10-11-2021 published in fashion magazine

The Dutch textile discount store Zeeman is testing the new store concept in four locations, which will be more suitable for the current brand positioning. The first pilot store opened in Ermelo on Wednesday morning, followed by three other branches in the Netherlands and Belgium.

“The Zeeman brand has recently undergone a considerable transformation, and we hope to better reflect this through our store,” said CEO Erik-Jan Mares and marketing director Caroline van Turennout when they visited the pilot store. "Our existing customers should still feel at home here, but we also want to better serve our new customers." However, we were told not to call it an "upgrade": the retailer insisted on its low prices position. "I would call it a fresh discount store," Mares explained.

Bright and warm lighting and white furniture immediately make the shop spacious and convenient. The popularity of yellow sets the tone: red will disappear from all store communications-except for clearance sales and specials, but these are rare in Seman, because the chains insist on low-price strategies every day.

Permanent collections (accounting for one-fifth of the category in the reference quantity, but twice the turnover) are located around the store. Zeeman is replacing the familiar yellow panels hanging from the ceiling with sleek black and white illustrations that indicate various departments to make browsing the store easier. Customers can now easily find basic models, baby and children's clothing, socks, underwear and home textiles. "You can see what you need from the entrance of the store."

Shoppers will find a variety of goods at the entrance and in the center of the store floor. The furniture selected by Zeeman can provide more variation in the display, in addition to the regular trays, there are also hangers, shelves and gondolas. As a result, customers have the impression that the store has become more spacious and expanded, but this is not the case. "Customers can now discover products they might have overlooked before," Mares believes. This is also an improvement to the employees: the new furniture is more ergonomic and more creative when displayed.

The checkout area has been revised: it is suitable for wheelchair users and is more service-oriented. The eye-catching yellow cabinet behind the cash register is designed to prepare packages coming in from the online store. By the middle of 2022, Seman hopes to be ready for the launch of click-and-pick.

Sustainability is a compelling concern. For example, Zeeman reduced the use of plastic in stores and replaced it with cardboard. Customers can also find sustainable information on clothing: sustainable cotton occupies a more prominent position in the classification. "We were recently selected by ABN AMRO Bank as the'Sustainable Retailer of the Year' and we are very proud of this," said Mares.

Zeeman will initially launch this concept 3.0 in four stores: Helmond will follow up on November 16 after opening today in Ermelo; Antwerp and Ulster will both open on November 24. If the feedback from customers and employees on the new concept is positive, the subsequent opening, relocation and renovation will also be carried out using the new concept. "We need three to four months to properly evaluate this. We have not yet set a turnover target: most importantly, we want to consider the ideas of our customers and employees."

Zeeman builds and renovates approximately one hundred stores in Europe each year. Among the approximately 1,300 stores in the chain, 754 currently follow the 2.0 store concept, with unique yellow panels, blue fonts and light gray floors. There are also 524 stores with old designs with blue panels.

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