Sinnovative#–#Retail#2020#Almere

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Sinnovative#–#Retail#2020#Almere#
A.#Krause,#F.#Maulana,#A.#de#Reus,#C.#Silva#&#N.#Tempelaars#
Project#2.1#A#24#Oct#2014#
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Table#of#Contents!!
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Introduction#and#Foreword ................................................................................................ 3!
Project#Team ..................................................................................................................... 4!
Concept#–#Background#Information.................................................................................... 5!
A"brief"and"clear"outline"of"the"problem ............................................................................... 5!
A"brief"and"clear"outline"of"a"future"scenario........................................................................ 6!
Vision .................................................................................................................................... 7!
A"short"and"clear"description"of"strategic"choices ................................................................ 8!
A#representation#of#the#target#group#in#the#form#of#a#Persona ........................................... 9!
The#concept ..................................................................................................................... 10!
Concept:"sustainable........................................................................................................... 11!
Concept:"family"focused...................................................................................................... 13!
Concept:"technology ........................................................................................................... 16!
Concept:"art"exterior ........................................................................................................... 18!
Storytelling: ..................................................................................................................... 20!
Experience"tools .................................................................................................................. 23!
Offline#and#Online#Channel#–#Promotional#Mix ................................................................ 24!
The"Multiverse .................................................................................................................... 25!
“OMNIYOU"Application"for"smartphone"devices”............................................................... 25!
Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 27!
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Introduction#and#Foreword##
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Retail! shopping! is! the! selling! of! goods! and! services! through! physical! store! and! online! to! a!
diverse! market! of! consumers.! Nowadays! the! growing! number! of! online! shopping! has! a!
tremendous! impact! on! the! consumer! shopping! behavior.! Because! of! this,! many! physical!
stores! are! facing! problems! since! consumers! are! now! buying! certain! goods! through! online!
shopping.! Well>known! brands! and! chains! stores! are! adjusting! the! demand! of! e>commerce.!
Furthermore,! consumers! are! seeking! for! an! experience! when! they! are! making! these!
purchases.!!
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Almere!is!a!newly!developed!city!in!the!province!of!Flevoland,!Netherlands.!It!had!its!pioneer!
inhabitants!from!1975! and!before!that!Almere!was!an!area!of!water.!Currently,!the!city!of!
Almere!is!facing!a!problem!with!its!retailing!industry!since!there!are!two!retail!areas,!which!
are! the! new! shopping! district! developed! by! two! French! investor! UniBail! Rodamco! and!
Klepierre! and! the! old! shopping! area! with! a! Dutch! investor,! Corió! Group.! There! is! a! visible!
difference!between!the!two!areas!since!the!French!investors!are!aiming!to!serve!five!stars!
hospitality! and! services! while! on! the! other! hand! the! Dutch! investor! are! building! the! retail!
area!for!a!functional!purpose!with!minimal!services.!!
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Furthermore,! since! Almere! is! located! 20! minutes! away! from! Amsterdam,! its! inhabitants!
prefer! to! shop! in! Amsterdam! due! to! higher! diversity! in! brands! and! better! shopping!
experience.! The! task! for! project! group! Sinnovative! of! Leisure! Management! Inholland!
Diemen! was! to! get! better! insights! in! various! macro! and! meso! level! trends! to! be! able! to!
develop! a! concept,! which! can! be,! deliver! to! the! commissioning! clients! that! are! Urban!
Solution!and!Nederlandse!Raad!van!Winkelcentra!(NRW).!
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The!goal!of!this!report!is!to!advise!the!commissioning!clients!of!a!possible!concept!that!can!
be! implemented! for! the! city! of! Almere.! The! project! group! Sinnovative! has! conducted! in>
depth! desk! research! and! field! research! in! Almere! and! Amsterdam! to! make! a! comparison.!
Furthermore,!the!report!contains!a!target!group!analysis!and!consumer!values!to!understand!
and!focus!on!the!concept!to!a!particular!segmented!market.!In!addition,!the!group!adds!in!a!
description! of! “customer! journey”! that! illustrates! of! how! will! the! target! group! experience!
the!new!retail!concept!of!Almere.!!
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To! conclude,! Sinnovative! intend! that! this! report! will! be! beneficial! for! the! commissioning!
client!to!get!another!perspective!of!how!to!create!a!prominent!shopping!experience!that!are!
efficient,!feasible!and!profitable!for!the!inhabitants!of!Almere!as!well!as!the!investors.!!
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Project#Team#
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Firly!Maulana!
Project!Leader!!
521743!
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Annabella!de!Reus!
Communicator!
537869!
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Alina!Krause!!
Project!Secretary!!
536499!
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Christelle!Silva!
Project!Planner!
523625!
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Niels!Tempelaars!
Project!Archivist!!
525984!
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Concept#–#Background#Information##
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A#brief#and#clear#outline#of#the#problem#
The!commissioning!client,!Urban!Solutions!is!a!city!and!shopping!centre!marketing!specialist,!
which! has! approached! the! Leisure! Management! students! of! the! Hogeschool! Inholland,! in!
order! to! come! up! with! an! innovative! concept! for! the! city! center! of! Almere! since! they! are!
facing!several!issues.!Although!shopping!remains!popular!leisure!activity!among!consumers!
(Inholland),!the!other!hand,!increasingly!more!retail!premises!are!being!vacated.!Consumers!
are!purchasing!more!and!more!online!(Inholland).!!
Almere!is!a!relatively!new!city!which!had!its!first!inhabitant!in!1975.!Because!of!the!recent!
formation,!Almere!is!famous!for!its!known!architecture.!On!the!other!hand,!Almere!has!no!
history!and!therefore!lacks!in!first!position!in!social!relationship,!atmosphere!and!coziness.!
This!is!why!the!city!marketing!department!of!Almere!has!approached!new!ways!in!order!to!
make!Almere!more!attractive!for!the!Dutch!population.!!
Obviously! there! has! been! also! a! big! demographical! shift! among! the! Dutch! population.! By!
2006,!the!majority!of!people!on!earth!will!live!in!urban!centres!–!the!number!of!megacities,!
defined!as!urban!centres!of!10!million!or!more,!is!projected!to!grow!to!26!in!2015!(Solomon,!
Askegaard!and!Bamossy).!This!means!that!most!of!the!consumers!go!do!their!shopping!into!
the!big!cities!whereby!all!facilities!can!be!found!on!one!place.!Almere!is!a!suburb!and!only!
located! 20! minutes! away! from! Amsterdam.! In! fact,! 30! %! of! the! inhabitants! of! Almere! are!
from! Amsterdam,! since! the! prices! for! living! are! constantly! increasing.! But! still! this! doesn’t!
explain!the!fact!why!the!inhabitants!of!Almere!spend!most!of!their!leisure!time!outside!of!
Almere,!meaning!the!big!cities!of!the!Netherlands.!Almere!has!a!new!and!modern!shopping!
district,!which!still!remains!empty.!The!crucial!question!is,!what!has!to!be!undertaken!so!that!
the!own!inhabitants!of!Almere!stay!in!their!area!of!Flevoland,!specifically!Almere?!!!
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This!can!be!associated!with!the!fact!that!in!our!recent!economy!has!been!a!shift!from!service!
economy! to! experience! economy.! A! process! of! dematerialization! has! begun! in! which! the!
consumer!values!the!experience!more!than!the!possession!of!the!product!from!the!market!
offering.!In!addition,!firms!to!differentiate!their!offers,!beyond!simply!making!and!delivering!
services,! they! are! creating! and! managing! customer! experiences! with! their! products! or!
company! (Kotler,! Armstrong! and! Wong).! As! a! consequence,! Almere! lacks! in! offering!
experiences.!A!city!like!Amsterdam!attracts!their!consumer!through!an!experience!of!culture!
and!history!combining!it!with!leisure.!!
