Women now own 36 percent of North America’s private businesses, control almost half the personal wealth, and the pace of growth for women has overtaken growth for men. This trend is expected to continue and should give banks something to think about. “Gender-neutral” products and services are de facto male-focused because they do not take […]
Why Women are Leaving Your Bank Read More »
As food operators explore growth strategies an option being considered by many is a partnership with another complementary brand. We have seen in many other industries, such as banking, the benefits and liabilities of partnering with a coffee chain to provide a differentiated customer experience. The opportunity to leverage the power of two offerings to
Creating Brand Cohesion When Exploring Restaurant Partnerships Read More »
Shikatani Lacroix helped ACE Bakery introduce its River Road Bakehouse brand to consumers with an eye-catching new logo and vibrant package designs that stand out in the growing mid-tier artisan bread category. “We’re so excited about the look that Shikatani Lacroix has created for River Road Bakehouse’s logo and packaging,” said John F. Kennedy, VP
Shikatani Lacroix Helps ACE Bakery Break into the Mid-Tier Artisan Market Read More »
Vancouver is well-known for its West Coast beaches, surrounding mountains, tall trees, and hiking trails, but it also has an interesting restaurant scene influenced by its international population and active culture. Fusion-style dishes provide unique options, farm-to-table, local, and better-for-you movements have spread throughout the city, and themed pubs add personality to dining experiences. Below
Unique Restaurants in Vancouver: Inspiration for Foodservice Brands Read More »
Rebranding is often a messy process, but when it comes to rebranding an entire franchise, it can get downright adversarial. The relationship between franchisees and franchisors can often become strained as franchisors want to update their brands quickly and broadly, while franchisees can feel frustrated and resentful when they don’t understand the reasoning behind high-level
How to Rebrand Without Alienating Your Franchisees Read More »
Shikatani Lacroix and China-based partner MetaThink were awarded an Honorable Mention in Commercial Competition at the 10th annual International Design Awards for their collaborative design of China Zheshang Bank. IDA honorary juries examined over 1000 entries submitted by architects and designers of interiors, fashion, products, and graphics from 52 countries throughout the world. After final decisions
International Design Awards recognizes CZ Bank Read More »
Immersive design agency Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD) and Chinese strategic innovation and branding consultancy MetaThink have proven the effectiveness of combining neuroscience and virtual reality to test consumers’ emotional responses to a virtual retail environment by recording the same consumer responses to the physical one. A world first, this research validates the use of VR
New Research Validates VR and Neuroscience as Effective Retail Design Tools Read More »
Branch Design: Built environments for a new era in banking The 19th century American architect Louis Sullivan coined the phrase “form follows function.” In the 21st century, Sullivan’s law still governs the built environment. Learn how design professionals are applying it in blueprints for a modern branch that serves not only as a banking establishment,
Bank Customer Experience Summit 2017 Read More »
Why are we so afraid of change? It’s a question that has been written about numerous times in different contexts, and the answer is always a variation of the same thing: we are creatures of habit who fear the unknown. However, the ability to adapt is crucial: the most adaptable creatures are the ones who
Getting the Right Foodservice Transformation Process Read More »
Purpose SLD conducted a national U.S. survey of 1,100 respondents to understand their banking behavior and the level of risk from new emerging mobile and non-traditional banking platforms. The study was conducted in February 2017 and forms part of a strategic review of the evolving role and value the physical branch can provide in building
Overcoming Stealth Attrition in Retail Banking Read More »
When you are embarking on any kind of change for your financial brand, regardless of the degree it is critical to get a good understanding of where your brand fits into the industry landscape. One of the most recognized tools to create this view is the SWOT analysis. We often get asked questions about how
The Importance Of SWOT Analysis for Financial Services Brands (Free Guide) Read More »
Eating in is the new disruptor for foodservice, and it goes beyond delivery and take out. Driven by multiple factors ranging from cost per person to health concerns to uniqueness of experience, new services are stepping in and making it even easier to eat at home. The good news is that for foodservice operators who
The End Of Dining Out, Long Live Foodservice Dining In Read More »
Many things seem to get in the way of you and your food when you are hungry and short on time. Wait times exist throughout the experience, whether you are grabbing a snack at a limited-service fast food restaurant or dining at a full-service sit-down establishment. For example, there is a delay between walking in
Maximize Your Restaurant’s Efficiency: 6 Proven Strategies to Reduce Wait Time Read More »
One of the top five things people want from their banks is advice on how to better handle their money. But although banks offer such services, consumers, especially Millennials, are not actually asking for this advice. This CGI report puts banks at the bottom of the list people turn to for consultation when making a
Why Customers Aren’t Asking for Your Financial Advice Read More »
In a competitive banking landscape, it is often difficult to stand out and truly connect with customers. Financial services are challenging to promote. They are complex and mostly conceptual, and can lead to financial institutions all seeming the same. Branding can help solve these issues. It can differentiate a financial institution by expressing an identity
Three Visual Strategies to Connect with Banking Customers Read More »
For almost 30 years, our firm has been involved in foodservice design and worked with clients ranging from small independent operators to the large multinational chains. Through these many years of experience, we have always strived to push the envelope of our designs to ensure our clients not only remained relevant, but more importantly that
Eight Foodservice Design Trends Influencing Your Customers Today Read More »
The branch of the past is dead. The strategies that used to reliably bring in customers have gone the way of the floppy disk and it’s finally time to move on. Connecting with customers in a new financial services industry won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding – as long as you can target
How to Attract Your Target Customers Read More »
We recently spoke at the BAI Beacon conference held in Chicago about the work we completed for Regions Bank, a large regional bank with roots in Birmingham, Ala. The conference was well attended by more than 1,500 bank leaders and executives covering a wide range of relevant topics providing insights into what is top of
Brace for More Changes in the Banking Industry Read More »
The latest issue of Retail Merchandiser featured a detailed profile of the recent overhaul of M&M Meat Shops. M&M CEO Andy O’Brien shared details about the ideas behind the new retail design as well as Shikatani Lacroix’s role in creating M&M Food Market. M&M Food Market worked closely with Shikatani Lacroix Design, a Toronto-based strategic
M&M Food Market: More than Meats Read More »
Boston Pizza is unveiling a new restaurant bar concept, designed by Shikatani Lacroix, on March 31 that highlights Boston Pizza’s unique family dining and sports bar experiences under one roof. The newly renovated space is located in Toronto’s downtown core at the corner of Front and John Streets. “With this new design concept, Boston Pizza
News: Boston Pizza Reveals New Urban Concept Read More »
