Size is the name of the game

Last year Gamma, the Netherlands DIY franchise chain, opened a new store featuring a new format of a new magnitude. With its floor area of 10 000 m², the Gamma XXXL in Amsterdam is double the size of the group’s previous flagship stores. But an expanded floor area should also have a function. According to Lennart Broere, head of retail format management, the store should not only be filled with products: “We utilise the space for product displays and the shopping experience. We sell what you can see, and we say goodbye to whatever we can no longer display.” Gamma was always strong in terms of tools and paint, segments that are already in sight from the entrance. Positioned behind them are growth ranges like wallpaper, flooring and window decoration. “Through the inclusion of more decorative products we are consciously targeting female customers, who tend to be very involved in furnishing and fitting out their homes.” A lot of the displays relate to one particular DIY activity, which means that the customer will find everything to do with saws in the one spot, for instance. “Here it is not about the performance of a drill or the lovely hole you can make with it, but about the picture you want to hang on the wall,” says Mr Broere. Also striking is the fact that Gamma’s communication is with store customers, not with the supplier. This is why there are no major brand advertising or shop-in-shop systems to be seen. Certain changes have been made in the hand tools section as well. “There are 300 fewer articles on the racking,” explains Mr Broere. “We have decided in favour of a ‘best choice’ set-up. We don’t need to sell absolutely everything here. We use the extra space for more displays and more thematic shopping experience.” Gamma XXXL has 14 departments, seven of which have been completely restructured. The others will follow later on. Service has a department of its own, where you can pick up your orders, obtain information or have a cup of coffee. Trends are the main concern in the lighting area, as elsewhere: modern, cosy, or whatever – everything is presented in different stylistic worlds. “Display and goods in stock are separated from each other,” explains Mr Broere. “We sell what we have on display, and we no longer sell whatever we are unable to display.” Sustainability and the environment also have a significant role to play. For instance, you can find a great deal of information about energy-saving or LED luminaires – not from some major…