ADOC’s timeless transformation opens doors for continued growth in Central America

Well-known and respected throughout Central America, ADOC is a leading manufacturer, wholesaler and brand for footwear and accessories. They have an expansive portfolio that includes international brands, like Disney footwear, CAT, Hush Puppies and Steve Madden. They have high visibility in trending categories and often participate in brand collaborations.

ADOC has long been the preferred footwear brand among Central Americans, but there was a perception that they were more of a legacy brand. Wanting to be known not only for its industry expertise but for its relevance, ADOC brought in JLL Design Solutions to reimagine in-store shopper experiences. The goal of this updated experience was to take the existing customer respect and appreciation for the ADOC family of brands and transform it into adoration.

It was crucial that the updated ADOC experience proudly celebrated its rich heritage while modernizing the brand and clearly signifying its relevance to shoppers. The target audience of shoppers had positive perceptions of ADOC but also saw it as a brand that their grandparents and parents trusted, not necessarily as one that’s trend driven.

The primary ADOC shopper is between the ages of 24–49 years old. Over half the customers are female and 64% have kids. The ADOC shopper prioritizes quality, comfort and affordability and while they gather inspiration online or on social media, they almost always make their purchase in store.

Shopping is entertainment within Central America, so it was critical that the in-store experience was not only intuitive and simple but also exciting and enjoyable.

JLL went on virtual and in-person store visits, conducted stakeholder interviews and researched consumer trends to make sure the final concept would be a physical embodiment of all that the ADOC brand stands for.

Timeless Transformation was the final design concept. This concept provided a physical embodiment of the experience vision, celebrating ADOC’s passion for aspirational storytelling and dynamic evolution. By complementing its rich heritage with modern visuals, a moment of unexpected coexistence between the brand’s past and future was created.

The refreshed store space acts as a blank canvas, with pops of color used throughout for brand stories, promotions and focal points. Flexible vignettes inspire individual expression while energizing materials draw the eye throughout the space. The result is a store that’s undeniably magnetic and authentically ADOC.

A few tactics employed within the Timeless Transformation concept included:

• A dimensional store layout with strong storytelling moments and dynamic merchandising

• The introduction of a clean and consistent communication hierarchy that simplifies the experience

• Transforming employees into brand advocates through an experience that inspires service

• Incorporating brand-right digital touchpoints to extend the omni-experience

As part of the ADOC portfolio, PAR2 is the manufacturer’s value brand known for its low everyday price points. However, the brand had been facing declining sales and in the face of that, had big aspirations. So, JLL was tapped to bring this bold vision to life.

PAR2 needed a new store design that aligned with its business strategy. The goal was to evolve the experience to support its vision to be the number one value footwear and apparel retailer in Central America. To achieve this, JLL was challenged with delivering a revolutionary shopping experience that supported the needs of a high volume, fast-to-market, fashion-forward value proposition. Not only did it have to meet the needs of the business and customer expectations, but it had to be executable across both new and existing stores.

Natural materials like wood were leveraged to add warmth and texture to the concept, while an open ceiling and dropped lighting made the space feel bright. Large-scale imagery drew customers in, while strategic pops of color pulled them through. This style-forward concept lead with fresh fashion, while paying off the brand’s promise of “Siempre mas valor” (“Always more value”) throughout.

To make an immediate impact on PAR2’s customer, JLL developed a new storefront to serve as a recognizable brand beacon. Size, scale, contrast and color were all incorporated to tell a fresh story at the storefront and in the windows.

Within the store, the environment became ownable through a collection of signature brand elements while also improving the overall customer experience. More product storytelling celebrated the brand’s improved quality while simple communication made the in-store journey intuitive. To further improve the flow, a better system for displaying overstock on the sales floor was developed, dedicated and comfortable seating options for product try-ons were added and the checkout experience was redesigned to be smoother and more fun for the customer.

The ADOC brand refresh received favorable consumer perception, increased store traffic and provided positive year-over-year growth. The initial concept implementation was so well received that an aggressive rollout plan began in 2023 and is still in progress.