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Valtech

An omni-channel retail strategy for a sports and outdoor retailer (white label solution)

An omni-channel retail strategy for a sports and outdoor retailer (white label solution)

Valtech partners with many sports and outdoor brands facing similar hurdles. To tackle these, I created an omnichannel retail plan for 'Sports Republic,' a fictional brand illustrating digital innovation in retail through design.

Valtech partners with many sports and outdoor brands facing similar hurdles. To tackle these, I created an omnichannel retail plan for 'Sports Republic,' a fictional brand illustrating digital innovation in retail through design.

Situation

Valtech has a white-label brand to showcase solutions to clients. Although Sports Republic isn’t real, its issues are. The online store offers many products, but customers can’t try them or see them in a sports context. The challenge is to create a omnichannel experience that blends digital and physical spaces, helping outdoor enthusiasts find the right products.

Situation

Valtech has a white-label brand to showcase solutions to clients. Although Sports Republic isn’t real, its issues are. The online store offers many products, but customers can’t try them or see them in a sports context. The challenge is to create a omnichannel experience that blends digital and physical spaces, helping outdoor enthusiasts find the right products.

Phase 1

Situation

Valtech has a white-label brand to showcase solutions to clients. Although Sports Republic isn’t real, its issues are. The online store offers many products, but customers can’t try them or see them in a sports context. The challenge is to create a omnichannel experience that blends digital and physical spaces, helping outdoor enthusiasts find the right products.

Challenge / action

To address this, we studied omnichannel experiences and developed a service model for different customer needs. Using customer journey mapping and prototypes, we demonstrated the new approach. Our designs followed a climber's journey buying shoes at Sports Republic, integrating both online and offline touchpoints to bring the concept to life.

Challenge / action

To address this, we studied omnichannel experiences and developed a service model for different customer needs. Using customer journey mapping and prototypes, we demonstrated the new approach. Our designs followed a climber's journey buying shoes at Sports Republic, integrating both online and offline touchpoints to bring the concept to life.

Phase 2

Challenge / action

To address this, we studied omnichannel experiences and developed a service model for different customer needs. Using customer journey mapping and prototypes, we demonstrated the new approach. Our designs followed a climber's journey buying shoes at Sports Republic, integrating both online and offline touchpoints to bring the concept to life.

Result

Valtech now uses Sports Republic as a showcase for retail clients. Our efforts produced a detailed service plan and prototype, ready to share with clients. It not only tackles current shopping issues but also highlights the benefits of an omnichannel approach.

Result

Valtech now uses Sports Republic as a showcase for retail clients. Our efforts produced a detailed service plan and prototype, ready to share with clients. It not only tackles current shopping issues but also highlights the benefits of an omnichannel approach.

Phase 3

Result

Valtech now uses Sports Republic as a showcase for retail clients. Our efforts produced a detailed service plan and prototype, ready to share with clients. It not only tackles current shopping issues but also highlights the benefits of an omnichannel approach.

Situation and Challenge: Following its merger and new brand identity launch, dsm-firmenich aimed to unify its brand expression across packaging, labeling, and sampling as one company. With a diverse range of packages and labels, it needed a cohesive design system that could accommodate various types and materials.

Foundational discovery and define work

The assignment was done for Valtech

In a unified system, we identified 27 different solutions.

In a unified system, we identified 27 different solutions.

Sports republic wanted to switch from a multi-channel experience to an omni-channel one

Sports republic wanted to switch from a multi-channel experience to an omni-channel one

The goal

Users were excperiencing a plethora of issues due to the multi-channel approach

The in-store staff didn’t know about the online deal I saw earlier. • The climbing shoes I wanted were in stock online, but when I went to the store, they were sold out. • I wish I could try products in their actual enviroment instead of in-store. • I want to buy online and pick up in-store, but that’s not an option

The in-store staff didn’t know about the online deal I saw earlier. • The climbing shoes I wanted were in stock online, but when I went to the store, they were sold out. • I wish I could try products in their actual enviroment instead of in-store. • I want to buy online and pick up in-store, but that’s not an option

The problem area

Brand image

Action - The main question we aimed to solve was “How can an omnichannel strategy, in which digital and physical shopping are integrated, solve frictions in the current shopping process for Sports Republic, a sports and outdoor retailer?" We employed a large variety of discovery research in order to gain insides of existing, winning omnichannel experiences in order to best solve this problem.

Foundational discovery

Expert interviews

Determine your grid

We interviewed global experts from Valtech on previously made experiences

Competitor analysis

We analysed global players in the sports and outdoor branch like REI

Surveys

We set out a survey amongst a wide group of athletes from starter to experts

Desk research omnichannel

Determine your grid

We researched the heck out of omnichannel experiences

Service safaris

We sought out experiences beyond retail, like museums

Shadowing sessions

We followed customers in the store to better understand their behavior

Stakeholder map

Determine your grid

We researched the heck out of omnichannel experiences

Business goals

We sought out experiences beyond retail, like museums

From this research we established

Target groups

Determine your grid

We made three distinct target groups - Beginner, intermediate, and expert

Customer journeys

We mapped their distinct experiences in journey maps to better understand all emotions and channels alike

Conceptualizing - We completed the playbook with a comprehensive documentation of the design system with all packages and labels crafted and ready for use.

Guiding principles

Be a seamless sum of parts

Be a seamless sum of parts

Be a seamless sum of parts

Let a customer be free to explore

Let a customer be free to explore

Let a customer be free to explore

Mediate the next step

Mediate the next step

Mediate the next step

Safeguard privacy and data

Safeguard privacy and data

Safeguard privacy and data

Understanding the system that is an omnichannel experience

Macro

Mapping the customer evolution

It's important that there are key moments in a customer journeys that evolve them. In this case, each target group knew three stages of growth.

Meso

Understanding the dynamics between each stage

Each step taken usually involves a trigger, an action and a certain result that requires a certain channel

Micro

Individual buying journeys

Each buying journey is unique based on the given channels. It's important to distinguish the difference phases and channels involved

We experimented with a lot of diffferent channels in order to have people be helped in their preferred way

Result - We brought our vision through life with an actual omni-channel purchase experience. Starting through voice, mediated by the phone, experienced in store with tracked performance of a wearable.

We made a digital cross-channel wireframes

We demo'ed a voice agent

We made an interactive prototype to demonstrate the experience

We imagined physical and digital experiences for purchases

This project is fueled by laughter with…

Sharon Kneepkens

UX Designer

Zeferino Defretes

UX & Brand Designer

Made with coffee in Amsterdam

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