HTH Kitchens, a powerhouse under the massive Nobia umbrella, isn't just selling cabinets; they are selling the heart of the home. Despite holding a dominant market position, they realized that the landscape of purchasing permanent fixtures was shifting beneath their feet. They approached Blink, a premier retail design agency in Sweden, because they needed more than just a facelift. They required a fundamental shift in how they interacted with consumers.
HTH sought out our team of Scandinavian retail design experts because their traditional showroom model was becoming a relic. They needed a partner who understood that modern retail isn't about warehousing product; it’s about curating inspiration. As a forward-thinking European retail design studio, Blink was tasked with translating HTH’s deep industry knowledge into a consumer-facing experience that felt fresh, accessible, and deeply integrated with modern technology.
The core problem was one of anxiety and accessibility. Buying a kitchen is historically stressful, expensive, and complex. HTH faced a "barrier to entry"—both psychological and physical. Psychologically, customers felt overwhelmed by technical specs and fear of making a permanent mistake. Physically, the traditional "big box" kitchen showroom required massive square footage, forcing locations into industrial parks far removed from where people shop, eat, and live.
Our challenge as store interior design specialists was two-fold. Firstly, how do we take a terrifyingly complex purchase and make it intuitive and fun?
Secondly, how do we condense a massive catalog of cabinetry into a compact retail format that fits into high-traffic shopping malls without sacrificing the product experience? We needed to eliminate the "dead ends" in the customer journey where a shopper would get stuck, frustrated, and leave. The goal was to create a seamless flow from online browsing to in-store finalizing.
Before drawing a single floor plan, Blink dug deep into the psychology of the kitchen buyer. As a leading retail design agency in Sweden, we don’t guess; we investigate. Through rigorous customer journey mapping and audits, we uncovered three critical friction points.
We discovered that potential clients often hesitated to enter traditional showrooms because they felt they needed to be "experts" before walking in. The rigid sales desks and technical jargon created a barrier. They needed a space that felt like a creative studio, not a sales floor.
Customers were starting their journeys online, dreaming up designs on Pinterest or the HTH website, but that data died the moment they walked into a physical store. There was no handshake between the digital dream and the physical reality. The omnichannel loop was broken.
While digital tools are great, kitchen buyers need to touch surfaces. However, showing everything takes up too much space. We found that customers didn't need to see every cabinet constructed; they needed to see the possibilities constructed digitally while feeling the materials physically.
Our strategic pivot was simple but radical: Shift the brand promise from "We sell kitchens" to "Yes, you can design this".
We moved away from the industry standard of rigid, linear sales processes where a consultant dictates the terms. Instead, we developed a flexible, circular ecosystem. We positioned the store not as a warehouse, but as an "Enabling Studio".
This strategy relied on reducing the anxiety of choice. By collaborating with Ernst & Young Digital, we devised a strategy that utilized high-tech configurators to handle the heavy lifting of visualization, freeing up the floor space for high-touch interactions.
As Scandinavian retail design experts, we know that Nordic design is about functionality meeting warmth. We stripped away the corporate coldness. The strategy was to place these studios in high-footfall malls—territory usually reserved for fashion and electronics—by proving that with the right digital integration, a kitchen store doesn't need to be the size of an airplane hangar.
We ditched the maze-like structure of old. The new layout is open and inviting, centered around "Creation Studios". These are collaborative islands where customers and staff stand side-by-side (never across a desk) to co-create. The flow encourages wandering but always guides the user back to these central hubs.
This is where the magic happens. We integrated advanced digital configurators that allow users to visualize their kitchen in real-time 3D. But we didn't want it to feel like a video game. We bridged the gap with physical "Style Tokens"—tangible sample cards that customers can pick up, scan, and see applied to their digital design instantly. These preferences can be saved to a physical folder or a cloud profile, allowing the design process to continue seamlessly at home.
To combat the clinical feel of traditional showrooms, we utilized a palette of warm woods, soft textiles, and residential-grade lighting. As a top European retail design studio, we utilized lighting zones to differentiate between the high-energy "Tech Lab" areas and the softer, consultation-focused areas.
We implemented a tone of voice that is encouraging and warm. Signage isn't just directional; it's motivational. Instead of "Kitchen Faucets", signs might prompt, "Find your perfect flow". The merchandise is displayed to highlight technical specs in the Tech Lab (showing the durability of a hinge) while focusing on aesthetics in the inspiration zones.
By relying on digital inventory, we drastically reduced the amount of physical stock required on-site. This allows for smaller commercial spaces, reducing energy consumption and overhead for the client—a staple of sustainable design from store interior design specialists.
Turning this ambitious concept into reality required tight coordination. Blink worked hand-in-glove with Nobia’s internal teams and external digital partners.
One of the main hurdles was harmonizing the physical fixtures with the digital hardware. We had to design custom joinery that housed touchscreens and VR tools naturally, ensuring they didn't look like afterthoughts bolted onto a shelf.
Another challenge was cultural. We had to retrain the staff environment through design. By removing the sales fortress (the big desk), staff felt exposed initially. We adjusted the acoustics and privacy screens to ensure that even in a busy mall, the consultation areas felt private and secure. As a retail design agency in Sweden operating internationally, we also had to ensure the concept was modular enough to be shipped and installed in various market sizes across the EMEA region without losing its soul.
The transformation of HTH Kitchens has been nothing short of a commercial triumph. By implementing Blink’s strategy, HTH successfully launched in high-traffic shopping mall locations where a kitchen store previously couldn't survive. The new format generates higher revenue per square meter compared to traditional large-format stores. The "Style Token" and digital profile system saw high adoption rates, keeping customers in the sales funnel even after they left the store. Leading to a Significant increase in conversion rates due to the removal of "dead ends" in the purchase journey.
Feedback indicates that the "intimidating" feeling of buying a kitchen has been replaced by a sense of empowerment and fun. Employees report better interactions with clients, moving from "pushing product" to "facilitating dreams". This project cements Blink's reputation as Scandinavian retail design experts who can solve complex business problems through design. We didn't just build a store; we built a bridge between the customer's dream and the reality of their home.
richard@blinkthedesignagency.com
+46 73 545 5018
Blink is a leading retail design agency based in Sweden, specializing in retail concept development, store experience design, and omnichannel integration across the Nordics and Europe. We transform brands into physical destinations that drive both emotional connection and commercial performance.
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