18 July 2008
Bernard's comments on 'benchmark' Halfords
Having recently ‘enjoyed’ the delights of Heathrow’s Terminal 5, I have, rather perversely, decided to write a piece with a transport theme – Cars, Bikes and…Shoes.
Halfords has for me long been one of the stars of British retailing -
their “Superstore” is, by any standards, a benchmark for a total retailing experience.
Being a self confessed ‘petrolhead’ and one that lives in Cambridge – a city were the ‘massive cycling mafia’ insist on riding like Jason Robinson on Ecstasy – I happily spent a couple of hours last Sunday enjoying an excellent example of “engagement retailing” in my local store.
From the minute you cross the threshold, the spacious, clearly segmented and well-lit store has a real heartbeat and visual energy. Each of the key categories: Workshop, Sat Nav, Audio…etc., have distinct personalities, beautifully and clearly defined by possibly one of the most rigorously and cleverly thought out pieces of graphic communication I have seen.
It seems to me that Halfords have interrogated the needs, wants and mindsets of the customer in each and every category to ensure a totally holistic and unique tone of voice has been delivered.
I particularly like the overall customer facing tone of voice and the language used e.g. “We will fit, repair, check…” which in categories where the product or process is complex and ‘information rich’, gives the customer a real sense that the retailer is an expert and a helpful one at that.
The mezzanine floor has been superbly integrated into the space ensuring that the categories located beneath are both visually and spatially contained and not crushed.
I have seen too many retailers who, in the race for space, have clumsily installed mezzanines resulting in spaces and shopping experiences that are akin to what I imagine it would be like if you retailed out of a Victorian sewer.
Halfords have located one particular category, their Ripspeed brand, which I now affectionately refer to as the “Pimp my ride” area, under the mezzanine – and it works superbly.
This is where you go to turn your Citroen Saxo into a muscle machine – the range of ‘must have’ alloy wheels are tantalisingly displayed on the back wall complemented by several sets of wheels presented at floor level, as though you were in a F1 pit lane – all that was missing was the Ferrari pit crew.
This was smart visual merchandising - something Halfords do very well throughout the store. They know that the location of the buttons of all boys, of all ages, when seeking to beautify their car, are nearly always located well ‘below the waist’. I will resist describing how the exhaust extensions are displayed; otherwise I could find myself in Max Moseley territory!
The Bikehut occupies the entire mezzanine and the excellence continues – the highlight being the area dedicated to the Chris Boardman branded bikes and accessories - developed in conjunction with Halfords. This is sexy premium product, so well presented that even though, to (almost) borrow from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, “Four wheels good, two wheels bad” I may just have to buy one.
The Shoes…check out the new M&S footwear concept – deceptively simple and stunningly good.