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In!addition,!has!the!VVV!Almere!Tourist!information!informed!about!the!fact,!that!Almere’s!
new!shopping!district!is!organized!in!a!well!structured!manner.!In!other!words,!the!shopping!
district!is!categorized!in!different!facility!sections.!The!restaurants!can!be!finding!all!on!one!
spot! while! the! shops! are! on! a! different! spot.! This! may! appear! to! be! well! structured,! but!
could! result! for! the! daily! consumer! as! unusual! since! in! the! big! cities! there! is! a! big! mix! of!
shops,! facilities,! leisure! and! culture.! As! a! consequence,! it’s! deducted! that! the! problem! of!
Almere! is,! that! it’s! too! structured.! Customers! who! take! a! journey! out! to! Amsterdam! find!
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themselves! doing! shopping! first,! and! are! being! seduced! by! some! fries! right! next! door.! In!
Almere!this!mix!of!functions!is!not!presented.!
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Lastly,! digitalization! has! made! its! way! to! the! consumer.! Cash! is! being! substituted! by!
electronically!payments!and!Smartphones!and!Apps!play!an!important!role!in!the!everyday!
life.!But!also,!has!the!revolution!of!the!internet!brought!up!that!the!consumer,!after!he!or!
she! has! recognized! the! need! of! a! certain! product! or! service,! he! or! she! usually! starts! the!
customer!journey!on!the!Internet.!With!the!Internet!online!shopping!was!born!and!now!it’s!
impossible! to! image! a! word! without! a! business! being! active! on! both! online! and! offline!
channels.! Because! of! that,! the! commissioning! client! wants! to! know! how! to! make! various!
offline! and! online! channels! available.! The! answer! can! be! found! by! adding! experience! and!
more!effectively!matching!the!needs!of!the!consumer!(Inholland).!
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To!conclude,!the!retail!industry!is!experiencing!difficult!times!(Inholland).!But!nevertheless,!
Almere!is!willing!to!adapt!to!the!constant!changing!and!complex!environment.!
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A#brief#and#clear#outline#of#a#future#scenario##
Sinnovative! is! concerned! about! the! fact! that! the! target! group! of! Almere! is! not! as!
technologically!advanced!as!other!big!cities!in!the!Netherlands.!Still!Sinnovative!believes!that!
until!2020!Almere!will!have!made!a!huge!progress!in!the!field!of!technology,!not!only!will!the!
target! group! be! up>to>date,! added! to! this,! the! city! will! have! been! gone! through! a!
technological!improvement!and!be!by!then!the!most!modern!city!of!the!Netherlands.!As!the!
project! is! focused! on! the! field! of! retail,! the! driving! force! will! therefore! be! related! to!
shopping.!But!still,!this!driving!force!is!very!unpredictable!but!has!a!high!impact!on!Almere!as!
well! as! the! work! of! Sinnovative.! As! a! consequence,! the! chosen! force! is:! increase! and!
decrease!in!e>commerce.!
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Besides,!the!e>commerce!had!a!huge!success!because!the!internet!revolution!has!produced!
that! many! consumers! start! shopping! online.! This! is! caused! because! online! shopping! is!
comfortable,! easy! and! sometimes! even! cheaper! because! the! costs! are! less! than! a! physical!
store.! And! nowadays! the! recession! has! caused! many! consumers! to! cut! down! on! costs.!
Although!the!Netherlands!finds!itself!in!a!stabile!healing!process,!it’s!still!very!unpredictable!
what! will! financially! wise! happen.! Therefore! the! chosen! driving! force! is:! increase! and!
decrease!in!e>commerce.!
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DECREASE#IN#EACOMMERCE#+#INCREASE#IN#WEALTH:!the#experience#factor#!
On! the! first! square,! it’s! displayed! that! online! shopping! will! become! less! and! the! consumer!
will! value! the! direct! contact! with! the! physical! store.! In! addition,! there! will! be! more! shops!
available! because! of! the! increase! in! wealth,! which! will! accelerate! demand! and! offering.!
Furthermore,! e>commerce! sales! were! just! 6.4! percent! of! total! retail! sales! for! the! second!
quarter! of! this! year,! according! to! the!U.S.! Department! of! Commerce,! up! from! just! 5.8!
percent!the!same!period!2013!(Heller).!In!other!words,!the!consumer!will!start!his!costumer!
journey!in!a!shop!rather!than!online.!This!can!also!be!explained!because!it’s!easier!to!create!
an! experience! at! a! physical! shop! than! creating! a! flow! throughout! a! complete! online!
experience.!Added!to!this,!shopping!has!become!a!more!social!activity.!The!consumer!enjoys!
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a!beer!after!he’s!done!with!his!functional!shopping!or!the!family!enjoys!a!dinner!out!after!a!
long!day!of!purchasing!cloth!for!the!kids.!Lastly,!the!increase!in!wealth!boosts!the!client!to!
demand!for!higher!quality!in!exchange!for!a!higher!price.!#
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INCREASE#IN#EACOMMERCE#+#INCREASE#IN#WEALTH:!the#digital#super#consumer!
Co>creation! will! develop! mass! customisation! for! many! targeted! consumers.! The! consumer!
starts!his!costumer!journey!usually!on!the!internet!since!most!of!the!sales!happen!on!cross!
channel!commerce.!This!means,!that!the!consumer!recognizes!a!need!but!consults!first!the!
offers!on!the!internet!before!starting!his!way!to!the!shop.!In!many!cases!he!also!opts!for!the!
version! to! having! delivered! the! product! at! home! since! glocalisation! is! ever! greater!
expanding.!Added!to!this,!the!consumer!is!willing!to!spend!more!money!on!a!higher!quality!
product!because!wealth!increases.!Besides,!the!client!wants!a!sense!of!exclusiveness!added!
to! the! products! or! services,! whereby! co>creation! enters! again.! In! conclusion,! the! phone!
wallet! becomes! an! easy! purchase! trap! for! many! consumers! but! added! to! the! mass!
customization,!but!yet!the!customer!satisfaction!remains!high.!!
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DECREASE#IN#WEALTH#+#DECREASE#IN#EACOMMERCE:#the#precision#shopping!
In! times! of! crisis,! retailers! have! to! make! constant! improvements! on! their! customer!
relationship! management! to! maintain! trust! among! the! consumers.! The! decrease! in! wealth!
causes! that! money! isn’t! loosely! spent! and! the! purchases! are! rather! on! necessities! than!
luxurious!goods.!Added!to!this,!the!decision>making!process!has!become!more!complex.!!The!
decisions! are! made! more! together! as! family! and! are! also! done! on! a! more! local! scale.! For!
example,! the! need! of! buying! food! is! inevitable.! The! consumer! wouldn’t! survive! without!
food,! therefore! it’s! a! necessity.! But! on! the! other! hand,! quality! plays! a! less! important! role.!
The!consumer!enters!in!a!local!supermarket!or!buys!food!directly!on!the!market.!Hereby!the!
negotiation! also! can! benefit! the! consumer.! Customer! relationship! management! again,! is!
becoming! increasing! importantly! since! the! remaining! consumers! are! easier! to! reach! than!
new!clients.#
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INCREASE#IN#EACOMMERCE#+#DECREASE#IN#WEALTH:#the#easy#click!
