Reflection Assignment - Learning Launch

Challenge    I am a Business Development Manager in a fashion retail company and our challenge is to  improve our customer’s shopping experience at our retail stores, since we received a large  number of feedbacks and complaints from our customers regarding poor shopping experience.  The aim of this project was to re-strategize the way our stores functioned and provide the best  experience for our customers. Project scope included the Business Development team  consisting of five key personnel, the Sales department at our head office and all the Sales  executives at our main store where we will conduct the learning launch. The project has to be  completed within 30 working days and within a limited budget. Our focus is to analyze how  customers feel about the new experience and whether this will increase sales and footfall.    Selection    The team selected for the project has already used other design thinking tools and activities, so  the learning launch will be our primary tool that will help us identify whether the project can be a  success and if so, we should be able to replicate this model in all other stores. Learning launch  can be called as a ‘fast, small experiment’ to test our idea and hypothesis, whether it really  improves customer experiment or if we need to make more changes to the strategy.    Application    For the first learning launch, we focussed on personalized experience and hospitality at the  selected store. We trained our employees to be courteous, welcoming and warm to every  customer who walked into the store. Sales executives were stationed at different parts of the  store to assist any customer in need. We also launched a free ‘Shopping Valet’ which could be  easily booked a day in advance through our social media pages. The valet service included an  executive who would guide the customer from the entrance till the cash counter and carry their  shopping bags till their cars, offering a convenient and seamless experience. Security guards at  the store entrance were asked to greet the customers with a smile, other sales executives were  also trained to always smile when they speak to customers and be patient and polite to them.    The second learning launch was all about rearranging the store. We added a small kids’ play  area in the store, near the toys section, where parents could leave their kids and shop  relaxingly, an employee was present to look after the kids. We arranged the shelves in a way  that made the store feel more spacious, which was different from the standard store format.  Other than that, we added new, enhanced sign boards with a larger brand logo to guide  customers to the cash counters and trial rooms. Some items in less-demand were removed from  the shelves and a trending new collection was added as part of the learning launch. Trolleys

were replaced with lightweight bags to make the store less congested. The path from the cash  counter to the exit was cleared for easy movement. Both the learning launch concepts were  applied simultaneously to give an overall improved customer experience, in anticipation of  increased returns.    Insight    Our ideas and assumptions were tested using the learning launch tool and we gathered data  from customer experience to sales, tracing the entire experience of the customer and compared  it to the data gathered before the learning launch. The results were quite overwhelming and  provided crucial insights to the entire team. The Shopping Valet service was a great success  with 95% of customers who booked it bought something from the store. The customers were  highly pleased with the hospitality and warmth of the staff members, with an increase in ratio of  number of sales per customer visits at the store. The kids’ play area didn’t make much of a  difference. Most of the customers were also satisfied with the store rearrangement. We were  able to achieve better positive reviews for the experience, as a result of which the project was  decided to be implemented on a larger-scale at all our locations.    Approach    The learning launch tool is the best available design thinking tool for us because we couldn’t  make changes without proving the real impact it can create. Senior management executives  were at first reluctant to make big changes at all the stores, so using this tool, we could prove  the effectiveness of improved customer experience designed together by the entire team. This  paves the way for innovation and exciting new ideas to be planned for the future, which can be  implemented through the design thinking process.


Reflection Assignment - Learning Launch Challenge I am a Business Development Manager in a fashion retail company and our challenge is to improve our customer ’s shopping experience at our retail stores , since we received a large number of feedbacks and complaints from our customers regarding poor shopping experience . The aim of this project was to re - strategize the way our stores functioned and provide the best experience for our customers . Project scope included the Business Development team consisting of five key personnel , the Sales department at our head office and all the Sales executives at our main store where we will conduct the learning launch . The project has to be completed within 30 working days and within a limited budget . Our focus is to analyze how customers feel about the new experience and whether this will increase sales and footfall . Selection The team selected for the project has already used other design thinking tools and activities , so the learning launch will be our primary tool that will help us identify whether the project can be a success and if so , we should be able to replicate this model in all other stores . Learning launch can be called as a ‘ fast , small experiment ’ to test our idea and hypothesis , whether it really improves customer experiment or if we need to make more changes to the strategy . Application For the first learning launch , we focussed on personalized experience and hospitality at the selected store . We trained our employees to be courteous , welcoming and warm to every customer who walked into the store . Sales executives were stationed at different parts of the store to assist any customer in need . We also launched a free ‘ Shopping Valet ’ which could be easily booked a day in advance through our social media pages . The valet service included an executive who would guide the customer from the entrance till the cash counter and carry their shopping bags till their cars , offering a convenient and seamless experience . Security guards at the store entrance were asked to greet the customers with a smile , other sales executives were also trained to always smile when they speak to customers and be patient and polite to them . The second learning launch was all about rearranging the store . We added a small kids ’ play area in the store , near the toys section , where parents could leave their kids and shop relaxingly , an employee was present to look after the kids . We arranged the shelves in a way that made the store feel more spacious , which was different from the standard store format . Other than that , we added new , enhanced sign boards with a larger brand logo to guide customers to the cash counters and trial rooms . Some items in less - demand were removed from the shelves and a trending new collection was added as part of the learning launch . Trolleys were replaced with lightweight bags to make the store less congested . The path from the cash counter to the exit was cleared for easy movement . Both the learning launch concepts were applied simultaneously to give an overall improved customer experience , in anticipation of increased returns . Insight Our ideas and assumptions were tested using the learning launch tool and we gathered data from customer experience to sales , tracing the entire experience of the customer and compared it to the data gathered before the learning launch . The results were quite overwhelming and provided crucial insights to the entire team . The Shopping Valet service was a great success with 95 % of customers who booked it bought something from the store . The customers were highly pleased with the hospitality and warmth of the staff members , with an increase in ratio of number of sales per customer visits at the store . The kids ’ play area did n’t make much of a difference . Most of the customers were also satisfied with the store rearrangement . We were able to achieve better positive reviews for the experience , as a result of which the project was decided to be implemented on a larger - scale at all our locations . Approach The learning launch tool is the best available design thinking tool for us because we could n’t make changes without proving the real impact it can create . Senior management executives were at first reluctant to make big changes at all the stores , so using this tool , we could prove the effectiveness of improved customer experience designed together by the entire team . This paves the way for innovation and exciting new ideas to be planned for the future , which can be implemented through the design thinking process .