As part of an assignment for the MA Design, Strategy & Innovation at Brunel University - London, this Design Audit was conducted about Boots Pharmacy by:
Cristina Andrade - Eunsung Kim - Rui Lui - Sami Hmaidan - Jaeho Kim - Tanon Kowongprasert - Yi Fang -
Hui Li
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Boots Design Audit
Audit Process of Boots
WHY DID WE CHOOSE BOOTS?
Choose and research a brand
Boots is the leading pharmacy-led health and
beauty retailer in the UK.
We are interested in Boots as brand, but we Define the problems and
Area for analysis
have not had personal pleasant shopping
experiences. So we found, as a group, an
interesting opportunity to analyze Boots and Aim and Objectives (6 questions)
make a design audit that would enhance its
shopping experience.
Conducting research
We believe that design guidelines are needed (Primary & Secondary)
for Boots due to the large amount of services
they provide.
Analysis
Conclusion
(Recommendations)
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About Boots
Boots is Uk’s leading
Product/Benefit Mission
pharmacy-led health and
Pharmaceutical and Deliver products and
beauty retailer. Is a beauty products. services that help
consumers look and feel
member of Alliance Boots, Own product brands, better than they thought
an international Pharma- exclusive products possible
cy-led health and beauty
group. Positionning Vision
“LETS FEEL GOOD” To become the worlds
leading pharmacy-led
health and beauty retailer
Boots
Pharmacy led Styling Values
health and
Traditional Partnership
beauty retailer Trust
Service
Enterpeneurship
Simplicity
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Store Formats
STORE
FORMATS
Flagship Local Health & Airport
Stores Pharmacies Beauty
Widest range Healthcare Edge of town, Last minute
of products focused convenience needs, for
and services traveling con-
sumers
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Domains of Activity
7
Boots Web Hearing
MD Care
Domains
of Activity Opticians Pharmacy
Photo- Corporate
Insurance
processing Sales/Services
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Beauty-pharmaceutical
Market Overview
New innovative prescription Continuing price cuts on stablished
medicines will continue to be branded prescription medicines
developed
Increasing number of medicines More Healthcare services to be
will be available for retail purchase provided in the community
Consumer demand for beauty Branded pharmaceutical
products with proven manufacturers will seek further
pharmaceutical benefits control over their distribution
channels
Increasing proportion of Further consolidation of the
prescritpions to be lower cost pharmeceutical wholsaling and
generic medicines distribution sector
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Audit: AIM
To develop guidelines
that enhance the
shopping experience at
Boots retail stores from
a design perspective.
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Audit: Questions
1 4
How do the in-store customer How does the online
service contribute to the experience relate to the
shopping experience at Boots? in-store experience?
2 5
Does the current display of Is the shopping path easy to
products make it easy for follow at boots?
customers to find their needs?
3 Are the stores designed to
engage the users with the
5 senses? 6 How does the signage
contribute to the shopping
experience?
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Audit Area
In order to answer the 6 questions, the
conducted audit will cover 2 areas:
physical and design areas.
Display Design
Sensory Design
Interior Design
Graphic Design
Physical Design Resources:
Design Human, physical,
Corporate internal, external.
Environmental Design Guidelines
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Customer Survey
WHAT WE DID WHY?
Sample 12 People Customer survey allows
Location Oxford Street, London organizations to obtain customer
Questions 8 feedback which can help to
Rating 1 to 5 (5 being the best) increase customer retention, and
1. Does the interior design make you feel good? help companies decide on which
2. Does the atmosphere (smell & Sound) at Boots make you feel products or services need
comfortable to shop? improvement. VoVici
3. Is the shopping path and space comfortable to shop?
4. Are you satisfied with the staff’s attitude and presence?
5. Is the online website content helpful for you to shop in-store?
6. Are the products well displayed to let you find what you want?
7. Does the signage help you to find the product that you want?
8. Is the signage design and display recognizable and attractive?
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Mystery Shopping
WHAT WE DID
Stores Boots - The Chimes, Uxbridge
Boots - High Street, Uxbridge
Superdrug - High Street, Uxbridge
Rounds 2 Rounds
Mission
The myster shopper had to buy a cosmetic
product and qualify the shopping experience
based on a set of criteria.
