Generative Research

Our generative research phase was extensive, gleaning data points from 250+ shoppers. We sought to better understand omni-channel retail and teenage shopping behaviors, and reveal areas of opportunity through 12+ research methods.

RESEARCH METHODS

Affinity diagram notes, aggregated and synthesized to reveal common themes.

Survey responses, giving us insight into broader shopping trends and opinions.

Literature review articles to familiarize ourselves with innovative retail trends.

Competitive analysis of other retailers & analogous domains.

Storyboard ideas tested through speed dating to validate needs.

Key stakeholders mapped to help us better understand our broader audience.

Interviews with AEO & Aerie customers and associates.

Think alouds to understand customers’ thought processes during online shopping.

Personas representing customers and associates across different ages.

In-store shop alongs to observe shoppers’ behavior in context.

Empathy maps depicting online and in-store customer behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.

Hybrid customer journey map/service blueprint to uncover key interactions, motivations, and breakdowns.

KEY INSIGHTS

01 Gen Z-ers try to mirror the social aspects of in-store shopping online.

Customers are already creating omni-channel workarounds to enhance in-store shopping, like searching for deals or engaging in “pre-shopping” prior to arriving in-store. These omni-channel customers spend 14% more than their single-channel counterparts.

02 Users visualize their existing wardrobe when shopping online or in-store.

Regardless of whether individuals are shopping in-store or online, shoppers try to visualize staple pieces in their wardrobe to better understand what items can be paired with clothes they already own. We found that this consumes much of users’ mental energy and takes the focus away from the shopping experience unfolding in real time.

03 Shopping is an act of constructing a social identity.

Simply put, clothes are meaningful in that they convey different aspects of one’s personality and social status. Considering adolescence is a time of social pressure and change, we found that teenagers especially care about adequately reflecting their personality to their peers through clothes.

AFFINITY DIAGRAM

We aggregated 1,000+ individual research notes in an affinity diagram.

Emboldened with thousands of notes from our generative research activities, we affinity diagrammed to uncover pain points and extract common themes.

SERVICE BLUEPRINT

Service blueprinting shed light on a major data disconnect between online and in-store shopping.

As a common user story emerged through our affinity diagram, we modeled our findings in a hybrid service blueprint & customer journey map. Through mapping out users' emotions, social interactions, and data collection points, we clearly identified areas of opportunity in our problem space.

CONCLUSION #1

Socialization

is important to users but currently unsupported online.

Users seek opinions from others while shopping online and in-store, and create workarounds to experience real-time shopping with friends online.

CONCLUSION #2

Data

is siloed between online and in-store experiences.

Data is marginally used in-store, and is not exchanged between online and in-store channels. The same user is essentially a different customer when s/he shops online vs. in-store.

Evaluative Research →

AVANT GARDAEO

Generative Research

RESEARCH METHODS

KEY INSIGHTS

01

Gen Z-ers try to mirror the social aspects of in-store shopping online.

02

Users visualize their existing wardrobe when shopping online or in-store.

03

Shopping is an act of constructing a social identity.