Purpose

We are architects of AMBIENCE.

By putting humans at the heart of customer experience design, we enable commercial success and futureproof cultural and retail landscapes by carefully designing the structure of the customer experience.

Stephen Spencer + Associates is a customer experience consultancy dedicated to driving business growth in the cultural and retail sectors. SS+A charts its origins to the cultural retail revolution in the early 1990s, and a background working with, and learning from, the brightest stars and most prestigious brands in the retail, leisure, and tourism sectors. We help organisations adapt and flourish in changing markets by innovating products, services, and experiences for evolving customer demands. 

SS+A, as architects of AMBIENCE, enhance sustainability by helping organisations to be more purposeful, people-centric, and profitable.

Promise

Our promise to our customers – we will focus on the desired outcome and use our expertise and tools to add insights, added value and above all sustainable solutions. Our promise is underpinned by ROEE – Return on excellent experiences.

Think positive +

  • We create better and more profitable touchpoints for the customer

  • We extend the opportunity for the customer

  • We enable commercial sustainability by increasing profitability + viability

  • We deepen customers’ + visitors’ engagement with your brand

  • We enable you to spend money better, increasing your ROI

  • We maximise the benefits of both physical and digital in the most efficient way

  • We embed values that are vital for you, your customers, and our planet

Values

Stephen Spencer + Associates share a simple set of values, which we believe will underpin success in this new era, because they matter to customers:

  • Joy

    The aim of every assignment ought to be to bring joy to the lives of customers, employees and stakeholders. This is how we build forward better.

  • Commerciality

    In order to be sustainable every organisation must be viable. In every interaction there is the opportunity to maximise engagement and thereby, what we call ROEE (Return on Excellent Experiences).

  • Passion

    Passion makes projects fly; cynicism makes them die. Our first job is to ignite the passion in every organisation’s purpose.

  • Excellence

    Concept, delivery and operation must be excellent, always: of demonstrable highest possible quality, every time. Limited budget does not mean limited imagination!

  • Loyalty

    The way to build a successful business is to build long-term relationships, celebrating talent and contribution, and maximising value by fulfilling potential. We think long-term and we help our clients to do likewise.

Our Team

  • Stephen Spencer

    Ambience Director

  • John Barford

    Commercial change agent

  • Lindsey Butler

    Food + beverage artiste

  • David Curtis-Brignell MBE

    Visitor economy expert

  • Catrina Hicks

    Commercial retail mastermind

  • Dean Ford

    Brand guru

  • Lauren Groves

    Ambience Architect

  • Mhairi Holland

    Product development dynamo

  • Jane Le Bon

    Retail creative virtuoso

  • Bala McAlinn

    Director of energy

  • Danny McLean-Low

    Revenue driver

  • Carly Straughan

    Ticketing + tills supremo

  • Laura Watson

    Experience expert

  • Louise Welsby

    Storyteller

  • Cécile de Cormis

    Fundraising Facilitator