Since! the! e>commerce! increases! a! lot! of! business! will! focus! on! selling! online! since! it! saves!
large!amounts!of!fixed!costs.!In!addition,!will!a!lot!of!imitations!be!available!in!the!market.!
This!will!make!the!consumer!be!actively!purchasing!for!the!constant!cheapest!price.!Physical!
shops!will!become!increasingly!vacant!and!at!the!same!time!unemployment!will!continue!to!
grow.!Nevertheless,!the!retail!sector!will!have!to!manage!good!their!customer!relationship!
management!if!they!want!to!keep!up!the!business.!
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Vision#
In! order! to! come! up! with! the! right! vision! we! deliberately! use! different! elements! of!
brainstorming!and!multiple!brainstorming!sessions.!At!first!we!did!the!vision!by!handling!it!
to!one!person!of!the!group,!eventually!it!did!not!went!very!well!since!the!focus!was!more!
towards! the! city! center! itself! and! not! to! improve! retail! shopping! experience.! Problem!
analysis! has! significant! importance! towards! a! well>done! vision;! therefore! our! focus! was!
more!towards!finding!the!right!problem!rather!than!focusing!in!finding!the!right!vision.!After!
problem!analysis!was!made!clearly,!we!derived!an!outcome!for!the!vision!and!mission.!!
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“Almere"city,"the"shopping"experience"of"tomorrow”"
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Consequently,! our! vision! was! focused! on! retail! shopping! experience,! because! that! is! the!
main!aspect!that!Almere!actually!wants!to!improve.!It!is!also!to!make!the!shopping!center!
attractive!and!therefore!make!the!residence!of!Almere!interested!in!spending!more!time!in!
the!city!center.!This!was!a!clear!vision!for!the!commissioning!client!since!we!make!it!simple!
and! understandable.! The! way! in! which! we! derived! the! final! outcome! of! the! vision! was! by!
using!Diverge>Converge!Method.!This!method!was!applied!during!the!brainstorming!session,!
and!ideas!were!also!given!by!the!fourth!year!students!to!come!up!with!the!final!outcome.!
The!divergent!session!was!all!about!giving!ideas,!no!matter!how!ridiculous!it!was,!therefore!
from!that!on!as!a!whole!we!chose!which!one!suits!the!problem!that!we!are!currently!facing.!
The!driving!forces!that!we!chose!for!Scenario!Method,!made!the!vision!more!visible!because!
it!suits!our!problem!and!future!scenario!that!might!arise.!By!having!the!suitable!vision,!we!
then!see!feasibility!of!the!vision!and!therefore!mission!was!made!based!upon!the!vision.!Our!
mission!is!stated!as!follow:!
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“By"2020"the"shopping"district"of"Almere"will"be"transformed"into"an"artistic,"colorful,"and"
sustainable"community”"
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This! mission! in! this! case! was! derived! partially! by! the! feedback! we! received! from! the!
consultant/dragon’s!den.!The!feedback!made!us!think!clearly!that!the!concept!should!not!be!
complicated! and! futuristically! advance,! but! it! should! be! simple,! understandable,! and! yet!
innovative.! Throughout! the! whole! brainstorming! session,! the! ideas! that! were! taken! were!
mostly!the!simplest!ideas!yet!it!gives!a!great!outcome.!!
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A#short#and#clear#description#of#strategic#choices##
First! of! all,! Sinnovative! believes! that! in! the! next! years! there! will! be! an! overall! increase! in!
wealth! as! well! as! in! e>commerce! since! technology! continually! advances! and! electronic!
devices! become! cheaper.! Therefore,! from! the! future! scenario! analysis,! ‘the! digital! super!
consumer’!was!chosen!as!point!of!departure.!Added!to!this,!Almere!is!already!architecturally!
advanced,! the! mix!
in! technology! and!
the! fact! that! the!
city! is! relatively!
new,! make! it!
attractive! to! add!
more! technological!
revolutions! to! the!
city! and! thus! the!
shopping!district.!!
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Added! to! this,! the!
problem! analysis!
and! the! future!
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scenarios,! result! in! that! Sinnovative! choose! ‘the! digital! super! consumer’! as! point! of!
departure! for! the! innovative! retail! concept! for! Almere.! Besides,! ! Almere! was! recently!
formed,!in!1975!and!yet!remains!to!be!a!small!city,!still!hundreds!of!hectares!of!nature!and!
water!had!to!be!removed!and!destroyed!to!build!a!place!where!humans!can!live.!!Although,!
Almere!is!completely!surrounded!by!a!green!landscape!and!water,!humanity!and!technology!
expand!every!day!more.!This!fact!will!be!taken!into!consideration,!added!to!the!trend!that!
sustainability! plays! an! ever! important! role! to! the! society.! Last! but! not! least,! the! goal! of!
Sinnovative!is!to!make!the!shopping!district!lively!and!differently,!hereby!attracting!mostly!
the!inhabitants!of!Almere!but!as!well!consumers!of!other!cities!throughout!the!development!
of!a!unique!and!contrasting!experience.!!
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The!shopping!district!will!be!transformed!into!a!distinctive!retail!experience,!being!by!2020!
the! most! modern! shopping! district! of! the! Netherlands.! In! addition,! co>creation! will! be!
added.!Therefore!shopping!becomes!a!whole!new!adventure.!It!will!be!an!experience!easily!
applicable! to! the! current! retail.! Because! Almere! is! already! famous! for! its! unique!
architectural!buildings!and!the!non!available!Multifunctionality!will!be!seen!as!an!advantage!
to!being!different!as!other!shopping!district.!As!a!result,!Almere!will!be!transformed!into!a!
strong!recognisable!differentiation!from!other!shopping!districts!of!the!Netherlands,!making!
hereby!the!differentiation!strategy!as!its!advantage.!!
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A#representation#of#the#target#group#in#the#form#of#a#Persona#
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Marieke###
• Female"R"34"years"old"
• Single"Mother""
• Works"part"time"at"a"Housing"Agency""
Marieke! is! a! recently! divorced! woman! with! one!
son.! She! works! at! a! housing! agency! as! a! broker.!
Marieke! is! a! hard>working! woman! that! likes! to!
spend! more! on! a! product! to! get! high! quality!
standards.!In!her!free!time!she!likes!to!spend!time!
with!her!son!and!take!him!to!the!park.!She!enjoys!
the!occasional!wine!and!dines!out!with!her!friends!
and! relatives.! Marieke! graduated! from! a!
Hogeschool! in! Amsterdam.! She! and! her! son!
moved! to! Almere! to! get! a! nice,! quiet! and! family!
friendly! atmosphere.! Marieke! strives! for! success!
and!the!well!being!of!her!son.!She!is!very!involved!
in!social!media!and!the!current!trends!due!to!her!job!that!requires!her!to!promote!vacant!
houses.!!
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Anton#
• Male,"28"years"old"
• Lives"together"with"his"girlfriend"and"newborn"
daughter"
• Assistant"Manager"at"Hugo"Boss"
Anton! is! Dutch! born! Surinamese! who! lives! in! the!
Netherlands! since! he! was! 2! years! old.! He! grew! up!
with!Dutch!and!Surinamese!culture.!He!lives!in!Almere!
since!he!was!still!an!infant!and!now!he!moved!in!with!
his!girlfriend!and!daughter.!Anton!works!at!Hugo!Boss!
Amsterdam! and! travels! to! Almere! where! he! resides.!
