OnQ, engineer and manufacturer of custom retail displays, and supermarket chain, Fred Meyer, have expanded their partnership to improve customer experiences throughout Fred Meyer’s network of retail stores across the western United States. The companies first worked together on what they describe as a “successful pilot deployment” at Fred Meyer’s “Store of the Future” in Happy Valley, OR. OnQ has updated the home electronics departments in 11 more Fred Meyer stores across the Pacific Northwest, with plans to update another six locations by the end of 2021.
Catherine Mosich, Director of Electronics at Kroger, said in a statement that OnQ has helped store management reimagine the consumer electronics department. She added: “We’ve noticed significant sales lift in these redesigned stores and we’re eager to deploy this new format in additional locations to replicate the shopping experience more broadly throughout the family of Fred Meyer stores.”
It is reported that Fred Meyer is experiencing roughly 92 percent sales lift in the home electronics departments compared to stores that haven’t yet converted to the new store design.
OnQ took a holistic approach to redesigning the entire home electronics department to unify the atmosphere of the entire department. Strong attention was given to applying a consistent design aesthetic throughout, as well as incorporating flexibility to adjust and to reconfigure displays easily as needed. This approach ensures a uniform look, while still allowing for the ability to update with minimal disruption.
The newly redesigned home electronics department blends freestanding tables, in-line displays and end caps that are “inviting” and easy for customers to navigate while comparing products side-by-side. In fact, OnQ actively manages quarterly product refreshes for all the involved brands.
To achieve the desired outcome, OnQ collaborated closely with Fred Meyer as well as consumer electronics manufacturers to ensure proper brand representation throughout. It ensured brands had “creative autonomy” while also keeping the consistency of design.
“Beautiful fixtures, impactful signage and pleasant LED lighting combine to create the balance and design consistency typically only found in high-end specialty retailers,” OnQ described in a statement.
Paul Chapuis, CEO of OnQ, said that the company is grateful Fred Meyer entrusted their home electronics redesign to OnQ. He added: “Together we aligned on a vision for the home electronics department, and our partners at Fred Meyer committed to that vision wholeheartedly and empowered us to create what we believe is the new standard for store-in-store shopping experiences.”
Stephanie is the Senior Managing Editor for Connected Design.
