Introduction and background:Intermarché testifies on the Retail Staging solution

Presentation of the Intermarché brand

Intermarché is a French retailer of the group Les Mousquetaires founded by Jean-Pierre Le Roch. In 1969, Jean-Pierre Le Roch and 92 members decided to leave the Leclerc movement to create Ex-Offices and then Intermarché in 1973.

Presentation of the interviewee : Loic Le Du

Loïc Le Du is in charge of the concept and cost control division.

Simulating a customer journey with Retail Staging

Retail Staging allows us to reproduce a physical store in a virtual store thanks to 3D capture and modeling. In this new environment, our clients can test their future concepts. They can simulate new layouts, positioning of signage or new assortments as they wish. This tool allows brands and retailers to collaborate to create the store concepts of tomorrow.

Feedback on the solution by Loic Le Du

Loïc Le Du is the concept manager at Intermarché. After 3 months of daily use of the tool, he looks back at the advantages and areas of improvement that have emerged from the solution. Through a few key figures, Loïc gives us a clear vision of the advantages of using Retail Staging.

The advantages of the Retail Staging solution

Agility

The strength of the solution is its agility! Loïc confirms: "Retail Staging offers the possibility of testing in real time, with a notion of movement, immediacy and modularity". Indeed, the solution allows internal (concept marketing teams) and external (members) stakeholders to visualize the project's rendering and thus to project themselves directly towards the new concepts under construction.

Accessibility

Loïc tells us: "Before, when we talked about 3D and modeling, we needed tools, licenses, technical resources and very powerful PCs. Now, a very sophisticated project is accessible from any PC. Our members have confirmed that they would rather have a quality digital showroom than a few physical shelves in a warehouse to simulate a point of sale. The solution is simply easier and also more immersive, thanks to its diversity, modularity and simplicity.

Realism

The level of rendering is ultra realistic. Loïc confirms: " Personally, I didn't think it would be so realistic. Most of the collaborators to whom I unveil it are bluffed by the quality of the rendering".

Easier and faster validation

In the process of validating concepts, the addition of VR facilitates decision-making. Loïc explains: "We have three types of validation. The first is a pre-validation that takes place within the project team, which allows us to convince ourselves and also to facilitate another presentation of the concept. Then there is the internal validation at the management level, which is done quickly thanks to the very visual and comprehensible aspect of the solution. If from a technical and visual point of view the result meets the specifications, then we can distribute the project to external customers (our members), this is the last step, the external validation.

The contribution of Retail Staging for the different types of tests: Testimony of Intermarché on the Retail Staging solution

Throughout the life of the concept, various tests and improvements are worked on, because a store concept never stops evolving.

Short tests: POS

Loïc explains: "Previously, to test a piece of furniture or a box, we proposed a brief to an agency. A week or two later, the agency would send us a PDF with fixed visual elements.

Now, thanks to the Retail Staging solution and with the help of our design office, we can model an object, a cubicle, a piece of furniture in a 3D FBX file, which I integrate directly into the platform and I can show a realistic result in a meeting in just a few clicks.

Tests of furniture or gondolas

Loïc tells us: "For larger projects, we use the point of sale that Retail VR has modeled in 3D and in which we simulate entire spaces. Recently, we placed a surface equivalent to 40 square meters, with a floor different from the original tiles, kakemonos, low gondolas, high gondolas, and signage. I present the final project to my member who tells me in 30 seconds: "OK we validate".

The initial specifications are represented very visually in the showroom, it is possible to move around and make modifications in real time. Thanks to this, Loïc can validate a concept with his members in just a few minutes.

Loïc adds: "Concretely, with Retail Staging, it took 2 hours of modeling, 5 minutes of integration and 2 minutes of validation to get a project adopted. Previously, it took a lot of agency work, 15 days of preparation and 15,000 euros of budget to get an idea of a rendering that was sometimes moderately satisfactory.

Long tests: wrapping, tagging

Loïc explains: "In order to distribute a furniture design in nearly 1,000 points of sale, we would have previously called a service provider and proposed a set of specifications.After several prototypes and dozens of exchanges, we finally conducted a test in several stores. We would probably have noticed one or two mistakes and the visuals would have gone back to the printer for modification.

Once validated, the revised version was sent to the printer before being distributed to all points of sale. For this type of scenario, it takes several weeks.

"By using the Retail Staging solution, we only have to model the visual in 3D in the platform and then install it in the showroom. This way, we can validate the concept within minutes.

Once validated, the project is sent to the printer and all we have to do is carry out a test in a single point of sale. If it is validated in physical form the following week, the concept goes into production in the 1,000 stores concerned.

Area of improvement: Intermarché testifies on the Retail Staging solution

Loïc has encountered a few problems in using the virtual reality headset, but these are not penalizing according to him. He uses it up to 5 to 10% mainly for the immersiveness it brings but also for the "wow" effect with the teams. According to Loïc: "It's the ultimate immersion tool, but less flexible in use. I use it in much more specific moments. The PC solution remains much more practical because it gives greater freedom.

A 163% return on investment over 3 months: Intermarché testifies on the Retail Staging solution

Costs without the solution

Loïc gives us a very detailed description of the figures:

"A POP project costs us an average of €10,000, ranging from €5,000 to €15,000 depending on the size of the project. Almost all of our projects are related to category magazines and we handle about ten per year.

In terms of savings, if I add up the first 3 months alone, I saved $75,000 in costs for setting up a physical showroom. This cost usually covers furniture, fixtures, dressing, etc. To this 75 000€, we have to add 30 000€ corresponding to the 3 projects I initiated over the last 3 months.

In this calculation I don't count the signage tests that we also deploy in points of sale near the headquarters, which can represent up to €30,000 of budget that we will now save."

Costs with the solution

"Of course the Retail Staging solution represents an investment. We have a subscription fee of €20,000 per year. In addition, at the beginning of the project, we also paid a set-up fee of €15,000 and an option for the virtual reality headset of €3,000. The total cost for the expenses related to the solution is therefore 38 000€ for this year.

So with this 38 000€ investment, we have saved more than 100 000€.

Not to mention that I benefit from a solution that is accessible at all times, which offers more than 2,000m² of modular space and which allows us to test everything we want whenever we want.

Next year, the solution will simply cost the price of the subscription, or €20,000."

"Of course we save money, but if we also look at the time that the Retail Staging solution allows us to save, the gains are enormous. As I am lucky enough to have a design office on my team, to model a piece of furniture and integrate it into the platform, it only takes me 2 hours. Going through an agency, it would take me almost 15 days of preparation".

Conclusion: Intermarché testifies to its Retail Staging solution

In conclusion, the solution offers agility and a clear projection that allows store concepts to be validated very quickly. Thus, the company will save time on the different validation processes: design project teams, internal (management) and external (members) validation.

Complex to set up until now, 3D is now very easy to use and can be installed on a simple PC.

This solution avoids the classic stages of collaboration with agencies, the brief, the exchange of PDFs which contain still images and do not give an optimal idea of the final result.

During this feedback, Loïc highlighted many advantages of the Retail Staging solution:

• agility
• accessibility
• realism
• ease of use
• KING
• time saving

About Retail VR

Retail VR, created in April 2018, develops a 3D SaaS platform. It facilitates the uses of virtual and augmented reality for retailers and brands. Based in Nantes, the company employs 20 people, web engineers, 3D, graphic designers and sales people to support more than fifty customers in France and abroad.

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