SK & Us

Here is a video talking about a technology which made the shopping experience at Undiz more fun ! Technology is a nice way to entertain or make it more practical! Here is a machine called Undiz machine, only implemented in small spaces shops. However, this could represent a fun experience if we not only implement this in small spaces shops. This would represent a nice alternative to driving traffic in-store. 

Another option we thought of were, organizing events. For example, a pyjama party where you can test or use the products Undiz is selling. Wearing the nice fantasy pyjama. 

Usually, as a client, you appreciate being heard. If anything went wrong, you like to know that it will be changed or fixed. At least revised. Then it made more sense to directly ask the client when he leaves the shop to just evaluate his experience in the shop as something like we have seen in H&M for example. 

It is then, possible to revise the system in place or at least to make sure the client would come back because he knows this will be changed and would better meet his/her criteria for his next visit.

We have more options or ideas we submit the client, but we still need to decide which one would better fit for Undiz. 

Here are some slides to better explain what we are doing and where we head to! 

All of these questions were important to be asked because they drove our journey until now. We had to understand the issue and to look at the methods we would come up with to solve the problem or at least helping us to list a solutions’ proposition. 

The customer is the strong focus of our premium project. So we had to analyze who were the audience that Undiz targets and how to not only focus on them but try to widen the targeted customers to get 2 types of consumers (the ones buying with discount and the non-undiz customers) to be included in the aspirational target of our project, which is to drive traffic into the store as well as widen the customers to include more people and please them! 

Even if it’s not on sale!! You go there and buy because you feel good and luckily better afterwards. Your experience in a shop need to be the best ever that you still want to go there, tomorrow...

It can sometimes get to the limit of your budget, but you’re still excited to go at Undiz store because you always have nice and entertaining experience there! Yes , yes it’s going to be potentially possible, we, the SK&Us team, are working on this.

To understand the contextual setting, you need to know that after facing difficulties and misunderstanding throughout the process, we’ve agreed with the client to skype with her, because she is in Paris, once a week or at least every two weeks to discuss our moves and work that has been done. 

This Friday was then following our ritual, but we’ve faced technological difficulties, so our client called the cellphone of Mwansa while we (Rick, Jenny, Mwansa and Manon) were skyping so that we could hear and still discuss. Mwansa effectively lead the discussion and we jumped in the conversation. This meeting lasted an hour and a half, it was great regarding our achievement so far and we discussed the next steps we were going to take in the next few weeks. I am really eager to show you what we’ve gathered so far about potential solutions. We came up with new ideas, in complement with what we’ve done  and Alix helped us to go in the right direction depending on what she expects from us and what she wants from us.  

Now, first thing to do this week is to prescribe our survey online as well as in-store survey in Liège! This finally gets practical and real! 

2 weeks ago, we’ve come across the mid-term presentation and its preparation. It has not been easy to put the presentation together, we had to think about the whole process, but it was truly useful to put words on what we’ve accomplished. We’ve told to other premium students, our journey. This was also rewarding to learn how to present with a Pecha Kucha style. The Premium program has taught us how to surpass our boundaries. We did not win the price for the best Pecha Kucha presentation but as we say, the most important thing is to participate. 

Mwansa could not be there however, she was definitely in our heart and had a real input during the preparation of the presentatio. 

We’ve worked beforehand and practice for the Pecha Kucha presentation which is actually very complex! It was a bit stressful to actually present in front of the other gpremium groups. But it is definitely good practice for presentation skills. 

Here we are, it was presentation time! It went pretty well even though the stress was at its most! We have simply told everyone, what our project consisted of and how we’ve handled it so far and what are our next steps for the next two months.

The Guardian is one example among many others newspapers which tackles the consumption and the model of it. 

First exercise: Build the most beautiful castle with marshmallows and woodsticks without talking was the first task we had to accomplish in 1 minute. After eating some of the marshmallows, here is what it looks like after this silent interaction! 

Then we had the opportunity to learn more about each other.  We even drew a quadrant after keeping in mind the different qualities each member has. Furthermore, it was a really honest session. The strength of our team is the openness, but too much openness can lead to vulnerability. Moreover, assertiveness is desirable, however, again, too much of that leads to rigidity. 

The session ended when our mascot has been drawn. 

WORK IN PROGRESS. 

