Case study

Unlocking the full potential of Martinus stores

A bookstore that turns undecided visitors into customers

Impact

75%

less time needed to create an in-store display

-15 %

fewer new visuals required for display areas

+50 %

increase in sales of selected titles among undecided customers

In short

Services

Service design

Industry

Retail

Capabilities

Conversion improvement
Customer data
Customer experience
Ecommerce
In-Store
Internal systems
Testing

Challenge

Increase conversion among undecided customers in Martinus bookstores.

Solution

Design sprints to discover, test, and scale solutions directly in-store.

Turning indecision into opportunity

A significant number of visitors come to Martinus stores without a clear intention to buy. For Martinus, this represents an untapped opportunity: every undecided customer is a chance to connect someone with a book they'll genuinely enjoy.

The Martinus team knew there was room to improve the in-store experience and the way books were displayed. At the same time, the staff were spending considerable time creating displays without a standardized system or a reliable way to measure their impact on sales, resulting in high operational costs.

The key question was: How can we create book displays that reflect customer needs and data while remaining inspiring, effective at driving sales, and true to the Martinus brand?

The solution needed to address both the customer experience in-store, including visuals and communication, as well as the internal processes behind creating and evaluating displays.

The project was delivered by Martinus and Lighting Beetle*. Lighting Beetle* led the process and methodology - from research to experiment design - while helping the internal team build the skills needed to continue applying the approach independently.

The biggest value of the project, in my view, is that it helps customers find more relevant books while making it easier and faster for booksellers to create displays. It also changed how we measure the success of our display tables, and we're now gradually implementing this approach across our entire store network.

Andy Mešková

Chief Operations Officer, Martinus

Customer Experience

Designing displays that help customers decide

To better understand undecided customers, we conducted short intercept interviews directly in stores, exploring what prevents people from making a decision and what helps them move forward.

Based on these findings, we designed new display concepts and tested them in selected stores through a series of experiments, including A/B tests and before-and-after comparisons. The performance of each concept was measured using sales data.

In practice, this meant creating situations where customers approached a display table without a specific intention and observing what encouraged them to stop, pick up a book, and ultimately make a purchase. We tested different ways of labelling and arranging books, as well as the supporting copy used on display tables.

This approach helped us identify and reinforce behavioral patterns that guide customers to the right book.

The most successful concepts were then validated across the store network, and those that delivered the strongest results became part of a new display playbook.

Output: A new display design playbook

We created a data-driven playbook for designing in-store displays, providing recommendations for messaging, visuals, and title selection.

For Martinus, this means higher conversion rates while further supporting its mission of connecting people with books.

Employee Experience

A more efficient process for creating and evaluating displays

Alongside customer research, we also focused on employees and how they create book displays. Through in-depth interviews, we mapped the existing process - from the way they think and make decisions to the practical considerations involved in creating a new display.

This helped us identify the moments that have the greatest impact on display performance.

Rather than introducing yet another system, our goal was to help employees make better decisions within the tools and environment they already use every day.

We designed a prototype digital assistant that uses data to recommend which books to feature. The solution was integrated into an existing internal system that had previously been used mainly for book inventory and ordering. After testing, we fine-tuned and implemented it.

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Output: An internal digital assistant for display creation

The result is an all-in-one tool that guides the Martinus team through the process of creating high-performing displays without requiring extensive training. It helps employees select books using sales data, title performance scores, and AI-powered recommendations based on sales potential.

Impact: Higher conversion, more efficient teams

The new display system delivered measurable improvements:

Higher conversion among undecided customers, lower operational costs

Using data to guide book selection and display design helped Martinus feature titles with greater customer appeal. This reduced returns and the time spent handling inventory. The new approach also made it easier and faster to create visuals.

Changes to display design increased sales of selected titles by more than 50% among customers who would otherwise have left the store empty-handed.

Lower costs and better use of employee time

The new approach simplified both logistics and administrative work. Experienced staff make more informed decisions about which books to feature, while new team members can get up to speed faster thanks to clear guidelines and recommendations. The focus shifted from deciding where books should go to deciding which books deserve a place on display.

Thanks to the new tool, the time needed to prepare a single display was reduced by 75%, while the need to create new visuals decreased by 15%. This not only saved time but also freed up valuable team capacity for higher-value work.

Building internal capabilities

This project was not a one-off external intervention. It helped Martinus systematically build internal capabilities and establish a repeatable approach to solving similar challenges in the future.

Along the way, the team strengthened its skills in design thinking, experimentation, and data-driven merchandising.

Today, the team is able to: