A look back at the recent webinar and exchange between, Erwan Krotoff, CEO of Retail VR, and Sébastien Tourné, CEO ofAgence Cross who explored the key stages of an effective merchandising strategy and the contribution of 3D immersive solutions. Here's what you need to remember.

Merchandising, once seen simply as the management of in-store space, has evolved to become an essential strategic lever for brands and retailers. 

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The basis of strategic merchandising

Strategic merchandising goes beyond the operational aspect, focusing on overall performance. The shopper is at the heart of our thinking. Every strategy must start from a shopper issue, whether it's increasing penetration or frequency of purchase, developing the value of baskets or their structure, a shopper behavior "to be improved" is always at the root of the reasoning.

It is necessary to identify the merchandising issues at the root of this improvable behavior: zoning, space structuring, an unclear assortment, an overly traditional segmentation key... Each case is unique and needs to be analyzed in detail to link the merchandising situation to measurable business indicators.

Sébastien Tourné stressed the importance of always thinking in terms of the shopper and business potential before developing any merchandising solution package.

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Key stages in a merchandising strategy

The first step in a merchandising strategy is to analyze and define priority objectives. Each brand may have different needs: reinforcing its presence in the face of competitors, directing shoppers towards a part of its offer, optimizing its category environment... Each brand can dimension its needs from its complete concept to the optimization of a fine-tuned part of its offer.

This phase requires in-depth strategic analysis and prioritization of the issues to be resolved, in order to target and determine the merchandising approach to be developed.

Once the objectives have been defined, it's time for the strategy. A vision must be validated, and the project's stakeholders must be led towards it. How do we want to influence target shoppers? What are the benefits for all parties? Within what timeframe? With what resources?

Merchandising strategy informs solution design.

This design stage demands creativity and precision. For each level of solution, the visualization process helps to project future realities and convince the company's decision-makers. 

Finally, it's time for testing and validation. Traditionally carried out in pilot stores, these tests involve significant costs and lead times. The adoption of 3D makes it possible to carry out immersive tests online or in a virtual environment. This process not only reduces costs and lead times, but also maintains the confidentiality of concepts in the face of competition. The desired shopper behaviors are validated before the concepts are rolled out.

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The contribution of 3D: a tool for transformation

3D brings a real transformation to the merchandising process. Thanks to immersive platforms like Retail VR, concepts can be visualized, modified and validated rapidly, even from a distance. This agility avoids time-consuming round-trips between agencies, brands and retailers.

Another major advantage of 3D is the reduction in costs and lead times. By reducing the need for physical prototypes, 3D modeling enables concepts to be validated more quickly and cost-effectively. For example, Intermarché uses 3D to collaborate effectively with its in-house teams and members when validating concepts.

Immersive testing and consumer research are also simplified thanks to 3D. These studies, often costly in real-life conditions, can be carried out in virtual environments where consumers interact with immersive simulations. This offers valuable insights while removing geographical constraints.

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Conclusion

In short, 3D merchandising is an essential strategic tool. Not only does it improve the effectiveness of concepts, it also reduces costs and lead times, while enhancing the precision and impact of solutions. As Erwan Krotoff reminded us, "We aim to make 3D simple, accessible and agile, so that it brings real added value to our customers."

So, are you ready to integrate 3D into your merchandising strategy?