Retail Focus January 2016 by Retail Focus

27-28

Features Regulars Highland fling

The Johnstons of Elgin store on Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Bond Street is designed in collaboration with Checkland Kindleysides and draws on the provenance and heritage of the Scottish cashmere brand.

Design 11 Retail Collective review

47 Surface design

on: 60 Focus Signs & Graphics

Leader

19-20 Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe.

27-34 Project Focus

Johnstons of Elgin : Oasis : Jigsaw

Diary

13-16 News

37 Power to the pop-up

Top of the POPS Karl McKeever Retailers are beginning to embrace technology in an attempt to engage our senses and create more immersive brand experiences, says Karl.

O pinion

While high street travel agencies struggle to compete with online, other service retail destinations such as banks have the potential to thrive if they get the right balance between design, function and experience, says George Wainwright of PWW.

44 Experiential retail

Q&A

Having worked as part of the VM teams at French Connection, Fred Perry, Jack Wills and Topman, Tim Nash is going it alone with his new creative retail and VM consultancy, Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Create Things.

50-58 P roducts Products and services for the retail industry.

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Global Manufacturing and Logistics Decorado off the shelf decor and props

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leader

January ‘16

If our trends article in the December issue is anything to go by, then 2016 is set to be an exciting time for physical retail. Among the predictions for the year ahead is the irresistible rise of the pop-up format. The sector is estimated to be worth £2.3 billion to the UK economy with a growing number of retailers looking to differentiate their brand by providing new, unexpected transient experiences. This month we track the latest developments in pop-up retail (pages 37-38). For the first time, the Pantone Colour Institute has blended two shades – Rose Quartz and Serenity – for the Pantone Colour of the Year 2016. ‘Whether in soft or hard surface material, the pairing of Rose Quartz and Serenity brings calm and relaxation,’ says the global authority on colour. ‘Appealing in all finishes, matte, metallic and glossy, the engaging combo joins easily with other mid-tones.’ With the Surface Design Show also just around the corner, Lyndsey Dennis touches on the materials and finishes set to make an impact in retail in the coming months (pages 47-48) Also in our first issue of 2016, we look at not one but two exciting new store concepts by design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides. The studio has designed the first London store for Scottish cashmere brand, Johnstons of Elgin (pages 27-28) and made a bold statement with Jigsaw’s new retail space at Westfield White City (pages 33-34). We also browse the new Oasis store at Tottenham Court Walk, by Dalziel & Pow (pages 30-31). Wishing you a successful 2016 and I look forward to working with you throughout the year.

Gemma Balmford Editor

Managing Editor

Display Sales

Gemma Balmford e. gemma@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)7908 895 906

Lee Cullumbine e. lee@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405

Editor

Production & Web

Lyndsey Dennis e. lyndsey@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)7500 138 810

Terry Clark e. terry@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405

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Ed Burstell: At Liberty V&A Museum, London 1 February 2015 As managing director of Liberty, Ed Burstell has experienced a meteoric rise to the top of the retail and fashion world - and became a familiar face to millions with the airing of Channel 4’s Liberty in London series. Join him in conversation in the Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre at the Victoria & Albert Museum as he brings to life the intricacies of leading the iconic London store through a broad renaissance, combining historic reputation with a contemporary approach. The talk takes place at 7pm-8pm, with refreshments after until 8.45pm. The evening talk, which costs £15, is open to V&A members and includes a wine reception. V_and_A

www.vam.ac.uk

Retail Shopfitting & Display Summit Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted 8-9 February 2016 Now in its eighth year, the Summit is a platform for retail purchasing professionals responsible for store planning, development, VM, display and design who are given the opportunity to discuss future projects and ideas and see how others within the retail sector do it. Retail_Summit

www.forumevents.co.uk

Surface Design Show Business Design Centre, London 9-11 February 2016 One of the key focuses for the 2016 Surface Design Show will be retail surfaces. Evening events will include a live debate, hosted by New London Architecture, with the topic ‘Architecture is More Than Skin Deep’, and the PechaKucha Evening. Winners of the Surface Design Awards will also be announced during the show. surfacethinking

www.surfacedesignshow.com

EuroCIS Düsseldorf, Germany 23-25 February 2015 Taking place at Düsseldorf Fairground, EuroCIS is a leading European trade fair for retail technology, bringing together more than 235 exhibitors from 22 countries. The 2015 exhibition attracted a record number of 8,866 visitors, suggesting that even more retail professionals will decide to visit this year’s EuroCIS. EuroCIS

www.eurocis-tradefair.com

SEE INSIDE FOR:

MANNEQUINS PROPS FA B R I C S HANGERS CHRISTMAS POINT OF SALE PRINT GRAPHICS LIGHTING LIFESTYLE DESIGN C R E AT I V E N E S S IDEAS AC RY LI C S AND MUCH MORE

VISIT TH E H OM E OF VISUAL M E R C H A N D I S I N G & D I S P L AY Showcasing the best talent from all corners of the industry, the VM&D Show returns to the Business Design Centre in London from the 20th to 21st April 2016

For free entry register today at www.vmanddisplay.com or call 01945 420 068 or email enquiries@rvmww.com

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Europe’s leading annual event for innovation and inspiration in RETAIL DESIGN, MARKETING, VISUAL MERCHANDISING & SHOPFITTING from around the world. 250+ Exhibitors | 75+ FREE Marketing, Branding and Design Conference Sessions NEW Shopper Marketing Conference | NEW Retail Digital Signage Expo VM Workshop | Designer Pavilion | Trends Experts ALL UNDER ONE ROOF! Unparalleled speaker line-up including:

Giovanni Flore, Global Digital Signage Project Manager, Benetton

Guy Smith, Head of Design, Arcadia

Guy Cheston, Media Sales Director, Harrods

Bridget Lea, General Manager Stores, O2

Don’t miss out! Free registration now open at www.retaildesignexpo.com

Andy Turnbull, Global Creative Principle, New Look

Phil Whittle, Head of Store Operations, Schuh

Eli Petricka, Director Brand Experience, The North Face

Andy Dowling, Global Point of Sale Operations Manager, F&F Clothing, Tesco

“So glad I came along. This will be a must every year for me from now on. A one stop shop for all things retail related with a wealth of suppliers and contacts to be found! Being in a creative role, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest innovations and materials, this is the place to do that. Make sure you book out a whole day, you won’t regret it!” Laura Warden-Brown, Creative Project Coordinator, Warehouse

