Barcelona retail lab
Cat
Cast
Eng

Next Generation
Retail Lab

participaTE
A transformative innovation project promoted by Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa and the Commerce Department, and the Cercle Tecnològic, together with CorEixample retailers association.

THE CHALLENGE

The digital transformation
of urban retail

Urban retail has faced great challenges. The pressure has been building by the dominant big box and franchise model together with the disruptive force of e-commerce - both working with high volumes and thin margins - and it is now compounded by the economic crisis and change of habits resulting from the pandemic. 

How do we introduce the digital paradigm, with all its advantages and potential, into brick-and-mortar retail so it can raise retail’s competitiveness in the data economy and also raise the value of in-store experience?

ECONOMIC
PROFITABILITY

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Retail must be profitable to thrive. The downward pressure on prices and upwards in costs (high rents, decent wages) demand new business models, new sources of income.

SOCIAL
VITALITY

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Commerce articulates life on the streets. We want retail stores that are attractive to citizens and served by people in a relational rather than a transactional environment. Lively, people-centric retail is at the heart of city life.

ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY

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We envision a retail model that does not need to sell unsustainable volumes of unnecessary products, but rather an informative and experimental business that adds value to citizens without damaging the finiteness of the planet's resources.

We have validated the use of digitization solutions as transformative drivers in the following ways:
  • Generating data that transforms the way retailers make business decisions.
  • Driving change in the in-store experience for buyers and sellers.
  • Exploring new forms of value creation with other economic and social actors.
  • Redesigning the social and economic role of retail in the city.
  • Promoting a more sustainable and value-based consumption model.

APPROACH AND OBJECTIVES

Expected results and impact on retail

The lab has unfolded in the deployment of technologies in four stores in the city. The goal has been to solve important business challenges for retail stores of different types and be a meaningful representation of the potential of connected digitized urban retail.

The approach has focused on creating a layer of data that quantifies the most relevant elements of the business and supports intelligent recommendations for buyers and retailers while exploring the concept of retail as media, as spaces where the store, the bands and the city can reach users.


Beyond the benefits for each store, measurable results have been obtained among the different shops and with the neighborhood as a whole. Shopping should become a seamless experience in multiple stores, guiding the user through the exploration and buying process. 
The goal iachieved has been to deploy a richer experience both in-store and between them, expanding the value of going out shopping.

Business
Optimization
Bring in
New Customers
New
Business Value

THE pilot

The Lab as a space for experimentation

The lab is a space for testing and validating technological solutions for their transformative capacity, for their ability to improve retail business metrics and change the dynamics and value of street shopping.

February 2021

Store selection

Guided by CorEixample, the Lab has selected four shops representing the diversity and potential of urban trade according to the criteria set by the project.

Get to know them

01
02

MarCH 2021

Selection of the technology partner

From an open and transparent selection process, a multidisciplinary and international jury of the technological ecosystem, has selected Beabloo as technological partner of the project.

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may — september 2021

Experimentation

The Lab has been in operation for 5 months, since May until September 2021 and has analyzed store dynamics as well as their potential for relationship with users in the context of creating new value.

03
04

may 2022

Results obtained, dissemination and scaling potential 

The project has been completed with clear success and proven impact for urban stores. Once the pilot is over and with the good results obtained, it is time to disseminate it as well as scale it up to take it to more stores, commercial areas and cities.

Get to know them

Selected Stores

Floristeria Navarro

We have been Barcelona's leading florist for over 65 years. With our own workshop and excellent floral designers, we are committed to local farmers as well as to the environment, without ever forgetting our personalized treatment.

Barrabes Esquí i Muntanya

We are a leading store in Europe, dedicated to the world of mountaineering, trekking, climbing, skiing and the outdoors. A paradise for Mountain Sports lovers.

Crearte Styling

We are a comprehensive beauty salon, image workshop, hairdressers and beauticians. With personalized attention and exclusive treatment, we use organic products and advanced technology.

Crois Croissant Gourmet

We are a cafe in the purest Italian style specializing in sweet and savory croissants, and a varied selection of pastries. Relaxed and cozy atmosphere for breakfast or a drink accompanied by an aperitif.

Store Locations

The technology partner

Discover the technological proposal

Beabloo is a technology company that develops solutions to personalize the retail customer experience and improve the impact of marketing campaigns.

The digitization of physical spaces and Artificial Intelligence applications have become essential for the future of local businesses, which is why Beabloo makes its suite of technological solutions available to the project to promote digital transformation.


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Principales indicadores
del proyecto

If we look at the overall impact of the project by the four participating stores we canconclude that the action has reached great results.

93,704€
Annual increase in sales in
the 4 participating shops
106%
ROI


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Maria Raventós
FLORS NAVARRO

Latest news

Stay up to date with the latest news from the RetailLab project by Readyfor.

Testimonials

El que diuen de nosaltres son els testimonis de gent que parla del projecte.
"Este destacado es de prueba. Los destacados deben ser al menos de 50 caracteres."
Juan Roig

Vicepresidete BBVA

Project promoters

BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL Barcelona

Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa and the Commerce Department, offers support and growth services to retail small companies and self-employed professionals and has launched various initiatives for the digitalization of shops, such as access to a specialized technical support service to support them in the developing online presence, strategy, management and sales. With this Retail Lab, it takes a step further, making the most advanced technologies available to small businesses and at the same time providing a real testing environment for companies that develop cutting-edge technologies.

cercle tecnològic

The Cercle Tecnològic is a private non-profit foundation open to people, companies and ICT professionals. The objectives of the Foundation are: to be a reference, dynamizer and meeting point for the ICT sector. To be a decisive and influential actor on the agenda of the key actors (public and private) in the ICT and digitalisation sector. To enable debate, analysis and dissemination of the current state and future challenges of the digital society and encourage and develop digital talent and bring technology to the third sector.

COREIXAMPLE

The association of retailers and professionals was started in 1994, with the aim of socially and economically revitalizing the stores to the Right of the Eixample (between Còrsega, Passeig de Gràcia, Passeig de Sant Joan and Trafalgar), providing services to retailers, organizing, informing and making the Right of the Eixample a better place to shop, work and live.

Media partners