From an intuitive digital journey to a captivating in-store user experience, an organization that truly prioritizes its users requires dedication from the whole team.

St. James Settlement launched two pioneering green projects, Green Ladies and Green Little Shops in 2008 and 2016 respectively, with a mission to make an environmental difference while also providing empowerment opportunities for middle-aged women – increasing employment chances and training prospects. As part of a system renewal, Green Ladies partnered with Neighbourhood Innovation Lab to explore ways to enhance the user experience for their retail and consignment services. We were honoured to help inspire their retail transformation and lay the foundation for an exceptional second-hand retail and consignment user experience.

We dived into the digital journey of the second-hand retail and consignment store. How can we integrate the digital services in a more seamless way? What are the possibilities of a new booking system? A streamlined interface? Intuitive navigation? The workshop was a catalyst for inspiration to push beyond the boundaries of the current user experience.

Unboxing the customer journey

We conducted user interviews, brainstorming sessions, and prototyping ideas to enhance the second-hand retail and consignment experience. Research across surveys, interviews, store observations and workshops revealed a consistent pattern: people love Green Ladies’ mission and unique second‑hand finds, but often struggle with the practicalities of using its services.

At the heart of the project is a clear mission: keep quality fashion in circulation while creating meaningful employment and training opportunities for middle‑aged women, especially the 35–64 segment that already makes up over three‑quarters of its customer base. From conceptualizing a user-friendly booking system to formulating a personalized membership dashboard, we brainstormed innovative ways to improve the customers’ shopping journey.

This collaboration was about more than just improving the functionality of Green Ladies’ services. It was an opportunity to redefine second-hand retail, creating a future where digital innovation and sustainability come together to inspire meaningful change.