WHY?
Mystery shopping reflects the customer’s
perspective when at Boots, it reveals the good
and the bad about the shopping experience.
“There is no better way to measure quality of
service than mystery shopping.” Jeremy, M. 2008
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Observation
WHAT WE DID WHY?
We spend a total of 10 hours in the store Observation allows us to study
adopting the role of customers to understand in people in their native
a comprehensive way the customer service and environment in order to
shopping experience. We bought several things understand things from their
in order to understand how the employees perspective. This tool permits us
relate to the customers through the checking out to gather evidence of the
experience. We watched customers approach shopping experience from
products and recorded our findings. While doing observing product display,
the observation we took pictures and videos. gathering information about how
the brand engages customers
through the 5 senses and
observing the signage and ad
design.
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Employee Interview
WHAT WE DID WHY?
We conducted an informal interview and asked An employee interview let us
seven questions related to six main questions: find out their awareness of
design issues and existing design
1. Do you have in-store customer service guidelines at Boots in an internal
guidelines? perspective.
2. Do you have display design guidelines for
customers to find their needs?
3. How do you manage the interior design
coherently?
4. Does Boots design the atmosphere (sound &
smell) to improve the customers’ shopping
experience?
5. How do you design the shopping path for
customers’ better shopping experience?
6. In what way do you think the signage design
contribute to the better shopping experience?
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1. Customer Service
T-shirt
Employees Suit (chrismas season)
Positives
In an interview with a store manager at Boots, she revealed that specific
guidelines to treat customers are adopted. In fact, these reflect in-store Security Cashier
Receptionist Assistant
because the customer survey shows a satisfaction with the overall
customer service. Uniform Suit
At Boots, employees’ uniforms are dependent on role, length of service
and season (retail-week.com). Based on observation, many employees
with different functions are well spread across the retail store. Specialist Manager
Two years ago only 45% of customers were “very satisfied” with the
Boots customer experience. It currently stands at 68%.
(Marketingweek.co.uk, 2011)
Negatives
The employees’ tags and uniforms are not clear enough to identify their
function. The uniforms in small scale outlets were confusing.
The red T-shirt with the Christmas theme, worn by assistants and cashier
attendants is very sporty and flagrant, it does not portray professional-
ism and trust.
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1. Customer Service
Uniforms Display design
Staff’s look, in terms of uniform design rated lower than Boot’s Pathway design Interior design
competitor Superdug. Based on customer survey, it also rated
3.25 / 5.
Staff’s look Smell
Behavior
According to the mystery shopping findings, employee
behavior is not consistent accross Boots outlets. Staff’s attitude Staff’s voice
Signage design Sound
Boots
Superdrug
Does the in-store customer service contribute
to the shopping experience at Boots? Based on survey:
The in-store customer service reflects the values of the brand in Customers rated Staff’s look
treating the customers positively and being well-present to (uniform attractiveness):
fulfill their needs. However, uniform designs are not completely
compliant with brand values, and employee behavior should be
consistent accross all branches.
3.25/5
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2. Display
Shelf Design
Unaccessible shelf design
Based on observation, Customers have to kneel down to reach products
on bottom shelves, distracting other shoppers' way
Competitor John Bell & Croyden Pharmacy: Good shelf design
At our visit to John Bell & Croyden Pharmacy in Oxford Street, we
discovered that the shelves is well designed: the shelves decrease in John Bell & Croyden
size from low bottom to top to allow customers can look and reach
products more easily.
BOOTS John Bell & Croyden Boots
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2. Display
Product Display
Mixed Product Display
One kind of product is distributed in several shelves because they put
other products between one kind of products to boost sale.