His! girlfriend! is! a! stay! at! home! mother! since! his!
daughter!is!still!a!couple!of!months!old.!Anton!enjoys!
sports! such! as! football! and! he! enjoys! house! music.!
Anton! never! left! Almere! because! he! likes! the! cozy!
atmosphere.! He! however! shops! in! Amsterdam! because! he! thinks! Almere! does! not! offer!
many! product! varieties.! Anton! is! into! technological! products! such! as! Play! Station,!
Smartphones!and!Tablets.!!
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!
!
The!concept!
!
Before!the!changes!Almere!was!a!grey!city!with!a!lack!of!atmosphere.!Besides!of!this!fact,!
Almere!is!composed!of!an!older!and!a!new!part!which!makes!the!city!doesn’t!feel!connected!
and! decreases! the! coziness.! The! shops! are! really! big! and! there! are! no! authentic! shops.! In!
addition,! the! separated! area! of! shopping! and! restaurants! makes! the! area! being! even! less!
attractive.! Moreover! there! are! no! activities! and! the! feeling! of! life! is! missing.! As! a!
consequence,!the!inhabitants!of!Almere!leave!to!shop!in!the!Leisure!City!Amsterdam.!
!
With!the!new!concept!the!city!will!be!different!than!other!popular!cities!in!the!Netherlands.!
By! making! it! the! city! of! tomorrow,! people! will! go! to! Almere! to! perceive! a! new! way! of!
shopping! experience.! As! soon! the! customers! enter! Almere! city! center! they! will! see! a! big!
board!where!they!can!find!all!the!shops!they!need!and!in!which!direction!they!need!to!head.!
It! does! not! matter! how! they! come! to! Almere! whether! it’s! by! train,! bus! or! car.! As! soon! as!
they! have! decided! where! to! go! a! light! path! will! lead! them! where! they! want! to! go.! This! is!
already! something! new! and! the! customers! really! will! like! it,! but! also! the! fact! that! the!
buildings! are! not! any! longer! one! color! but! that! some! roof! tops! have! been! changed! in!
different!colors!makes!the!city!feel!cozier.!Of!course!the!architecture!in!Almere!was!already!
new! and! quite! spectacular! but! the! added! glass! roofs! to! stop! the! wind! are! seen! as! a!
spectacular!improvement,!it’s!almost!art.!Next!to!that!the!old!grey!and!boring!stairs!above!
the! parking! lots! have! all! different! kind! of! paintings! on! it.! Those! are! made! by! locals! and!
therefore!customers!will!feel!a!certain!connection!to!the!city!and!district!evolving!the!feeling!
of! that! everybody! is! welcome! there.! Also! the! Cherry! Blossom! tree! park! will! give! the!
customers! a! welcome! feeling;! normally! they! see! those! parks! only! in! movies! and! now! it’s!
!
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really!there!in!the!Netherlands.!Next!to!that!normal!trees!are!wearing!something!similar!to!a!
‘tree!shirt’,!of!course!this!is!similar!to!the!trend!wild!knitting!but!this!is!still!different!because!
now!the!whole!trees!are!wearing!a!shirt.!!Besides!all!the!new!things!the!customers!still!can!
shop!at!Almere,!with!the!new!OmniYou!app,!the!customer!is!up>to>date!about!where!to!find!
the! discounts! as! well! as! background! information! behind! the! products.! Additionally,! the!
customers!now!will!also!have!the!choice!between!brands!and!authentic!shops.!The!pop>up!
stores! make! the! shopping! in! Almere! adventurous! because! every! time! the! customers! can!
explore!new!shops!with!new!products.!Furthermore!the!problem!of!going!to!the!toilet!while!
shopping!is!also!covered;!the!consumers!are!challenged!in!mirror!glass!toilet!on!going!to!the!
toilet.!As!all!the!shops!close!at!18:00,!the!solutions!is!that!every!two!weeks!there!will!be!a!
light!show!which!will!be!for!free,!so!people!can!after!their!shopping!day!enjoy!the!beautiful!
light!shows!which!are!normally!only!available!in!big!cities!or!on!special!occasions.!Added!to!
this,! the! food! fairs! will! offer! a! lot! of! food! from! different! nationalities,! which! will! give!
consumers! the! opportunity! to! meet! new! people! and! talk! about! something! which! is!
interesting! for! both! parties.! Since! in! Almere! there! are! a! lot! of! young! families,! the! new!
playground! would! make! also! for! the! very! young! guests,! Almere! really! enjoyable.! Finally,!
there!is!a!place!where!mothers!and!kids!can!have!both!a!nice!day!out.!
!
Customers!will!come!back!to!Almere!because!of!all!the!different!elements!involved!and!they!
feel!welcome!to!the!artistic!co>creation!city.!!There!are!much!more!elements!now!available!
and!Almere!will!no!longer!be!a!grey!city!with!only!the!Primark.!It!will!grow!to!be!the!city!with!
the! newest! technologies! and! spectacular! architecture! reflected! by! light! shows.! The! visit! to!
Almere’s!shopping!district!makes!the!consumer!stay!longer!in!the!area!and!thereby!also!the!
spending! increases.! Overall! Almere! will! be! a! unique,! welcoming! and! enjoyable! shopping!
experience.!The!following!will!give!a!better!overview!of!the!four!pillars!of!Almere!shopping!
district:!
!
Concept:#sustainable#
#
Wind#turbines#
Almere! is! already! a! city! with!
hard!wind!blowing!towards!the!
direction! of! the! city! center.! In!
this!concept,!Wind!turbine!will!
be! useful! to! implement! since!
we!will!generate!an!increase!in!
use! of! electricity! with! the! use!
of!colorful!lights,!walking!paths!
with! lights,! and! also! the!
projection! of! visual! onto!
buildings.! Most! definitely! this!
will!have!lots!of!influence!in!the!electricity!that!Almere!generate!in!the!future.!As!a!trend!of!
sustainability,! Almere! needs! to! think! more! environmentally! friendly! both! in! the! use! of!
electricity! and! its! retail! impact! towards! the! environment.! These! wind! turbines! are!
considered! the! most! suitable! for! towns! with! high! velocity! of! wind,! such! as! Almere.!
!
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Freestanding! mini! wind! turbines! generate! electricity! from! wind! striking! the! turbine.!!When!
installed!in!urban!locations!with!high!average!wind!speeds!(>5!m/sec),!a!5kWe!turbine!can!
produce!around!10,000kWh!annually.!(Harrison,!2008)!
#
Urban#landscaping:#flower#district#
!
Almere! should! plant! more! trees! in! its! city!
center!surroundings;!especially!in!the!new!
shopping!district!area!that!barely!have!any!
decoration! that! gives! a! welcoming!
atmosphere.! According! to! the! problem!
analysis,! Almere! is! lacking! in! atmosphere!
that! welcome! people! to! go! around! and!
spend!time!for!shopping.!Therefore,!in!the!
concept! of! sustainable! Flower! district! is!
one! of! the! aspects! that! give! an! added!
value! in! shopping! experience.! The!
Netherlands! are! famous! for! its! beautiful!
flowering!plants;!if!Almere!could!apply!this!
into!their!shopping!center!it!would!give!them!a!welcoming!aroma!of!flowers.!It!would!also!
show! a! possibility! of! having! flower! stores! in! the! area.! This! will! give! multifunction! for! the!
specific!area,!as!big!brand!retail!shop!will!combine!authentic!flower!stores.!
!
