Davide Cortellino

Cpr Number: 270887-4089

A142_ The store as distribution channel, brand and

shopping scene.

Teacher: Jesper Aastrup

Title: How Feltrinelli store environment and assortment

initiatives affect in-store behavior.
1.Introduction
This synopsis will discuss the store environment of Italian chain “Feltrinelli’s book stores” ,
in order to understand if its layout and selling environment is well-conciliated with the
particular recreational motivational orientation that, in the most of cases, characterizes its
target customers. Indeed, the customer’s orientation can be inferred analyzing the retail
offering, which can be defined as recreational needs oriented for what concerns the book
category[ CITATION Kal06 \l 1040 ]

In addition, we will analyze a recent initiative undertaken inside its main big stores, where
new product categories have been added to its initial category assortment; this in order to
understand if this strategic movement can find raison d’etre within the available assortment
theories.

2.Case presentation

Feltrinelli store environment

With its 100 shops distributed within the Italian territory, Feltrinelli is the biggest chain for
Books and Music in Italy. Unlike typical book stores, usually used in the past just to purchase
our favourite new book, in order to read it at home, Feltrinelli stores have developed new way
to sell the “Book” category, adding to this core business complementary categories, and in
this way becoming a Point of Sale where different kind of products are made available to the
customers, developing a differentiation based on taste and pleasure.

In addition to Books, feltrinelli stores offer a wide assortment of music products(cd’s, long
play records), movies, games and a number of gadgets that vary from diaries to stationery, up
to the more recent introduction of luxury tea lines(Le Palais des thès). This underlines the
Feltrinelli strategic aim to be evaluated as a unique solution to the more general “Cultural
Entertainment” need, offering products intuitively linked to the natural features of bookstore,
in a continuous research of synergies within all the categories.(Norberto Piersigilli, Feltrinelli
category manager).
Feltrinelli stores are characterized by warm colors(red and orange), used in the stores to
indentify the product’s kind on the shelves and to reproduce on the white walls, on posters,
and on the entrances/store windows, the feltrinelli logos. Usually, bright lights are utilized in
the stores, which with the wood parquet on the floor(exciting colour) and the white walls,
allow a better identification and examination of the products offered[ CITATION Are94 \l
1040 ]

A free-flow layout is used as store pattern, where the shopper has more freedom to move in
any direction and where the fixture are arranged in an irregular pattern, encouraging in this
way browsing and creating a more visually appealing environment[ CITATION Mcg03 \l
1040 ]. Reading zones are arranged inside the stores, where the customer can, without time
limits, spending time reading the interested book or just sitting to chat. The reading areas are
also used as shelves for the launch of new books or to promote particular offers, due to the
high traffic of people created by this zones. Music stations are also arranged inside the music
department, allowing in this way a direct experience of the product from the consumer point
of view. Both examined typologies provide reassurance about the products, moving in this
way the shopper toward buying[ CITATION Mcg03 \l 1040 ], and creating a more
interactive/exciting environment.

Slow classical and Jazz music are used as aural components, well-suitable for the kind of
consumer interactive experience linked to the products sold and pushing, in this way, a more
long time spending inside the store from the consumers side [ CITATION Mcg03 \l 1040 ].

Help desks are arranged in the store for the customers that need to find a specific book
without loosing time in its research, with a number of shop assistant ready to make you reach
the exact shelf where the product is placed.

Furthermore different cultural initiatives are developed during the year, where singers,
writers, artists and so on, promote their new works. This kind of promotional events are a
very useful tool to generate excitement. The festive atmosphere of an in-store event feeds
enthusiasm[ CITATION Syk94 \l 1040 ], and could have as natural consequence an increase
of the arousal level during the shopping experience.

Introduction of new product categories

During 2009, a new series of product lines were introduced inside Feltrinelli main stores,
including Luxury Tea lines, refined clothes brand and design products for the home
environment; a complementary product bundle to the main book category. This assortment
decision could be designed to appeal consumer’s preference for complementary items; in this
way reflecting Feltrinelli strategy to include in the assortment items characterized by an high
degree of intellectual innovativeness.

3.Theoretical angles

We can assume as starting point the idea that the Feltrinelli standard customer should be
recreationally oriented. This hypothesis can be motivated by the fact that shopping for a book
is supposed to be mainly recreational[ CITATION Kal06 \l 1040 ] and consumer could visit
the store to derive pleasure from the visit itself[ CITATION Dawer \l 1040 ]. As a
consequence we will discuss if Feltrinelli store environment is suitable for the kind of
motivational orientation that characterized its customers, and if the interaction between the
two variables lead to some profitable modification of customer behaviors inside the store. In
this kind of analysis we will use Velitchka theory, discussed in his article. It’s relevant
because it explains how and when a retailer should employ a particular kind of store
environment, in an attempt to push/reduce customer’s arousal level depending on which kind
of shopping motivation is common between its target customers. This in order to positively
affect the pleasantness of shopping environment and, indirectly, shopping behavior
variables(e.g. unplanned spending, duration of store visit..) . Indeed, Velitchka theoretical
framework states that consumer shopping behavior inside the store is affected by the
pleasantness of store environment, which ,in turn, is influenced from consumer arousal level.
The consumer arousal level is affected by the environmental characteristics and mediated by
consumer motivational orientation. So, the question here is:

1) Considering Feltrinelli customer orientation, has the firm chosen the right mix of
environmental variables in order to push/reduce customers arousal level to positively
affect in-store shopping behaviours?.

Focusing now on the recent assortment initiative undertaken inside Feltrinelli main store, we
will discuss if the new categories introductions find a raison d’ètre from a rational point of
view. Doing this, we will use Simonson theory of assortment effects on buyer preferences.
Simonson article discusses how assortment policy can affect consumer purchase decision. In
doing so, it could explain why Feltrinelli chain has decided to introduce new product
categories, especially for some of them that could seem not very functional related to the
book/music categories.

So, the question here is:

2) Considering Feltrinelli initial books/music/films assortment, is the new introduction of

different product categories, such as luxury french tea or design clothes, justified by a
strategic, synergic and theoretical point of view?.

This are the two questions that we would try to address during the discussion of the examined
case.

Appendix
References

Areni, C., & Kim, D. (1994). The influence of in store lighting on consumer examination of
merchandise in a wine store. International journal of research in marketing 11 , 117-125.

Dawson, S. (1990). Shopping motives,emotional stats and retail outcomes. Journal of retailing,66 ,
408-427.

Mcgoldrick, P. (2003). Retail marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sykes, C. (1994). How to conduct a successful in-store promotional event. Retrieved novembre 2010,
from Allbusienss: http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/channel-marketing/681500-
1.html

Velitchka, D., & Barton, A. (2006). When should a Retailer Create an exciting store environment.
Journal of marketing , 107-118.