Retail Experience is a growing phenomena as High Street retailers work hard to remain relevant in the digital world. We have used our expertise in staffing live brand experience campaigns to help our retailer and brand clients connect with shoppers in a more personable and positive way than is possible online. Our staff put consumer experience before product sales – and in so doing, achieve both.
Clients
We work with a number of leading brands at retail. We are the staffing partner for Samsung KX, their global flagship brand experience space. For Nike, we manage the Air Team who promote excellent brand standards at retail via a variety of roles. We run Lavazza’s nationwide Sales Demonstrator programme, a team of 37 brand advocates. And we also work with Beats, GHD, Peloton, Tesla, Lee Jeans, Samsung, Nike, Dyson, Lavazza, Waitrose, GHD, Bentley and many more.
Experience
We service our retail clients in two distinct ways. Firstly, we provide staff to represent our clients’ brands and connect with shoppers via engaging live brand experiences – often product demonstrations supported by personalised and relevant conversation. We also provide staff to ensure brand standards are met in retail environments – from brand trainers and motivators to visual merchandisers, mystery shoppers and premium field marketing staff.
Staff
Most of our retail staff are on permanent or long term contracts and are expected to deliver so much more than traditional retail requires. So our recruitment process is robust, and uses a number of innovative insight techniques. Training is in-depth and intensive, but also exciting and inspiring. And we manage our teams with an energy and professionalism that we expect the staff to replicate in-store. Our model also allows us to provide temporary retail staffing during peak periods.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Retail was once considered a moment of transaction – shopper buys, retailer sells; easy. But with the advent of e-commerce, High Street retailers have been forced to consider what they actually provide, and why ‘going shopping’ is still one of the nation’s most popular pastimes.
The answer is retail experience – an opportunity for consumers to enjoy a succession of live brand experiences, delivered by enthusiastic and customer-focused staff. People don’t love to shop – they love to browse, try things, have a coffee, chat to product experts. They want a positive retail experience. And it is the brands and retailers who understand the power of retail experience that are continuing to flourish.
At Mash, we are experts in retail experience, and provide a range of specialist staff to deliver live brand experiences in-store.
VISUAL MERCHANDISERS
We manage a number of different visual merchandising teams for our clients – from fashion visual merchandising for Nike, Lee Jeans and Speedo to supporting in-store displays for a number of tech clients. While these teams work on a permanent basis, we also provide temporary retail staffing to work on tactical seasonal merchandising campaigns such as in the lead up to Christmas or to update displays in line with new product launches or targeted marketing activity.
IN-STORE DEMONSTRATORS
All of our in-store demonstrators are highly skilled customer service experts, who will always focus on giving consumers a positive live brand experience, and generate sales as a by product of this. Our recruitment process is rigorous, and we look at personality, brand fit and enthusiasm for the role as much as we demand relevant experience. Our work to recruit over 80 people to staff the pioneering Samsung KX space at Kings Cross has helped shape our reputation as a UK leader in delivering live brand experiences in retail.
TEMPORARY RETAIL STAFFING
The retail calendar has always experienced peaks and troughs, with higher sales during the pre-Christmas golden quarter. We have a large selection of experienced temporary retail staff on our Book who are happy to support our clients on a tactical basis. These high-calibre workers can provide additional support to permanent teams, create a short-term brand presence in department stores during key selling periods or deliver live brand experiences in temporary pop up shops.
IN-STORE STAFF TRAINERS
Training in-store staff to love your products is hugely important for brands. So we apply the highest standards when we recruit in-store staff trainers on behalf of our clients. As well as having comprehensive training experience, they must have an inspiring personality, great communication skills and a genuine passion for the brand they’re representing.
FIELD MARKETING STAFF
We also provide retailers with field marketing staff. In Waitrose, we provide all the field marketing staff for their Tastings with Waitrose in-store sampling campaigns and we also staff brand activity in Co-Op. Our field marketing staff reflect the greater expectations set by brands and retailers in the current climate – they are engaging, personable and understand the key importance of live brand experience. When Mash field marketing staff invite shoppers to sample their produce, they also create conversations, listen to feedback and connect on a personal level, thus embedding brand messages for the long term.
To find out more about our work in retail staffing, browse through our case studies. Or you can get in touch on hello@mashstaffing.com or by calling 0207 939 7670 – and one of our team will be happy to help.