Cherry#Blossom#Park#
In! the! area! of! where! the! market! is! situated! currently,! cherry! blossom! trees! will! remove! it!
and! the! market! will! be! change! into! a! pop! up! market! (as! explained! in! the! family! friendly!
concept!section.!This!will!definitely!create!an!iconic!landmark!for!Almere.!Most!definitely,!it!
important!to!focus!on!customer!shopping!experience,!by!having!cherry!blossom!tree!the!city!
center! would! not! look! dull! anymore.! Cherry! blossom! tree! will! give! sense! of! eye>catching!
beauty! that! gives! added! value! for! both! residence! and! visitors.! Moreover,! it! will! show!
differently! color! changing! through! the! 4! seasons.! Even! visitors! from! other! cities! would! be!
willing!to!visit!Almere,!if!these!sorts!of!plantations!are!present!in!the!city!center.!The!Cherry!
blossom!tree!has!been!known!to!attract!many!visitors,!both!in!Asia!such!as!Japan!or!Europe!
such!as!Germany.!!!
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!
Trees#
Green! trees! are! also! another! aspect! that! would! give!
an! added! value! towards! the! shopping! district.! Since!
Almere! city! center! is! situated! above! an! enormous!
parking! lot,! there! is! no! soil! present! under! the! paving!
stones.!It!would!be!a!possibility!to!put!tree!in!big!pots!
to!support!stand!in!the!middle!of!shopping!district.!To!
support! the! Art! section! of! concept,! Tree>Shirt! will!
present!in!every!tree!standing!in!the!district.!It!would!
be! constantly! change! according! to! theme! of! the!
season.! This! will! also! give! a! sense! of! pleasant!
atmosphere! for! the! customer! to! see! different! color!
present!in!the!shopping!area,!both!during!the!day!and!
during! the! evening.! Tree>Shirt! as! we! call! it! will! be!
simple! to! put! on! and! will! cost! fairly! cheap.! The!
concept! as! of! this! section! will! be! visualized! as!
following!
!
Concept:#family#focused#
!
Almere! City! Mall! will! be! a! place! where!
families!
with!
different!
cultural!
background! can! come! together! for! an!
unforgettable! experience.! The! theme! of!
Almere! is! ‘connection’! and! therefore,!
the! family! and! community! must! be!
embraced.!!
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The!envisaged!dream!goes!as!followed:!
!
When! the! Almere! family! residents! go! shopping! at!
the! Almere! City! Mall,! everyone! can! benefit! from!
this! wonderful! day! trip.! Mothers! can! buy! a!
Kartopia! Express! card! (Kartopia)which! partners! up!
with! Rituals,! in! which! will! offer! the! mothers! a!
wonderful! day! at! the! Ritual! massage! spa(Rituals!
cosmetics)! while! their! children! can! go! have! fun! at!
the! workshops! provided! by! the! Kartopia! daycare!
facility.!!
!
Almere! city! has! large! multi>cultural!
background! residents! in! which! families!
are! very! important! and! therefore! this!
‘family! comes! first’! mentality! has! been!
incorporated.!Any!other!Friday,!meaning!
every!2!weeks,!there!will!be!a!‘food!tent!
fair’.! This! food! tent! festivals! will! consist!
of! different! tents! with! different! food! of!
different!
countries!
e.g.!
Dutch,!
Surinamese,!Moroccan,!Turkish,!former!Dutch!islands,!Spanish,!Indonesian!cuisine!and!much!
more.!Families!can!come!to!this!festival!where!they!can!be!sure!to!meet!up!with!their!long!
lost! friends! as! they! can! indulge! in! some! of! their! nostalgic!
cuisines.!!
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As! grownups! can! sit! around! to! eat! and! have! interesting!
conversation! with! neighbors! and! friends! their! children! from!
ages! 4>8! can! play! at! the! well! fenced! and! safe! playground! at!
the!Esplanade!square.!!
!
Due!to!the!heavy!traffic!that!this!event!creates!it!benefits!all!store!owners!in!this!whole!area.!
By!this,!other!family!members!can!go!and!watch!a!movie!at!Utopolis!while!mother!sits!and!
chats!with!her!long!time!no>see!best!friends.!
!
!In! the! Almeerse! Weerwater! lake! in! front! of! the!
Utopia! Island,! a! giant! yellow! rubber! duck! can! be!
seen.!This!rubber!duck!has!been!a!huge!success!in!
different!cities!such!as!e.g.!Hong!Kong,!China!and!
Florence,! Italy.! The! rubber! duck! started! with! the!
mission! to! make! people! smile! more! often! which!
later!became!a!huge!city!marketing!tool.!
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This! Rubber! duck! will! be! at! the! Almeerse!
Weerwater!2!times!a!week,!where!everyone!
(Inbound!International!tourism!and!Domestic!
tourism)! can! come! and! visit! Almere! to! take!
pictures! and! to! share! it! with! their! contacts.!
At! the! same! time! families! can! bring! their!
little! ones! to! see! this! giant! yellow! rubber!
duck!to!bring!their!best!smiles!to!live!with!a!
unique!experience.!
!
This! event! can! also! be! ideal! for! fathers! who! don’t! want! to! be! in! the! middle! of! women’s!
conversations!can!easily!have!a!walk!to!Media!Markt!(De!Media!Markt)or!Dixons!to!see!all!
the!new!electronics!available.!
!!
Seeing!that!this!event!is!located!at!the!end!of!the!shopping!district,!it!obligates!most!of!the!
families!to!walk!all!the!way!through!the!city!before!having!to!reach!it.!This!overall!experience!
creates!the!heavy!traffic!in!the!shopping!district.!In!other!words,!this!event!will!make!visitors!
stay! longer! in! the! city! where! they! would! have! more! opportunities! to! walk! around! and!
window!shop!on!their!own!pace!as!their!kids!are!being!watched!or!taken!care!of.!
!
By!having!all!these!wonderful!activities!and!modern/fun!experience!atmosphere,!why!shop!
in!Amsterdam!if!you!have!Citymall!Almere?!!This!is!the!new!City!mall!Almere’s!map!which!
includes!all!the!new!facilities.!
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(Berijkbaarheid!en!Openingstijden:!Plattegrond)!
#
Concept:#technology##
The!advanced!technology!has!changed!the!way!people!shop!and!purchases!their!products.!
Technology! makes! it! easier! for! people! to! shop;! one! example! is! online! shopping.! Since!
Internet! is! cheaper! than! it! was! 10! years! ago! everyone! is! connected! to! the! “online”! world.!
People! are! constantly! on! their! phones! to! check! social! medias,! read! the! news! and! even! to!
purchase!clothes!online.!Nowadays,!retailers!whether!it!is!a!clothing!brand!or!an!electronic!
shop,! they! must! adapt! to! the! progress! society! that! is! having! a! ‘mobile’! version! of! their!
website.! This! enables! customer! to! review! the! product! and! purchase! something! when! they!
are!on!the!go.!!
iBeacon"offer"personalized"shopping"experience"
!
!
Today,! retailers! are! facing! another! challenge,! the! development! of! iBeacon.! iBeacon! is! an!
application!that!uses!the!Bluetooth!technology!to!send!signals!to!a!phone,!tablet!or!laptop.!
The!signal!is!transmitted!from!a!small!hardware!that!is!attached!to!a!wall!or!a!counter!top.!
The! well>known! shopping! district! in! London,! Regent! Street! has! utilized! iBeacon! since! the!
beginning! of! 2014! (Marketingweek,! 2014).! Other! district! that! uses! iBeacon! is! Brixton! in!