As a result, customers have to explore several shelves to choose one
from various products.
Boots: Superdrug
Mouthwash products of 14 brands were distributed on three Mouthwash products of 13 brands were
different shelves with other dental care products, it is not positioned on only one shelf without other
convenient for customers to find the products. kinds of products.
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2. Display
Product Display
Display according to product category
Beauty and cosmetic products are displayed according
to brands, whereas other products such as toiletteries
and medicines are displayed in a category base.
category based brand based display
display
Is the current display of products make it
easy for customers to find their needs?
Although customers assessed product display at
around 4 point, there were several problems that can
be improved by redesigning. In general, shelf design
and product display were not easy to find what cus-
tomers want, affecting their shopping experience.
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3. Five Senses
The floor and the shelves are never clean, especially in local store.
Artificail snowfall at the entrance attracts shopper
Touch
Music is used in the flagship
Light blue walls have relaxing
store in each floor, except for
effect for shoppers.
the second floor (pharmacy).
Thematic decoration is engaging. Sight Sound
The Christmas gift floor is mainly
in red colour that matches the
5
SENSES
No music used in local store.
Spoken promotions are
repetitive almost every 4
seasonal atmosphere.
minutes in the flagship store
and make customers feel
Taste Smell annoying.
Not used
No pleasant scent in the store, and
sometimes even smells bad
positive
negative
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3. Five Senses
John Bell & Croyden is a phamarcy good at five senses design in-store.
Through Observation,
A comparison between Boots and
John Bell & Groyden, a pharmacy
light colours in the Multitude of colored that uses the 5 senses effectively
Sight overall design, promotional signs in-store.
makes shoppers feel and colors, feels like Slow and smooth
at home. a supermarket music, reduce the Sight
arousal level and
Slow and smooth Christmas festive keep shopper
Sound longer in the store. Touch Sound
music music
Ebster, C. & Garaus, M., 2012
In store machine Bad smells in some
that produces a stores Pleasant scents
Smell vaporized pleasant makes shopper
Medicine smells in feel comfortable Taste Smell
smell some areas and also fits the
store type.
Wooden main Bad smells in some Ebster, C. & Garaus, M., 2012 Boots John Bell & Croyden
pathway and smooth stores
Touch carpet sub-pathways
that create different Medicine smells in
touch senses while some areas
walking
Taste None None
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3. Five Senses
“Store atmosphere: Communicating using the sense”
“Store atmosphere can be used to evoke pleasant moods.”
“It is the direct sensory impressions that make consumer
shopping experience come alive.”
Need to show consideration for both customers and store
employees.
(Ebster, C. & Garaus, M., 2012)
Are the stores designed to engage the users Scent Machine
with the 5 senses? at John Bell & Croyden
Based on the interview of the Boots manager (flagship store),
Boots itself tries to enhance customers’ shopping experience,
for example, it creates the Christmas atmosphere using music,
visual elements and artificial snowfall.
According to our observation, we find that sensory design is
engaging in Boots retail store, except the taste is not used. The
visual part is generally appropriate, but some problems lie in
annoying promotion audio, inconsistent music, unpleasant
smell and dirty floor and shelves. So needs to be strengthened. Floor touch - sensory experience
at John Bell & Croyden
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4. Online Offline
Based on observation and customer survey,
coherence online channel and in-store
experiences are related to each other and allow
convenient to customer but there are many
feedback show that webpage are too complex.
Advertising
Advertisement and promotions can be found in the website to promote
the in-store.
Triple points event is
advertised in store either
by visuals or by audio
announcements each 10
minutes
Christmas gifts promotion can be found in website.
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4. Online Offline
Customer can check products from online cata- The new Boots Christmas app provides
logue before go to the store. customer to manage their own gift set
and collect the gift in-store.
It allows new experience and convenient
to customers.
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4. Online Offline
From customer survey, it show that website
design has a low rate with only 2.90/5.00.
