Canadian lotteries are investing time and money into creating “Stores of the Future.”
For instance, B.C. Lottery Corp. (BCLC) created a Lotto Signature Store model to transform the lottery transaction model for players and retailers. “Our objective was to provide an opportunity for players to stay and play in the retail space with us,” explained Veronica Varhaug, Manager, Lottery Marketing Communications, BCLC. “We wanted to create content that engaged with a new lottery player providing a lottery experience unlike any of our other brick and mortar locations.”
Ontario Lottery & Gaming (OLG) is spearheading a major upgrade for its retailers. “Lottery presence in store has not shifted the fundamental look and feel in many years,” said Marie Horton, Director, Sales Solutions, Lottery Sales & Marketing, OLG. “Merchandising units are aged and our technology is dated. OLG is currently rethinking the existing lottery environment and executing a retail plan that will present a modernized experience to our current and future players. We will do this through: new terminals, new merchandising fixtures, new corporate branding, digital investment through digital play stands and digital menu boards and new omni-channel player experiences leveraging mobile apps.”
Horton is currently serving as chair for a National Merchandising Work Group for the Interprovincial Lottery Corp. (ILC). It was established to share best practices, research and learnings, and to identify opportunities to work together on strategic merchandising initiatives.
“This may result in procuring merchandise hardware together for greater cost savings and efficiencies, working together on digital content creative for National games, and ultimately, making lottery easier to work with for our national retailers,” said Horton.
Members from all five Canadian lottery jurisdictions are represented on the committee. “I believe all jurisdictions are interested in modernizing their approach to the lottery retail experience, whether in the form of upgrading traditional merchandise or exploring digital/interactive opportunities to further engage their customers,” said Horton. “Strategic priorities and budget considerations will obviously inform the scope of each jurisdiction’s modernization efforts; however, we all recognize that revitalizing the lottery brand at retail is critical to sustaining current performance and attracting the next generation of lottery players.”
U.S. lotteries are conducting digital signage pilots. Georgia Lottery Corp. plans to test menu boards at a few select locations. These menu boards immediately draw your attention and allow for multi-messages to display.
“We (speaking on behalf of the Georgia Lottery) need to reinvent how our product is displayed at retail in order to ensure maximum in-store awareness,” James Hutchinson, Senior VP, Marketing & Product Development, Georgia Lottery said. “We need to challenge ourselves to explore the most visually stimulating ways of presenting scratchers in the retail channel. I believe we can learn from other entertainment products on how they package and display their brands. Products such as movies, theme parks, professional sports, etc. all seem to create a level of theatre that titillates the senses and causes you to respond. We need more theatre in our displays.”