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A Practical Guide to Using Staff Insights in Retail Design
You meticulously plan every detail of your retail designs – the layout, the lighting, the customer flow – striving for the perfect customer experience. But, as Dr. Elisa Servais, a leading PhD in retail design, asks: are you overlooking a crucial source of insight – your front-line staff?
Dr. Servais, drawing on her extensive research and experience, from her work with renown retailers such as Marks & Spencer, to her academic studies, emphasizes that the people who interact with your designs every day hold invaluable knowledge about what works, what doesn’t, and how to make improvements.
This article shares Dr. Servais’s insights on how to best improve your designs by leveraging this often-untapped resource. You’ll discover how to transform your staff from passive occupants into active partners in the design process so you can develop more successful retail spaces.
Staff Insights – The Overlooked Key to Retail Success
Dr. Servais asks you to consider: your staff interacts with customers every single day. They’re the ones who hear the compliments and the complaints. They see which displays are confusing, which layouts are awkward, and which products generate the most excitement (or frustration).
They witness firsthand how customers navigate the space, where they get stuck, and what questions they ask. This level of on-the-ground insight is simply unavailable from customer surveys or market research alone.
As Dr. Elisa Servais emphasizes, your store staff are a “goldmine” of information about customer needs, pain points, and what actually works in the real world.
Why is this so important? Her research underscores that service is often the most critical component of the in-store experience. And who delivers that service? Your staff. By incorporating their feedback early in the design process, you’re not just making their jobs easier – you’re creating spaces that are more functionally efficient, user-friendly (for both staff and customers), and, ultimately, more successful.
Dr. Servais uses the following analogy – Imagine designing a new store layout without consulting the people who will be stocking shelves, assisting customers, and processing transactions. You might create a visually impressive space, but if it hinders staff efficiency or creates bottlenecks, it’s ultimately a failure.
Involving staff, Dr. Servais explains, not only avoids costly mistakes, it fosters a sense of ownership and buy-in. When staff feel heard and valued, they’re more likely to be engaged and enthusiastic, which, she points out, translates directly to a better experience for your customers.
Dr. Servais describes this as a virtuous cycle – better staff experience leads to a better customer experience, which leads to a more successful retail environment.
Best Practices for Leveraging Staff Insights
Unlocking the potential of your front-line staff, Dr. Servais believes, requires a shift in perspective – viewing them not just as employees, but as valuable partners in the design process.
Their daily interactions with customers, their intimate knowledge of store operations, and their firsthand experience with the existing (or proposed) design make them an unparalleled source of insight.
When Elisa and I were discussing her thoughts on how important staff insights can be for Retail Design, it struck me that it’s also a very important part of our business process at 2MC Retail. Not directly related to improving the way a store is designed I agree, but the principles are the same.
Internally we have a set process for gathering, studying and implementing staff insights.
- Gathering.
We have constant feedback systems that capture every client comment. These are recorded in writing but sometimes verbally as from direct customer discussion with our customer facing staff daily.
- Filtering.
Of course, not all comments are equal. There is a system to prioritize the feedback our staff receives. Hearing good comments is always wonderful. Fixing errors is urgent and vital and goes top of the list, getting suggestions from customers on efficiency and improvements is immensely important.
- Implementing
Because we are totally process based, we can quickly incorporate changes and implement new more efficient service ideas and suggestions. So all feedback from staff and clients is incorporated into processes as quickly as possible. Making our clients’ lives easier is what we aim to do every day.
- Customer research.
Over the years I have researched what our clients need often with in-depth face to face meetings. Then clients can really share details of what will make their lives easier . So often I come away from face-to-face meetings with many new insights to speed up our process, make it more efficient and often make it fit better into the client’s current internal process
- Involve Staff Early in the Design Process
Dr. Servais strongly cautions against waiting until the design is finalized to seek staff input. That, she warns, is often too late to make meaningful changes without incurring significant costs and delays. Instead, involve staff early in the process, ideally during the concept development stage.
Consider these tactics to actively engage with them in the co-creation process:
- Including staff representatives in design workshops and brainstorming sessions. Their practical, on-the-ground perspective can be invaluable in generating innovative and user-friendly solutions.
- Sharing design concepts (sketches, renderings, 3D models) with staff and soliciting their feedback before finalizing any decisions. This allows for early identification of potential problems and ensures that the design meets the needs of those who will be using it daily.
- Conducting “cognitive walkthroughs” of proposed layouts with staff. Have them simulate typical tasks and identify any potential usability issues or workflow bottlenecks.
This participatory approach, Dr. Servais explains, not only leads to better designs but also fosters a sense of ownership and buy-in among staff, increasing their engagement and morale.
- Create a Culture of Open Communication and Feedback
Gathering feedback is only half the battle, according to Dr. Servais. You also need to act on it, and, crucially, communicate back to staff how their input was used (or why it wasn’t). This closes the feedback loop and demonstrates that their voices are genuinely valued.
Dr. Servais suggests creating a culture where staff feel comfortable sharing their honest opinions, even if they are critical of the design. This requires psychological safety – an environment where team members feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment or reprisal.
You’ll also want to develop processes where you actively listen to staff feedback, seeking to understand their perspectives and concerns. Use active listening techniques like paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking clarifying questions to ensure you fully grasp their input.
And, importantly, Dr. Servais stresses, make sure you respond to their feedback. Explain the rationale behind design decisions, even if they differ from staff recommendations. Show them that their contributions are making a difference. This, she concludes, builds trust, strengthens relationships, and fosters a continuous cycle of improvement.
Empower Your Staff, Enhance Your Design
As Dr. Servais emphasizes, your front-line staff is a goldmine of untapped knowledge and experience. They see the daily realities of your retail environment, interact with customers constantly, and understand the practical implications of design choices in a way that no one else can.
By actively soliciting and incorporating their insights, you’re not just improving your designs – you’re fostering a culture of collaboration, boosting staff morale, and ultimately, creating retail spaces that work better for everyone – staff and customers alike. She views this as a win-win investment that pays dividends in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and your bottom line.
Ready to unlock the power of your front-line team and transform your retail design process?
Connect with 2MC Retail’s Managing Director, Conor McCabe, on LinkedIn to discuss your specific design challenges and explore how incorporating staff insights can lead to better outcomes.
Or, email conor@2mc247.com with a brief description of your goals for incorporating staff insights, and we’ll provide feedback within 24 hours.