case study

Shams Lab

Client

Shams El Balad

Team

Role

Innovation Strategy, Team Leadership, Product Development, User Research

Year

2020

Awards

Media

CHALLENGE

Shams El Balad is a successful and iconic restaurant and retail shop in Amman. Their shop was on a downward sales trajectory and very close to being closed down.

50% of the restaurant visitors weren’t even aware of the shop.
Those that were felt that it didn’t have a clear vision, with overpriced European products feeling off brand.
70% of product categories were unprofitable.

OUTCOME

We revived the shop into a design-led research and product lab creating locally sourced, sustainable, mission-driven products. Our first year resulted in an 888% increase in sales and influenced the local food scene through the creation of landmark products like fermented sodas and food waste soap.

How did I help Shams El Balad revive their retail arm and increase sales in one year by

888%?

They tasked me with building a design-led research lab to revive retail sales and make Shams a regional leader in food innovation.

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I led qual and quant research to discover that only 50% of visitors knew about the retail shop and that 70% of product categories were unprofitable.
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And launched a variety of locally made, sustainability focused, mission-driven products.

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Shams Lab

How did I help Shams El Balad revive their retail arm and increase sales in one year by

888%?

They tasked me with building a design-led research lab to revive retail sales and make Shams a regional leader in food innovation.

I led qual and quant research to discover that only 50% of visitors knew about the retail shop and that 70% of product categories were unprofitable.‍

And launched a variety of locally made, sustainability focused, mission-driven products.

Explore more work

Health services re-engineering

Material Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program

I led qual and quant research to discover that only 50% of visitors knew about the retail shop and that 70% of product categories were unprofitable.
‍