South! London.! Regent! Street! and! Brixton! utilize! iBeacon! as! a! way! to! enhance! shopping!
experience! for! its! customers.! iBeacon! makes! it! easy! for! customer! to! shop! since! it! notify!
people! around! the! vicinity! of! the! Bluetooth! with! personalized! offer,! discounts,! contactless!
payment,! enables! shopper! to! check! a! product! review! online! and! even! give! advice! on!
additional!product!accessories!(Skinner,!2014).!!
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As"seen"from"the"image"above,"iBeacon"enable"shoppers"to"have"“contactless"payment”"
!
Sinnovative! revolves! around! the! idea! of! advance! technology! and! “futuristic”! concept! in! its!
upcoming! project! for! Almere! shopping! area.! By! 2020,! Sinnovate! will! develop! a! mobile!
application!that!is!one!step!ahead!than!iBeacon.!This!is!due!to!the!fact!that!iBeacon!is!only!
available! for! Apple! and! iOS! users.! Sinnovative! will! introduce! OMNIYOU;! it! operates! with!
Bluetooth!technology!with!a!range!of!80!meters.!OMNIYOU!enable!users!to!write!a!review!of!
products,! receive! personalized! offers! and! discounts! and! create! contactless! payment.! What!
unique! about! OMNIYOU! is! that! it! works! on! restaurants! and! bars! too.! Users! can! create! an!
account! to! modify! and! tailored! the! products! that! they! are! interested! in! or! the! cuisines,!
which! they! prefer.! This! is! to! avoid! receiving! unnecessary! information! that! can! lead! to!
“spamming”.!OMNIYOU!values!easier!life!for!its!community!because!everything!is!one!click!
away.! Furthermore,! OMNIYOU! when! users! register! to! an! account,! they! can! choose! three!
payments!options,!which!are!IDEAL,!Paypal!and!Credit!Card.!Sinnovative!envision!Almere!to!
be! the! city! of! tomorrow! that! allow! its! citizen! to! move! freely! in! the! city! with! one! button!
away.!!
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Furthermore,! Sinnovative! believes! in! developing! the! artistic! side! of! Almere.! The! city! is!
known! to! have! a! few! contemporary! architectural! designs! and! Sinnovative! wants! to!
implement!further!structure!to!Almere.!Since!Almere!is!known!to!be!a!windy!city,!it!would!
benefit!its!inhabitants!and!visitors!to!have!a!minimalistic!roof!that!protect!them!from!harsh!
weathers.!As!seen!from!the!image,!the!area!is!shielded!with!weatherproof!glass!but!it!also!
allows!the!sun!to!shine!the!area.!Moreover,!one!of!the!problems!in!Almere!is!it!lacks!urban!
landscaping.!By!adding!small!fishponds,!trees!and!flowers,!it!creates!a!sense!of!harmony!and!
connection! to! nature.! The! city! that! is! grey! will! have! laid>back! ambience! yet! still!
sophisticated,!contemporary!and!modern.!!
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Concept:#art#exterior#
!
The! city! center! nowadays! is! grey! and! there! is! a! lack! of! atmosphere.! To! create! a! new!
experience!Sinnovative!has!created!a!new!concept.!A!part!of!this!concept!will!be!adding!art.!
Almere!is!a!new!city!and!has!therefore!really!interesting!architectures.!However!the!citizens!
are! not! that! modern! and! for! them! the! architecture! is! not! possible,! therefore! Sinnovative!
wants!to!add!the!feeling!of!being!home.!To!create!this!and!stimulate!the!creative!process!in!
Almere,!a!few!projects!will!be!set!up!related!to!art.!
!
The!first!project!will!be,!to!make!the!main!shopping!building!more!colorful.!However!not!all!
the!buildings!as!the!design!of!the!architecture!contain!a!lot!of!wood!but!the!part!across!the!
cinema!is!composed!of!stone.!These!roofs!are!either!only!stone!color!or!like!above!the!apple!
center!and!Rituals!the!color!is!black.!By!adding!some!color!to!those!buildings!customers!will!
feel!more!at!happy!since!not!everything!is!grey!anymore.!!
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(Gharieni!shop)!!
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(Almere!city!marketing)!
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The! second! project!
will! be! to! create!
some! extra! color! to!
the! shopping! district!
by! giving! the! steps!
from! above! the!
parking! slot! an!
artificial! design.! The!
steps!will!not!just!be!
painted! by! the!
municipality! but! by!
local!artists.!!
(Light! Festival! Ghent!
2012)!
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The!third!projects!will!be!combined!with!the!technological!developments.!Sinnovative!wants!
to! create! something! special! during! the! evening,! so! people! also! come! by! night! to! the! city.!
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Also!this!project!is!based!on!making!the!city!more!colorful,!this!will!be!done!by!adding!visual!
building!projection.!So!by!night!the!buildings!will!light!up!into!beautiful!colors.!Citizens!and!
visitors!of!Almere!can!enjoy!this!together!with!the!lightshow!to!have!a!special!evening!out.!!
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(Light!festival!Berlin!2014)!
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The!fourth!project!will!be!to!add!some!more!architectural!items!to!the!shopping!district,!but!
not!just!useless!items.!They!have!nowadays!already!the!roofs!with!glass,!these!are!there!to!
stop! the! wind.! It! looks! already! but! Sinnovative! wants! to! improve! this! and! give! the!
atmosphere! an! extra! boost.! The! glass! roofs! will! be! improved! by! more! architectural! pillars.!
See!the!picture!below!for!an!example.!!
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Moreover!arts!will!be!combined!with!daylight.!It’s!the!same!kind!of!concept!as!the!glass!roof!
but!then!not!with!glass.!!
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(Pinterest,!project!2.1)!(Pinterest,!project!2.1)!
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Storytelling:!
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It! is! the! beginning! of! autumn! and! the! rainy! days! have! come.!
Jeroen! and! Mirjam,! a! lovely! couple! from! Almere,! who! is!
spending! most! of! their! weekend! in! Amsterdam,! have! now!
realized!how!developed!the!city!is!currently.!They!feel!the!need!
of!having!a!whole!day!roaming!around!the!city!center!of!Almere,!
since! most! of! their! day! outs! are! spend! outside! the! city.! Jeroen!
and!Mirjam!also!have!some!extra!money!to!be!spent,!since!they!
just! received! their! monthly! salary.! Jeroen! and! Mirjam! start! the!
journey!from!the!central!station!as!they!have!just!got!back!from!
their!work!in!Amsterdam.!Since!both!do!not!have!clue!about!the!
city! center! that! much,! they! went! towards! the! big! information!
board! that! is! easily! understood! by! people.! This! information!
board! looks! similar! to! the! boards! in! Disney! Land! or! The! Efteling,! which! has! lots! of! images!
that!explains!where!each!stores!located,!each!food!corner,!Pop>up!stores,!supermarket,!yet!
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also! location! of! current! events! that! is! happening! in! Almere.! Therefore,! Jeroen! and! Mirjam!
take!a!look!at!information!board!and!briefly!think!what!do!they!currently!need.!!
