English Heritage has a retail arm like no other: it operates from scores of historic sites across the country, each with its own distinct historical focus and visitor profile, and many within an idiosyncratic layout dictated by the history of the building. Bringing order and retail clarity to this diverse portfolio is a challenge.
We began by running a strategic workshop and sprint session with the English Heritage team. Its purpose was to define the current retail proposition and journey, and to see where the challenges and opportunities lie. The workshops proved fruitful. From the insights we gained, we were able to explore what English Heritage’s retailing future could look like in terms of experience, products, and proposition.
This rigorous, back-to-basics process lay the groundwork for several stages of refinement. The first was to create an outline for possible future retail experiences and ways in which English Heritage could use a broader proposition to engage new and existing customers. From this document we prepared a foundational brief to ensure consistency and coherence across all future retailing concepts.
The foundational brief set the scene for a series of three onsite workshops to explore the dynamics at three of English Heritage’s key retailing locations: Stonehenge, Lindisfarne, and Belsay. We used these workshops to redefine the customer journey and experience in ways that would boost retail engagement and basket value.
From these onsite learnings, we developed an overarching retail concept that would translate across English Heritage’s unique set of retail sites. The concept (which involved flexible displays, localisation, hero-product moments, relevant merchandising, wine-tastings, coffee stations, and membership areas) gives the brand longevity, flexibility, and durability while supporting its desire for sustainability.
The final step was to roll out the concept across the same three locations of Stonehenge, Lindisfarne, and Belsay. Our scheme gave all three a consistent retail aesthetic, supported by more focused displays, greater efficiencies, an improved customer journey, and localisation to suit the propositions and demographics of each site.
