wallets. New and inspiring designs of even Australian and other international retailers seem more adventurous than in Australia. These include Cotton On, Starbucks, Typo, and L’Occtane to name a few!

It seems to me that we have fallen behind in the design of good retail space…

It seems to me that we have fallen behind in the design of good retail space and if we are to maintain a first class ‘experience’ in bricks and mortar, then we need to increase our adventurousness, our spend and our tolerance of both clinical and compliance standards. The popularity of farmers markets on weekends should be proof that we are tired of stereotype malls and many people are looking for something new. With little interest in conformity and clinical stores without service that pleases all the senses.

So if our bricks and mortar stores are to survive the Amazon invasion, we need to create a level of excitement, experience and enjoyment that brings people back into space that they enjoy being in…if you feel that your retail space is not market leading, then the reason for customers to visit you is diminished!

Can you afford for consumers to be bored with your ‘space’ and experience?

September 7, 2017 Inside Retail NZ

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It isn’t just what shoppers put into their shopping baskets NZ that counts. It is why they choose to pick them up in the first place.

Why You Should Have Shopping Baskets NZ At Your Store

New Zealand grocers, supermarkets and small retailers are living through a period of great change when it comes to people’s buying habits. Habits which now mean supplying the best range of shopping baskets NZ possible. And ensuring there are enough on hand to service customers’ demands is now more important than ever.

So why are shopping baskets NZ so important? And how can you change the way you do business to make them work best for you? Read our top 12 reasons to have shopping baskets at your store:

1. Knee-jerk shopping

The days of the weekly shop are well and truly over for most households. Small families, couples, individuals and flat-mates are now more likely to shop for individual meals or for specific items. And they aren’t going to end up at the checkout with a trolley-full of items. These shoppers would much rather use shopping baskets.

2. Top-up shopping

For those who do try to keep a well-stocked larder and might do a regular large shop, it’s still likely that this “big shop” will take place once every couple of weeks. Therefore, they will require the occasional trip to the supermarket or dairy to pick up perishables such as dairy, vegetables or meat. This is where shopping baskets NZ will come in handy.

3. Time-poor shoppers

Customers who are dashing into a store to pick up a specific item or the ingredients for the evening meal don’t want to feel as if they’re tied to a large trolley-load of shopping. Therefore, a shopping basket lets them speed around the aisles while still getting as many items as necessary.

4. Self-service shopping

The rise in popularity of self-service check-outs, where the majority of shoppers will have a basket-load of items to scan, means stores have to cater for customers who want little interaction with staff. The self-service shopper has been designed around shopping baskets.

5. The 24-hour shopper

For those who shop a little and often, the 24-hour store has become increasingly popular. So for these retailers, having a good supply of shopping baskets is vital.

6. The self-controlled shopper

Many shoppers specifically choose shopping baskets NZ. Then they can self-regulate how much they are looking to spend and to prevent impulse buys of 2L bottles of fizzy drink or a box of beer. These shoppers are also the types to choose 12 items or fewer checkouts so make sure they have somewhere to leave the shopping basket after it’s used.

7. Maximising the impulse spend

At the other extreme of the self-controlled supermarket shopper, is the small store shopper. This person might have popped in for a loaf of bread and are almost certain to make additional purchases if they find themselves picking up a basket at the entrance.

8. The small-shop basket trolley

In small stores with tight aisles unsuitable for large trolleys, a shopping basket trolley might suit your store. This offers customers who might have mobility issues or those who want to buy more than a basket-full, the chance to push their shopping around with them.

9. Eco bags and shopping baskets NZ

According to this year’s Countdown Trolley Report into Kiwi buying habits, the purchase of reusable grocery bags increased by 130% on last year. As more eco bags enter circulation, it’s more likely that customers are going to use them inside stores while making their selections and before going to the checkout. Yet something that can be avoided by having easy access to baskets as they enter stores.

10. Serving the basket-shopper

Having trolley set-down areas in car parks or close to the store exits makes sense for those using them. In addition, keeping control of shopping baskets can be more difficult and lead to health and safety hazards if they are abandoned near checkouts. The rise of basket use means all checkouts need to have their own basket stands as well as all entrances.

