Fitch:London oversaw the installation of and developed full design schemes for the initial 15 De Post branches in a pilot programme of 35, the first of which opened in June 2002.
Early research findings into their effectiveness were extremely positive. When a sample of the Belgian public was shown images of the new stores, 87 percent liked the interiors more than the old outlets.
‘This is great for the team,’ says Stephen Scott at Fitch:London. ‘Retail moves so fast that your research has to provide validation rather than direction: you can’t hang around and wait for the results to come in before you make the next step.’
Following the success of the pilot programme, De Post has now rolled out the new format across all 1,400 outlets nationwide. Since these vary in size and format, the retail elements have been designed to fit in with diverse architectural styles. In addition, the range of formats has been clarified – into flagships (big, city centre outlets), familiars (the bulk of the outlets, in regional towns or suburbs), antennae (smaller, provincial post offices) or kiosks.
De Post’s partnership with Fitch:London has helped the company to identify future market opportunities, ensuring the company’s ongoing success in the newly deregulated market. One such opportunity might include an expansion of De Post’s financial services offer. ‘This transformation has helped us to create the kind of banking environment that makes people feel comfortable,’ says Ivan Vandevivere, manager of De Post’s New Retail Format. ‘This puts us in quite a unique position within our market.’
Whatever the future may bring, the new retail experience is ‘a very pleasant environment to work in,’ says Vandevivere. ‘It is completely different from the old environment, with much closer contact with customers. Of course, some people are still wary about change, but we’ve found that those who work in the pilot stores are quick to embrace it. The customers have been very positive too. The new stores give them the confidence that De Post is capable of doing some really contemporary things.’