“The future of Telco POS”, Design Lodge, 2014


Christoph Rohrer sits in a white shirt at a table and supports his head on his arm.

Christoph Rohrer, Managing Partner of KMS BLACKSPACE, spoke to us about the mobile phone store as a window to the world of the brand.
The image of telecommunication stores and mobile phone shops has changed dramatically. Today, they are less focused on devices and rates, but devote more effort to exploring the lifestyles enabled by tablets and smartphones. How is mobile presented as a lifestyle product?

What special requirements are involved when staging telecommunication/mobile phone stores?
The major challenge that telecommunications brands face in retail is the fact that they are selling an intangible product and brand promise. They need to bring the service delivered by the brand in line with the specific offers and rates, as well as the relevant devices. We focus on integrating versatile media elements in classic POS environments that can transport the brand, show the product in action and highlight the experience components in the process. The POS is still decisive as a place where customers can experience the brand first hand.

How is mobile’s rapid development reflected and integrated at the POS? What conceptual approaches are used here?
The great opportunity of the mobile channel lies in where interactive online functionality meets the real world in which we actually live. Location-based services and augmented reality are relevant trends here, but are still in their infancy in terms of user experience. What Google has shown us with “Glass” could have been possible on all smart mobile devices for some time now. It will be more interesting when these functionalities start to interact with specific real store locations. For example: The store responds to my smartphone, my tablet controls the look and function of the store.

A current topic of interest: How does the mobile phone shop combine online retail with local retail?
The rate and hardware business will continue to shift more towards e-commerce. The focus of local retail will move more towards service and advice on the one hand. On the other hand, this will open up more opportunities and space to create a meaningful experience of the brand and its services in the store – even if the customer actually makes the purchase online. The store will become a window to a fascinating world of the brand, and the point of sale will be the point of brand.
We were also responsible for developing Vodafone’s flagship store in Cologne, which has become one of the most successful in all of Europe.