Marie-Stella-Maris x Secret View
20/2/2025
We are excited about our new collaboration with Marie-Stella-Maris! This well-known Dutch brand, famous for its natural care products and luxurious home fragrances, is a staple in high-end department stores, beauty retailers, and concept stores. Together, we are exploring the customer experience in their own stores to ensure that every shopping experience brings their sustainable values and brand story to life even more strongly.
Sustainability as brand identity
Since its founding in 2011, Marie-Stella-Maris has expanded to ten standalone stores alongside many shop-in-shops. Our mystery shoppers visit all of these stores: nine in the Netherlands and one in Belgium.
The brand is committed to making a positive impact with products made from natural ingredients. How? By donating part of their revenue to sustainable water projects and offering eco-friendly refill packaging. So far, they’ve contributed around two million euros to projects in communities that need it most. No wonder they’re a certified B-Corp!
Making an impact (on the world and on their customers) is at the heart of their mission. Our customer experience research makes this impact measurable. The insights don’t just improve the shopping experience; they also help keep the brand’s values strong and consistent.
Storytelling in every visit
In our mystery shopping research for Marie-Stella-Maris, we focus not only on the key stages of the customer journey (such as the welcome, needs assessment, and advice) but also on storytelling, in-store experience, and sustainability. Everything in the stores is designed to create an immersive experience, from the scents in the air to the textures of the products.
Janneke van der Lugt, Retail Operations Director at Marie-Stella-Maris, explains: "At Marie-Stella-Maris, it’s not just about offering luxury products; it’s about creating an experience that connects customers with our mission. We want every customer to feel not only informed but also inspired to contribute to a more sustainable world."
Our questionnaire emphasizes not only customer interaction but also how well employees bring the brand’s mission to life. Key questions include: Are employees able to tell the brand story? Do they engage customers with the unique characteristics of the products and the mission of Marie-Stella-Maris? And how does the store environment enhance the overall experience?
"It’s not just about selling a product. It’s about helping customers understand why we do what we do," says Janneke.
"This research helps us refine the experience and engage our customers even more in our story."
Would you like to improve the customer experience in your stores with mystery shopping?
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