Uniting generations in the MTS interior
What does the new MTS store look like?
We have worked with MTS twice. The first time, the company approached us for employer branding; the second time, we built a CJM and, as part of the rebranding, developed the layout and zoning of a point of sale: the first MTS store in a showroom format.
We share the result in the case study.
MTS is a Russian telecommunications company providing services in Russia and the CIS under the MTS brand. The company provides mobile and fixed-line communications, internet access, cable television and content sales services.
In addition, MTS owns its own retail chain selling communication contracts, phones and other mobile devices. Our task was to create the first MTS store in a showroom format, where customers could test and choose digital solutions for the smart home, esports and gaming, and TV, as well as use banking services and services for small and medium-sized businesses.
The MTS brand immerses people associatively in the company's field of activity. It is an ecosystem focused on innovative technologies that are simple and useful, truly human, and that work here and now, helping people achieve the best results in their daily lives, realise their dreams, improve their quality of life and inspire new achievements.
Following the session, interior solutions were proposed and sample visualisations developed, based on the results obtained through collaborative work. Our task was to build a CJM and develop the layout and zoning of the store, taking into account MTS's positioning as an ecosystem of services and products.
The new format of retail stores had to create a customer experience that would increase cross-sales of products to existing customers and attract new audience groups to offline points of sale.
The final solutions were based, above all, on a clear understanding of the company's image, values, motivation and life philosophy, identified during a strategic session held in a workshop format.
It was decided to focus on delivering a new experience in the showroom, not just on sales. Inspired by the minimalism of Scandinavian style, we proposed concentrating on minimalism and concision, technology, natural materials (wood, stone), and clean lines and forms. Combining the best of past and present experience became the basis for a holistic concept for the MTS interior.
The concept was implemented as a pilot project in the brand's flagship store in Moscow. The space is divided into several zones:
Mobile is the classic zone, where gadgets and accessories are presented in an open display. Home offers solutions for the home. Customers can see how the Marvin voice assistant and the MTS smart speaker work, and test a smart home system with a variety of sensors and gadgets. The Game zone is dedicated to esports, gaming and streaming. Here you can take part in popular online games on the laptops provided and stream on your own. B2B is a zone for entrepreneurs, where they can evaluate services and products for small and medium-sized businesses: Workzen, Insider, MTS Marketolog, online cash registers and more. The Banking zone features MTS Bank products. Here you can apply for a debit or credit card, a mortgage and the company's other financial services.
We would especially like to highlight the solutions for serving visitors. For example, a Digital Assistant app was created for store staff, which allows them to build a shopping basket and send all the information to the checkout for payment, simplifying the process of finding products, as well as an online showcase that lets customers explore smartphone specifications or browse tariff plans on their own.
The SIM-o-mat helps customers restore a SIM card without the help of showroom staff, and the Marvin robot pours coffee. We see how the variety of services and functionality at the point of sale reflects the positioning of the MTS brand as an ecosystem, encouraging customers to purchase new services. A multi-level approach to creating interaction zones makes the space as interesting, engaging and functional as possible. The showroom has been welcoming visitors since July 2020.
