29 April 2021
San Sebastian Campus
The Erasmus students of the Strategic Distribution Decisions subject, taught in the fourth year of the Business Administration degree at Deusto Business School, visited Kendu in San Sebastian on 21 April. Kendu develops Visual merchandising solutions adapted to each retail outlet. Loinaz Errezola, Experience Design Director, welcomed the group of students and updated them on retail trends and, in particular, on the importance of omni-channel retailing, where the digitisation of physical shop experience and its interconnection with the online shop plays a very important role.
One of the reasons Loinaz pointed out for Kendu's success is the focus on company strategy, having a board of directors that listens to customers. As he explained, "Kendu has moved from talking about the brand or customer to putting the shopper at the centre of its strategy". Its Experience Design, Production and Campaign Management areas are driven around the shopper as the central element. "We talk about the buyer, rather than the brand".
The head of Kendu made it clear that the rules are changing in trade. "Shoppers are Multi-channel, Highly Demanding, Emotional, and Super-informed. You have to understand where you are in the process," he added. He also talked about new formats in physical shops, such as "Check-out free stores", "Out-of-stock shops", "Showroom stores", "Click&Collect shops", "Stores without store" or the well-established "Pop-up stores". This also includes the highly digitised Amazon go shops, a store built on the idea of "No lines - Just go".
And what about the retail apocalypse? In his opinion, the key is the customer-centric experience, the omni-channel strategy and hyper-personalisation.
About Kendu
Kendu develops Visual merchandising solutions adapted to each retail outlet. Its flagship product has been the well-known static panel with light box, and it has developed a variety of digital formats that bring the point of sale closer to a dynamic and interactive reality with the customer.
Based in San Sebastian, United Kingdom, Miami and Singapore, Kendu offers design and implementation services of static or dynamic "Displays", virtual Mirrors where the customer can try on garments, Product Comparators and a variety of solutions that move the customer into the future world of retail.
Kendu is present in 130 countries and manufactures its products at its facilities in Hernani and at its plants in Asia and America. In addition to manufacturing the physical elements, they also design the 360-degree in-store experience, developing integral campaigns that are the starting point for choosing one format or another of visual communication elements. Sound, smell and touch can be added to these elements.
