REJUVINATE - Marriage of sustainable cobbler craftmanship and customization through technology to cater to Gen-Z shoppers
Brief:
Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z currently makes up 30 percent of the world’s population. Brands that want to attract Gen Z consumers are encouraged to evolve their stores not only aesthetically but functionally that appeal to Gen Z. The question now is how should businesses prepare for Generation Z?
I was assigned "shoe store" for this challenge.
Research Prologue:
I found that Gen Z wants an omnichannel shopping experience, to repair things themselves, to customize a product after purchasing it, and want to practice sustainability in shopping but distrust companies who oversell green initiatives.
The most influential journal I read described the success Selfridges pre-worn sales going up 240% accompanied by 28,000 in house repairs. For another business to “successfully offer reuse, repair and recycle programs [like Selfridges], it needs either some proven credentials or a product that is so well made and in demand that it makes sense”. To export this into a store concept, cobblers will fulfill the role of having the necessary credentials to repair, leather dress shoes and practices fulfill being well made, and trendy fashion shoes fulfill the demand.
By keeping in mind the general findings, I will make sure that the cobbler service will include an omnichannel experience, the opportunity for customers to be apart of the repair process, offer customization, and to not over-hark on the sustainability aspects.
Concept:
REJUVINATE - Cobbler craftmanship rejuvenated with young personality
REJUVINATE is a shoe repair store that invites customers to partake in the craft of shoe repair with additional technology. The process is to 3D scan your shoes in need of repair, work on your shoe digitally at the redesign station by testing out new soles, colours, and repair patches, then it is submitted to the cobblers to rejuvenate the shoe with a new design and required repairs.
The store takes place in a heritage cobbler location rejuvenated by technology and colour. Orange colour guides guests through each stage of the process that they are apart of.
This view better shows the cobbler side and their machines. I like to watch a cobbler repair channel on Youtube called “Tring Shoe Repairs” for fun so I was already familiar with roughly the space required and machines needed.
Conclusion:
REJUVINATION is a pragmatic result of research and addressing every issue as concisely as possible in the concept. It combines cobbler craftmanship that represents long lasting and reusable products and technology used for customization to create an omnichannel experience that answers Gen-Z's issues with modern retail shopping.
3D walkthrough: