Fresh COLLECTIVE
Designing the next generation of New Zealand food retailing. How a customer centric design process helped the client meet changing customer needs and stay a step ahead of the competition.
Facing increased competition and changing customer needs, Foodstuffs New Zealand set a challenge to think smart, think small, and create a small format store that could represent the next generation of food retailing.
To help innovate a customer led, a rapid prototyping approach was taken. Customer insights showed that people’s busier lives were shifting them from larger shops to small shops more frequently, and fast wholesome meal creation was a core need that wasn’t currently being met. In essence, they wanted fresh meals fast and with care. So the design approach had these needs at its heart, creating a unique, category changing experience that would exceed customer expectations. A new format that put fresh meals at the heart of life.
A design thinking approach was implemented and a full-scale prototype store interior was built. This allowed testing and design iteration, in real time, people’s reactions to some of the ideas for new layouts and the product offer. It proved to be an invaluable tool in building confidence in the concept – and helping iron out the important operational changes that needed to accompany any new concept.
The Fresh Collective design process was a way to involve customers in the creation of a new brand. Capturing their reactions to guide the ideal experience, and paying attention to how people connect on a physical and sensory level.
Early signs are that customers are responding very well to the new concept. It shows that brands and experiences don’t just need to feel more human. They need to be created in a more human way.
Undertaken while Group Head of Spatial at Designworks