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Then,! they! come! up! with! the! need! of! having! a!
new! pair! of! jacket,! jeans! and! formal! shirts.! As! they! walk!
towards! the! direction! of! the! new! city! center! of! Almere,!
they! step! on! the! paving! stones! that! actually! light! up! as!
they! stepped! on! it.! Jeroen! and! Mirjam! were! so! amazed,!
and!never!knew!that!this!actually!exists!in!Almere.!As!they!
walk! further! towards! the! inner! city,! they! see! very! tall!
futuristic!roof!pillars,!which!they!usually!see!from!their!
house.! They! also! discovered! colorful! lights! on! top! of!
them,! lighting! up! the! beautiful! pillars! and! seems! as! a!
fireflies! flying! above! them.! Upbeat! and! relaxing! music!
brings! them! along! the! way,! as! the! light! guides! them!
throughout!their!journey.!Jeroen!and!Mirjam!mostly!like!
the! fact! that! during! this! visit,! they! see! pop>up! stores!
and!pop>up!food!stands!all!over!the!shopping!area.!This!
multifunctional! shopping! give! them! best! shopping! experience,! they! even! forgot! what! they!
actually!want!to!buy!in!the!shopping!center.!They!even!started!to!think!of!having!a!child,!due!
to! the! extraordinary! children! playground.! Jeroen! and! Mirjam! never! really! thought! that!
Almere!city!center!is!actually!that!innovative!and!futuristic!beyond!their!expectations.!!
!
21!
All!of!a!sudden!after!drinking!a!lot!of!beers!from!the!pop>up!food!fair,!Jeroen!has!an!
urge!to!urinate.!After!taking!the!brochure!of!the!map,!he!found!the!toilet!at!the!end!of!the!
shopping!district!near!Utopolis.!At!first,!Jeroen!tries!to!look!closely!at!the!map!and!could!not!
find!the!toilet!because!it!looks!like!a!cube!mirror.!Finally!after!asking!people!passing!by,!they!
said!that!the!mirror!is!the!toilet.!Jeroen!was!so!surprised!because!he!never!thought!a!public!
bathroom! could! look! like! that.! When! he! went! inside,! Jeroen! was! shocked! again! because!
from!the!inside!the!bathroom!look!transparent,!as!if!someone!could!see!him!from!outside.!In!
fact,!the!person!who!is!able!to!see!is!the!person!inside!the!bathroom!not!outside.!Jeroen!just!
brace! himself! to! take! his! first! leak! in! a! see! through! public! bathroom.! As! they! daylight! was!
turning! dark,! unexpectedly! Utopolis! became! a! huge! beautiful! castle! due! to! the! building!
visual!projection.!People!started!to!get!together,!and!see!the!visual!attraction!changing!its!
image!from!a!beautiful!castle!to!a!wonderland.!Jeroen!and!Mirjam!have!never!realized!how!
beautiful!Almere!city!center!is!until!they!have!seen!it!themselves.!!
!
As! they! roaming! around! the! area! of! Utopolis,! all! of! a! sudden! they! see! a! park! with! pink!
looking!trees.!They!have!never!seen!it!before,!and!they!decide!to!take!a!look!at!the!park.!As!
they!began!to!get!closer,!they!started!to!touch!the!trees!and!the!falling!leafs!to!get!the!smell!
and! feeling! of! it.! Jeroen! and! Mirjam! were! so! amazed,! “how! could! we’ve! never! seen! this!
before!”! they! said.! They! asked! people! what! kind! of! tree! it! was! and! it! was! cherry! blossom!
trees.!A!person!who!spends!most!of!the!days!in!that!park!started!to!tell!them,!how!people!all!
over! the! world! visit! japan! only! to! see! these! kinds! of! trees.! In! Japan,! it’s! called! the! Sakura!
tree.!Therefore,!Jeroen!and!Mirjam!took!lots!of!photos!of!them!in!that!park.!As!soon!as!they!
got! enough! photos! they! wanted! to! send! the! photos! to! their! friends,! but! they! don’t! have!
enough! credit! to! send! those! pictures! from!
their! phone.! So! they! got! closer! to! the! city!
center,! and! all! of! a! sudden! they! receive! a!
notification! that! free! WIFI! are! available! in!
every!corner!of!the!city!center.!They!were!so!
glad! that! WIFI! were! available! so! that! they!
send!the!photos!they!have!taken.!!
!
!
At! the! end! of! the! day,! they! finally! got! their! jacket! and! pair! of! jeans! during! the!
extended!shopping!night!(Koop!Avond).!The!long!distraction!they!got!during!the!day!made!
!
22!
them! even! wanting! to! shop! and! spend! more! of! their! free! times! in! Almere.! Since! it! has!
everything! they! basically! could! ask! for,! and! Amsterdam! seems! so! boring! after! going! there!
multiple!times.!Jeroen!and!Mirjam!felt!so!satisfied!after!having!all!these!experience.!!
!
Experience#tools#
To!finalize!our!concept,!we!arrived!with!5!experience!tools!that!we!apply!upon!our!concept.!
These!help!us!to!get!to!know!better!about!the!insights!of!our!consumer.!We!want!to!make!
our! concept! memorable! and! attractive;! therefore! through! the! techniques! of! Imagineering!
we!are!able!to!achieve!a!significant!result.!Following!tools!are!explain!below:!
!
Senses:##
Cherry!blossom!tree!are!part!of!our!concept!to!create!and!stimulate!people’s!senses.!With!
the!smell,!the!bright!colorful!pink!sight,!and!the!atmosphere!that!it!creates!make!all!several!
human! being! sense! stimulated! so! that! the! city! become! alive.! Music! is! also! a! part! of! the!
concept,!where!people!would!walk!in!the!city! center!guided!by!music!and!lights!that!gives!
them!a!warm!atmosphere!throughout!the!customer!journey.!This!is!also!part!of!hearing!and!
seeing!senses.!!
!
Theming:##
Theme! consists! of! 5! parts! divided! into,! Theming! the! experience,! Harmonize! impressions,!
Eliminate!bad!impressions,!Mix!memorabilia,!and!Engage!all!senses.!!
!
1st)!Theming!the!experience,!we!mean!by!making!the!city!center!unusual!to!the!eyes!of!the!
consumer.! By! giving! it! colorful! lights,! interactive! light! floors,! warm! surroundings! by! music.!
These! are! all! parts! of! theming! the! experience,! by! adding! aspects! that! stimulate! their!
experience.!!
!
2nd)!Harmonize!the!impressions!in!this!case,!means!people!will!be!more!willing!to!spend!time!
if!they!know!since!the!beginning!they!have!high!expectation!of!the!first!impression!of!what!
they!see.!Therefore,!the!critical!part!is!to!make!people!grasp!their!mind!as!they!stepped!out!
the! Almere! Central! Station.! How! did! we! give! this! impression?! By! giving! people! a! big!
information!board!that!has!“Disney!Like!Look”.!This!information!board!helps!people!to!get!
information!but!also!make!them!interest!in!going!further!more.!!
3rd)! Eliminate! bad! impression! is! also! part! of! the! Harmonize! the! impression! as! explained!
previously!
!
4th)!Mix!Memorabilia!means,!that!as!soon!as!people!walk!around!the!city!center!they!will!get!
a! special! memory! of! Almere! city! center.! Due! to! its! diverse! and! amazing! view! of! the! city!
center!people!will!straight!away!remember!everything!that!they!see.!It!is!not!common!to!see!
city! center! with,! lighting! color! floors,! visual! building! projection,! cherry! blossom! trees! and!
other! aspects! that! are! parts! of! the! concept! in! any! other! city! center! in! the! Netherlands.!
Disneyfication!will!be!a!part!of!Almere’s!retail!shopping!experience!of!the!2020.!
!
!
23!
