Online retailer bol.com is the largest giftshop of The Netherlands. It also has the ambition to become the best gift shop. To do so, bol.com needed in-depth understanding of people’s needs, motivations and key moments in relation to presents. What is the exact journey when buying a present? Which highs and lows do people experience in each journey? And what barriers do people face when buying their presents (online)?
Focus groups and a WhatsApp assignment
Through focus groups and WhatsApp assignments (subject: the last bought and received presents) in The Netherlands and Belgium, we focussed on the dynamics between a giver and receiver. Giving and receiving a present is a joyful but sometimes complex social interaction. Together with the bol.com team we created a hypothetical journey, including highs and lows that mapped the relationship between buyer and receiver. How well do they know each other? How specific are the wishes of the receiver? How much effort would the giver like to make? How do you decide and plan on buying a present? What happens if the present isn’t what the receiver had hoped for?
Surprising areas for innovation
Through research, we were able to identify the emotions that accompany each step in the customer journey. Addressing these emotions allows bol.com to create a smooth and memorable gift buying process. It also creates a basis for exploring new opportunities such as more personalised gift wrapping and less complex gift processes…
