Enhancing In-Store Customer Experience With IWD’s 3D Program: Insights from a Visual Merchandising Specialist at Asics

To strengthen their position in the fiercely competitive sporting goods industry, ASICS recognized the imperative to enhance their retail buying and planning processes. The quest for a solution that could empower their visual merchandising departments and elevate the overall customer experience started.

Visualizing Store Planning: Minimizing Trial and Error

The infusion of IWD's visual merchandising platform changed how ASICS orchestrates its planograms. With its user-friendly interface, life-like visual renderings, and an unparalleled ability to streamline time and resources, the platform emerged as an indispensable tool for Bryan Bottachiari, the key user at ASICS USA. In his own words, "IWD has been a great tool. I use the 3D program for everything the stores may need. From small one-off directives to big seasonal floorplans, I can do it all in one program."

Bottachiari underscores the simplicity and efficacy of IWD 3D, citing its instrumental role in planogram management. "The user interface is easy, and the renderings are close to the real thing. It has made a difference in the merchandising because I can try different things out in 3D before bringing them to the store level, which saves time on trial and error." He is now able to strategize months in advance by incorporating marketing aspects to simulate an authentic in-store ambiance and no longer needs to wait for physical products and prototypes.

Efficient Communication Strategies for Effective Roll-Outs

Beyond its utility in the creative process, the technology provides ASICS with the means to optimize compliance across its expansive network of stores nationwide. Once optimal product placements are defined, visual merchandising guidelines and fixture planograms are shared with frontline retail teams. Tailored to the dimensions and product assortments of each store, these guidelines ensure that visual merchandising directives are easy to understand but are also specifically curated for relevance within individual spaces, which ultimately reduces the margin of error when implementing new collections.

Essential Technology for Maintaining Consistent Branding

The visual merchandising team at ASICS headquarters gains the ability to dispatch clear directives that maximize brand consistency and streamline the setup process for field agents in stores. The technology, in essence, becomes essential for the brand to foster a unified and compelling presence across its widespread retail locations.

About IWD

IWD is a SaaS company that helps brands manage their merchandising cycles. It provides a collaborative platform for brands to create 2D and 3D guidelines, optimize in-store implementation, and analyze sales performance. It empowers brands to achieve consistency in all points of sale and boosts the performance of their merchandising strategies. Learn more on how to improve your customer experience and considerably increase sales with IWD Retail Software.