Our latest tech-based project at Woodlands will see us install an in-store high resolution digital media screen, enhancing the look of the store and driving sales and footfall.
by Antony Begley
As regular readers of these pages will know, we’re always keen at Woodlands Local to trial great new ideas and concepts, particularly those that help enhance the look and feel of the store. The latest neat idea to catch our eye is a high-quality media screen solution from Hi Street Digital Media, a relatively new company in convenience retailing.
The concept is in essence deceptively simple: high definition digital media screens are fitted to an outward-facing window of the store free of charge to the retailer and feature a range of ads from major brands as well as providing space for symbol group-specific promotions.
One of the most attractive qualities of the solution is that it has been brought to market by a team who first and foremost understand local retailing – and have then created a tech solution to suit their aims. This isn’t true of many digital and tech solutions which can often be created by companies who may be very technically gifted, but who have very little understanding of the intricacies of retailing.
Led by Non-Executive Chairman Mark Craze, former CEO of global media and marketing giant Havas Media, the senior team at Hi Street also includes former Group Commercial Director for The Grocer Jonathan Daniels – a man who knows the convenience and grocery retail marketplace better than most.
For us, this is a quick-win solution as it will instantly help enhance the appearance of the store and will help drive sales of key brands. Tests carried out in pilot stores by Hi Street have delivered very encouraging results: the screens have increased sales of promoted products by an average of 15.3%, whilst increasing footfall and basket size by 4.3% and 6.8% respectively.
The question we are very keen to answer in our little corner of Falkirk is, will the solution have the same impact for us?
Managing Partner Sales & Marketing Jonathan Daniels is confident it will, saying: “Our solution provides convenience retailers and FMCG brands with a unique opportunity to target shoppers at the vital moment of decision making prior to purchase. Our trials have shown clearly that the solution works and we are entirely confident that it will deliver for Woodlands Local too.”
With a contacts book like Daniels, it’s no surprise that many of the world’s biggest brands are already on board with many more keen to utilise the medium to engage with convenience shoppers and increase sales through the convenience channel.
The beauty of the system is that it is tailored for each store and only carries content on products that are available in the store. It will also allow us at Woodlands to run our own content and promotions.
So far, a site visit has been carried out by Hi Street and, with very little required of the store other than a space in the window, an internet connection and a power supply, we should be up and running in the very near future.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the screen deliver for the store and its customers,” says Daniels. “We’ve had huge interest in our unique offering and we’re in the middle of a lot of installation in Scotland and across the UK.”
Look out in the next issue of SLR for an update on progress.