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show review

Retail Design Collective 2015: A feast for the eyes Nicole Faccinto, design director visual strategy at US strategic brand and design firm Chute Gerdeman, makes her annual pilgrimage to New York City to see the latest products and trends from top visual suppliers. Lights and greens, familiar loves and traditions, all the things I love at Christmas and the days leading up to this special time. High on my list of favourite traditions has become my annual visit to New York City in early December. Festive holiday display windows, pop-ups, holiday bell ringers breaking out in song and dance for the Salvation Army, and the annual Retail Design Collective visual market are the reasons I keep coming back. More than 35 of the industry’s favourite suppliers, from custom mylar cut-out letters to mannequins and everything in between, come together and open their showrooms or ‘pop-up’ at the Metropolitan Pavilion to introduce their newest creations. Seeing all of my favourite friendly faces who share the same love and passion for visual as I do is something I look forward to every year. So much to see and always so little time! One of the most unexpected surprises arrived when I stepped through the front doors at Manex USA, which hosted DIFFA’s Gift for Life holiday pop-up shop. Several of our favourite vendors donated supplies and fixtures for this four day only pop-up, which was designed by students from Fashion Institute of Technology and LIM College, benefiting DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS and Gift For Life. More than 30 designers and manufacturers, such as Tory Burch, West Elm and Edelman Leather, gifted their stylish products. All sales benefit both organisations, providing grants to HIV/AIDS organisations across the country. Details, details, details. That is what Visual Citi is all about. The

company’s use of unique materials and colourful textures have a way of grabbing your attention, drawing you into its displays and keeping you engaged with the story being told. At Mondo Mannequins I found that even mannequins are taking selfies. The Social Media collection is the perfect addition to highlighting stories that involve staying connected or capturing the moment. Mondo also introduced a new fixture line that lends to a more modern residential look. The clean lines and edge wood details give these pieces a one-of-a-kind type of look. I found this quite lovely and am looking forward to incorporating these in new designs. Bernstein Display is known for its impeccable attention to detail and appreciation for pushing creativity to its limits. Bernstein knows storytelling, and storytelling is what I love. Mannequins and pets are immersed in an over-the-top shopping experience. Not a corner was left unattended when planning out this entertaining and expressive showroom. It was thoughtful and completely impressive. Global Visual Group comprises four highly respected global brands: Almax, Lifestyle, Trimco and Viaggio. From mannequins and forms, to specialty fixtures, fabric applications, propping and holiday décor, the options are endless for the creative mind who is able to pull all the wants to express their intent through dimension and combinations of textures and materials. New York City in December would not be complete without celebrating our future talent at the annual PAVE Gala, where the industry comes together to honour students and their work by providing scholarships and recognition for a design well done. It thrills me to see that same love and passion for design in their eyes. www.chutegerdeman.com www.retailenvironments.org/retail-design-collective The Retail Design Collective, organised by A.R.E., takes place in New York City, in December over three days. The event is aimed at retailers, visual merchandisers and designers, and showcases new visual products and trends in showroom settings. It also offers conference sessions and incorporates the annual PAVE Gala.

Far left: Social Media collection from Mondo Mannequins Left: Not a corner was left unattended at Bernstein Display

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news

Tom Dixon opens first store in New York City British designer Tom Dixon has opened his first store in New York City. Designed in-house, The Shop is located at 243 Centre Street in Soho and stocks the full Tom Dixon collection from design classics to new pieces. ‘America has truly been the land of opportunity for us over the last couple of years, so we wanted to have a direct connection with the people that enjoy our work,’ says Dixon. ‘It was important to have a space at street level with an open door where everybody can come in and see our fresh ideas at first hand.’

The store interior is designed to be sympathetic to its surroundings. ‘We tried to keep as many original features as possible, such as the tin ceiling,’ says a member of the design team. ‘We also did things like sandblasting the steel pillars and leaving them untreated in order to expose the raw architecture of the space.’ The Shop is situated adjacent to American contemporary artist Tom Sachs’

Good & Proper Tea opens first standalone kiosk Good & Proper, a brewer and trader of loose-leaf tea, has opened its first standalone store. Designed in collaboration with 20.20 and Kennedy Woods Architecture, the 18 sq m tea house is located close to Old Street roundabout in London and features a full-length bar to showcase the range of globally sourced

teas on offer. ‘The design feels bright and brings to life the theatre and passion for tea, whilst educating customers on the intricacies of the product,’ says a spokesperson for design consultancy, 20.20. ‘Natural materials and textures were chosen to give an organic feel, whilst greenery

studio. Sachs was instrumental in offering up the location and has contributed the hand-scrawled signage to the store front. Dixon describes the new retail space as a service centre for professionals and consumers, where the complete catalogue of ‘extraordinary products for everyday use’ can be shown, demonstrated and purchased.

adds freshness.’ Commenting on the opening, Emilie Holmes, founder of Good & Proper, says: ‘Tea didn’t have a fresh, cool image. We wanted to create a place that has a fresh feeling, whilst still being cosy.’ Good & Proper also operates a Brew Bar at markets and pop-ups around the city.

news

Momentum Instore wins National Lottery POS roll out

Retail implementation agency Momentum Instore has installed new National Lottery point-of-sale units in around 37,000 stores across the UK. The 19 week roll out, which is thought to be Europe’s largest ever installation project, included the modernisation of the National Lottery Playstation, National Lottery Scratchcard dispenser and updated National Lottery signage, including pavement, window and wall signs. The updated units carry new branding for The National Lottery and its games, and see the iconic ‘crossed fingers’ included at the centre of every game logo. The new branding has been designed to drive consumer awareness of the full range of games offered by The National Lottery, as well as reinforce the life-changing role each of the games plays in creating millionaires and delivering more than £34 million every week to good causes across the UK. ‘The updated kit will boost The National Lottery’s in-store presence to further drive sales and returns to good causes, as well as add further value to retailers’ businesses,’ says Camelot’s head of retail and gaming, Nik Anyon. ‘It will also ensure the point-of-sale items are fit for purpose until the end of Camelot’s extended licence period in 2023.’

