Enhancing Retail Experience for Pro Runners
Mision
To transform the in-store journey for pro runners by identifying friction points, elevating service quality, and designing practical, human-centred retail solutions.
Vision
To deliver a premium, insight-driven retail experience for runners. One that balances digital innovation with human expertise, fostering long-term trust and brand advocacy.
Industry
Retail
Size
Big Corp
Markets
EU
Timeline
4 Weeks
Team Member
1 Research / Strategist
Type of Project
External Collaboration
Need For Cange
To strengthen customer satisfaction and differentiate the brand, the company needed to redefine the retail journey for pro runners.
The goal was to create a store experience that combined expert advice, intuitive information, and efficient service, reducing friction while preserving the human connection that customers valued most.
Business Background
A global sports retailer sought to improve its in-store experience for pro runners, a segment with high expectations, deep product knowledge, and strong loyalty when the experience matches their needs.
The company wanted to understand the full spectrum of the in-store journey (how runners behave, what they value, and where friction emerges) through an extensive mix of qualitative and quantitative research.
The Company
As a leading retailer in the sports and footwear industry, the company operates in multiple markets, providing products across different customer profiles, from casual users to high-performance athletes.
To strengthen its leadership within the running category, it was crucial to elevate the retail experience, ensuring it was relevant, efficient, and emotionally engaging for professional runners.
Key Challenges
Operational Complexity: High customer flow during peak hours often led to chaotic situations, reducing perceived quality of service.
Limited Use of Digital Tools: In-store digital screens and devices were underused, as customers and staff alike trusted human interaction more.
Inconsistent Experience: The customer experience varied depending on team distribution, product availability, and store load.
Product Discovery & Guidance: Customers often struggled with basic information like sizing, colours, and technical features.
Team Coordination: Staff had to manage multiple priorities simultaneously (customer service, stockroom operations, and cross-selling) leading to variable service quality.
Lack of Emotional Differentiation: Price drove purchases for some customers, but loyalty stemmed from experience, not discounts.
Objectives
Understand both employee and customer perspectives to identify experience gaps.
Analyse in-store behaviour and emotional triggers that impact purchase decisions.
Validate hypotheses through quantitative data and direct observation.
Identify actionable opportunities to enhance customer experience and staff performance.
Propose innovative retail solutions combining physical and digital touchpoints.
Overcoming Obstacles
Peak-Time Overload: Created protocols to maintain customer focus even during rush periods.
Low Digital Adoption: Introduced the digital in-store experience, such as signage, floor stickers, and BIDI codes, to make digital content accessible without complexity.
Information Gaps: Proposed multi-layered communication (digital, physical, and human) to ensure product information is omnipresent.
Operational Resistance: Engaged and align store teams early, using real findings from interviews and shadowing to create ownership of the changes.
Lessons Learned
Digital tools alone do not enhance experience; human support remains critical.
Store flow and staff distribution impact on the perceived service quality.
Simplicity in communication is key to customer trust.
Layering information helps to improve the experience.
Impact
The research created a 360° view of the pro runner’s retail journey.
The insights clarified which elements of the experience truly drive satisfaction and loyalty, helping the company prioritise where to invest effort (from team enablement to digital integration) while improving customer confidence and purchase efficiency.
Results
Clear identification of operational and experiential friction points.
Definition of multiple in-store innovation concepts, such as pro-runner zones, product discovery displays, and instant recommendation systems.
Reinforced understanding that advice quality and try-on moments are decisive in converting customers.
Quantified customer preference for simple, visible information.
Conclusion
This research provided a clear roadmap to transform the retail experience for professional runners.
By combining quantitative rigour and qualitative empathy, the company gained actionable insights that link operational excellence with emotional engagement, turning every store visit into an opportunity to build loyalty through experience.
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