11. Think about design

Because it’s always easier to push a trolley than lift a basket, it makes sense to choose carefully when it comes to basket design. They shouldn’t be too large so they become too heavy when full. Also, they shouldn’t allow for the handles to pinch the hand when they’re being carried. When you choose baskets from Mills Display, you can also choose to have your store logo and design stamped onto the basket to keep your branding consistent. Contact our team to learn more.

12. Point of Sale habits

Store layouts and POS designs have to accommodate traditional shoppers and customers who want treat the transaction as a swift, seamless, low-interaction activity. Many customers who choose to shop with a basket but don’t have access to self-service checkouts might still choose contactless forms of payment and look for low-queue checkouts.

Contact Us For More Shopping Baskets NZ Information

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Pay by phone technology is changing point of sale display marketing. With advancing pay-by-phone or device technology, businesses need to rethink their point-of-sale terminals, signage and displays. When newspaper headlines trumpet a time when shoppers in New Zealand will be able to leave their wallets at home, it’s clear that there are big changes ahead for retailers.

2017 has seen a large increase in the number of customers who have taken up banks and mobile companies’ new pay-by-phone technology, heralding a revolution in how stores approach their point-of-sale display, terminals, and signage.

Free apps such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and ASB Virtual let shoppers use their phones just as they have become accustomed to using their contactless cards, creating a more seamless buying experience. Although big-ticket sales still require the shopper to input a pin number or thumbprint, for purchases less than $80, users don’t even need to unlock their phones meaning that the actual moment of buying has become less interactive with staff.

While retailers get to grips with the new technology, this fresh way in which consumers handle and part with their money will have a big impact on how bricks-and-mortar stores think about layout, display and signage within the retail environment.

So what should New Zealand retailers be considering in the light of this point of sale display revolution? And how can Mills Display help create a store environment in which the modern shopper is both comfortable and informed?

The Phone is now integral to the Shopping Experience

For years now, shoppers have become more and more used to researching potential purchases while out shopping by using their mobile devices. Price comparisons, explanations, alternatives and detailed information is now at their fingertips rather than being found via a conversation with staff or by reading information on packaging and shelving.

By adding the action of payment to the long list of a phone’s uses, technology companies have made the mobile device (and hence social media sharing and online searching) integral to the shopping experience – and retailers need to tap into this experience to keep shoppers interested.

• Displays and signage can now let shoppers know where to search online for product information.
• Display units can group together products to suggest potential uses (e.g matching clothing, menu items or interior design and furniture) to promote online sharing.

Point of sale is now a swifter experience

Having a single station for payment and information worked into a store layout as the final piece of the shopping experience makes little sense when point of sale display time is such a minimal exchange – especially in stores where customers are expected to browse and test products before making their purchase decision. Having information stations throughout a store’s layout or having staff on hand to act as ambassadors for the stock is now more important than having them in store just to take payment.

• Point of sale display and signage need to talk more about information and testing products to give shoppers a better idea of what is on offer.

The Way shoppers are controlled at POS has changed

Even in supermarkets or smaller high street-style stores, the speed of the final buying transaction has increased to the level where shoppers are spending far less time in queues. Self-service checkouts combined with contactless payment via cards or phones create different challenges for queue control and a different way of thinking about the shoppers’ choice between baskets and trolleys.

• Fast and self-service point of sale display systems require extra attention for bagging areas, basket display stands and queue control.

Marketing and Display at POS has changed

By moving through POS faster, there’s also less time for shoppers to browse point of sale display marketing which means many of the types of products usually found here can move to end-of-aisle or other high-traffic locations.

• Traditional point of sale display solutions can be moved to other high-traffic areas of the store – such as information counters or departments where shoppers queue for personal service (eg. deli counters).

