International Retail Audit

Aesop knew some Melbourne stores consistently outperformed others — and needed to understand why:

• An international retail audit was underway, with Melbourne stores under the microscope
• The brief: identify what separates high-performing Aesop stores from those falling short
• Both standalone and counter formats in scope — spanning retail, airport, and competitor environments

An immersive multi-method program that put real customers inside real stores:

• Current, Lapsed, and New customers completed in-store visits — recording video impressions, photographing the experience, and logging responses via an online blog in real time
• An accompanied shop was recruited and added mid-project to capture the Chinese customer perspective in depth
• In-depth interviews conducted with all respondents to probe and unpack their in-store reactions
• International airport visit captured in a dedicated mini report