Focused on the retail area

The initiatives launched by Coop Bau + Hobby in the last year are now being pursued energetically by the Swiss DIY market leader. Its latest projects - the new store in Feuerthalen, close to Schaffhausen, and re-opened outlet in Rickenbach near St. Gallen - demonstrate just how much effort the company has devoted to revamping its retail area.
Coop has had a DIY store on the Feuerthalen site for around twenty years. This location has now been extensively upgraded at the not inconsiderable cost of CHF 70 mio. Space has been created on the sloping terrain for a new building with an extravagantly timbered roof structure and retail area covering 3 500 m². Following expansion and renovation, the original building now accommodates a supermarket and various speciality outlets. Here Coop has implemented its latest standards for food retailing, for example with the introduction of an artisan bakery and an air-conditioned "Cheese hut".
Shoppers are greeted by a new customer information desk with all-wood décor and on moving through to the retail area by the new market hall concept in the entrance area. Here promotional household products are displayed in large baskets, tempting customers into quick impulse buys.
The new in-store navigation system with clear signage above the central main aisle provides an overview of the range, comprising around 65 000 items, and opens the way to all departments including the newly designed timber department lying right at the end. Photo-realistic images on the wall put customers in a woodland setting, an impression reinforced by the use for the first time of olfactory marketing featuring the scent of fresh wood.
Coop has devoted a lot of attention to the 1 300 m² garden centre here. The Swiss are continuing to work and develop new presentations with the German garden centre chain Dehner. For example, the aluminium plant tables have new wooden panels, there are new wooden tables and a table with a top unit permitting the combined display of succulents and hanging plants. The shelving walls are a uniform light grey shade, instead of white as before, enhancing the overall appearance. The garden range is an assortment that should not be underestimated, accounting for between 25 and 30 per cent of sales at each store, with half of this amount derived from hardware.
No less important for the company are the strategic steps that have been taken in the last few years, which are not apparent when visiting the store. These relate in particular to…