Luxury Retail Management
Meng ZHANG
B00470981
2014.Mar.
Brand DNA
Gastronomy
Edible luxury
Sensation
Pleasure
Aesthetic and artistic
Revolutionary and Innovative
Pierre Hermé (Picasso of pastries)
Brand Codes
Macarons
Rose and raspberry
Yellow PH label
Nut-brown counters
Color bar
Foliage pattern bag
Brand OMNI retail channel
Brick & Mortar
- Pâtisserie
- Macarons & Chocolats.
Online Boutique
Mobile Apps
Social Media
Offline Retail Location
Eleven Sales outlets in Paris. 2 Pâtisserie and 9 Macarons & Chocolats.
(including 3 Sales points inside Galeries Lafayette and two sales outlets
accept pre-order pastries by telephone )
Offline Retail Saint Germain des Prés
The first Pierre Hermé pastry shop.
Opened in 2001 at Paris 6e Arr. (Saint
Germain des Prés)
Offline Retail
Unique outside windows changing due to the latest collection theme.
Providing pastries and cakes
Sufficient sales associates. (about 8 person serving in store)
Saint Germain des Prés
Fetish Infiniment Citron
Fetish Ispahan
Offline Retail Vaugirard
Opened in 2004 at Paris 15e Arr. Near to M4 line, Pasteur station.
Vibrant warm colors of inside decoration different with the net-brown color of other sales outlets.
Offline Retail Champs-Elysées
High traffic location (classic tourist site)
Macarons and chocolate are provided, but no pastries and cakes is served.
Offline Retail Store Decoration
Nut-brown acts as main color,
covering all the counters, shelves and
ceil. (except the pastry shop at Paris
15e Arr. which has bright light color
style and a ceiling with PH logo)
Colorful ribbon-look light box builds
a tasty and pleasant shopping
atmosphere.
Offline Retail Products and Packaging
For pastry store
- Behind the counter, there is another
counter specially for packaging
pastries. Each pastry will have an
according size container.
- All the purchased goods will be put
into the classic foliage-pattern bag
(except pastry shop in Vaugirard that I
visited, they are using the transparent
plastic bags) with napkins and high
quality plastic utensils in it.
Offline Retail Products and Packaging
For Macarons & Chocolats
- Customers can choose the package for
macarons and chocolates. There are gift
boxes of different sizes and designs for
those who buy macarons as gift for others.
- Also, there also little plastic bags for
customers without special request to
package.
- The design of boxes changed frequently,
sometimes Pierre Hermé will cooperate
with designers.
Offline Retail Visual Merchandising
After entering the pastry shop, customers are presented firstly with the
latest collection, then with classic pastry and macarons in glass counters.
Chocolates and other merchandises are displayed on the nut-brown color
shelves.
All the pastries are almost have the
same appearance concerning to the
size, decoration and aesthetic
feelings.
A round yellow label with PH logo
will be inserted in each pastry.
Offline Retail Staff Dressing Code
For Pastry stores:
- Black shirt with different colors
aprons.(yellow, lavender)
- Name tag on the left side
For Macarons & Chocolats
- Black shirts with name tag on the left side
All the female staff have to comb their
long-hair up
Having gloves on when picking products
for customers
Offline Retail Service Uniqueness
One-to-one service in pastry shop
-When entering the store, there will be one sales person helping
you during the entire purchasing process. (including english
service if request)
-The sales persons are equipped
with full knowledge of their
products (even with the allergic
ingredients.)
- Sales person even remind you
the best way to taste the pastries.
Offline Retail Service Uniqueness
Ritual of farewell in pastry shop
After packaging all the products
that customer purchased, staff will
walk out of the counter, and then,
hand the shopping bag to the
customer with one left-hand
carrying the handle and another
hand holding the bottom of the
bag, which is a very sincere way of
farewell.
Offline Retail Consistency of Brand DNA and Codes
The service is consistent with brand DNA and codes very well.
Customer can have a true premium experience during the entire
purchasing process
Customers can always get surprising sensation due to the frequent innovation of products. Moreover, you can truly feel the pleasure from your tongue by tasting the high quality products as well.
The decoration is with the sense of
design and consistency. (except the
pastry shop in Vaugirard )
Online Retail
http://www.pierreherme.com
Content - Merchandise categories
- Global boutique guiding
- Corporate sale
- Online ordering guide
- Delivery items
- Newsletter Subscription
- Partner links
- Recruiting information
- Terms and Conditions
Online Boutique
Online Retail
Background color is light-grey which is clean and relaxing.
Top left corner is the logo, the email subscription is below the logo.
Categories links (including shop online, boutiques, corporate sales and search engine) are displayed in top right corner under the person account information
All the promotion links in the home page are presented in artistic pictures
English and French version.
Online Boutique-Homepage
Online Retail
Searching for informations:
- Information of offline stores (including
location, opening time, contact, photos
and a brief introduction for each store. )
- The latest collection and promotion
activities.
- Newsletter subscription
- Product categories with detailed
description and tasty pictures.