For choosing a fashion retailer, it is not always easy, we all have different definition and criteria therefore, the first thing to do is to establish criteria !

This process involves discussion, negotiations, and compromise, it is not always easy when we’re not from a similar background. Communication helps as well as being open-minded and listening to what each other has to say. 

This illustrates well the brainstorming process we’ve been through. Comparing this to our own experience while shopping. When compared to the requirements given at the beginning, we agreed on a top 3: 

1) 

2) 

3) 

The Project

In this past few years economic context, many of our retailer customers have increased their promotional activities to sustain sales. They are now faced with a promotion-driven sales model that they have trouble getting out of, while the impact of each individual promotion is decreasing over time as consumer behaviors evolve: Consumers are increasingly accustomed to promotions, and simply wait for the next good deal to land before buying. In the meantime, some retailers tend to increase their shelf prices to protect their income, damaging their price image and setting the stage for a dangerous spiral. Some retailers with a mail order history offer across-the-board -50% discounts including in their brick-and-mortar shops, resulting in sky-high shelf prices that never apply.

Instructions given from Simon Kucher & Partners, here is what they would like:

* Please focus on fashion industry, and select one particular company to advise as it will make things easier. * In that sense, this company is the end client, and Simon-Kucher is Premium’s client. * Ready-to-wear fashion industry, and a “Target retailer” (end client) with both online store and brick-and-mortar shops, with an active promotions policy. You might want to work with a retailer you know, whose size is significant enough in terms of number of shops

* The question is more around a retailer that would be doing both public promotions (available to anyone instore) and private promotions, i.e. an offer sent personally to a customer enlisted in the CRM, by email or paper or SMS or whatever to trigger a visit. Private promotions are even more important than public ones, as these are the ones that retailers rely massively on to trigger a visit to the store, and those that would be most precious finding a replacement for.

To start this great journey of 5 months, the mix ‘nd match event was a great opportunity for the 4 team members of our team to be chosen to work on the Simon Kucher and Partners project! A ground to start would be a quick presentation of us to have a better sense of who we are and where we are from. 

Jennifer Brückner, (SBE) IB Strategic Marketing

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”

Jenny is a 24 years old German lady. She talks different languages such as  German, English, Hungarian, Romanian, French, Spanish. She also experienced living abroad in several countries, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands and Canada. She studies at Maastricht University a B.Sc. in International Business, Major Organizations. Right now, Jenny is currently doing a double degree, MIB at Queen’s University (Canada) and M.Sc. in Strategic Marketing at Maastricht University. 

Though she does not only study, her interests are also something which drives her and motivates her, for example when she plays tennis, volleyball, piano or listens to music and finally when she travels. 

Manon Pandin, (FASoS) European Studies on Society, Science and Technology

“Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Manon is a 22 years old Belgian lady. She spent a year abroad in Houston (Texas) doing a second-senior year there. This experience taught her a lot about interculturality and acquire independence. Therefore, when she came back from this stay abroad, she did her bachelor at Université Libre de Bruxelles in Sociology and Anthropology. Right now, she is doing a master at Maastricht Univesity in European Studies on Society, Science and Technology. She speaks French, English and Dutch and traveled in the USA, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Scotland, the Netherlands, Switzerland. 

The source of her energy and motivation are her family, close friends and of course some challenges! She enjoys traveling all over the world, doing sports such as badminton and swimming. 

Mwansa Phiri, (FHS) Public Policy & Human Development

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.”

Mwansa is a 26 years old British lady. She did a bachelor (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She is also a globe-trotter, she visited several countries such as  Zambia, Nigeria, China, Peru, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, USA. On another note, she lived in London, York and Maastricht. Right now, she is currently studying a double MSc in Public Policy and Human Development at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht Graduate School of Governance.

Besides her studies, she is really interested in activities such as travelling, watching movies, knitting, reading.

Rick Verhagen, (SBE) IB, Finance

“Everybody dies, but not everybody lives.”

Rick is a 26 years old Dutchman.  Born and raised in Holland, lived in Spain, the United Kingdom and Peru, traveled to over 40 countries. He speaks Dutch, English, Spanish and German. Rick did his Bachelor degree in International Business Management at Arnhem Business School and a Bachelor degree in Finance & Accounting at the De Montfort University in Leicester. This year, he started his Master degree in International Business Management track: Finance.