Boots No 7
Boots, the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, is committed to delivering first-class services to customers and communities throughout the country. With 2,336 stores, ranging from local community pharmacies to large, destination health and beauty stores, it has a presence in most towns and cities and is the first choice for pharmacy, health and beauty.
- Client – Boots
- Project – No 7 Brand Scheme Installation
- Number of stores – 1,300
- Location – UK & ROI
Overview
The health and beauty retailer wanted to develop and implement a new merchandising scheme to support its highly popular No7 brand. The scheme, which required the installation of new, sleek display units, interactive displays and test and makeup trial zones into 1,300 of its stores, was designed to provide immersive, fresh and exciting customer experiences.
As Boots long-term goods not for resale (GNFR) strategic partner, Sigma supported the completion of the brand makeover through its connected network of warehouses and logistical capability, combined with pre-assembly facility and specialist retail expertise.
The Brief
Sigma was commissioned to support the No7 project, the largest merchandising project Boots has ever undertaken, by carrying out the project management of procurement, consolidation, warehousing, kitting and logistics. This enabled the completion of 1,300 No7 brand makeovers. 800 of these were to be completed within a 12-month timescale.
The Challenge
Concession layout design
During the pre-project process, the Sigma Store Planning Team undertook all drawing take-offs to ensure that each site was correctly laid out against the specifications. This also generated a comprehensive list of all the components needed, including point of sale and ticketing. These actions were critical, given the complexity of the merchandising scheme, the 54 different layout configurations and the variety of locations where they would be installed. As a result, Sigma was able to ensure accuracy of volume manufactured was aligned to the efficient and sustainable kitting, logistics and installation programme.
Test and Learn Process
Prior to the roll-out, Sigma provided its prototyping space to construct a complete test and learn store that was an exact replica of a Boots outlet. A number of trial installations were carried out at the test store, and at sites with differing requirements. These enabled us to see whether lessons could be learnt and improvements made, while giving members of Boots’ management team and the No7 team the opportunity to see the store with the merchandising in place so that creative sign off and executive approval could happen.
The testing phase helped us make several small but significant changes that streamlined the process and made it more efficient. Of particular value here was the decision to pre-build elements of the fixtures and fittings at our warehouses rather than on-site. This modular build approach radically reduced the number of individual components that needed shipping to each site and meant that the merchandising schemes could be installed quicker, with less disruption and with greater quality control.
Stakeholder liaison
Not all stores had suitable rear access to deliver the components and for many of these, access to the front of the store was also limited by issues like parking restrictions. Sigma identified the stores where front deliveries would be necessary and proactively liaised with local authorities and other stakeholders to fully understand the restrictions and coordinate workable delivery solutions.
Working with Covid-19
The pandemic provided a range of different challenges. Delays caused by the lockdown and Covid restrictions across the supply chain needed to be overcome to ensure that deadlines were met. Boots was particularly keen to ensure a majority of stores had the new No7 format in time for Christmas 2020 and to achieve this by the deadline, tailored protocols that kept all personnel safe were established. These included teams working in bubbles on location and ensuring that staff from Boots and third-party contractors who visited Sigma’s kitting and logistics facility were kept safe.
Although the manufacturing process was not delayed by the pandemic, the delays in installation caused by the lockdown meant storage was needed for the merchandising kit that still awaited installation. Sigma arranged pop-up warehousing for this purpose and ensured these facilities conformed to Sigma's warehousing standards.
To ensure that the merchandising schemes kept staff and customers safe, partition screens were added to each of the 1,300 concessions.
Consolidating operations
The scale of the project and the impact of the pandemic meant multiple inbound delivery hubs were required to store equipment effectively until needed. Outbound deliveries were all coordinated through a central hub where all pre-build work took place. This enabled modular shelving displays, islands and POS (point of sale) to be assembled ready for installation, rather than being shipped as individual components. This ensured the quality of build and avoided in-store delays caused by incorrect or missing parts.
The palletised units and detailed installation plans were then dispatched in a phased timeline that guaranteed the fitting teams had the parts they needed, but that in-store storage would not be required. This was critical to Boots during the pandemic as it needed to make use of additional storage space within its stores for the fulfilment of online and click and collect orders.
Warehouse and Logistics Management
Sigma’s bespoke warehouse management system controlled all inbound and outbound activity, including internal parts management. Effective control was enhanced by the system’s ability to interact with the software and management systems of the client, suppliers and installers. The system’s agility also enabled Sigma to react promptly to short-notice changes resulting from the pandemic, such as installers having to isolate.
Sigma’s extensive transport fleet was also used to support the project’s UK-wide logistics. This took into account the issues with access to some of the stores and where liaison was needed with local councils and stakeholders to ensure compliant front of store access could be arranged and that the deliveries caused minimal disruption. With some of the large kit needing additional machinery to offload and position, accurate planning and coordination of deliveries were essential.
Additionally, to improve the speed of installation, the order in which components were loaded onto the vehicles meant that items were offloaded in the order in which they were to be installed.
Thinking Sustainably
Sigma and Boots are both committed to improving sustainability and this was an important aspect of the project. To minimise waste, Sigma collected existing store equipment that was being replaced during the project and sorted it for reuse, refurbishment and recycling.
At the start of the project, a plan was put together to ensure nothing would end up in landfill sites, with all fixtures and fittings left over being subsequently recycled across the entire estate of 1,300 stores.
To reduce the carbon footprint of this process, the old store equipment was taken away on the same vehicles that delivered the new kit. In this way, Sigma effectively managed to halve the number of journeys required.
Did you know?
8,000 pallets were used and recycled during the project.
This resulted in:
2,000 trees were saved
About Sigma
Located centrally in the UK and with 24-hour availability, Sigma offers bespoke, focused services that meet the scope of individual projects. Our approach ensures that clients benefit from minimal disruption and from projects delivered with the utmost value, quality and care.
From the outset, this approach makes sure that accurate programmes are delivered within realistic, qualified timescales and with assured quality and cost control. We promote a collaborative approach with all our clients, focusing on continuous improvement, to establish long-term relationships based on trust, transparency and dependability.
The Outcome
Sigma is very proud of how it was able to meet the many challenges presented by the project and its ability to fulfil the needs of the client despite the unprecedented impact of the pandemic.
