The Container Store Reveals First ‘Next Generation’ Store
The nation’s leading storage and organization retailer wants to make shopping a little more personal.
The Container Store has reimagined its flagship store in Dallas, recently unveiling a new architectural design, merchandising strategy, and digital resources to make it easier for customers to accomplish their storage and organization projects.
The Northwest Highway Next Gen Store was the first to receive an extensive makeover to reimagine the customer experience.
While additional space was not added to the 24,500-square-foot storefront, ceilings were lowered to make the store more inviting, rows of shelving were removed to improve sightlines, and new flooring, as well as enhanced lighting, were implemented to create a more approachable and comfortable environment. Merchandise was rearranged and separated out into specific departments (kitchen, office, storage, and closets) to make both the smallest and largest projects easier to imagine.
“One of the things we want to do is make our stores more approachable,” The Container Store’s chief marketing officer Melissa Collins said.
“We find customers feel overwhelmed and intimidated. They’re not very organized, so they’re thinking, ‘How do I get started?’”
The technology components in the store were finalized after many rounds of customer testing, which showed that customers’ most significant hurdle in beginning a project was feeling overwhelmed.
The store features 18 digital screens supporting customers as they shop, featuring everything from inspiration and tips to an interactive design tool and even a new proprietary digital experience called The Organization Studio.
The studio allows customers to upload a photo or video of their organizational challenge online, describe the problem, and set an in-store appointment to meet with a store organization expert.
“We know that countless retailers are building digital tools and using them to innovate the shopping experience but combining the human element with technology is when things get powerful,” said Val Richardson, vice president of real estate at The Container Store.
This redesign features custom closets as a real focal point with higher ceilings anchoring the Custom Closet Studio in the store, creating a destination where closet vignettes allow customers to visualize possibilities at every price point.
There are also interactive screens at the Custom Design Centers – a tool for the store team and the customers, showing more examples of “real” closet spaces for them to peruse.
In addition to the Custom Closets Studio, new merchandising is reflective of a real home kitchen or office space to allow shoppers to get a sense of how products might work in their own homes.
