How to retail now.
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can help you to constantly stay on trend.
Each and every day.

Responsive retailing

The answer to changing retail questions. Omnichannel, changing spending patterns, ageing and individualisation, international joiners, blurring of branches, new technologies, and social media integration. These are just some of the challenges that retailers in the Netherlands face every day. Most retailers admit they’re worried about these challenges… However, there is a way to successfully navigate this new playing field.

“By becoming more responsive, retailers can make a lasting difference for their customers by offering faster en better solutions”

Constantly staying on trend

We now know that only using the latest trend doesn’t always make the difference that is needed. By tomorrow, the playing field may look completely different. What does make a difference is the ability to distinguish facts from fiction and decisively respond to relevant developments. This asks for a different approach; a turning point. To become an organisation that can anticipate changing conditions, whatever those may be. This requires flexibility and adaptability. Continuous monitoring and continuously making small adjustments. By first valuing each development, testing it for opportunities and against the limitations of the organisation, before then translating it to the retail formula. With the identity of the retail formula as a guide. We call this: Responsive Retailing. Constantly staying on trend. The answer to ever-changing retail questions.

Crossmarks helps brands and retailers with questions regarding vision formulation, positioning and formula development.

We achieve the best results with the best collaboration

Are you ready to become responsive? We gladly give you insight into our methods, where we work together to find the solutions for your questions. This can be done in different ways.

Samenwerken

A responsive retail formula in five steps

From insight to reaction: with Crossmarks you work towards a responsive retail formula in five concrete steps.

Onze werkwijze

Our responsive working method

Analysis

What is going to happen in your market?

What is going to happen in your market?

Change is the only constant factor. New developments in markets, society, consumers, and technology succeed one another at such a rapid pace that they constantly influence the retail dynamics. New players enter the market that are able to book success in no time, but established players are also able to reinvent themselves. This increases the pressure of the competition further. Differentiation, added value and relevance become even more important. We are only able to work together to create solutions if all relevant trends and developments have been mapped and analysed.

In this phase you get a complete image of the market and the wishes of the customer of tomorrow. Together we determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, risks, relevance, and differentiating potential of your brand. This creates the foundation for the strategic choices we make in the next phase.

Activities
– Market, consumer, technology, and competition analysis
– Brand analysis
– Internal analysis
– Customer journey research
– Retail environment analysis
– SWOT analysis
Output
– Market consumer, technology, and competition insights
– Brand image
– Customer journey
– Insights current retail environment
– SWOT

Strategy

Which position do you want to take and how will you get there?

Which position do you want to take and how will you get there?

Vision formulation: Vision formulation is no longer reserved for annual meeting(s) of directors and management. The continuous monitoring of trends and developments only becomes valuable when, in every layer of the organisation, vision is formulated on these changes. What do they mean for the way we retail today and tomorrow?

Determining strategy: The changing wishes of the customer, the changing market, and developments that arise from the analysis ask for a reaction from your retail formula. Your formula’s vision will be the starting point. A clear strategy will implement ideas in daily practice with the formulated vision as starting point. Together we will explore the possible strategic scenarios. We examine everything that is needed to determine which market and brand positioning we can use to reposition your brand.

A clear strategy around the retail formula will be the framework that is needed for the implementation of your responsive formula concept.

Activities
– Strategic sessions
– Scenario exploration
– Customer Touch Points Development
– Internal branding
Output
– Retail vision & strategy
– Brand strategy
– Growth strategy
– Feasibility and impact analysis

Formula concept

How do you create an unique and consistent experience for your customer?

How do you create an unique and consistent experience for your customer?

We will develop a relevant and differentiating retail formula concept based on the chosen strategy. Within this concept we will give concrete meaning to your market and brand positioning. In this phase we determine how customers will see what makes your retail formula unique. But also why they should come to you for their purchases. We implement all formula components, from your online and physical retail environment, your product range, customer care and services, to your staff, retail technology, and marketing communication.

The formula concept gives you a complete and visual image of your Omnichannel retail formula. So that in the next phase we work towards making your promise into concrete evidence.

Activities
– Concept development
– Retail technology
Output
– Retail formula concept
– Instore communication concept
– Brand Identity
– Retail design
– Brand design
– Marketing communication concept
– Formula handbook

Realisation

What do you need to successfully implement your formula concept?

What do you need to successfully implement your formula concept?

When all strategic choices have been made and translated to the formula concept, it is time to implement all of our conceived ideas into daily practice.

Crossmarks helps with the realisation and implementation of your formula concept within the desired term. We will, in consultation with you, determine what your organisation can develop independently and what we can support you with. If desired, we can guide formula implementations on a strategic, tactical, and an operational level.

A roadmap provides insight into when what projects are started, followed by implementation plans. Together we make sure that your formula concept will be implemented all the way to the shop floor.

Activities
– Consultancy & advice
– Interim management
– Project management
– Actualising & implementation

Responsive

How to do you keep the reaction capacity of your retail formula at full strength?

How to do you keep the reaction capacity of your retail formula at full strength?

Successful retailers are always in motion. That is why we continuously test the strategy and formula concept and sharpen it to new insights. We closely monitor trends and developments and will inform you proactively with relevant changes. Together we will determine if and how your retail formula should respond to those developments.

Together we will maintain the reaction capacity of your retail formula. This way, you are and will remain responsive and are constantly staying on trend.

Activities
– Work and inspirational sessions
– Monitoring and adjustments
– Retail inspiration tours
– Workshops and trainings
– Consultancy and advice
– Knowledge and tailor-made inspiration platform

How can we best work together

We always work together with clients on topics and choose the partnership form that best suits you. One example of this is working sessions, where we work together to find a solution to your questions. It could also be that a Crossmarks advisor will temporarily support your internal organisation. We will always make sure that through the bundling of our joint knowledge, the team will be the conceivers and developers of the answers to your questions, both individually and as a collective. This ensures realism and commitment during the actual implementation and above all, it ensures success.

Strategy
Design
Technology

Multi-disciplinary teams
The best results are achieved when people do what they really excel at. This is why Crossmarks works with multi-disciplinary teams of strategists, designers and technology specialists. We will always select the most suitable specialist for your questions, so you can always count on the team that is needed to make plans and realise them. Each team member brings insights and competence from their specialism. Only when everything matches, do we have a case.