Santander unveils branch of the future The first pilot branch of Santander has been created by allen international in Madrid. Key to the concept is the delivery of a full financial service offer with a strong promotion of self-service and online/ mobile banking channels. The space has been fundamentally designed upon the Santander values of ‘Simple, Personal and Fair’ and provides a relaxed yet engaging space for customers to interact with relationship managers. Speaking during the launch, Ana Botin, Santander’s group chairman, said: ‘We have aimed for the branch to revolve around the clients giving them quick access to all services.’ She then stressed the relevance of the new branch concept towards reaching the bank’s target of 30 million digital customers by 2018. ‘We really wanted to deliver a space that from a technology perspective utilises digital communications to engage more with the customer. That is not to utilise digital technology for the sake of ticking a “digital innovations” checkbox, but to develop a communications channel that connects the brand, it’s products and service with the consumer,’ explains Richard Benson, innovations director at allen international. A key objective for the design was to project a sense of openness and transparency for the retail offer and this can be most simply seen in the design created for the branch facade. ‘We have worked with Santander to

create a unique design for the interior space that embodies and projects the brands personality; its confidence, dynamism and warmth. It was always our objective to create a space with a stronger more unique and contemporary image much more attuned to the brand itself,’ says Benson. ‘This also included a complete re-think of the branch’s materials, form and interior palette, its furniture and finishes. This is evident immediately upon entry to the Self Service Zone containing full function ATMs, digital

banking and welcome areas. Utilising a reflective red perforated ceiling canopy and contrasting warm wood flooring, these elements unite to create a dynamic interior “envelope” that present and elevate these important services whilst setting the visual tone at the start of all customer journeys.’ By shielding the branch tellers from view when entering the space by the large digital focal at the heart of the interior, the ambience changes dramatically from a transactional offer towards a more relaxed advice and consultation experience.

news

Coach to relocate Regent Street store

King’s Cross given go-ahead for Coal Drops Yard development Camden Council has given the green light for a new retail development at King’s Cross called Coal Drops Yard next to the Regent’s Canal, the Gasholders apartments and Granary Square. The development will offer an array of boutique and destination shops and restaurants, due for completion in 2018. In addition to the area’s new bars and restaurants, homes, schools, parks and squares, Coal Drops Yard will bring an eclectic mix of independent retailers and signature brands, all with quality and traditional shop-keeping values, and a focus on fashion and lifestyle. The development will have around 65 units of varying sizes, including five larger anchor units, opening onto a central public space. Created by Heatherwick Studio, the design combines the bold re-use of the historic buildings with high quality contemporary architecture that will create a unique shopping destination and major new public space at the heart of King’s Cross. Over a two-year restoration and build process, Londoners will see the existing Victorian buildings — the East and West Coal Drops and Wharf Road Arches — refurbished and re-purposed in a way that creates a stunning new upper level and improves connectivity, while allowing the original forms and functions to be read. Thomas Heatherwick, founder and principal of Heatherwick Studio, enthuses: ‘We are thrilled to finally bring this extraordinary and largely unknown Victorian industrial site into public use for the first time. These two historic structures were never originally designed for people to circulate through and by themselves would have never made a successful retail destination if we did nothing more than clean them and fill them with shops; the distance between them being too great to have any social chemistry with each other and only two stories of activity would not create enough busyness and vitality. So rather than adding an entirely foreign new structure to connect the old buildings, we chose simply to bend and stitch the two roofs together, forming another level of activity underneath, and framing and weather-protecting a dynamic new public space for the city.’ The project is being led by King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP), with construction due to start in early 2016 and complete in autumn 2018.

Coach Inc. announced an agreement before Christmas with Jaeger and The Crown Estate for the assignment of the current Jaeger store on Regent Street to Coach Inc. The store is located at 200-206 Regent Street and is expected to open autumn 2016, timed to finalise celebrations for the brand’s 75th anniversary year. The new 2,554 sq m location will incorporate both a relocated Coach store, moving from the current location at 76-78 Regent Street, and a Stuart Weitzman store, a first for Regent Street. ‘We are delighted to bring Coach and Stuart Weitzman together at this iconic location, while maintaining their unique identities with individual stores and spaces for each brand,’ says Victor Luis, chief executive officer of Coach, Inc.

Jessops opens its 50th store Jessops opened the doors to its 50th store in December at Sainsbury’s in Emersons Green, Bristol. This store rounded off the retailer’s expansion programme in 2015. Other key expansions for Jessops last year included a new flagship in Norwich, a return to Preston and the successful partnership with Sainsbury’s that has seen concessions opened in 11 supermarket locations, with more planned for 2016. In December alone, the brand opened three new shops — in Exeter, Cambridge and Bristol — just in time for the busy Christmas trading period. The new store at Sainsbury’s in Emersons Green will offer shoppers the signature services that Jessops is known for, including expert friendly staff, try-before-you-buy product displays and access to one of the widest ranges of cameras available on the high street. Customers can also take advantage of one-hour professional printing services allowing Sainsbury’s customers to collect their photos after they’ve been shopping.

news

Second phase of Longbridge development in West Midlands opens

The second phase of St. Modwen’s Longbridge town centre development in the West Midlands celebrates completion with the opening of Marks and Spencer, the site’s multistorey car park and a further 4,180 sq m of retail space. The Longbridge development, previously the site of an MG Rover production plant, has transformed the site into a vibrant, mixed-use sustainable

development and won the National Regeneration Project of the Year 2015 at the RICS Awards. The scheme is unique in that it is exclusively private sector funded with much of the work carried out during the downturn of 2008; a factor recognised by the RICS Awards panel. The aesthetic quality of the scheme has been a significant aspect throughout the development of the project

— something that has been key in attracting the right tenant mix for the people who live and work there and to strengthen the status of the area. As a result, high-end retailers such as Marks and Spencer are an important addition to the scheme. The completion of Phase 2 marks a significant milestone in the creation of a new town centre, and for the wider regeneration of Longbridge.

Clerkenwell Design Week announces new masterplan for 2016

Portland Design expands its digital capabilities Charles Billot has been appointed as Portland Design’s first digital director to enhance the consultancy’s digital capabilities and build a digital team. Portland, which specialises in creating engaging consumer experiences for clients such as Diageo, Heathrow Airport, British Land, Nestlé, Lagardere Travel Retail and CNN, hired Billot in particular for his expertise in fusing the digital with physical. His team’s capabilities will also be accessed by the branded environments team at Portland’s parent, the global architecture and design company, Perkins+Will. Billot says: ‘I am thrilled to be joining Portland and to have the opportunity to work with some of the most strategic and innovative designers in the industry. The Portland digital proposition will offer the same ‘people-first’ approach as the existing principle. Connecting experiences using products and platforms, whilst putting people first, then the technology, is the only way our consumer experience ideas will be future-proofed.’

