Sure Telecom Guernsey

This was a blue sky project that came to be. It’s an exploration of what’s currently possible in the world of retail interior design.

The assignment

Sure Telecom are based in Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man. When the company first approached Made In Place they were very well informed and keen to see a design that was progressive and different. However, they wanted to steer clear of anything that lost functionality or alienated their clients.

This was a challenge. Sure Telecom’s customer range is broad because they sell anything from the very latest in mobile technology to the most basic of landline handsets. Catering to all of the people who could visit the store was a test of our designing skills, and one we greatly enjoyed.

Further to the phone-related products, Made In Place also had to come up with a way of presenting the company’s satellite TV service.

The transformation

Taking this brief, we set to work finding materials which would reflect Sure Telecom’s modern approach to technology, but which also had a human, almost contemporary domestic feel to them. We wanted people to be comfortable in their surroundings, while also being aware that the products around them were up to date both in style and in content.

We created circular polished stainless steel displays which fitted with the company’s corporate identity and would attract customers from a distance due to their highly reflective surfaces. Furthermore, these displays have little dots of lights that change colours set into them, which also work to attract customers towards the product.

In order to make it clear which products in the store are the newest, we manufactured some white glass tables upon which these mobile handsets could be placed. This is where the latest technology sits. It stands out from the rest of the tables, which are wood enamelled.

A 3000×1800 interactive touch screen wall was also installed, accompanied by smaller information screens located adjacent to the products. These were manufactured by Imagetech and utilized their Wallflower software.

The large touch screen wall was made using nine smaller screens, which were then linked together and faced over with a single glass panel. The panel was treated with a film containing electrical contacts, allowing the glass to be used in combination with the screens like an over-sized tablet.

This displays all sorts of content including product information, promotional videos, and Sure TV. Eventually customers will be able to interact with the screen to customise handsets and assemble tariff packages.

The small information screens that sit adjacent to the product were carefully thought out. We wanted to be sure that customers received all the information they required about the phones they were thinking about purchasing, but no more.

Made In Place determined that only two pieces of information were important to the customer:

One – What the handset does.
Two – What tariffs it is available on.

Generally, we feel that mobile phone information and tariff types are not well presented, and information of this sort is regularly duplicated throughout stores of this kind. Sure Telecom have carefully considered this and provide information that is simple and clear.

Taking this into account we introduced small LED screens which could be moved between two screens by customers – product information, and tariffs.

The result

The interior design of the Sure Telecom store is very different to those of its competitors, and moves away from what is expected for this type of retail interior. When compared to the company’s old store, which was at the time located less than a quarter of a mile away, Sure have seen a significant increase in sales. The clearly defined layout and simple delivery of important information has proved popular with people who visit the store.