5th)! Engage! all! senses.! As! explained! above! every! aspect! of! the! concept! will! stimulate! all!
sense.!This!will!lead!to!a!memorable!shopping!experience.!!
!
Story!telling:!
On!the!other!hand,!Storytelling!is!also!a!part!of!the!experience!tool!that!we!use.!Although!
story! telling! doesn’t! simply! give! to! the! consumer,! it! they! themselves! who! will! create! the!
story!based!on!their!experience.!From!our!point!of!view,!we!explain!the!story!telling!through!
customer!journey!but!as!soon!as!they!experience!the!new!Almere!shopping!center,!they!will!
the!one!telling!us!story!about!Almere.!Where!the!moral!of!the!story!will!be!based!on,!“It!is!
possible!in!Almere!and!Almere!as!the!retail!shopping!experience!of!tomorrow”!
!
Co>Creation:!
Every!aspect!of!our!concept!will!mainly!be!con>creation,!since!the!people!of!Almere!will!also!
be! involved! in! this! process.! Students! from! MBO! and! HBO! will! be! part! of! this! project;!
residence! of! Almere! will! get! together! to! create! pop>up! stands,! Food! fairs,! and! other!
activities.! Consumer! who! visits! the! city! will! also! be! co>creating! with! the! city! because! they!
will!go!along!the!city!and!find!their!way!through!every!stimulating!experience.!!
#
Offline#and#Online#Channel#–#Promotional#Mix#
!
To!embark!in!a!new!identity!that!Sinnovative!would!like!to!implement!in!the!concept,!there!
are! several! promotional! mix! that! will! be! efficient! and! effective! for! Almere.! First! of! all,!
Almere!is!strategically!located!by!all!means!of!transportation.!The!common!use!of!transport!
in!the!Netherlands!is!public!transport!such!as!trains!and!busses.!!
!
It! would! be! beneficial! for! Almere! to! advertise! as! the! “Retail! City! of! Tomorrow”! in! major!
stations! such! as! Amsterdam! Central! and! Utrecht! Central! station,! which! has! direct! train!
connection! to! Almere! Centrum.! This! is! the! same! strategy! that! ‘Bloemendaal’! used! in!
Amsterdam! Central! Station! during! summer! seasons;! the! marketing! team! creates! many!
posters!and!video!advertisements!for!visitors!to!take!a!‘Sprinter’!train!to!Bloemendaal!and!
enjoy!its!beach.!Using!this!strategy!will!create!a!bigger!market!reach!as!visitors!from!outside!
the! Netherlands! would! aware! of! the! existence! of! Almere.! Furthermore,! there! are! other!
means!of!promotional!tools!that!could!be!applicable!for!the!concept!such!as:!
!
Advertising:! The! aim! of! this! concept! is! to! draw! visitors! from! Almere! and! retain! the!
inhabitants! of! Almere! to! shop! within! the! vicinity.! Therefore,! advertisement! through!
billboards,! printed! media,! radio,! television! and! social! media! should! appeal! to! the! target!
market!that!Sinnovative!would!like!to!attract.!Social!media!has!a!great!impact!in!the!current!
days!shopping!behavior.!Almere!must!invest!time!and!effort!in!its!social!media!as!this!is!the!
gateway!in!which!consumer!interact!with!each!other.!Moreover,!social!media!can!be!a!digital!
tool!of!“word!of!mouth”!strategy,!as!users!would!share!their!experience!and!pictures!online.!!
!
!!
Sales/ promotion:! Sales! promotion! is! another! strategy! that! Almere! could! apply! –! one!
example! is! to! have! a! ‘soft! opening’! discount! when! the! whole! shopping! area! is! re>open.!
!
24!
Almere! could! give! out! 10%! discount! on! the! first! 10,000! shoppers! within! its! first! opening!
week.! Another! way! to! give! promotion! is! to! give! out! drink! coupons! to! the! first! 10,000!
shoppers.!This!can!be!implemented!when!all!retailers!have!agreed!on!this!strategy.!!
!
Public/ relation:! Since! the! new! concept! focuses! on! young! families,! singles! and! students,!
Sinnovative! could! create! a! ‘launch! party”! with! fashion! bloggers,! loyal! customers! from! the!
brands! that! are! opening! its! store! in! the! new! Almere! shopping! area! as! well! as! their!
representatives!(PR)!to!introduce!the!new!concept!to!a!“test!group”.!This!way,!activist!and!
bloggers! can! share! their! experience! and! promote! Almere! from! what! they! have! experience!
during! the! launch! party.! Sinnovative! should! also! invite! local! and! national! celebrities! and!
television!channels!(anchor)!for!publicity!stunt.!The!launch!party!would!be!the!first!step!to!
expose! the! new! Almere! to! the! rest! of! the! country.! The! party! should! be! align! with! the!
concept! and! theme! that! Almere! would! like! to! portray! in! its! new! identity,! which! are! art,!
advanced!technology!and!family.!!
!
Direct/ marketing:! To! reach! a! successful! direct! marketing,! Sinnovative! will! apply! a! survey!
method!on!its!OmniYOU!application.!The!contactless!payment!method,!which!also!serves!as!
a! digital! personal! assistant! for! its! users,! will! maintain! its! standards! by! using! “experience!
survey”! after! each! purchase.! This! way! the! retailers! can! improve! on! the! things! that! are!
criticized! by! its! visitors.! For! example,! after! a! customer! finish! shopping,! they! noticed! that!
store!clerk!was!being!very!rude!to!them.!The!customer!can!give!feedback!through!OmniYou!
that! they! had! a! bad! shopping! experience! because! that.! Since! the! concept! also! rely! on!
service,!Sinnovative!need!to!make!sure!that!there!are!corporate!culture!within!the!retailers!
to!create!uniformity!between!employees!and!stakeholders.!!!
#
The#Multiverse#
“OMNIYOU#Application#for#smartphone#devices”#
Sinnovative!will!develop!a!mobile!application!that!is!one!step!ahead!than!the!I>Beacon.!!
This!is!due!to!the!fact!that!I>Beacon!is!a!restricted!to!a!limit!users!of!the!of!only!Apple!and!
iOS!users.!!
!
Sinnovative!
will!
introduce! OMNIYOU!
to! Almere! City! mall!
and! it! will! operate!
using! Bluetooth! and!!
Wi>Fi!technology.!
!
!
!
OMNIYOU! can! be! seen! as! an!
augmentation! reality! that! is! already!
known! in! this! area.! Almere! city! mall! is! a!
modern!city!which!already!uses!a!similar!
device!the!‘layer!app’.!!
!
25!
!
However,! the! OMNIYOU! application! enable! users! to! write! a! review! of! products,! receive!
personalized!offers!and!discounts!and!create!contactless!payment.!
!
What! unique! about! OMNIYOU! is! that! it! works! on! restaurants! and! bars! as! well.! Users! can!
create! an! account! to! modify! and! tailored! the! products! that! they! are! interested! in! or! the!
cuisines,!which!they!prefer!best.!This!is!to!avoid!receiving!unnecessary!information!that!can!
lead!to!“spamming”.!!
!
OMNIYOU! thrives! to! their! value! which! is! to! make! life! easier! for! its! community.! This! is!
because!everything!is!one!click!away.!Furthermore,!when!an!OMNIYOU!users!register!onto!
an! account,! they! can! choose! three! payments! options,! which! are! IDEAL,! PayPal! and! Credit!
Card.!Sinnovative!envision!Almere!to!be!the!city!of!tomorrow!that!allow!its!citizen!to!move!
freely!in!the!city!with!one!button!away.!
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