CONFERENCE REPORT
GARDENING – OUR NEW LIVING ROOM Shy tech
Karcher’s Christian May looked back at gardening and the role of gardens throughout the ages, from the Bourgeois, to the Second World War and right up to the present day. He discussed the 1960s when people wanted easy-to-care-for gardens, the revival in the 1980s, when people started gardening again and “mowed with pleasure and planted things”.
He says: “Today the garden is still very important”, adding that more than 40% of people in Germany have a garden, and half of them spend time there every day. “It is a living playground, a place for relaxation and for socialising. “They feature more than grass – there’s outdoor furniture, outdoor kitchens and comfortable dining areas. The division between outdoor and indoor is blurred. They are now an extension of our living room.” He believes young consumers are a new and important target group for
retailers in the garden sector and explains this customer and their habits further: “They live in more urban areas – they are looking for a way of slowing down and are using gardening for relaxation. There has been a real uptake in people using allotments.” With this customer in mind, Mr May identified the following key trends:
Progressive urbanisation Over half of the population are living in mega cities, with less space, no gardens and a hectic life. This number is set to increase so people are looking for tranquillity and there is a strong desire for relaxation. It blurs the boundary of cities and countryside. We are seeing urban farming in cities. There’s a disused London Underground tunnel where a team are growing crops.
These young people don’t want perfectly-trimmed hedges, they don’t like the symmetrical flowerbeds. It’s about organic veg growth, self-build sheds and wildflower meadows. They want to breathe new life into their allotment. Some can’t afford gardens and so have frequent trips to the countryside because they still need that peace and tranquillity.
GARDENING – THE FUTURE
Dr Sebastian Grundel looked at the role digital plays in the garden retail sector and how OBI has implemented this in its business – which includes 350 stores across Germany and 230 in Central and Eastern Europe – to enhance its customer’s experience. “Today customers mainly come to us because they desperately need something,” says Dr Grundel.
“This is not the joy or emotion that we need to trigger.” He explains that the traditional shopping process means these consumers start shopping single articles rather than on a project basis, which means buying choices are often based solely on price. “It’s difficult for retailers to establish a unique sales position (USP)”, he explains. “If it comes down to price we know there are much more convenient and easier ways to source these out there.” Looking at customer buying behaviour in the home improvement and
garden sector, Dr Grundel says: “71% of big box customers currently have a project in mind but they don’t spend their money with the big boxes. Customers realise between three and four projects a year but only 33% of DIY project spending is covered by big boxes.” He believes this is because consumers lack the know-how and confidence to put the project together and the big-box retailers aren’t providing enough support to change that perception. “Customers` wishes and thoughts are bigger. They think ‘I would like to
www.diyweek.net do this but I don’t know how’,” he says. OBI surveyed 60,000 consumers to better understand their habits.
According to the findings, 43% said they had no prior experience in building a terrace before trying it themselves, while 27% underestimated the costs for their garden project.” He also believes consumers find it hard to cut through the deluge of information out there to identify exactly what they need to reach their DIY goal. “There‘s too much information. People are left thinking ‘I don‘t know where to start, who to trust and how to come to decisions’. It’s that agony of choice – there is too much information.” In response to this need to inspire and support customers along the
journey, OBI launched its Garden Planner which helps customers plan their project using a 3D design tool, in-store consultation process that allows customers to touch, feel and compare materials and even the option to have OBI complete the project for them if they wish. “It inspires customers and enables them to design and build their project online, before tallying up a complete shopping list and even pricing up how much it would be to have OBI carry out the work.” He explains that 70% of steps in the project can then be realised by OBI’s do-it-for-me service. He tells delegates that the execution of this offer becomes key to ensuring the best possible customer experience, with the retailer now able providing a different consulting and sales process, more transparency and control about pricing and the offer execution, as well as an after-sales service. The new garden planning service has broadened OBI’s appeal and opened the door to new customers who had not previously bought from the retailer, as well as those with little or no DIY and garden skills.
29 SEPTEMBER 2017 DIY WEEK 11
Electrical devices adapt to people and their needs, not the other way around. Shy tech is intuitive and works quietly in the backgound. There’s a lot of existing hardware that needs new software. This alignment of hardware and software affects retail trade. Customers need excitement – they need to try it out and see how it works for them. Our task is to guide them through the whole purchasing process. The change from being a seller to being a service provider is coming rapidly – in some places it has already happened.
Sustainability From packaging through the entire supply chain and corporate image, the principles have to be applied everywhere. The value, the morals of the company are in the focus of the consumer. They are making decisions and they are very well informed. Companies who can’t address or manage this and who behave unethically will have a problem and come under pressure. Trust, reliability and respect are very important values now.
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