The seventh edition of Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) promises to be the best and most ambitious yet, as new locations, brands and installations join this vibrant festival. In a first for CDW, organisers have appointed architectural practice, OMMX to create a strategic masterplan for the event. The plan marks a significant point in CDW’s development, with the format expanding to eight exhibition venues, a gateway destination to Clerkenwell’s showrooms, an installation trail and a new destination at Spa Fields. ‘The expansion of Clerkenwell Design Week‘s exhibition programme to eight major locations is a sign of how dynamic the creative industries are in this area, and a testament to the successes of previous years’ shows. We have new exhibitions, a new masterplan and a new visual identity. But it’s the energy and sense of community among architects and designers here that inspires us and helps make the festival so unique in London,’ says William Knight, show director of Clerkenwell Design Week. Clerkenwell Design Week, sponsored by Renault, takes place on 24-26 May 2016 across Clerkenwell and registration is free. Visit www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com

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visual merchandising

Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe

Penhaligon’s PLANarama created the sales windows for Penhaligon’s following Christmas. The retailer wanted to keep its windows looking very high end, so the design team produced cubes from Foamex with mitred corners to give them a clean, crisp look. Accents of red were added by creating 3D SALE letters and a thin red border. The scheme was rolled out across the UK and two Paris stores.

Hackett London

See more window installations online:

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Hackett London has used neon lighting in its sales windows to great effect, in a scheme created by Harlequin Design. The neon lighting shines above giant SALE letters in red for maximum impact, helping the brand promote its Gentleman’s Sale.

Banana Republic Harlequin Design rolled out Banana Republic’s For You & Yours Holiday campaign nationwide. The scheme included simple 3D white and gold topped Christmas trees and a cluster of hanging gift tags in the background, with some in the forefront strung on red ribbon upon which garments were hung. Simple hanging light bulbs and window vinyls that frame key items completed the scheme.

visual merchandising Auria

Selfridges Selfridges has celebrated the young and the old and now its focus for 2016 is the new. Bright New Things are showing us their skills in sustainable design with a series of in-store promotional areas and an array of dazzling windows on London’s Oxford Street. 2016 marks the fifth year of Selfridges’ seminal Bright Young Things talent platform. To celebrate this anniversary, Selfridges is not only honoring its legacy but investing in the future. Bright New Things will champion some of the UK’s most exciting talents, and by working in collaboration with the Centre of Sustainable Fashion, Selfridges will put the focus on sustainability. Nine candidates have been chosen who put sustainability and innovative design side by side at the heart of their practice. As well as being British designers with a clear and original aesthetic appeal, each of the Bright New Things also champions one or more of the following criteria devised as part of the retailer’s ongoing work with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion: 1. Being resourceful — recycling surplus and used materials to create beautiful items, reducing waste in the fashion industry. 2. Showing respect — Working with communities from across the globe to promote and develop ethical work practices, from fair wages to safe working conditions, which have a real and lasting impact on people’s lives. 3. Making better — Reimagining production processes that can reduce waste and chemical pollution while encouraging positive discussions about our environment. Each designer will be mentored by the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and by Selfridges, and had the chance to collaborate with the Selfridges visual team to create their own Oxford Street window that will be seen by more than 110,000 people everyday. ‘The project that began as Bright Young Things in 2011 has given us so much insight into the future of fashion,’ says Linda Hewson, creative director at Selfridges. ‘In this, its fifth incarnation, our Bright New Things take us far beyond brilliant design by sharing a powerful message of positivity and invention in retail. Here to stay, made to last, our Bright New Things prove that the best fashion sustains.’

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Client: Charlotte Tilbury

Display title: Charlotte Tilbury Christmas pop-up

Sector: Beauty & Cosmetics

Location: Selfridges, London

The brief: To mark the launch of Charlotte Tilbury’s Book of Makeup Magic and to showcase the range of Trinkets, Treats and Treasures available as ‘Stocking Thrillers’ at Christmas.

The solution: Photography: Melvyn Vincent

Under the direction of Charlotte Tilbury’s creative team, StudioXAG echoed the design of the Book of Makeup Magic to create three giant books exclusive for Selfridges. Selected product was displayed within illuminated niches cut out of the spine. Each book was covered by hand in Tilbury’s iconic night crimson packaging paper, which gleamed with rose gold detailing and twinkling lights sparkling in the book cover. To optimise space, each book doubled up as product storage. The pop-up also included fairy houses, each filled with Trinkets, Treats or Treasures from the Stocking Thrillers range of products. StudioXAG designed the two sets of three giant books.

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The Retail Shopfitting & Display Summit will provide you with a platform to enhance your company and share the long-term vision of the retail shopfitting business by setting tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards today, and to prepare for future developments, innovations and technology. Network with fellow experts within this industry, listen to case studies, meet and discuss ideas with retail shopfitting service providers, hear personal experiences and find solutions to issues facing this ever changing industry. For further information or to book your place contact Carly Bailey on: 01992 374100 rds@forumevents.co.uk www.forumevents.co.uk

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8th & 9th February 2016 Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted

Q&A column

Karl McKeever Exploring your senses in 2016 Retailers spend millions of pounds every year working to convert sales by making an emotional connection with customers. Until recently, these efforts have largely been limited to visual stimuli, but as we creep into 2016 a growing number of retailers are beginning to embrace technology in attempts to engage our other senses and create more immersive brand experiences. When comparing sectors that are competing for our disposable income, it’s apparent that retail is the fastest moving in terms of keeping up with technology and innovating customer experience. The restaurant, hospitality and travel sectors have all (for the large part) remained relatively static in terms of their offerings over the last 10 years. In retail, on the other hand, home grocery delivery, in-store digital display, click-and-collect, location-based marketing, NFC and beacons are just a handful of ongoing additions that have been invested in over the last few years. In-store sensory marketing could well be the next. At its most basic level, products that are designed to heighten senses, such as food, perfume, candles or speakers, use sounds and smells to give customers an insight into the product before purchase (think food samples in supermarkets or perfume testers in department stores). The natural evolution from here is to use sensory triggers to strengthen brands and sell products that would not normally require anything other than sight or touch to convert a sale. The development and building of layers to a brand in order to create deeper and more emotional connections with customers is done to create customers for life. There are decades of research into how visual stimuli affect shopping habits, and as sensory marketing becomes more commonplace, the data on how different smells or tastes affect shopping habits will build in complexity. There are five senses that can be tapped into: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Without becoming too technical, these senses are directly linked to the limbic system of the brain that governs both memory and emotion. As you can imagine, both are vital to creating a connection between customer and brand. The more of these senses that retailers can manipulate in store, the better the chance of turning browsers into shoppers. Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.

Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co www.visualthinking.co.uk

Sensory technology will be most effective for products and brands that are not normally able to deliver beyond visual messaging. Window displays, for example, are there to entice customers in store, but with the confines of glass frontage, retailers are normally limited to visual-only displays. Bloomingdale’s flagship Christmas window in New York in 2015 broke the trend, being themed as the five senses of the holidays. Passers-by were treated to live music performances from singer Sara Bareilles and marching bands, instantly expanding the store’s reach beyond the line of sight, and down the street within hearing range. As people approached the store, a specially created ‘Bloomingdale’s scent’ was spritzed into the street, activating a second sense. Then finally, when people were in full view of the store, they could see the floral arrangements and mirrored Christmas sculptures that made up the window display. This multisensory approach creates a more immersive experience, expanding the Bloomingdale’s brand identity out onto the high street, beyond the footprint of the store. It’s worth noting that sensory technology has been in existence for a while, with retailers such as Lush, Burberry, Nike and Hotel Chocolat pioneering its use. As far back as 2013, McCain Foods ran a campaign for its ready-bake frozen baked potato range. The scent of a cooked baked potato was created and housed in branded barkers that were attached to supermarket refrigerator doors. Customers were encouraged to push a button that released the scent, providing a sensation and insight into the product. Smell is an integral aspect in how something tastes, so giving customers a ‘sneak peek’ into the scent of the finished meal worked as a great persuader to purchase. It may be an exciting avenue for retailers to take, but like any other in-store changes, it must be done in a well-thought out and measured fashion. Sensory experiences should surprise and delight customers, but always with the goal of converting sales or advancing a brand. One hurdle that needs to be tackled is how best multiretailer department stores are able to integrate sensory functions into their marketing mix. With guardianship of many different brands and products, there can be a danger of diluting or mixing sales messages if different smells and sounds are being bombarded on customers from every direction. How this is handled will be interesting to see, but confined spaces such as customer lifts could be branded, with sensory devices installed, in order to open the areas up for marketing collateral. Retailers have never had to work so hard to not only compete with one another, but also the leisure industry. Staying at the forefront of technology and spotting the ‘next big trend’ early can, and more often than not does, make the difference between earning a profit and failing to stay afloat. Whether or not in-store sensory marketing takes the industry by storm in 2016, only time will tell, but what is certain is that it provides another weapon in the arsenal for retailers and brands to create long-lasting and profitable connections with customers.

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Johnstons of Elgin New Bond Street, London Design: Checkland Kindleysides Opening date: December 2015 Store size: 140 sq m

Johnstons of Elgin is one of the few remaining vertical mills in the UK to produce knitted and woven cashmere and fine woollens, from fibre to the finished product. From its two sites in Elgin and Hawick in Scotland, the 218-year old company designs and manufactures high quality knitwear, accessories and cloth, with a strong focus on Scottish heritage and craftsmanship. Indeed, it is the craft and spirit of the brand’s textiles that inspired the design of its new store in London. Opened in December, the five-storey building on New Bond Street houses retail spaces on the ground and lower ground levels, with wholesale and showroom areas on the upper levels. The interior has a contemporary design that draws on the

provenance and heritage of Johnstons of Elgin and its positioning as a label which presents customers with traditional timeless pieces with a twist. The store concept, developed in collaboration with Checkland Kindleysides, takes the essence of a quote from Johnstons of Elgin that reflects the emotional heart of the brand; ‘No matter how far we journey, our place will always be in Scotland’. ‘These words were considered in every element of the design and choice of materials for the store,’ says Joe Evans, creative director at Checkland Kindleysides. Visitors enter the store via a small vestibule, where a tiled mosaic floor and archive photos on the walls begin to tell the brand’s story. Doors from the vestibule lead

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trade customers to the showrooms on the upper floors, while to the right, a door opens onto the ground floor of the store, which is dedicated to Johnstons of Elgin’s women’s accessories and knitwear collections. A herringbone-patterned runner, especially designed and woven in Elgin for the concept, runs the full 12m length of the store, as if it has come straight off the loom. Providing a central stage for the accessories collections, the runner then flows through to the front of the store, dropping down through an aperture in the floor by the window, allowing a clear view into the basement. The tables on which the accessories are displayed feature inclusions of recycled glass, a contemporary nod to Highland granite and the home of the brand. Further accessories are placed on pristine white plinths, with cashmere and vicuna scarves raised above the tables to articulate the texture and flow of the softly draped fabric. Around the perimeter of the store, the exposed whitewashed brickwork and traditional white panelling provide contrasting textures, which are offset by the colour and luxurious quality of the cashmere. Referencing the mill, white ‘threads’ hang down from the perimeter like the warp threads on the loom to provide merchandising fixtures. ‘In conjunction with these threads we utilised a variety of merchandising techniques for the different ranges, each of which is illuminated to emphasise the nap and tactility of the fabric with scarves presented on individual hanging hoops and knitwear hung alongside, allowing each item space to breathe,’ explains Evans.

