Setting Up a Dairy Store Franchise Based on Experiential Retailing

Setting Up a Dairy Store Franchise Based on Experiential Retailing

Wensink, J.M.

Smulders, F.E.H.M. (mentor)
Roscam Abbing, E. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Strategic Product Design

2011-04-14

This project was inspired by my personal interest in starting a company based on the idea of connecting the customer with the origins of a food product. Coming from a family of dairy farmers and having grown up on a dairy farm myself, dairy products provided an interesting (and obvious...) case study. The topic of experiential retailing was inspired by seeing the emerging trend of it being incorporated more and more to retail products. This field of retailing is still relatively new and research on practical implementation still has much room for broadening of knowledge. In addition, customers are increasingly demanding high-quality, unique products with a story. Local production is gaining recognition and initiatives such as the Slow Food movement are promoting looking closer to home for culinary inspiration. This project looks at various ways this can be achieved. Literature research on the subject was conducted to see how aspects of experiential retailing can be used. Also, interviews with Dutch artisan food retailers were done to gather practical insights into the industry. With the goal in mind – setting up a dairy store franchise – findings from the research were used to determine which aspects were interesting to explore further and incorporate into a conceptual store design. The final concept considers both design and strategic aspects of setting up a dairy store franchise in the Netherlands. A concept for the Alfalfa company is presented. This company will compete in the high-end dairy food industry with a retailing concept that sets itself apart from the competition. Differentiation will be achieved by focusing on one category – dairy – and providing high quality, locally unique products. The company will work together with local dairy farmers to bring these products to the market. This aspect will be used to establish the brand in the market: the fact that the company has close, personal business relationships with local farmers and that this allows them to share the dairy experience with customers. Overall, the Alfalfa dairy retail concept presented in this report provides a unique business strategy that plays into current market trends, both from customer and farmer perspectives. While customers increasingly demand knowing more about quality products, farmers are looking for additional channels of generating revenue. The Alfalfa business concept provides value to all parties involved.

dairy
experiential
retailing

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:f323bf04-2a29-4ca3-b013-d8491e86227f

2012-04-14

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2011 Wensink, J.M.