Castorama tests dual customer guidance

The French home improvement chain Castorama is testing a new retail concept with a new customer guidance model in Mérignac, close to Bordeaux. The customer shopping journey is organised into two different spaces there. For DIYers a customer route is envisaged that should make the purchasing process simplified and quick; here the customer will find a typical DIY assortment composed of the categories of tools, chemistry/cleaning agents, hardware and sanitary installation.
The second route is geared to customers who are looking for a project; they will find inspiration throughout the store as well as having access to 3D visualisation tools. The bathroom segment in particular has been redesigned on the basis of studies in France, Great Britain and Poland, and realised in partnership with architects. In the entrance area, 200 m² has also been devoted to creating a number of inspiration zones. These each focus on one type of home, for example the Haussmann apartments typical of France in the 19th century, or modern and loft-style apartments.
The newly erected building into which the old store is moving was awarded the BiodiverCity label for ecological construction  and the British certificate BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) with a rating of "very good". It has a sales area of around 11 200 m², a 4 000 m² building material zone and stores around 53 000 SKUs.