Ikea as a role model too

beautiful

bellaflora Managing Director Susanne Eidenberger.

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

"If it works well, we will roll out the concept for all stores," says Susanne Eidenberger. In Leonding, the bellaflora Managing Director and her team are testing new approaches in terms of routing through the store. The garden center chain also wants to increase the fun and feel-good factor when shopping.

The bellaflora head office in Leonding is located in the immediate vicinity of the store, which is always a test balloon for new developments for the garden center chain. "Leonding is our flagship store," says Managing Director Susanne Eidenberger.

And the sales area is currently living up to this role once again. Since October, the company has been focusing on a new concept here, in which even greater attention is paid to ensuring that customers can find their way around quickly. In other words, colorful is a thing of the past; instead, what belongs together is put together. "For example, you can find everything about tools in one area, everything about houseplants in another, and then somewhere else there's just the Christmas theme," explains Eidenberger.

Ikea has established clear paths in the store
A clearly structured path leading from the entrance to the checkout, as we know it from the Swedish furniture retail giant Ikea, has also found its way into bellaflora. "We have noticed that people are spending less and less time shopping. With us, you can choose: On the one hand, you can browse for a long time, and on the other, you can do your errands quickly," says the bellaflora Managing Director.

Customers can really stroll through the different areas and look at the products. You are much closer. It was important to us that you don't get lost in the abundance and size of the store.

Susanne Eidenberger, Geschäftsführerin bellaflora

Postscript: "The customer should enjoy shopping - not only because our products give them a good feeling and it's a feel-good oasis here, but also because it's clearly navigated and fun to shop."

When it came to Christmas products, they went all out: Customers can draw from the full range.

(Bild: bellaflora Gartencenter GmbH)

When will the concept of clear themed worlds be introduced in other stores? "We are still in the test phase and at the same time already evaluating it. We're getting great customer feedback, the clarity and tidiness are well received. All bellaflora of the future should look like this."

Bridge to the digital world
At the same time, the topic of advice is also being pushed: on the one hand by employees, and on the other by what Eidenberger calls "silent advisors". By this she means descriptions on the shelf with the most important information, but also the bridge to the digital world through the use of QR codes.

27 branches, 550 employees
bellaflora was founded in the 1970s by Hilde Umdasch. Around 550 people are currently employed in the 27 branches. The company is privately owned in Austria.