POS and its role in transforming new B&Q concept store

The new B&Q DIY concept store at Cribbs Causeway is the first of four stores trialing a combination of elements from across the Kingfisher group.  The delivery is the result of close cooperation between B&Q and Castorama in France.

Without a shadow of doubt the quality of execution and overall look and feel of this store is significantly more exciting than what we are accustomed to seeing in B&Q.  POS had an important role in driving this in its huge 140,000 sq. ft. retail space.  Not only has it been used to drive a more contemporary look, shopper engagement has been a prime consideration.  Let’s take a look at how POS was used to facilitate this transformation.

Navigational signage. A welcome step change towards softer grey and white.  Less bold, and a more modern font, the signs are well positioned and consistent throughout the store in both interior and exterior spaces, with a smooth connect from category to sub category level.  Apart from the practical nature of the signage this simplicity in creative is clean and exemplifies modernity of the store

Tone of voice. The female shopper is definitely getting more consideration here, not least around the home décor categories, which is a significant proportion of the store footprint. This softer feel and its delivery is comparable to what Homebase have been moving towards in recent years.  The POS is often used in combination with product displays to inspire shoppers own creativity

Guiding shopper choice has always been a conquest to achieve in the DIY channel. California Shutters is a fantastic example of how to cater for the end to end shopper journey despite its tiny footprint. The leaflets and product samples facilitate consideration prior to measuring, costing and ordering on the iPad provided

Price communication. It will be interesting to monitor this over months to come, but as things stand today it is fabulous to see little overt reference to offers and value in the lead POS.  Of course it was present but it didn’t take centre stage.  Shoppers were being enticed by the dream and the aspiration and so now purchase is not being primarily guided by price

Role of brands. As things currently stand, brand presence is currently restricted to on-fixture activity and none get louder share of voice than Valspar, who remain the lead brand in paint. They offer hugely creative solutions like we have not seen before in this category.  Take the Cosmetic Colour Range as a great example of this. The “powder pots” are in reality holders for colour swatches for shoppers to take away.  Even the simplicity of round swatches compared to square is an example of innovation here

As a final wrap up, it was clear that while each category fitted within the master brand, they in turn were allowed to developed their own individual styles, each had its own story to tell.  Informed and insights led POS is an obvious solution in driving this and perhaps this holistic approach is a step change in the role that retailer POS has to play in the future.

If you would like to see a wider selection of photos from this store, click here.

Sources include: Insightdiy.com.  Retail Week

Categorised in: POS

This post was written by Dawn Odoi