Ikea as a role model

beautiful

bellaflora Managing Director Susanne Eidenberger(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

“If it works well, we’ll roll out the concept to all stores,” says Susanne Eidenberger. In Leonding, the bellaflora managing director and her team are testing new approaches to customer flow through the store. The garden specialty chain also aims to increase the fun and feel-good factor while shopping.

The bellaflora headquarters in Leonding is located right next to the store, which frequently serves as a testing ground for new developments for the garden specialty chain. “Leonding is our flagship store,” says Managing Director Susanne Eidenberger.

And the sales floor is currently living up to that role once again. Since October, the company has been implementing a new concept here that places even greater emphasis on helping customers find their way around quickly. In other words: a hodgepodge is a thing of the past; instead, items that belong together are grouped together. “For example, you’ll find everything related to tools in one section, everything about houseplants in another, and in yet another area, the focus is solely on Christmas,” explains Eidenberger.

Ikea has established clear pathways in the store
A clearly structured path leading from the entrance to the checkout—just as you’d expect from the Swedish furniture giant IKEA—has also found its way into bellaflora. “We’ve noticed that people are spending less and less time shopping. At our store, you have a choice: on the one hand, you can browse for a long time; on the other, you can quickly get your shopping done,” says the bellaflora managing director.

Customers can also really stroll into the respective sections and look at the products. You’re much closer to them. It was important to us that people don’t get lost in the vastness and size of the store.

Susanne Eidenberger, Geschäftsführerin bellaflora

She adds: “We want customers to enjoy shopping—not only because our products make them feel good and our store is an oasis of well-being, but also because the layout is clear and shopping is fun.”

When will the concept of clearly defined themed worlds be introduced in other stores? “We’re still in the testing phase and already in the evaluation phase. We’re getting great customer feedback; the clarity and tidiness are well-received. All future bellaflora stores should look like this.”

When it comes to Christmas products, they really went all out: customers can choose from a wide variety.(Bild: bellaflora Gartencenter GmbH)

Bridge to the digital world
At the same time, the focus on customer consultation is being ramped up: on the one hand through the staff, and on the other through what Eidenberger calls “silent advisors.” By this she means descriptions on the shelves with the most essential information, but also a bridge to the digital world through the use of QR codes.

27 stores, 550 employees
bellaflora was founded in the 1970s by Hilde Umdasch. The 27 stores currently employ around 550 staff members. The company is privately owned in Austria.