The Source Retail Experience 

Presently owned by Bell Canada, The Source is a Canadian electronics retailer with more than 550 locations. As part of a retail brand transformation, The Source wanted to improve customer engagement, appeal to a broader demographic, and to better reflect its brand identity and positioning. The new concept required richer storytelling and easier and more convenient shopping experiences. Digital signage, interactive touch screen kiosks and integrated mobile experiences would provide customers with the same in-store experience they would get in a larger retail footprint, with the convenience of being located in small retail locations and at a new kiosk location at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The Challenge

The Source’s retail stores were lacking the ability to engage the consumer without the help of store staff. My team designing an environment that engages the consumer on a sensory level, allowing the store’s visual and audio assets to excite consumers at every turn. That meant looking at all the products The Source offers, understanding how customers shop each category, strategically positioning them into a cohesive customer journey, and creating meaningful ways to highlight and showcase the products and services.

Define

The design process began with a brainstorming session. Defining the design work required finding the right balance between classifying The Source as technology experts (having a variety of the best technology) and as solutions experts (understanding and solving customer needs).

Through the construction of visual mood boards and keywords or phrases, customer needs were identified to ensure that the new concept would be successful. This method was also used to gain insights about what each stakeholder felt constituted the best opportunities for The Source redesign. After a thorough discussion of each concept, key themes and ideas began to formulate as to what The Source of the future should look and feel like. The majority of ideas brought forward spoke to a desire to modernize The Source and focus on how the store acts, how it makes consumers feel, and how consumers interact with technology.

Design

Digital signage was used to engage golf players by creating interactive visual displays through which customers can learn about the different products offered and tailor their shopping experience to meet their own needs. Our design work needed to link technology and marketing to create a story that drives brand awareness for adidas Golf. The aim was to showcase the innovation adidas Golf has in regards to merchandise, gaming insight and performance. The interactive digital experiences engage customers and elevate the success of adidas Golf retail endeavours.

Deliver

To support the brand in owning the digital at-purchase moments, I developed a digital operational strategy that outlined the future vision of the golf shoe displays and the elements that would allow adidas Golf to achieve desirable target sales. The design team developed a range of ideas for how the marketing and merchandise material could be fully integrated, and how this would translate into a unique branded experience within the re-seller network.