The Problem:

St. Vincent de Paul is an amazing philanthropic organisation, with a commitment to support the parts of the community that are sometimes overlooked. Their retail stores raise money for charitable causes, and serve a secondary purpose of continuing the life cycle of clothing and household goods with the circular economy.

In recent years the Vinnies team have identified that their retail stores aren’t as inviting as they’d like them to be, which impacts their potential for revenue. That also means that their volunteers and staff can feel a lack of engagement and energy for the important work that they do.

The Solution:

Vinnies partnered with Storeplay to explore how technology could enhance their retail environment, impact sales, and staff enthusiasm.

The first step was an AWS-backed music solution, delivering an in-store radio platform that brought together sophisticated technology and a shared passion for the way sound can enhance ambiance. The passionate Vinnies retail operations team worked with the Storeplay curators to develop a location-based music schedule, designed to draw customers in and energise the volunteers who man the stores throughout the day.

The technology, built on AWS servers, allowed for remote management of stores and content, as well as messaging tools that enabled advertising for events, campaigns, and the promotion of sponsorship partners.

The Results:

What was initially a pilot program was rushed into more and more locations based on the feedback from staff and the increase in customer dwell time. Store teams were universally positive about the improved store experience, resulting in more enthusiasm and vigour for their work; patrons were also staying longer, resulting in increased basket sizes.

The use of advertising messages as a part of the radio led to increases in membership sign-ups and traffic to websites for events like The CEO Sleepout, both of which contribute to charitable giving and community awareness.

The Future:

Having now cemented Storeplay Radio as a part of their store setup, the Vinnies team are exploring other elements of Storeplay to contribute to customer experience even further. This includes a pilot program of Storeplay Display (digital signage), Storeplay Scenting, and Storeplay IQ (to streamline donations and volunteering), all of which is backed by AWS.