Today, we are seeing more innovative store concepts that are developing in order to cope with the high competition and meet the increasingly sophisticated expectations of the consumers. These stores also hope to full fill the company's corporate communication strategies as it is a unique and unsaturated means of communication.
There are certain ‘flagship' stores that do not solely concentrate on the buying and selling process. These stores aim to entertain their customers by setting up several attractions that will appeal to the tastes of the consumers. In this paper we will elaborate on this concept and analyze the stores of National Geographic in London to help explain the finer points.
I. Analysis of National Geographic in London
A. Thematic point of sale
The main theme is the journey that the consumer can take through several worlds: the Market place, the photo exhibition, a coffee bar and food counter.
These zones are clearly separated from each other and easily identifiable which allows the customer to take a break and have a suitable place to visit within the store. The prices of the products at these areas are varied so that they can suit a variety of consumers. The customer can move within the store and when he does so he ‘enters' and ‘leaves' several ‘worlds.' Or so is the impression he gets. The consumer is aware that he is being taken around the world by National Geographic and this reiterates the images of the company i.e. travel.
The different areas are separated as they are on different floors. For example, the basement is the preparation area and the floors above it are the various stages of the expedition. There is an exploration area where the products that are used in the field are kept and there is an area where the children can occupy themselves with races or games while the parents choose to educate themselves.
Tags: National Geographic, flagship store, marketing concept
[...] Distribution: Strategy groups and marketing signs, Pearson Education p. [...]
[...] This acts as a buffer zone between the two levels. All the first floor areas are presented as a part of the ‘finalizing travel plans' phase. It is also an area where one is able to relive and share memories of past trips. They could be made available to the other customers in the form of testimonies. These could helps in the process of organizing travel. It includes: • Areas of where African items are sold, a library and a more sophisticated clothing area that is in accordance with the theme of travel. [...]
[...] Thus, it is interesting to understand that behind image and novelty, the concepts of leverage and profitability are not always obvious especially during the first few years of the outlet. Like any other innovation, after a test phase, improvement is needed before the concept is concrete. This is why it remains exclusive to the big brands and the big cities. Selected Bibliography Cédric Ducrocq and Michel-Edouard Leclerc. The new distribution: Marketing, Management, Development of models to reinvent, Wiley p. Dioux Jacques, Marc Dupuis and Collective. [...]
[...] Their competitors mainly as showcase the nature side of the journey but National Geographic has acquired an expertise in the world of travel and this is what is promoted. In order to confirm and explain this concept, the site does not hesitate to make news articles where the store was mentioned, available. These articles are posted in the ‘press' column of the website. This shows that some powerful media agents approve of it and potential customers will gain confidence from this and it can trigger an impulse to visit the outlet. [...]
[...] Analysis of the National Geographic store in London A. Institutional support The website of National Geographic allows the user to pursue their interest in the company and disseminate brand values through messages that include written texts and images to illustrate the point the themes of the company i.e. innovation, new, opportunity, real experiences, caring for the planet etc. The images are large and have an impact on the user. The landscapes are not always those that are taken in the wild, they can also be urban scenes. [...]
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