GSK Shopper Science Lab | Francis Cauffman

The new GSK Consumer Healthcare headquarters includes a Shopper Science Lab where GSK and retailers take consumer research and model different scenarios both virtually and physically. The goal is to understand and optimize the consumer retail experience.

The immersive experience begins in the Collaboration Room. Here, a retail store is simulated with the use of a large 9 x 30 foot interactive touch panel screen. Different retail spaces can be modeled virtually to explore, test, and review retail placement, signage, and packaging placement strategies prior to constructing physical prototypes.

After exploring the virtual possibilities, the visitor is led to the central informal gathering area, which is surrounded by a focus room, exhibition space and seminar space, as well as a series of different simulated settings; a retail store, doctor’s consultation room, dentist’s operatory space, and a digital room to showcase different digital and web technologies. The retail store is not visible at first, as the glass front was constructed with switchable glass, providing the element of surprise to visitors.

The spaces surrounding the central gathering space are minimal, white, with glazed fronts to provide a neutral background to focus the visitor on the product display. In contrast, the central triangular gathering space is bold to create a ‘wow’ factor. The triangular shape is accentuated using a central orange acoustical fabric ceiling, surrounded by a black metal mesh ceiling. With lower ambient lighting levels appropriate to the informal nature of the space, the eye is drawn to the brightly lit surrounding mock-up spaces.

Visiting the Shopper Science Lab is about experiencing different stimuli to spark new creative solutions. These conversations are typically informal and the space has been designed in a manner to capitalize on these to then prototype and test the new solutions within the space.