What is headless e-commerce?

Written on September 10, 2024

On September 08, 2024, we spoke at the Maison&Objet Retail Coaching talks on the theme of e-commerce experiences in concept stores. The objective of this workshop was to present different levers on which to rely to create a unique and original multi-brand experience.

Below is a summary note of the topics that were discussed as well as the list of sites mentioned for their creative initiatives and best practices.

Online concept stores: how to combine different brand worlds through an original retail experience?

The nature of a concept store

Merchandising practices are evolving as are consumer behavior and expectations: shops are becoming cafes, cafes are becoming co-working spaces, retail outlets are becoming ephemeral and event venues. The concept store is an atypical commercial space that people frequent to buy, discover and be inspired. There is a selection of eclectic, cutting-edge, exclusive, original products around a theme, a style or a genre (lifestyle, vintage, art, etc.)

Concept store: what are the differences between the physical experience and its digital version?

The digital shopping experience deprives the consumer of a certain number of sensory and emotional levers that influence the act of purchase: the storefront including the sign and the window, the architecture of the place, the scenography, the scenography, the lighting, the light, the sound, the perfume, etc.

In the digital world, the context is quite different. The commercial site is above all a service that must allow you to navigate easily and quickly in a short time. Unlike a store that is subject to local competition, the site is exposed to wider competition. However, despite expectations in terms of performance and conversion, it is entirely possible to make it a creative and differentiating showcase.

Goodhood - Londres

Amore - Berlin

What Strategies Can a Concept Store Use to Express Its Uniqueness Online and Differentiate from a Standard Multi-brand Experience?

Identity

In-store, the concept store’s identity is expressed through the space, the products offered, and other sensory and emotional factors. Without these physical cues, the visual identity will allow the store to leave its mark on the e-commerce site.

Whether colorful, enthusiastic, rich, or minimalist, each store can claim its uniqueness. Some lifestyle concept stores even create their own products and thus become brands in their own right.

Composition

Composition organizes various visual elements (images, typography, illustrations, interface components) within a given space. By arranging these elements in a harmonious or strategic way, the designer can guide the visual journey of the customer. Composition creates a sense of dynamism and movement or seeks stability and harmony, and is crucial for establishing visual hierarchy.

It can also play an emotional role. Using certain composition patterns, subtle animations, or empty spaces — known as "negative space" — can enhance feelings of calm, tension, grandeur, or minimalism.

Photography

Product photography is both a qualitative and differentiating factor between the concept store and the traditional multi-brand retailer. Its primary function is aesthetic and commercial: it allows the concept store to showcase the products it sells by photographing them, regardless of their nature, under identical lighting and shooting conditions.

Editorial & Storytelling

Storytelling takes many forms: fashion editorials, artist profiles, stories of encounters and moments of life. It is a fluid that infuses the concept store’s culture and universe into the shopping experience, as well as through social media. It inspires the consumer and recreates an emotional context around the shopping experience. Above all, it is the best expression of the concept store's creative vision.

E-commerce et concept-stores : intervention Ultrō aux talks Retail Coaching de Maison&Objet