Fitting rooms to the left of the store have been kept purposefully clean white and simple to complement landscape imagery of the Highlands from seasonal photo shoots. At the back of the store, a beautifully crafted jacquard woven cashmere hanging provides a fitting backdrop to the cashdesk. The hanging features Johnstons of Elgin’s monogram, woven in muted grey/ blue tones in the softest of cashmeres and is set against walls of the brand’s deep navy blue. A pistachio bonsai tree takes pride of place on the cash desk, referencing a tree at the mill in Elgin which seeded and grew from a pistachio that was smuggled half way across the world in a hessian bag full of cashmere in around 1890. Throughout the store, found objects, artefacts and images take shoppers on a journey through the manufacturing heritage of Johnstons of Elgin. Playful ‘pins and thread’ signage directs customers downstairs to the mens department, where the runner from the ground floor drops through the aperture

and wraps around a contemporary take of a traditional cast iron loom beam. The menswear is displayed in a similar way to the women’s collections, with knitwear and accessories presented on a tiered table and on the ‘thread’ perimeter merchandising, with subtle changes in the materials palette to create a more masculine feel. At the back of the space, alongside the men’s fitting rooms, is a selection of Johnstons of Elgin’s home interiors range with cashmere throws, cushions and upholstered furniture and furnishing fabrics hung on cast iron reclaimed antler hooks. The lower ground floor also provides a showcase for the label’s cloth story, with swatch samples lining the walls and a mannequin dressed in a jacket in an estate tweed signposting Johnstons of Elgin as a holder of the Royal Warrant. ‘I love how the manufacturing story really does come across in the shop fit,’ says George McNeil, managing director of retail at Johnstons of Elgin. ‘The story of our weaving looms in Elgin comes across with subtle messages through the store.’

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Oasis Tottenham Court Road, London Design: Dalziel & Pow Opening date: November 2015 Store size: 300 sq m British high street fashion brand Oasis unveiled its new 300 sq m London flagship in November, in the heart of the new Tottenham Court Walk development. The interior is the latest in a four-year collaboration with design consultancy Dalziel & Pow and incorporates many new elements for Oasis, including a hair and nail bar, and in-store cafe and Prosecco bar. Spread across two levels, the store builds on the ‘House of Oasis’ concept, inspired by the dream home of the quintessential Oasis customer. The ground floor has a soft, light, feminine colour palette and is home to the new fashion collections, while the mezzanine level has a crisper finish and houses denim and eveningwear. ‘The concept originated from the transition between day and night, offering the customer something unexpected upon arrival at the upper floor,’ explains Sarah Hopkinson, senior designer for interiors at Dalziel & Pow. The lower level features beautiful Georgian paneling with a pink paint finish and fuchsia lampshade illustrations that pop across the store. Overhead, an ornate Georgian plaster ceiling inspired a contemporary metalwork profile of the same design suspended against an exposed ceiling. ‘A key element of the brief was to attract customers to the additional retail, and cafe and beauty offers on the first floor,’ says Hopkinson. ‘We chose to respond to this with a grand feature staircase which continues the language of the Georgian house. Illuminated windows and an ajar door on the landing allude to the store working as a functioning home and add intrigue and a bit of the quirky Oasis personality.’ Nods to the Saucer & Spritz cafe above are found in tiled stair risers, which take the botanical motifs of pineapples, bees and plants, and in the escaping hummingbirds which fly across the staircase

from their birdcage. The Saucer & Spritz cafe aesthetic is themed around an external courtyard or summer room, and features an eclectic mix of references to nature and the theatre of afternoon tea. Here, old-fashioned copper jelly mould and tea cup light shades, complete with tea bag pull cords, sit against a backdrop of exotic birds from the distinctive wallpaper. ‘The focal piece of the servery area is a rotating display of merchandise and crockery, which emphasises the transition between cafe to bar, which takes place each evening,’ adds Hopkinson.

Towards the rear of the space, two arches create the transition between buzzing retail to the sanctuary of the Pin & Polish beauty offer and serviced fitting rooms with generous seating area. The beauty bar has a colour palette of soft whites, pinks and greens which creates a calm, feminine environment and gives a nod to the mid-century salons of the 40’s and 50’s. ‘Throughout the store, it was key to incorporate details that made the customer smile,’ continues Hopkinson. ‘Mouse holes in the skirting boards house wooden mice, and vinyl graphic bookshelves featuring

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goldfish bowls and china teacups poke out from behind the merchandise.’ Commenting on the new flagship, Oasis COO, Hash Ladha says: ‘In addition to our extensive, multimillion pound refit programme across the country, we are delighted to be launching a central London flagship store on Tottenham Court Road. Featuring an innovative shopping environment, the concept store includes many unique elements for Oasis. The new cafe and beauty area are designed to give our customers a complete shopping experience.’

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Jigsaw Westfield White City, London Design: Checkland Kindleysides Opening date: December 2015 Store size: 120 sq m

With a fluid, arched tunnel flowing through the interior, Jigsaw’s new store at Westfield White City makes a bold architectural statement. The 120 sq m space, designed by Checkland Kindleysides, is located in the high-end retail area called The Village and is the fashion brand’s first mall-based setting in London. The space has an 8m-high fascia, which provided a dramatic blank canvas for Jigsaw and the design team to create something exciting. For inspiration, Checkland Kindleysides researched contemporary British design, art and architecture; spaces and forms that celebrate femininity. ‘We imagined bold sculptural forms and the use of materials that create a language which feels both feminine and crafted,’ says Joe Evans,

creative director at Checkland Kindleysides. This culminates in a strong curvaceous funnel form, which opens out like a bloom, framing the window and filling the space. ‘The form feels feminine and the structure has a lightness, a delicacy, but with a great sense of movement, like the opening of a fan, or the blink of an eyelash,’ explains Evans. ‘Our approach was a little like that of a tailor or designer constructing garments; sculpting, shaping and enhancing, designing the space by making the most of the existing spatial attributes.’ The streamlined, slender wooden slats flow back the length of the store, adding direction and a sense of transparency with light permeating through the structure to give depth, texture and pattern. ‘The concept for the structure initially

came from a series of pencil sketches, an instinctive spatial response to the site,’ continues Evans. ‘We looked at attributes of the space to create a unique singular architectural statement, which would provide a backdrop and experience that would resonate with the brand and customer.’ In making such a bold statement with the sculptural installation, the team took a pared back approach to the design of the interior, cutting away apertures in the structure to provide framed canvasses where products are displayed against the delicate aesthetic of duck egg blue walls. The signage for the store is created from individual illuminated letters suspended on a chrome trapeze, which hangs like a piece of jewellery behind the glazed facade.

