Retail for Gen Z

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RETAIL: EXPERIENCE AND LIGHTING

A Garage for Gen Z’s

Garage is a cutting-edge fashion brand fi nding success in the retail space. It ascribes its success to a solid understanding of its visually-oriented Generation Z customers and its ability to translate its innovative on-brand vision into a unique shopping experience. In the U.S., Gen Z consumers are the second largest population group, ages 9-24, at approximately 65 million, not far behind the largest category of 72 million Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. Gen Z’s signifi cant spending power combined with their shopping and spending habits set them apart from other generations. According to research conducted by A.T. Kearney, Gen Z is the next frontier in retail consumption. They have a strong preference for brick-andmortar shopping (81% prefer them) compared to a digital experience. Upon entering the Toronto pop-up, customers visually connect with the brightly illuminated merchandise. Around the perimeter and suspended from the slanted skylight structure are white track fi xtures. From the high open ceiling in the central selling area, groups of wire-hung fi xtures with white shades hang in parallel rows to direct customers’ views down to the products on display at the rear of the store. The material selection supports the lighting effi cacy with Corian tile fi xtures, galvanized wall panels, white steel fi xtures, dichroic glass, and infi nite mirrors, creating an eclectic environment that maximizes the transformation of the existing space. A black and white fl oor-to-ceiling dimensional mural by Delphine Dussoubs is a fanciful artistic addition and just another example of the store’s understanding of its target market and the aesthetic that reaches them.•