Your customers’ profiles could change depending on how they pay

A BNZ spokesman talking about their Android Pay technology that was launched in December told the New Zealand Herald that more than 90% of contactless transactions were for $80 or less and that 40% of new users were aged between 20 and 29. In short, although this “wallet-less society” is likely to become the norm, at the moment it is very much seen as a convenient way to pay for a younger generation of consumers. Depending on their regular customer profile, retailers therefore may need to consider a two-tier Point of sale display system that caters to both traditional and younger tech-savvy shoppers. You can also consider marketing displays tailored to the different customers depending on how they choose to pay.

• Signage and displays need to clearly communicate payment methods throughout the store to avoid confusion at point of sale.
• Alternative point of sales display systems can be designed to target specific customers.

Stay up to date with the latest Point of Sale Display Trends

If you want to keep up to date on our new point of sale display products, items and systems, or you’re interested in finding a customised solution to a particular point of sale display trend or challenge, you can get more information by downloading a catalogue, emailing us at sales@millsdisplay.co.nz, use our online contact form or by talking to one of our salespeople using the Live Chat in the bottom corner of your screen.

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There’s little that gets the internet and blogosphere humming quite like a new food presentation trends (OK, there’s always Hollywood divorces and Oscars mistakes – but you’re hardly likely to come to Mills Display for your fix of Tinseltown tittle-tattle!). So back to food, food retail and food display… and it’s clear that the ongoing popularity of food-as-entertainment, food television, meals-on-the-go and boutique, local providers has shown that the New Zealand food retail sector is still booming.

At Mills Display, we have years’ worth of food presentation experience working in every link in the food chain.

From manufacturing and transport, to retail and restaurant. And that means that we’re not only keen to stay on top of fresh global trends, but also to help roll them out in the New Zealand market to help boost an economy that thrives on growing and creating the best products and then serving them up to homegrown consumers and the ever-increasing numbers of tourists.

So what’s caught our eye recently – and how can you tap into the Mills Display team’s enthusiasm for food presentation and display solutions to help your business boom?

Food Presentation Trend 1: Novelty

The sushi donut – “is here and it’s blowing the internet’s mind”

Already this year we’ve seen the birth of the sushi donut – “they’re here and they’re blowing the internet’s mind”, according to USA Today – and a school lunch service in New Plymouth has sparked a few headlines with its “frushi” mashup of sweet rice and fruit. In other words, the consumer doesn’t mind whether they’re in a store or a restaurant or a school canteen, they are equally as happy to jump on board the novelty train.

Ever since the cronut took the world by storm in 2013 – and turned New York bakery owner Dominque Ansel into a food celebrity – businesses all over the world have looked to create novelty signature dishes in an effort to go viral and attract fame (and a little fortune). You don’t need an onsite industrial bakery or ranks of food scientists working in development laboratories – just a bit of flare, some imagination, and the right tools. Then simply put them on display and try to talk Seven Sharp or Breakfast into featuring them on television!

Food Presentation Trend 2: All-in-one Menu Designs

Grocery delivery companies, online shopping and firms offering all-ingredients-in-one-bag meals have certainly changed the landscape when it comes to food retail, presentation and display in New Zealand. But for stores that need to compete with these new players, there are plenty of ways in which the shopping experience can incorporate shoppers’ new expectations.

For example, grouping displays around set menus or organising ingredients around a week’s worth of meals can help reduce customers’ browsing time as well as boosting your own authority around your products. Themed displays around geography (Mexican or Indian foods, for example), or novel uses for homegrown Kiwi products (local cheeses, meats or wine-matches, for example) can also play into the hands of time-poor shoppers.

Food Presentation Trend 3: Less is more

The star-studded South Beach Food Festival in the US attracts some of the biggest names in the world of food and hospitality and they’re always keen to push their latest ideas for what’s hot and on trend. Among the predictions for a resurgence in items such as ramen noodles, saki, ancient African grains and regional Indian dishes, one of the comments that caught our eye was from Jose Andres, the chef-owner of ThinkFoodGroup and the man credited with bringing the concept of small-plate dining to the US.

Jose predicts “that more and more dishes will have less and less ingredients – the four-ingredient dish is the next big thing!” In order for this to work, retailers need to think about spotlighting their key, star ingredients and providing a good story and pedigree for what’s on offer.