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Behind the window display, selections of accessories are presented against the slatted timber wall. In the centre of the store, the main clothing collection is presented on simple raw, blackened steel fixtures with clusters of light fittings hanging above at different heights, much like stamens in a flower head. A soft light also filters through the laths, creating depth and a sense of light and shade. Halfway through the store, a copper-fronted cash desk is set against a deconstructed picture wall of brand imagery and curated moments partially eclipsed by the arc of the laths. A large lightbox featuring seasonal imagery of the Jigsaw woman draws customers to the back of the store and

creates a break in the space. This is where further accessories and the footwear collection are displayed, and where the stark white fitting rooms are located. ‘It’s all about the customer experience; showcasing the Jigsaw brand in a visually exciting and easy-to-shop space,’ says Evans, when asked how Jigsaw customers have been considered with regard to the store design. ‘It’s a balance of style and function. The store has an easily navigatable layout with open-framed linear product rails that let the products breathe. Great lighting, comfortable, well-illuminated fitting rooms and brilliant service all combine to make a comfortable shopping experience.’

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Power to the pop-up With pop-up retail now worth £2.3 billion to the UK economy, the trend for temporary shops and brand experiences looks set to stay into 2016 and beyond. Text: Gemma Balmford

‘Many years ago, despite a good deal of excitement, there was some serious scepticism about the pop-up concept,’ recalls Nigel Collett, CEO of the rpa:group. ‘Now, it has truly grown up and captured our imagination,’ he says. The line between pop-ups and traditional retail is increasingly blurred as more and more new and established brands find ways to creatively integrate temporary experiences into their retail strategy. A report published in 2015 by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and telecoms company EE suggests that the pop-up retail sector is now worth £2.3 billion to the UK economy, with Britain host to more than 10,000 pop-up shops. ‘Pop-up retail is continuing to become an increasingly viable platform for both people with new business ideas and for established businesses looking to engage with customers in new and innovative ways,’ says Rob Harbron, managing economist for CEBR. ‘Successful retailers increasingly need to offer customers the ability to shop when and where they want. As such, the flexibility of pop-up stores makes the format increasingly attractive.’ Appear Here, the marketplace for

This page: Swedish design brand kikki.K made its first retail appearance in the UK in December with a London pop-up shop. short-term retail space, has seen its booking numbers grow by around 20 per cent month on month and expects the trend to continue through 2016. The company’s founder and CEO, Ross Bailey tends to avoid the phrase ‘pop-up’. ‘It’s an overused term with all sorts of brands jumping on the bandwagon,’ he says. ‘With so many traditional retailers using pop-up shops and so many pop-up

retailers moving onto long-term rents, we should no longer be looking to draw a line between traditional retail and pop-up retail, it is all just retail.’ Bailey believes that brands should look to stay in a space for as long as they are relevant and disappear before the crowd gets bored. Recently, Appear Here partnered with Topshop to give start-ups and established brands the opportunity to rent space in the flagship Oxford Circus store in London. The range of sizes and price points available means that both small independent brands looking to boost their exposure, and big brands wanting to create an experience have the chance to engage with Topshop’s audience. ‘Retail is about more than the products you’re selling; the experience is everything,’ claims Bailey. ‘It’s great to see big global brands like Topshop Topman share our ethos and passion through delivering a memorable shopping experience for all.’ The partnership marks the launch of Appear Here in Residence, which gives brands big and small the opportunity to rent space in some of the world’s most desirable boutiques and department stores. It’s an idea that Collett believes will really catch on. ‘Giving innovative brands, up and coming designers and young entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their ideas to a global audience has got to be good news,’ he says.

pop-up retail

Towards the end of last year, rpa:group worked with Foot Locker to develop a pop-up strategy for Sidestep, the brand it acquired in 2013. The three pop-up stores in Austria and Germany are made from a flexible and cost-effective ‘kit of parts’ that can be rejigged to suit customer preferences; a fine tuning strategy that allows the space to act as a retail lab in which design and presentation can be changed to suit customer behaviours and needs. Although Sidestep is already a well-established brand with more than 80 stores in Holland, Austria and Switzerland, the retail concept needed to evolve to fit a wider European audience and growing competition in its market sector, explains James Breaks, head of design for rpa:group. ‘The Sidestep pop-up concept has been a successful disruption of the Below & far right: Appear Here has partnered with Topshop to give start-ups and established brands the opportunity to rent space in the flagship Oxford Circus store. .

Above: rpa:group has developed a pop-up strategy for Sidestep, the brand acquired by Foot Locker in 2013. . normal, and generated a real buzz, with word-of-mouth creating a “must-see” attitude to a familiar brand,’ says Breaks. In London, an opportunity for an early lease led Swedish design brand kikki.K to open a temporary boutique for the run up to Christmas, before transforming the space into the company’s first permanent London location. With only two weeks to design, plan and build the 84 sq m Hej London store, design agency Dalziel & Pow used combinations of off-the-shelf fixtures and bespoke furniture that could be prepared in the short time frame. The standard fixtures were adapted and finished to match the brand’s aesthetic of whitewashed wood, neutral tones and clean lines. The challenge with pop-up stores, says David Dalziel of Dalziel & Pow, is designing quickly and creatively, to a tight budget. ‘It can be just as demanding to design a pop-up as designing a permanent brand space,’ he says. ‘The client and the

designer need to embrace the different possibilities in the pop-up brief and not be trapped into delivering just another shop. ‘[With kikki.K] we had all of the functional needs of a hard working store but with a very heavy emphasis on brand experience, with layers of digital engagement and brand storytelling to deliver more than just a shop,’ continues Dalziel. ‘That is the natural role of the pop-up.’ Dalziel believes that pop-ups today are more productive and, if anything, more targeted at a ROI. ‘We are seeing less appetite for an experiential brand building PR exercise and more of a realisation that the pop-up can be brand building but profitable too.’ According to EE’s pop-up retail report, eight per cent of retailers reported opening a pop-up sometime in the past year, with 10 per cent planning to launch one in the next five years. The challenge will be creating a well thought out experience that tells the brand story and delivers a return on investment.