Online Boutique-Main functions
Online Retail
Shopping online. After creating an
account customer can do:
- Proceed through checkout faster when
making a purchase. View past orders
- Check the status of orders
- Get recommendation of complimentary
products
- Store alternative addresses (for shipping to
multiple family members and friends.)
- Choose pick-up at store or delivery to
home.
Online Boutique-Main functions
Online Retail
The merchandises in online boutique are
consisted with macarons, chocolates,
pastries, viennoiseries, cakes, jams, cookies,
confectionary, ice cream, coffee and teas.
You can purchase candles and books from
Pierre Hermé as well. (Books ordered for
home delivery are signed by Pierre Hermé.)
Online Boutique-Merchandising
Online Retail Online Boutique-Services
The same-day delivery fee is expensive.
This service is available 7/7 (except the
days on which boutiques are closed).
Cutomers may select a delivery date
and hour on any day.
Online Retail Online Boutique-Services
For Corsica, Monaco, and other countries in
Europe, delivery times vary between 48 and
72 hours.
Delivery is free of charge for orders to
Metropolitan France and Monaco over 100€.
Online Retail Online Boutique-Services
The pick-up service (only in pastry shop
in Vaugirard ) is more convenience for
customers, avoiding waiting in line and
making sure the availability of the order.
But not all the products are fitted to this
pick-up services.
Online Retail Online Boutique
The online boutique is consistent with Brand codes, well designed and decorating with full of artistic pictures.
It gives customers an access to get to know the products in an easier and direct way.
But the delivery fee is quite expensive for most of the customers. However, the pick-up service is more practical for customers.
The books for sale satisfy the fantacy of gastronomy lovers as they can get signature from their idol, which strengthen the brand image.
Online Retail
Pierre Hermé has 2 mobile apps, one for
macarons and one for chocolates.
Users can do shopping, look for location
and opening time of brick & mortars and
get access to official website (online store)
by using apps
Users can use the same account created on
online store to log in.
Mobile Apps
Online Retail
The Macarons App
Mobile Apps
Online Retail
The Chocolates App
Mobile Apps
Online Retail
The apps keep the consistency of the
brand codes of aesthetic feeling and
premium style.
The offline-store locator function is user-
friendly for customers searching the
nearest store around them.
The choice of the merchandise for
purchasing is too limited.
No app for pastries, cakes and other
products
Single language version (French)
Mobile Apps
Online Retail
The account of Pierre Hermé Paris was created in April 2010, now has 107,347 likes, 5,972 talking about this , 11,787 were here.
Pierre Hermé Paris - London is another offical account in Facebook, founded in June 2011.
Online Retail
Online Retail
The content in Facebook include the promotion new collection and seasonal products (link to online store) , activities information and press releases and videos about the brand.
Each post will be attached with a selective picture and inviting words.
But some of the links enclosed cannot work.
Online Retail
Pierre Hermé Paris © London,Pierre Hermé Paris © Hong Kong and
Pierre Hermé Paris © Japan have
official twitter account, but Pierre
Hermé Paris © don’t have a twitter
page.
Assessment of OMNI channel
The mobile apps are close connected to the
online store in online sales, also act as a
locator for off-line shops
Social Media interact with customers, lead
them to search more information on official
website and maintain the aesthetic image of
the brand.
Online store is providing convenience for
customers with pick-up and delivery service.
Meanwhile the detailed introduction of
products give customer a better knowledge of
the products.
Assessment of OMNI channel
While the delivery fee and delivery time are limited, customers are intent to choose brick & mortar to purchase.
The different channels have connections between them, all the channel seems to encourage customers to visit offline store and experience the luxury of Pierre Hermé .But the connection still need to strengthen. For example, in social media field, Pierre Hermé only lay some importance in Facebook while in other social media are under-developed; and the lack of interaction with customers influence the engagement of customers.
Recommendations
Improving existing online store
- The design of the official website should
be improved every now and then. For example,
the font is too small to read and some links are misplaced
- The official website should provide the links to all the official social
network pages.
- Adding more contents about the brand foundation and stories of Pierre
Hermé.
- Using video to present products.
- Providing QR code for downloading the mobile apps. (Since most of
customers might not know the existence of mobile apps)
Recommendations
Extent online channels in social media
- Since Pierre Hermé put a lot importance into
the aesthetic aspect of the brand, it would be better to
create an account in image-sharing website (Pinterest or Instagram).
- Make good use of video-sharing website (YouTube) by making high-
quality video to introduce products in a much vivid way. More
importantly, Pierre Hermé can take advantage of the video sharing
platform to create a virus marketing campaign to improve brand
recognition and intensify brand image.
Recommendations
Providing dine-in services - Pierre Hermé could open few coffee or tea
houses where pastries and macarons can be served
with drinks. Also, Pierre Hermé can serve brunch or
afternoon-tea menu to customers, create a lifestyle to customers, then strengthen the engagement between Pierre Hermé and its customers.
- Strengthen the luxury image by providing premium in-house experience. (influence customer through decoration, facilities and staff.)
- Contribute to brand extension.
- Avoid damages to the appearance of pastries caused by shaking on the road, since macarons and cakes are fragile and easy to be damaged.