University of Hertfordshire · 6CTA2021 Fashion Business Major Project · Bootcamp 4 · Thu 29 Oct
Future retail journey
Afternoon workshop, 13:30 to 16:00. Paper, your Direction Map and a pen. You do not need a finished product or service: a rough concept, business idea and target customer is enough. No software, and no need to upload any photo of yourself. By 16:00: a sharper target customer, their journey today, a first idea of where your concept could meet them, its biggest assumption, and your Cambridge observation plan.
Pair for the what-if cards
Step 01 · Your concept and target customer 13:30 · 10 min
Rough is fine. Not sure yet? Start with the customer: who they are and what bothers them. Underline anything already evidenced.
Target customer (who exactly?) My concept or business idea in one sentence (a first guess is fine)
Step 02 · Map today’s journey 13:40 · 20 min
Before you change anything. Store, digital, social and aftercare only where relevant. Do not invent behaviour: write U for unknown. Tutor adaptation of Lemon and Verhoef (2016).
| 1 Discover | 2 Evaluate | 3 Buy + receive | 4 Use + support | 5 Return, repair, resell |
|---|
Customer action
What do they do? | | | | | |
Touchpoint + owner
Who or what do they meet? | | | | | |
Pain + evidence
Source and date, or U | | | | | |
Step 03 · Circle one friction moment 14:00 · 15 min
“For [person in this circumstance], the difficult moment is [friction], at the [stage] stage. Our evidence is [source, date].”
What would progress feel like? What evidence says this matters? Step 04 · Sketch a first idea 14:15 · 15 min
Three frames, like a storyboard. Name the person or system responsible in each. A first idea, not a final product. No product yet? Sketch the help, service or moment your customer needs.
1 ArrivingHow do they find it? Who greets them?
2 DoingWhat do they do? Who or what helps?
3 LeavingWhat do they leave with? What happens next?
Step 05 · Format Builder 14:40 · 25 min
01 Format type, first guessStore, pop-up, service, social, digital, or a mix. You can change it later
02 WhereWhich place or platform, and why there
04 What happens thereThe customer action, in their words
05 What is offeredProduct, service, advice or experience. A rough idea is fine
06 How money changes handsSale, fee, subscription, rental, or none: who pays?
07 Which force (F1 to F7) and which case you compare
08 Biggest riskStock, staff, cash, platform, access
Forces: F1 connected journeys · F2 store as experience · F3 community retail · F4 advice around a goal · F5 social and live commerce · F6 AI visualisation · F7 circular services. Cases: C1 Louis Vuitton The Louis · C2 H&M Stratford · C3 Gymshark Trafford · C4 John Lewis Sports & Wellness · C5 RE.UNIQLO STUDIO · C6 Tu on TikTok Shop · C7 Google virtual try-on · C8 Matches (failed).
Step 06 · What-if cards 15:05 · 20 min
In pairs, pick two numbers before you look. Redesign the weak point, including a human or offline alternative where useful.
| # | What if |
|---|
| 1 | Your floor holds no stock. How does the customer assess the product and receive it? |
| 2 | Weekday footfall halves. Which service, staffing assumption or channel connection changes first? |
| 3 | Your customer discovers everything on TikTok. Where does your idea begin, and who handles aftercare? |
| 4 | The screen or internet fails. How does the customer complete the task with dignity? |
| 5 | The customer will not share a photo or personal data. What useful alternative remains? |
| 6 | A repair costs more in staff time than its fee covers. Who pays, what changes, what would you test? |
| 7 | The required size is unavailable. What honest next step prevents a wasted visit? |
| 8 | A customer cannot use the stairs or stay for an event. How can they access the same core benefit? |
Cards drawn, and what we changed Assumption still unresolved Step 07 · One-minute walkthrough 15:25 · 20 min
For [person in this circumstance], the difficult moment is [friction]. They encounter [touchpoint], do [action] and leave with [benefit]. We would earn revenue through [route]. Evidence suggests [reason]; we still need to test [assumption].
Peers test: is the benefit observable? Does the format address the chosen problem? Is the unresolved assumption explicit?
Step 08 · Plan Cambridge, Thu 10 Dec 15:45 · 15 min
My question going ine.g. “How does a shopper get help when the size is not on the rail?” Evidence that could prove my idea wrong
Stop 1 and whye.g. John Lewis Cambridge (Personal Styling, Style Studio listed) Stop 2, a contrast, and whye.g. UNIQLO Grand Arcade (opened 24 Sep 2026; repair studio not verified) Observe like a researcher. Ask permission and accept a no. No photos of identifiable people, staff screens or payments without consent. Keep three columns: evidence, interpretation, next question. Never guess age, income, motive or disability. “Not visible” is a finding. Price is not margin; a QR code is not automatically a Digital Product Passport; a donation point is not proof of recycling.
Cambridge retail research bingo
Circle the five squares that matter for your customer. Each square you find needs a location, date, permitted evidence and a question. “Not visible” counts.
Online stock checkF1 · where / date / question:
Collection handoffF1 · where / date / question:
Return-channel signF1 · where / date / question:
Staff stock device, if permittedF1 · where / date / question:
Size-request routeF1 · where / date / question:
Place to stay without buyingF2 · where / date / question:
Brand story displayF2 · where / date / question:
Product demonstrationF2 · where / date / question:
Event invitationF3 · where / date / question:
Community joining routeF3 · where / date / question:
Advice or appointment offerF4 · where / date / question:
Goal-based displayF4 · where / date / question:
Service fee and conditionsF4 · where / date / question:
Accessible route to helpF4 · where / date / question:
Social-content invitationF5 · where / date / question:
Content-to-checkout linkF5 · where / date / question:
Live-event notice, or not visibleF5 · where / date / question:
Digital recommendationF6 · where / date / question:
Size info vs visual previewF6 · where / date / question:
Human help beside technologyF6 · where / date / question:
Repair or remake offerF7 · where / date / question:
Resale or take-back pointF7 · where / date / question:
Evidence behind an environmental claimF7 · where / date / question:
Care informationF7 · where / date / question:
Product QR code: follow where it goesF1/F7 · where / date / question:
| Evidence (what I saw) | Interpretation (what it may mean) | Next question |
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Theory you can cite
Customer journey: Lemon, K.N. and Verhoef, P.C. (2016) ‘Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey’, Journal of Marketing, 80(6), pp. 69 to 96.
Experience economy: Pine, B.J. II and Gilmore, J.H. (1998) ‘Welcome to the experience economy’, Harvard Business Review, 76(4), pp. 97 to 105.
Omnichannel retailing: Verhoef, P.C., Kannan, P.K. and Inman, J.J. (2015) ‘From multi-channel retailing to omni-channel retailing’, Journal of Retailing, 91(2), pp. 174 to 181.
Servicescape: Bitner, M.J. (1992) ‘Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees’, Journal of Marketing, 56(2), pp. 57 to 71.
Observation method: Government Digital Service, Service Manual: contextual research and observation; getting users’ consent for research.