The reason from 80% are webpage is too
complex and difficult to reach the site. Thus,
from research show that there are only 7% of
customer that check the webpage before go
to the store.
How does the online experience relate to the Based on survey:
Website user-friendliness:
in-store experience?
Customers can reach products and promotions they 2.90/5
need before go to the store through the website and
a mobile application, so online & offline experiences
are coherent and conveninent. The website however
should be more user-friendly.
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5. Shopping Path
Positive
Good store layout
One main shopping path and several sub path-
ways
Negative
Through observation, we noted:
Pillars on the pathway obstruct the journey. Pathways obstructed by pillars
Pathway is too narrow and no more than three
persons fit comfortably.
Shopping paths are not guided by signage
The floor does not suggest a shopping pathway.
The mystery shoppers’ findings recorded that
the shopping paths at boots were very complex.
Complex shopping pathways
reported to find “cotton buds” at:
Boots - The Chimes, Uxbridge
Boots - High Street, Uxbridge
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5. Shopping Path
Marble is common for all Carpet is used to mark the Pathway material is selected
areas. Material is used entrance, while wood is used according to function: the main
Pathway indepedantly of pathway for the rest of the store. pathway is wooden,
sub-pathways are made of
function. carpet
Image
Is the shopping pathway easy to follow at boots?
The shopping path is not easy to follow because the
pathway is not well defined, shopping paths are not
guided by signage, and some pathways are narrow
while others are obstructed by pillars.
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6. Signage
Signage Types, Functions, Styles & Positions
Throughout our visit to Boots (flagship store), we documented the different types of signs and specified
their function, style and position.
Function Product Category
CATEGORY SIGN Style Baby Blue color - Typographic
(Hanging) Position Over the shelves
toiletteries
electric Function Product Category
CATEGORY SIGN Style Dark Blue on white - Typographic
(Side Wall) Position On side walls - top
pay here Function Store Guide
DIRECTIONAL SIGN
Style White on Dark Blue wall - Typographic
(Colored Walls) Position Cashier - Elevator
SUB 1 SUB 2 SUB 3 SUB 4
Function Sub Category
SHELF SIGN
Style Baby Blue color - Typographic
(Side View) Position On the side of the shelves - Floor 3
lotion
Function Mixed: 1. Product Sub-Category - 2.Promotional - 3.Product Brand
SHELF SIGN Style Mixed: 1. Dark Blue on baby blue - 2. Image - 3. Logo
(Front view) Position On top of shelves
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6. Signage
Function Promotional
SHELF VERTICALS Style Colored Images
Position Vertically on shelves
Function Promotional
CIELING SIGN Style Colored Images
Position Over Shleves - Cieling
Function Promotional
STAND ALONE Style Colored Images
BANNERS Position High-traffic Areas - Promotional Stands
SCAN HERE Function Loyalty Card Function
LOYALTY CARD Style Pink Wall
WALLS Position Next to Elevator
Function Loyalty Card Promotions
LOYALTY CARD Style Pink Color
SIGNS Position Over Shelves - Cieling
Function Promotional
PROMOTIONAL Style Colored Images
WALLS Position Side Walls
Function Promotional
PROMOTIONAL Style Colored Images
DECALS Position Escalators - Magnetic Detectors
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6. Signage
How does the signage contribute to the shopping experience?
Store Manager
"We believe it useful and helpful (the signage) but also have
consumers cannot find products. I think we can do better. "
Visual Clutter
The signage includes more than 12 different formats of signs
in store.
The signage is cluttered, and there is a visual dominance of
promotional signage over product category signs.
Signage has an overwhelming multitude of styles.
Promotional signs are colored and vary according to seasons
and sections, loyalty card signs are pink, category signs are
baby blue, while directional signs are dark blue.
Weak Presence of Category signs
Category signs are not very visible because of their subtle
design and presence in comparison with promotional ones.
Theming Visual Clutter
Christmas theming on the front facade is engaging.
