1st January 2007
Courts Partners with Fitch to Create Innovative In-Store Environment for Singapore's First Megastore
Courts (Singapore) Limited, Singapore’s largest furniture, electronics and IT retailer, employed Fitch to create the interior of its first large format retail scheme – ‘Courts Megastore’ – which launches in Singapore’s first retail park this month.
Courts’ proposition centres on providing ‘choice, value, service, experience and credit’ to its consumers. Building on this blueprint, Fitch engineered high levels of entertainment, education and interaction into the Courts experience.
This marriage of value and experience is at the heart of Fitch’s retail scheme. The work proves that involvement and interaction are not incompatible with the value offers at the heart of warehouse-style, large format retailing.
The result is a one-stop lifestyle destination that spans more than 116,000 square feet over three floors. Technology occupies the 2rd floor, home furnishings are on the 1st, whilst the ground floor is largely devoted to offering consumers the latest and greatest in bargains and deals.
The megastore also offers several pit-stops for the hungry shopper… and a place for tired parents to leave their children while they concentrate on bargain hunting…
HIGH INVOLVEMENT: DELIVERING EXPERIENCE
The Singapore Courts Megastore is designed to be easy to navigate. A ‘yellow brick road’ (a brightly coloured floor path) runs around each of the 3 floors, encouraging traffic flow through the store, orientating consumers and leading them to special deals or interaction points.
This ‘yellow brick road’ encircles 2 ‘experience islands’ on the 1st and 2nd floors – points at which consumers can pause and connect with the products on sale in a relaxed and service-led environment.
On the technology floor, the experience centre is Café Connect – a feature that offers consumers a chance to explore and engage with the latest electronics and IT products over a coffee or snack. On the home furnishings floor, the pivotal point is the Design Solutions Hub, a consultancy that provides everything from inspiration and advice to a full interior design and installation service.
HIGH IMPACT: DELIVERING VALUE
The ground floor offers consumers the latest and greatest in deals and bargains and includes two key features: Hot off the Docks and Countdown Corner.
Designed to resemble a giant open shipping container, the Hot off the Docks area showcases the latest deals straight from the Singapore docks. The area features products displayed in open containers, crates and on palettes.
Just next-door, Countdown Corner features deals only available for a limited time, a concept dramatised by oversized yellow countdown clocks to show the time that each deal has left to run.
For shoppers seeking a reward after finding the best bargain in town, MegaPicks is an F&B outlet just beyond the check-outs that allows you to create your dream dessert – make your choice of ice cream and toppings and watch them created for you while you wait.
EDUCATING AND INSPIRING
Throughout the store, the twin themes of ‘education’ and ‘inspiration’ for the consumer are expressed in various ways. Each category area is equipped with jargon-busting guides to help you make the right purchase (delivering education) as well as handy hints and tips for getting the most out of what you chose (delivering inspiration).
Helping to both educate and inspire is Courts’ in-house digital surgery – Dr Digital. This drop-in service features professional IT and technical consultants, easily identifiable in their doctor’s white coats, who are on hand to provide a range of services such as repairs, data recovery, anti virus measures, upgrading and configuring software to help consumers integrate and manage digital technology in their homes.
At the heart of Fitch’s design solution is the belief that consumers respond best to a retail environment that brings products to life – one that helps them understand and form relationships with brands, products and services.
That’s why throughout the store there is ample opportunity to test drive any product you want – from sewing machines to the latest in digital cameras.
This high level involvement is matched by high-level drama – including the 45 metre-long television wall on the 3rd floor (one of the biggest ranges of TVs in Asia) and live kitchen demonstrations that provide impact and theatre.
“At Fitch we believe in delivering vivid, meaningful retail experiences to a broad range of consumers,” says Paul Mynard, Regional Creative Director, Asia. “The Courts Megastore is a great example of this. Out-of-town destination retailing may be new to Singapore but in Courts Megastore it arrives with a new level of consumer-focused design.”
Terry O’Connor, Managing Director Courts (Singapore) Limited says: “Fitch’s design has taken the Courts Megastore retail proposition and brought it to life in a way that provides an inspirational and engaging shopping experience for the consumer.”
About Courts Courts is Singapore’s largest furniture, electronics and IT retailer. Established in Singapore in 1974, the company is listed on the main board of SGX and is continually transforming the concept of retail in Singapore. Courts’ company mission is to ‘Add Value to People’s Lives Everyday”. The company consistently introduced new, prestigious brands and offers the largest selection of domestic appliances and furnishing products in the Republic. Courts Singapore currently has 11 stores located at convenient locations in Singapore.
Courts is one of three retailers who are creating new formats in Singapore Economic Development Board’s Warehouse Retail Scheme at Tampines Avenue 10, located in the eastern part of Singapore. As well as the Courts site (occupying a total of 280,000 square feet), Singapore’s first retail park will house Giant and Ikea. The land area totals 3.9 hectares.