The company won an award in the “Best Customer Experience Initiative – Retailer” category. The international jury was impressed by the innovative character and future potential of the digitally assisted and adaptive concept, which merges the online and offline worlds into a special shopping experience for its customers.
The store was launched in February 2019, following a development period of more than two years, which was carried out together with an interdisciplinary team of bonprix experts, Otto Group specialists, and external partners, including dan pearlman, dgroup, Vizona, Mieloo & Alexander, apploft, GK Software, and SAP, at a central location in downtown Hamburg. The goal is to offer customers a new kind of shopping experience that minimizes the classic weaknesses of traditional retail through the provision of digital support and continuously evolves. Instead of fully-stocked shelves and long lines outside the changing rooms and at the checkout counters, visitors can expect a fully assisted shopping tour by means of the bonprix app. Using their own smartphones, the products on display in the store can be scanned, ordered to be sent the changing rooms for immediate fitting, and purchased via Easy Checkout.
As recently as January 2020, “fashion connect” was named “Store of the Year” at the 16th German Retail Property Congress and was awarded a special prize. The concept has since been able to convince on an international level as well and has been selected twice for the shortlists of the “World Retail Awards”, alongside renowned brands: In addition to winning the “Best Customer Experience Initiative – Retailer” category, it was also nominated in the “Outstanding Store Design < 1,200 sq m” category.
Daniel Füchtenschnieder, Concept Manager and Head of Retail at bonprix, is convinced that the use of modern technology is the key to a completely new form of customer service: “In 2020 we have concentrated on further improving the customer journey. Thanks to the important feedback that we have received from our customers, we have been able to adapt some areas of the store, for example, by adding new features to the changing room displays and introducing so-called “endless aisle elements”, which can be used to order additional products from the bonprix online store from within the store, thereby giving the sense of extended shelves. We will continue to work and learn in order to make our vision of a completely digitally connected shopping experience a reality. One of our important goals for the future is the seamless integration of the entire online product range into the store’s customer journey.”
For more than 10 years, the “World Retail Awards” have been presented at the “World Retail Congress”, which brings leaders from the areas of retail, business, and industry together every year. The highlight of the congress is the presentation of the “World Retail Awards”, which is comprised of nine categories. A jury of international experts selects a winner from the finalists in each category. In 2020, both the congress and the awards ceremony were held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
