ABSTRACT
One of the most effective ways of innovating in retail is to draw inspiration from philosophy, culture or other humanity-based themes.
Ourense’s Aqui é is an example of a new-generation supermarket that is based on a contemporary philosophy and discretely uses technologies to give shape to the concept. [Read more →]

Last night during the gala of the World Retail Congress, an event that has been taking place in Barcelona for the past days, were given the World Retail
Awards 09.
Fashionology, a project from USA, won in the Retail Innovation category.
Aquí é, a supermarket devised by m+f=! for Grupo Cuevas, was finalist with other four projects from France, USA, Turkey and Germany. In m+f=! and Cuevas, we feel really excited not only because Aquí é was shortlisted, but also because it is selling 23% more than the rest of similar supermarkets.
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Photo: T. Smiley (www.flickr.com)

ABSTRACT
Mercadona has made ink-rivers flow by changing its assortment policy. It has reduced many low-rotation references, in a time where retailers’ brands are increasing their power. Many suppliers complain; other chains open their doors to those who had seen their references reduced at Mercadona, by the time they confess devoted to even lower prices; organizations are born apparently from consumers complaining for the brands’ reduction in Mercadona’s shelves; Joan Roig, chain president, states that he is in a world war and that several TV chains are making spots pro-manufacturers’ brands. One thing is true: the “doing-the-shopping” sector is more revolutionized that one could imagine. But, why? What is behind these symptoms? [Read more →]

On Friday April 3th, 2009 the Retail Innovation Award 09 shortlist became public and the winner will be awarded at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona (May 7th, 2009). Aquí é is the unique Spanish store in this shortlist.

Aquí é is a new-generation supermarket that is based on a contemporary philosophy, targeting neighbourhood customers looking for many things, and wanting all of them just now, because they make sense, as its claim shows (Where everything makes sense). The chain is located in the North-West part of Spain and belongs to the Cuevas Group, sharing the shortlist with other five projects from France, USA, Turkey and Germany.

The Aquí é concept was devised by m+f=!, (martinez + franch, specialists in innovative retail business models). They worked together with company’s executives during the creation process. [Read more →]

Photo: Mark Sebastian (www.flickr.com).

ABSTRACT
An increasing number of firms want to take advantage of selling directly to the public because they understand that stores further than being “selling machines”, they are “experience machines”, at the same time, they are able to provide fast and valuable information about the customers and their shopping habits, in order to get their insights.
Clearly, this is a privileged situation that suppliers hardly to have access to. [Read more →]

Photo: JM Martinez Ribes.

ABSTRACT
Retail companies have a marvellous machine for creating a “shopping experience”: the store. But wanting to create a shopping experience is not enough. The customer always has some sort of in-store shopping experience but not necessarily positive. The key lies in giving this experience a meaning, i.e. performing a certain “score” that customers and employees can relate to, a “score” that makes the store unique and preferred by its shoppers for non-traditional reasons. [Read more →]

ABSTRACT
In some industries more than others, innovation is introduced rather timidly, usually with a “follow the leader and undercut prices” approach.
Some firms, however, such as Amazon, are firmly committed to innovation. Kindle, for example, is not just an e-book reader but an example of innovation in the retail book market using a system-based solution. Hardware and software have combined with physical and remote
Photo: Brian Vallelunga ………elements to revolutionise the rules of
(www.flickr.com)……………..…the book marketplace. [Read more →]

ABSTRACT
When you think about the ideal store, the first image that almost certainly comes to mind is a selling machine. But perhaps you would not have suspected that in order to achieve this objective, you should first create an imagination machine: a store that tells a meaningful story, whose main characters - brands, architecture, visual information, sales staff - follow the script and transmit values to the visitors, making them feel part of the story. A walk around Globetrotter shows that the story is actually true. [Read more →]

.Photo: Joel Jones (www.flickr.com)

ABSTRACT
Chains that sell their suppliers’ brands have suffered as a result of competition with chains that sell their own brands, and this has put them in a difficult position. However, the important factor is not what brands or how many of these are sold, but whether or not the store is capable of creating its own meaning, departing from the traditional role of a “multi-brand store” to become a chain brand, a “retail brand”. [Read more →]

ABSTRACT
The debate between Ryanair and the Travel agencies is not simply a mean to achieve media coverage, but a ferocious fight to preserve the feasibility of a business model, which requires selling directly to the public. [Read more →]