Exhibition, 13 - 19, DEC. 2019
Design Studio 42. @SNU
Design Studio 42. @SNU
Vu Vy Anh
Investigative Research
The research started with Observation Search at two big Korean retail stores, Emart and Homeplus. Then moved to focus on Emart only, includes Customer Interview and Emart Staff Interview.
Observation research - Location Focus
In these stores, the new and old products are being displayed in same location. The promotion time starts around 1 hour before closing time (Emart closes at 11pm, HomePlus closes at 12pm). The promotion program also change dramatically depending on the time remains. At the end of the day, all the products that can be sold tomorrow with full price will be moved (storage). The one that being left behind will have new price tag, and will stay in it own section (banana at banana section, pork at pork section, etc.)
Emart Staff Interview result
The interview with Mr. Lee Woo Ram (이우람), Manager from Veggies Department of Emart Seongsu (성수점), Seoul, gave me the better look at Emart Fresh Food management System and Food Department Organization Chart.
According to Mr. Lee, normally, there will be around 10-15% amount of fruits from his Emart branch being left to the second day. From that time, the staffs from each food sections can make the decision to start promotions. They can choose any type of promotions that they think will suit best to their products, just need to guaranteer 2 things. (1) Total Percentage of Sale Products must be under 50% and (2) keep the Good Revenue. After the 3rd day, the Products will be through away or sale to Food waste companies.
In Emart, the promotions will be decided by products’ professional staff from each sections (staffs with more than 10 year experience). Therefore, the “sale” products usually being displayed in its own section, seperated with other “sale” products.
Emart Customer Interview result
However, with the current system, customers found it’s hard to find the “sale” products. And 76% of them state that they do not know Emart has that sale system. 62% of the customer also prefers to have all sale products at 1 “sale” section.
Conclusion
The task now is to make the “Purchasing Making-decision Process” easier for the customers, when it comes to Sale Products. Many people do not know that appearance could not reflect the nuitrition that is contained in a food product. At the same time, with the study from the book Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely, we should give the customers easy comparisons to help them make the decision easier.
Giving too much information will confused the customers.
Giving them all same information from 2 choices, with only 1 or 2 different information will make the choices much easier.
Instead of letting the customers consider about the appearance and the nutrition of the Sale Product, give them more information (for example: same quality, same nutrition). Then now the choice is only between the 2 prices.
Final Proposal
The final proposal contains 2 main parts: making the Sale Section (named as Smart Buy) and Raising Awareness for the section.
SMART BUY Section
Smart Buy icon
With Emart Logo and Earth icon illustrates the effort of making the better environment. The name Smart Buy provides the sense of earning more benefits for the customers. To make the idea clearer, “For You and For The Environment” is the slogan, puts right under the “Smart Buy” icon. 3 stars on each sides of the icon reflects the equal benefit for customer and the environment.
Emart branding color is applied for this icon.
Smart Buy Section Design
DO
Happy, Fresh, Trustful
Bright colour-scheme, Trendy
Using illustration
Low cost
Happy, Fresh, Trustful
Bright colour-scheme, Trendy
Using illustration
Low cost
DO NOT
Sad, Old, Uncleared
Dark, Vintage
Using photograph
Complicated, High cost
Sad, Old, Uncleared
Dark, Vintage
Using photograph
Complicated, High cost
Emart stores have similar floor plan with Veggies and Fruits section near The Entrance, then Seafood, Meat and Ready-to-eat Products section. Smart Buy section will locates between fresh food sections and Normal product sections. The aim of this is to give customers a better view from all the fresh (unsale products) first. So that they can make a smart choice for themselves and the environment later.
Smart Buy section will have all Sale Products in Food category. With the icon of Smart Buy and detailed description.
Raising awareness
Smart Buy Eco Bag
Korean Government believes closing down free cardboard box packing stations will encourage more people to bring reusable grocery bags. Therefore, recycled cardboard boxes outside the cashier line of Emart will be removed, starting from 1 January 2020. Moving with the new rule, Smart Buy also provides the Eco shopping bag with jute material.
Smart Buy Eco bag is good for your health, and good for the environment as well.
Jute - Future Fibres
Known as the ‘golden fibre’ jute is one of the longest and most used natural fibre for various textile applications. Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen. Cultivating jute in crop rotations enriches the fertility of the soil for the next crop. Jute also does not generate toxic gases when burnt.
On the other hand, plastics are non-biodegradable and take approximately 400 years to decompose. It pollutes the environment and also poses a threat to animal habitation. Plastic affects human health and releases toxic gases like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic chemicals, and polycyclic organic matter. Burning plastic also releases heavy metals and toxic chemicals such as dioxin.
- Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations)
How to have a Smart Buy Eco bag?
Purchasing products from Smart Buy section, and you can collect “Eco Point” to exchange for Smart Buy Eco bag. Moreover, with those points, you can also exchange for cute Enamel Pin to decorate your bag, making the bag personalised only for you. There will be new collection for Smart Buy Enamel Pin so that the customers can keep collecting them through out the years.
Short Advertisement
In order to raise awareness for Emart Smart Buy section to at-location customers, this advertisement will be played on screens inside Emart, such as escalator and elevator area. Focusing on emotions, the ads is a storytelling of a “food product” journey, and we call it “The Apple Journey”. The Ads will concentrate on making the emotional connection between customers and Smart Buy products, helping to shift the feeling of buying “discount, unhealthy” products, to the feeling of “helping the environment”. So that the overall experience would be shifted from negative to positive.
The Apple Journey _ Ads storyboard
. Smart Buy . . For You and For the Environment .