Overview
Client: M&S
Duration: 5 weeks
Value: £617K
To improve the Cheltenham store for its customers, M&S extended retail space in the clothing department to accommodate new concessions and improve the layout, while refreshing the look of the whole store by adding digital screens, new signage and lighting fixtures. To bring the food hall up to date, M&S installed self-scan tills and refitted the bakery.
The Brief
This was a 5-week scheme that required the Sigma team to carry out a varied range of tasks across the clothing, home, beauty and food hall departments of the store, while keeping within budget and ensuring minimal disruption for customers and staff allowing the store to remain open.
Sigma’s expertise was required to maximise the available space in the store before commencing the remodelling. As part of the brief, Sigma applied the refresh format aesthetic, designed to uplift the store with an eye-catching appearance in keeping with the brand. At the same time, the remodelling required the installation of new concessions and modern technologies.
The Challenge
M&S Cheltenham is a large high street store and a prominent feature of Cheltenham town centre. As a busy outlet, it was important that the work being carried out caused as little disruption as possible to customers and staff. To ensure this could happen, a collaborative approach was adopted involving M&S and the Sigma teams involved in the project.
This made sure that all stakeholders were kept up to date about the planning and delivery of the project, enabling schedules to be coordinated in line with the store’s needs. As part of this, Sigma’s ‘just-in-time’ delivery methodology ensured that the equipment and fittings needed for the project arrived at the right time and as environmentally efficiently as possible. As a result, the fixtures did not take up valuable sales space, become a hazard for staff and customers, or get damaged while waiting for installation.
Pre-installation work
One of the aims of the project was to increase retail space at the store and improve the internal layout. In order for this to happen and before the installation of new features could commence, a soft strip out of the first floor was needed. This included the removal of the click and collect storeroom, as well as the till bank from the men’s clothing section, to create space for new concessions. To ensure that the store still had a sufficient number of checkouts to accommodate its customers, new tills were installed in an adjacent section.
Refreshed concessions
The remodelling at Cheltenham required brand updating of in-store concessions, including Per Una and Autograph. This involved the installation of new, illuminated signage for each brand which could be easily moved around if the store decided to modify its layout at a later date. Fixtures were also upgraded. In line with the brand identity of the concession.
Digital screens
M&S stores are known for their use of large images to promote their products, and this is a key feature of the company’s brand identity. Part of the Cheltenham project involved installing the latest digital screens technology in the home and clothing departments. These were located in prominent areas where they would have the greatest visibility and visual impact.
Improved signage
Prior to the project, the signage in the beauty department was not effective. Customers were having difficulty finding products and signs were not prominent enough to be noticed. To remedy this, new, visible, illuminated signs in keeping with the new aesthetic were added to the beauty department.
Food hall enhancements
Aside from the remodelling of the home, beauty and fashion departments, Sigma also carried out significant alterations in the food hall. The largest of which was the bakery. Sigma teams were responsible for tiling the walls, installing hygienic wall padding, laying new anti-slip flooring and erecting a new frontage, complete with new fixtures, lighting and signage.
To provide customers with more convenient ways to buy their groceries, the food hall upgrade also included the installation of self-scan tills at the checkouts.
Other areas that received modifications included the beer, wines, and spirits section by adding brick slips and illuminated signage above and behind the fixtures also the installation of a customised brand wall, a feature of all M&S stores. Created by the company, Flow Design, this was specifically made for the store and featured images synonymous to the local area, including the famous Cheltenham Racecourse.
Outcome
M&S now has a Cheltenham store that better meets the needs of its customers. Additional retail space has been created for the new concessions, and the store’s branding has been improved with the introduction of a new brand wall, digital screens, new lighting and signage. At the same time, modern self-scan checkouts have been added to the food hall and the bakery has been given a completely fresh look.
All work was completed on budget, with minimal disruption and within the agreed 5-week timescale.
M&S, for whom Sigma has completed two other projects in the past two years, is delighted at the outcome and with our project management, collaborative approach and the quality and effectiveness of our work. As a result, it has asked the company back to Cheltenham to install additional illuminated signage for its revised lighting scheme. At Sigma, we are proud of the success we have achieved in upgrading this important town centre M&S store and of the benefits this will bring for the company to M&S and its customers.