Antoine Karkour blows hot and cold in Dubai's new Panatech store
Yes, the large investment and effort into turning the Panatech Burjuman store around is clear. The store looks much better than it used to and yes, for a first step, it obviously is a very good one. But, the way I see it, since Panasonic decided to play the makeover card at the Burjuman Mall, then why not go all the way? Overall, the new showroom has improved drastically however, from a "shopability" point of view, there is still lots of room for improvement.
Walking past you can tell that you are next to a place selling electrical appliances but you can also tell that this is not the place to provide you with the ultimate technology experience. The overall shopping ambiance is not as captivating as you'd imagine a Panatech store to be; technology, the main store attribute, is expected but missing.
The new setting allows shoppers an optimal interaction with the wide range of products however, better "shopability" could have been possible through better store planning and, especially through more coherent links between the outer display and ATL communication. A current tactic marketers are focusing on is creating a path to purchase that guides shoppers, through a series of carefully planted contact points, stretching from the outer display into and around the store and landing in front of the product itself.
You come in, despite the not-so-inviting outer presentation, hoping to be surrounded by eye-popping displays that leave you stunned and amazed at the level of entertainment technology has reached but, compared to other stores of its product category in the UAE, it does not establish itself as the lead retailer in high quality digital entertainment. The fact that the technologically-modest display fails to lure shoppers is bound to affect Panasonic's name as an entertainment provider, especially as this same showroom will be "one of the first to display and sell the 103" plasma TV - the largest plasma TV in the world - when it is launched.
Planning a store should rely on detailed analysis of cold and hot areas through special shopper research techniques. The first hot spot shoppers are greeted with is the best seller camcorder area, conveniently placed at the entrance. However, a "cooler" area should've been chosen for the cash register seeing that its placement in the middle of the store doesn't allow the digital camera shopper to visit the remaining areas of the store.
Placing the home theater area way in the back of the store, a classic cold area, is an excellent idea especially as this is the kind of buying decision that takes time, peace and quiet.
The second ideal step would've been a coordination between store lighting and floor tiling in order to create one unique mood throughout the store, a "path" of light and floor signals that will help the shopper determine what to notice, when to keep walking and finally where to pause for purchase. This option is sadly missing and the only guidance shoppers can rely on is their own sense of direction.
In-store communication has definitely improved and each product is proof of Panasonic's extensive portfolio of digital and high-quality products. All products have standard pricing and basic information on a small tag but when it comes to determining the difference among the various products especially plasma, LCD TVs and TVs, shoppers are at a loss; something that should have been taken into consideration. Some kind of clear signage differentiating between the various kinds of screens available would have made a big difference especially when shoppers don't feel like asking for extra information or are simply curious about a product, with no purchasing intention.
Still, the screens are nicely coupled with other entertainment units like DVDs and stereos, something that unfortunately can't be said about the rest of the category adjacencies. The best example of strange category adjacencies is the hairdryers inside the home theater corner; an area mostly frequented by males. Better product placement within this area would be laptops, electric razors or even camcorders.
With so much time and effort put into improving the shopping experience, distinct zoning and a few clear signs here and there would have been an almost effortless step that would've truly upgraded the store and made it shopper-friendly by simply defining each category and pointing shoppers in the right direction.
As a general first impression, the renovated 1500 sq. ft. store has come a long way but there is still room for improvement. If the brand is to establish itself as the retailer of high-quality digital products in the region.
Some adjustments proved helpful, others not, but the end result is a baby step in the shopper-friendly direction, hopefully to be followed by intensive shopper research techniques and plan implementation. Once you get the hang of where things are, you can easily get what you're looking for a fact that, although very essential when searching for something specific, is not what upgrades the shopping experience from usual to pleasurable.
Antoine Karkour, founder and managing director, I-Level
© Gulf Marketing Review 2007