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6. Signage
Competitor: John Bell & Croyden
John Bell & Croyden Pharmacy sets a great example for
signage that helps guide the customers through the store.
The signs are categorized in three formats: Vertical Banners
for main product categories, Horizontal Banners for Product
Sub-Categories and a third format for promotions.
Christmas Facade
How does the signage contribute to the
shopping experience?
Signage at Boots is problematic it doesn’t make it
easier for customers to find what they are looking
for. There too many formats and styles of signs, and
there is a dominance of promotional signs over
product category ones. Signage at John Bell & Croyden
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Findings
employees’ tags and Specific in-store Unaccessible Flexible ways of Complex website Coherence
uniforms do not reflect guidelines ensure shelf design display according to Seasonal offers
a clear function customer satisfaction Mixed product types of products on mobile App
Sporty and flagrant Employees with dif- display Customer satis-
theme T-shirt ferent functions are Poor lighting in faction with
well spread some shelves online channels
Customer Service Product Display Online & offline experience
SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Sensory Design Shopping Path Signage Design
No smell/ Bad smell Color Pillars obstruct Good store layout Wrong balance Christmas Theme
No use of taste Music pathway one main pathway between promotion Well customised
Dirty shelf and floor Thematic visual Narrow and several sub & product category Directional
annoying promotional elements Not guided by pathways Cluttered signage (cashier
audio signage Many formats and floor maps)
No shopping path Many signs are effective
suggestion on the Disturbing for shop
floor experience
Positive Negative
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SWOT Analysis
- customer can access to a ”Order online and - customers can not recognise and are confused
collect in store” service at all Boots stores about difference in uniforms that are classified
S W
by job positions
- Relate promotion and identity design in - Customers are satisfied with staff’s looks
website with those of off-line stores - Display design is uncomfortable
- Pathway is too narrow
- Convenient mobile application
- Too many kinds of signs and not visible
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES - Not consistent atmosphere design
- They can use the sesonal events and promotions - Superdrug’ s interior design and staff’s look
O T
are more trendy than boots
- Customer satisfaction is improving
- Customer loyalty & Existing customer base - Other retailers are providing more convenient
shopping experience
- Customer care in the heart of the business
- Value for money
Opportunities Threats
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Guidelines
1 Does the in-store customer service
improves the shopping experience
at boots?
- Make employee tags more visible to reflect
their functions.
- Change employee uniforms with the
assistanse of a designer in order to project
a clear distinction of employees in the floor.
2 Is the current display of products
make it easy for customer to find
their needs? (interior design)
- Shelves should be redesigned so that
customers can reach easily for products.
- All shelves should be lightened in every level
so that products can be seen from all heights.
- Unify product categories within shelves.
39. Intro Methodology Research & Analysis Conclusion Design Reseach
Guidelines
3 Are the stores designed to engage
the users with the 5 senses?
(sensory design)
- Eliminate the promotional audio
announcements in the stores.
- Create a fresh atmosphere inside the shops
by refreshing the air and creating a scent
that customers can identify with Boot’s
brand identity.
- Music must be a primary element to
enhance sensory experience, it should be
consistent in every Boots shop.
- The floor tiles are not in line with boots
identity, they should be changed for
cleaner and modern like tiles.
4 How does the online experience
relate to the in-store experience?
(online vs offline experience)
- Make in-store collection points for customers
who purchase their products online.
- Simplify the website and make it user-friendly.
40. Intro Methodology Research & Analysis Conclusion Design Reseach
Guidelines
5
- Use floor signs, colors or textures to guide
Is the shopping path easy to customers through a well defined shopping
follow at Boots outlets? path.
- Enhance the positioning of the shelves and
the design of pathways so they become less
narrow and allow customers to shop
comfortably.
6 How does the signage contribute
to the shopping experience?
- Reduce the number of sign formats and
redefine them according to function and
importance.
- Enhance the visibility and consistency of the
product category signs.
- Minimize the promotional signage inside
the store.
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