Supermarkets get new look

Quickmart Supermarket branch on Waiyaki Way in Nairobi PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG 

By ANNIE NJANJA
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Summary

• Renova has designed tens of prolific supermarket outlets in Nairobi including the Mountain View and Kilimani branches of Naivas supermarket and QuickMart’s Waiyaki Way branch, which confirm the transformation from traditional to modern design practices in retail spaces.
• These new-look supermarkets are now creating distinctively compelling customer experiences-putting them at the level of some of the world’s most renowned brands like America’s Whole Foods.
• The investment in customer experiences has seen these supermarkets build more spacious outlets that are also well-lit, attractively-designed and offer a wider selection of fresh food items that traditionally would have required a shopper to sources from an open-air market.

Soft lighting, attractive colour hues and interiors were synonymous with outlets in the hospitality industry.

However, in recent years a shift has happened in the retail industry that is inspiring a similar design precision as more supermarkets lean towards a more customer-centric metric locally.

In traditional times, supermarket takeovers just involved a change of colour schemes and branding material like shop banners. The only thing that made customers prefer one outlet over another was a difference in the prices of commodities.

However, as Kenyan consumers get increasingly exposed to international standards of service through regular travel, television and books, their preferences have taken a radical shift to include special in-person experiences such as artistic displays and lighting and access to a wide array of products.

“For this modern customer, a supermarket visit is an experience and not just a trip to buy items,” said Joram Gatei, the CEO of Renova Limited, a company attributed with the introduction of innovative concepts in the interior design of modern supermarkets.

Renova has designed tens of prolific supermarket outlets in Nairobi including the Mountain View and Kilimani branches of Naivas supermarket and QuickMart’s Waiyaki Way branch, which confirm the transformation from traditional to modern design practices in retail spaces.

These new-look supermarkets are now creating distinctively compelling customer experiences-putting them at the level of some of the world’s most renowned brands like America’s Whole Foods.

The investment in customer experiences has seen these supermarkets build more spacious outlets that are also well-lit, attractively-designed and offer a wider selection of fresh food items that traditionally would have required a shopper to sources from an open-air market.

“We are delivering the customer experience promise by taking experience-per-square foot into account rather than how much inventory can be stashed into a particular space,” said Gatei.

He also explains that strategic choices are made when modelling modern supermarket space to ensure that customers enjoy the time they spend at an outlet.

“The creation process of these stores take so much into account, from layout and visual merchandising that ensures that products inexplicitly catch the shoppers’ eyes while keeping them eager to spend more time within the store ,” said Gatei, who has also delivered projects for the Cleanshelf brand.

He states that his firm’s work borrowed heavily from international best practices and allows local brands to compete effectively with international brands.

“Our main desire is to solve customer’s pain points by, for instance, delivering convenience, ensuring ease while navigating throughout the store, and creating the right ambience,” said Mr Gatei.

The introduction of novel fresh food stores in supermarkets is one such approach that Renova uses to keep brands customer-centric. This is in addition to in-house restaurants, which he says help deliver “the promise of a complete sensory experience.”

Additionally, these new kids on the block have clearly outlined floor plans and well represented signage that makes it easier for shoppers to navigate the aisles. Varying lighting formats also help guide shoppers along by blending various accents to define product arrangements, while leaving a long-lasting impression.

Research supports these modern design choices with international consumer insights firm Nielsen showing that 74 percent of Kenyan shoppers prefer patronising outlets that are attractively organised and have a pleasant ambience.

To create a distinctively compelling customer experience, consultancy firm McKinsey advises that it is important for retailers to redesign their store formats regularly to keep shoppers interested.

Supermarket format redesign done to accommodate a wide selection of goods can potentially boost sales by 10 to 15 per cent, and customer satisfaction by 20 per cent, all within a year or less, McKinsey noted.

“To keep their stores relevant, retailers need to make the most of the stores built-in sensory advantages over e-commerce — they need to tout the experience of touching, smelling and trying on products, and they must ensure that the in-store experience is enjoyable and convenient.

Otherwise, customers will simply not bother making the trip,” said Consultancy firm McKinsey in The Ever Changing Store report published in April 2019.

Naivas supermarket has been exploring the new store format since last year with the acknowledgement that the supermarket concept is rapidly changing locally and globally as customer expectations continue to evolve.
Naivas Chief Commercial Officer Willy Kimani said that the retailer’s new push for the food markets, a modern store concept, was largely inspired by the need to meet growing customer experience demands.

Naivas food market stores occupy at least one third of the total floor space for new and re-designed outlets.

“Modern urban shoppers want to feel that they are in a fairly natural environment. This desire has made us pursue store designs that give our customers a sense of being in touch with nature, calming them as they enter and inviting them to slow down and enjoy the well-curated product assortment,” said Kimani during the opening of the Mountain View branch while adding that his firm will continue experimenting with different concepts to keep up with competition and changing shopper trends.