Wittner Retail Australia

Reimagining Retail: Transforming Wittner's In-Store Experience

Spatial Design

Digital Design

Wittner Retail Australia

Reimagining Retail: Transforming Wittner's In-Store Experience

Spatial Design

Digital Design

Wittner Retail Australia

Reimagining Retail: Transforming Wittner's In-Store Experience

Spatial Design

Digital Design

Overview

Employer

Wittner

Retail

Australia

Industry

Fashion Retail

Industry

12

Weeks

(Apr - Sep 21)

My Role

Visual Experience Designer — Store Audit, Customer Experience (CX) Research, Interior Concept, Creative Direction, Marketing Rollout

Stakeholders

The

General

Store

Philippa Luiz

Layla Lin

Paul Morrison

Pascale McBain Head of Marketing, Wittner

Mario Simunovic Head of Retail, Wittner

Catherine Williamson Chief Executive Officer, Wittner

Recognition & Awards

BETTER

FUTURE

Awards

Gold WILD Design Awards '24

Silver Australian Design Awards '24

Silver Sydney Design Awards '23

Transforming the Wittner Booragoon store into a flagship destination that captivated a new generation of customers and elevated the brand experience. By seamlessly blending physical and digital touchpoints, we aimed to create a compelling retail environment that drove sales, increased customer satisfaction, and set a new standard for future store developments

Reimagining the Wittner experience, our mission was to transform the Wittner Booragoon store into a flagship destination that not only captivated a new generation of customers but also elevated the overall brand experience. By seamlessly blending physical and digital touchpoints, we aimed to create a compelling retail environment that drove sales, increased customer satisfaction, and established a scalable model for future store developments.

Impact

21%

increase in Store Sales

14%

increase in Average Order Value (AOV)

65%

increase in Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

320%

increase in Social Media Engagement

Bridging the grap between online and in-store, Wittner faced a critical challenge in aligning its digital transformation with the physical store experience. While the recent rebrand successfully elevated the online brand image, the Booragoon store failed to resonate with the modern consumer. A disconnect between the online and offline customer journeys resulted in a 15% decrease in store traffic and a corresponding decline in sales. This, coupled with a declining customer satisfaction score, indicated a pressing need to revitalize the store environment and create a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints.

Challenge #1: Limited Budget

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Challenge #2: Small Store Size

Creating a premium experience in a small space of just over 100sqm

Challenge #3: Tight 12-Week Deadline

Creating a premium experience in a small space of just over 100sqm

Solution One

Unifying the brand experience

01 Mirroring Online Aesthetics

Implemented visual strategies from our online channels within the physical store. This included reflecting our 'Australian-Designed' ethos into visual elements like colour palette and textural finishings, incorporating our font lockups and graphics in signage, and incorporating interactive displays mirroring the online shopping experience.

02 Empowering Store Staff

We trained staff to be familiar with the online platform and promotional software backend, this minimised the communication needed from head office by 1.5 hours per week and enabled them to assist customers with any questions or preferences they developed online.

Ensuring Seamless Checkout Journey

Utilising the insights discovered during the recent UX optimisation of our online checkout flow, we

a) Increased Speed and Efficiency through integrated new POS hardware and interface, and checkout-specific staff training.

b) Reducing Friction by cutting the number of steps involved in the checkout process, clear counter space and with hidden storage

c) Enhancing Personalised Services by offering the same 7-product add-on range featured in our online checkout.

Solution Two

Attracting our new, younger demographic with a sustainability focus

Pictured: Sustainable timber flooring by Havwoods.

Pictured: Handcrafted upcycled paper pendant lighting.

01 Working Toward A Holistic Circular Design Approach

By increasing our use of recycled materials within store design not just product ranges required us to design for longevity and understanding the value of 'waste' as not only a viable resource by a cheaper one.

Pictured: Low-silica engineered stone and accent lighting by Smartstone.

This is why we selectively partnered with a team of environmentally-friendly suppliers including Havwoods, Smartstone, Ambience Lighting and Porter's Paints.

Pictured: Repurposed leather offcuts from our factory (Left) and Low VOC grade lime wash from Porter's Paints (Right).

02 Curated Product Offerings

Offer curated product lines that cater to the new target market's preferences while emphasizing the quality and sustainability aspects of Wittner footwear.

Pictured: Store signage to merchandise and highlight sustainability collections and brand messaging.

03 Circular Fashion Staff Training

Highlight Wittner's commitment to sustainability through employee training. Additional learning modules are included so staff can educate customers on our ethical sourcing practices and eco-conscious packaging initiatives.

Pictured: Repurposed leather offcuts from our factory (Left) and Low VOC grade lime wash from Porter's Paints (Right).

Solution Three

Enhancing the In-Store Customer Experience

01 Intuitive Loop Layout

Revamp the shop's configuration to enhance wayfinding and product detectability. Think about establishing distinct sections for various product types or devising a more spacious arrangement that promotes exploration.

Pictured: Sustainable timber flooring by Havwoods.

02 Elevated In-Store Ambience

Elevate the overall ambience of the store. This could involve incorporating comfortable seating areas, providing ambient music, or offering additional services like complimentary shoe shining or personalized styling consultations.