HEMA Next Generation

HEMA Next Generation: Designing a shopping ritual for the optimal customer experience

Hartman, N.

Hultink, H.J. (mentor)
van der Vorst, R.R.R. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Product Innovatie Management

2016-09-30

Guidelines for translating relevant zones in the HEMA stores into rituals, based on qualitative and literature research. Elaborated design of a ritual for the relevant zone in the HEMA stores, based on customer insights. The project set-up consists of an analysis phase, a research phase and a generation phase. Research in collaboration with the HEMA customer is an essential part of this thesis. By means of interviews, creative sessions and observations the optimal HEMA experience is retrieved from current customers. Research has shown first that there is not a particular zone in the current HEMA store that stands out either positive or negative. Concluding from the customer research the optimal HEMA experience consists of five aspects: Customers want to see what they can do with the product and/or where it came from. A context needs to be given. Inspiration with a ‘wink’ Customers want a quick-targeted route and a route to shop around. There has to be a clear difference between the departments. This can be done with colors, because they think that is typically HEMA. Customers want to try, taste and feel the products. The zone chosen to design for is the entrance area. In this zone, the shopping baskets are (amongst others) potentially suitable for designing a shopping ritual. Earlier customer journey research done by HEMA showed that the current shopping baskets are perceived negative. Customers do not know that the baskets are available or they are not satisfied with the usability of the current baskets. To enable customers in a HEMA store to have an optimal shopping experience, a new way of carrying products in the store is designed. This new design gives the customer the ability to keep their hands free while carrying multiple products. In this way the customer can feel and try new products from the shelves while shopping. This functions as inspiring. The customers can get a better image of the product and what they can do with that product. Since a large part of HEMA customers consists of young parents, and especially young mothers, children are thought of as well. Shopping with young children can be chaotic and difficult. Giving children a role in the shopping experience makes them feel appreciated and exciting to go shopping at HEMA. Parents can go shop more relaxed when they do not have to think of how to involve their children in shopping. For the adults a canvas shopping bag is designed. The bag will change the way customers move around the HEMA store. Customers will always have both hands free. Currently customers always need one hand to hold the basket or to hold products. Using the bag will make their shopping experience more convenient. A design of Takkie, the famous dog of Jip & Janneke, is converted into a pull cart for children. Jip & Janneke and their dog are very recognizable HEMA characters. Takkie is chosen because next to the recognisability for HEMA, it gives children the idea of walking the dog. Children can use this cart within the store to carry around the products they or their parents want to buy. The final designs are created by developing and testing multiple prototypes. Finally, professional prototypes are produced to test in a pilot within a HEMA store in the Netherlands in September 2016.

shopping ritual
customer experience

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:cd5bb1dc-23ed-4fa5-9f58-d82ab044f7e0

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2016 Hartman, N.