Hygena

Hygena, a leading home and kitchen retail brand from the WM88 stable, operates in more than 100 stores worldwide, with plans to extend its franchise activity and open a further 100 stores by 2024.

To address new consumer trends, Hygena wanted to empower customers to design their own kitchens online. The solution needed to be seamlessly integrated with back-end systems so that Hygena could continue to deliver on its promise of ‘a complete kitchen in just 15 days.’

“The challenge was that e-commerce was not yet a reality in the custom kitchen sector,” said Wilfrid Tanter, CEO. “A kitchen design project depends on furniture dimensions, the positioning of the windows, the height of the walls and many other factors that are difficult to address online.”

While software solutions to create customized kitchen designs were available in the market, these needed consumers to download and install software, which was a key barrier to trial. They were often difficult to use, especially for consumers with limited design and software experience.

Hygena wanted to empower both consumers with no design experience and in-store design experts to create completely customized kitchens using its extensive portfolio. The design experience had to be easy to access, simple to use and high quality to encourage trial. It also needed to be enjoyable yet practical, with updates about prices, design errors and stock availability. These notifications needed to be instantly delivered and very easy for designers to look at.

To improve shopper engagement and satisfaction, Hygena decided to offer a 3D planning solution to both consumers and designers that could deliver ease of use and was accessible through their website.

With the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution, consumers and designers can seamlessly create customized kitchen designs online. The solution is entirely cloud-based and requires no downloads or licenses: consumers just need to register for the solution with a username and password and they are ready to start.

The platform is so customizable that it allows consumers to input exact room dimensions of any type and style. For customers looking for a little inspiration to get them started, Hygena offered design templates that auto-populated the customer’s room dimensions with the latest trends and product sets. Completely integrated with Hygena’s catalog and CRM systems, the solution provides pricing that is updated in real time throughout the course of the design, with smart business rules that flag any errors like fire hazards and contravention of building safety regulations.

During deployment, a completely new customer journey was put together that enabled users, consumers and sellers to collaborate more effectively when putting together their kitchen projects.

Thanks to seamless collaboration between the HomeByMe and Hygena teams, the entire project was completed within just 12 months – from digitalization of the product range to the first deployment in stores, followed by user training at point of sale.

Hygena has opted for a phased rollout of the solution. It was launched in-store in July 2020, receiving positive feedback from designers. As of November 2020, consumers can design their dream kitchens on the solution via the Hygena website and full e-commerce capabilities will become available in January 2021, offering a complete omnichannel experience that will allow customers to design their kitchens from anywhere, independently. Use of the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers solution across the website in conjunction with Hygena’s CRM platform is expected to generate rapid, positive business results.

The ease of use delivered by the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution will enable in-store staff to shrink the sales cycle and optimize staff productivity. The online platform for consumers will serve to significantly differentiate Hygena as a go-to brand for shoppers who want to create and buy the kitchen of their dreams at any time from the comfort of their own homes.