Fashion company

Management Summary

The diverse portfolio of IT-HAUS GmbH in the field of digital signage also includes systems for the implementation of innovative retail concepts. A global fashion company wanted to link its digital and stationary retail more closely and modernize its worldwide store network to achieve this. In addition to other stores in Germany, two stores in two stores in the London city center with expert support from IT-HAUS and the manufacturer SHARP/NEC into flagship stores. Here, outstanding display solutions, embedded in a completely new design, now provide a brand and shopping experience that is second to none.

Added value for the customer

Project environment

The client, headquartered in Germany, is a leading global fashion and lifestyle company in the premium segment that sells high-quality women's and men's clothing, shoes and accessories. The company employs around 17,000 people in 128 countries and operates more than 7,000 stores worldwide.

With the help of a new growth strategy, the company wanted to accelerate its sales growth, increase consumer awareness and increase the market share of its strong brands. This included a new brand identity - from logos and marketing to a new design concept for the retail and online business. Another key component of the strategy was the commitment to digitalization as the key to a personalized and cross-channel customer approach. The company therefore aimed to have a strong presence at all digital touchpoints - from the company's own website to the linking of bricks-and-mortar retail and e-commerce. In order to fully exploit the potential of bricks-and-mortar retail and increase sales via this channel, the global store network was also to be optimized and modernized. To this end, around 80 percent of the company's own stores were to be redesigned within three years.

As a holistic solution provider in the field of digital signage, IT-HAUS had been in contact with the customer for some time and had already equipped global stores with suitable media hardware, including large-format screens and LED walls. But the Föhren-based company also convinced the client in an advisory capacity, at the interface between the client's design and IT departments, with its expertise and solution orientation in favor of a harmonious overall concept. For example, those responsible once again turned to IT-HAUS when it came to fitting out two flagship stores in London's most prestigious shopping streets.

Here too, IT-Haus continued to rely on the already established manufacturer SHARP/NEC with its LED solution portfolio. Not only does the manufacturer stand for high-quality digital signage solutions, it is also able to provide its services globally - a decisive advantage. In addition to its own SHARP/NEC-certified technicians, IT-HAUS has access to a global partner network for projects in Europe and abroad. In concrete terms, this means that while IT-HAUS is responsible for consulting, sizing, design and project management, a local SHARP/NEC partner is responsible for assembly, installation and on-site service. The customer, however, receives an unparalleled all-round carefree package from a single source. In the event of service, however, support is coordinated and initiated exclusively by IT-HAUS .

Project success

As the first flagship store in the United Kingdom, the branch in London's Oxford Street also has a completely new design. On two floors and a total area of over 600 square meters, the store offers customers a complete range of women's and men's clothing, sportswear, watches, jewelry, eyewear and perfume. This is the first time that the Group's innovative retail concept, the fusion of local and online shopping, has been implemented, offering visitors a unique shopping and service experience with the help of various digital elements.

This begins on the outside. Even from a distance, two transparent LED walls installed behind the shop windows on the second floor attract everyone's attention. The greatest challenge in the planning phase was to ensure optimum visibility of both the transparency for the openness of the shop windows to the outside and the content being played. This particularly affected the mounting, for which only a solution without disruptive struts could be considered from the outset. The choice fell on a suspended version, for which the customer created the structural conditions. In addition, the municipal regulations regarding outdoor advertising apply here, which require the two walls to be synchronized. This task had to be solved at short notice and was implemented by IT-HAUS .

In the shop window on the first floor, an interactive screen invites passers-by to play a video game on their mobile device. In the store itself, digital and physical elements merge into a single unit, making it much easier for customers to find what they are looking for. A social media wall, for example, shows the latest styles from brand ambassadors, which can be accessed directly via a digital shopping function on a screen or tablet and purchased on site. Various tools in selected areas help customers to find the right outfit in the right size - from shirts and suits to jeans.

Another eye-catcher are three suit racks placed next to each other with illuminated frames and an LED wall on the back of each, which showcase the different outfits in the best possible light. Synchronized content is also played on these walls, but no cables must be visible. This is why the technology is installed in one of the drawers and the cabling, including the power supply, is routed via the floor.

There are also various LCD displays with touch function, which act as digital touchpoints to interactively present the latest collections in conjunction with customized seasonal content. As the appliances are integrated into the furniture, particular attention must be paid to their heat dissipation. Here, too, it was initially up to the IT-HAUS experts to check the technical feasibility at the interface between the design department and the customer's furniture manufacturer and, if necessary, suggest adjustments. This also applied to the bracket, for example, for which a convenient push-out solution was chosen on the advice of IT-HAUS so that the device can be removed more quickly when servicing is required. Customers can also customize their desired product using an interactive screen - and hold it in their hands after just a few minutes.

For the second, even larger flagship store in London's Regent Street, the concept was largely adopted, adjusted in terms of quantity and further optimized thanks to the experience gained. For example, a local project manager was appointed to look after the customer on site and coordinate both the trades and the service partner together with IT-HAUS . There was also an innovation in terms of procurement: whereas the items for all trades had previously been delivered in a bundle by the customer's logistics service provider, this time IT-HAUS sent the required hardware to the store on its own responsibility to ensure that it was available on time. The project in Regent Street was split into two construction phases at short notice. The concept was adapted accordingly and IT-HAUS was able to spontaneously fill a required partition wall with an LED wall. In the coming phases, these temporary walls will be dismantled and the LED walls will be positioned as planned.

Although SHARP/NEC screens are considered to be extremely robust, IT-HAUS is required by the manufacturer to service all of the customer's LED devices once a year as part of the warranty. In order to meet the contractually agreed recovery time, important spare parts are stored on site at the customer's premises. In the event of a fault, IT-HAUS also provides staff with a ready-made questionnaire for fault qualification, which is intended to help avoid unnecessary service calls.

In the coming years, the customer wants to link digital and stationary retail even more closely and further modernize its global blind network. With IT-HAUS , the company has a strong partner at its side who can also offer its tried-and-tested solution and service concept globally on request.

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