Food Presentation Trend 4: Boutique Producers

For a few years now, New Zealand consumers have been developing a keen taste for understanding where their food is coming from and this has sparked a rise both in boutique producers and in stores creating food presentations and displays that play into this “think local, buy local” theme.

As well as the wooden barrels, crates, block and stands that can really help give any food display that “farmers’ market” feel, there are plenty of other natural and natural-look products (from wicker baskets to melamine slates) to help create a cohesive design for any food presentation.

Food Presentation Trend 5: Food on the Go

What certainly hasn’t changed over recent years is how time-poor we all are – and that has led to a huge jump in the amount we snack, or eat on the go, as opposed to sitting down with friends and family. While at the one end of the spectrum, the slow food movement is calling for braising and roasting less tender cuts of meat, there’s also a huge market for ready-made and prepared food that can be eaten on the go.

Deli counters are turning into one-stop shops for working lunches, while well-designed produce counters and displays can be used to push healthy snacks.

Get in touch for more information

If you want to keep up to date on our food presentation and display products, items and systems, or you’re interested in finding a customised solution to a particular trend or challenge, you can get more information by downloading a catalogue, emailing us or by talk to one of our salespeople on Live Chat.

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The Gen Z Shoppers or “future consumers” favour shopping instore over online, according to the latest research by AMP Capital. “Ultimately, they’re the future consumers who will influence the direction of retail…”

In its annual retail practice report, the global investment manager found that 87 per cent of Gen Z shoppers like or love shopping in store compared to 79 per cent who like or love to shop online.

AMP said future shoppers – adult Gen Z Shoppers – are the next generation of shoppers who are between 18-22 years of age, already earning an income and one step away from starting their full-time careers.

“Ultimately, Gen Z Shoppers are the future consumers who will influence the direction of retail.”

The Gen Z Shoppers report said that the future of traditional shopping in bricks-and-mortar stores remains strong but retailers need to adapt their in-store experience to continue to engage with their changing consumers, particularly the tech-savvy future shoppers.

“The research highlights the importance of developing fun, social experiences in-store and the opportunities that emerge once brands and retailers align their online and offline offerings,” said Mark Kirkland, MD of AMP Capital Shopping Centres.

According to the report, 53 per cent of Gen Z Shoppers feel more confident when shopping with others compared to 27 per cent of current shoppers, while 61 per cent of Gen Z Shoppers research while in-store compared to 36 per cent of current shoppers.

Meanwhile, Male future shoppers represent a ‘whole new ballgame’ according to AMP.

Last year, the RRP report found that men love shopping and that this year, 46 per cent of male future shoppers have said they are more interested in staying ahead of popular trends than 36 per cent of their female counterparts.

Male shoppers prefer to shop in groups, with most stating that shopping is a social experience (51 per cent) versus only 36 per cent of male current shoppers.

The research found 56 per cent of male Gen Z Shoppers are more confident when shopping with others compared to 29 per cent of male current shoppers.

“The continued popularity of shopping in store provides a positive outlook for retailers,” said Kirkland.

“It’s important that, as an industry, we constantly evolve to adapt to the current trends that engage our future shoppers in order to stay relevant.

“It’s vital that retailers and shopping centres engage with the digital world to deliver a seamless online and offline experience that will create new and exciting avenues to connect with their customers.

“Trailblazing Australian retailers such as Mecca Maxima and Culture Kings have captured the attention of future shoppers by creating a personalised customer experience that’s exclusive to instore.

These are just a few representations of the future of retail although we look forward to seeing more bold ideas from retailers within this innovative space.”

The report also found both future and current shoppers are both highly engaged with global issues and value strong ethics and companies with a purpose that goes beyond just selling.

Approximately 70 per cent of both generations prefer brands that give back to society, while 59 per cent of future shoppers agreed they would pay more for sustainable products compared to 48 per cent of current shoppers.

“It also provides useful insights that can be shared across our industry, inspiring innovation and creation of engaging experiences that attract both current and future Shoppers and ensure the continued success of our sector,” said Kirkland. Article source: insideretail.co.nz

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