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Out of service While high street travel agencies struggle to compete with online, other service retail destinations such as banks and The Post Office have the potential to thrive if they get the right balance between design, function and experience, claims George Wainwright, partner and creative director at strategic design firm, Pope Wainwright Wykes. As we all know, bricks and mortar retail is struggling against the fierce competition it faces online. Travel agencies, as a high street destination, are just one example of many that are on the verge of demise. They’re stuck in the past without a consumer need or desire for them. However, other customer service retail destinations, such as banks and post offices, will be able to maintain their physical presence if they embrace their assets that cannot be replaced by technology. The potential for these institutions is enormous. Unfortunately, the current banks on our high street serve a very functional purpose, only enabling customers to carry out the essentials. What they don’t do is evoke trust or security, or make you feel pride in the savings you have achieved. Banks have the ability to become further interwoven into the fabric of our everyday lives because, fundamentally, we all make financial transactions every day. Having someone to speak to, a brand to build a relationship with and a destination to go to where you feel safe and secure, is vital. Technology and innovation in the banking industry has made everyday payments and processes quicker. However, when banks replace people with technology it can create frustration. When it comes to money and financial decisions, the banking experience is an emotional process. It’s important for us to have human interaction in order to build a relationship based on assurance and an understanding of our personal situations. Yet banks are still struggling to establish this in their retail environments. Success in the future will lie with the brands that find the right balance between portraying security and trust, and a banking environment that facilitates conversation. With technology enabling customers to get things done quicker, it also means that we’re spending less time in physical stores. However, banks should actually be encouraging customers to increase time spent in their spaces, enabling them to think about money, savings and investments. Most of us are bewildered when it comes to pensions or investments, mortgages with base rates or tracker rates etc. Through innovation and technology, banks should help consumers by simplifying the often complicated and intimidating information, allowing them to make better choices. There is potential to make all of this more enjoyable. The high street bank should be a destination that you want to go to, you choose to go to, and not a binding requirement you feel like you have to do to get things done. Post offices are also woefully inadequate. In the technological age that we live in, a letter now has more meaning than it ever

did. Yet post offices are dreary, soulless spaces that are still functionally driven. The post office should make you consider the fulfillment and sense of belonging that can be felt as a result of their service. They should work with, and bring together communities. Yet they merely sell parcel paper, envelopes and stationery products, while a person waits to serve you behind a glass screen. I’ve heard some retail advisors state: ‘Give me a reason to go to a store!’ But you can say that about anything: Give me a reason to buy that drink, buy those trainers, buy into that brand. It’s not about giving people a reason to go to a post office, a bank or any other customer service retailer, it’s about making them want to. The fabrication of our high streets will continue to change fundamentally as we continue to lose retail brands that are unable to compete with online. But, we can guarantee that our post offices, train stations and banks will still be around in 20 years time. We don’t have to buy the latest fashion item on the high street, but we will always need to do our banking, stay connected and travel around the towns and cities we live in. Presumably, these customer service retail environments will also have a lot more land mass to work with. Can you imagine there being a HSBC on every street corner, just like Starbucks? If customer service retail took learnings from the brand experience that Starbucks has been able to create, I guarantee that they would have a stronger stance on our high streets.

www.popewainwrightwykes.com 41

insight

Dynamic A partnerResources you can grow with...

Text: Jane Applebee

Dynamic launches 8,000 stores a year for the world’s biggest brands as they expand over seven continents. Jane Applebee speaks to Gerry Walsh, managing director, to find out more. Although the company now has offices in four countries and its HQ is split between London and Dublin, the Dynamic story actually began in New York. Having graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in engineering, Dynamic’s founder Gerry Walsh decided to start his construction career in mainland Europe but moved to The Big Apple in 1994, where he formed an extremely successful retail construction project management business. With an enviable and long-standing list of clients, his flagship project was the complete floor-by-floor refurbishment of the world famous Bloomingdales on 59th street, undertaken in a live trading environment over a five year period. The rest, as they say, is history. Dynamic Resources is 22 years old this year and is currently one of the fastest growing companies in its sector. After a fantastic trading year and significant new client wins, company revenues will top $100 million in 2016. Providing design, fit-out, maintenance and project management to a galaxy of ‘A’ list names, the company’s client roster now reads like a directory of New York’s 5th Avenue or London’s Regent Street. It was apparent from the early days that Dynamic had discovered the recipe for success in its industry: the credo of ‘no detail too small to overlook and no challenge too big to solve’ is still a company-wide value by which it lives and breathes.

Offering world-class support to global brands, as they expand into new territories or grow at home, the company prospered, and it’s belief that the best results come from a family relationship has made it a byword in many boardrooms. One of Gerry’s colleagues confides that recently over the holiday period a Fortune 500 client’s telephone answer message was both short and very much to the point. It said, with some confidence, ‘Any problems contact Gerry Walsh!’ It’s hard to ask for a better recommendation in an industry where judgements are almost always critical. I visited Gerry and the deputy managing director Laurie Chalmers in one of their premises in Dublin. Here the company has what virtually amounts to a campus, occupying all the buildings with the 15-strong design team in one, 12 project managers and their teams in another and so on. Dynamic works on roughly 8,000 store launches a year, spread across all seven continents, a challenge for any company. ‘It gives our team a real buzz that we literally work across the globe,’ says Gerry, ‘after all, who would not look forward to working in Melbourne for a few weeks on a new flagship store, or in Moscow or Paris or LA?’ Overcoming language barriers, which for most companies working in a host of different countries would be a tough challenge has, typically, been taken in Dynamic’s stride. It believes in employing first language speakers, so, in Dublin alone it has Catalan, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, and in London it can count another five languages. It really helps when you are perhaps negotiating a difficult planning consent in Barcelona that your project manager actually speaks Catalan and not Spanish. Walsh says some companies find the language challenge a real

insight

body blow when working in so many territories but them team is very pragmatic at Dynamic - if language is a challenge why not make sure the company speaks the world’s major languages and the problem goes away! We have two hours together and then Gerry is off again, this time to Paris to check on a new store opening for an epitome British fashion label. He is loathe to identify the brand name even when pressed, ‘I truly can’t tell you as we are bound by NDA’s on most of our work.’ Luckily, before he goes, we get a chance to make a fleeting visit to Dynamic’s Academy, a multiple warehouse sized facility, where the company has so far trained shopfitters from no less than 27 different countries to work to the company’s exacting standards. ‘We have clients that demand millimetre perfect installation,’ says Keith Howell, retail academy site manager, ‘and I think that’s exactly how it should be. After all, how can you ever live up to the customers’ desire to see a shop as a place of excitement or theatre if it’s not achieving standards that far exceed anything you are likely to achieve in your own home. I like to think that we are raising standards for the whole industry through the work we are doing in a facility like this. They say a rising tide raises all ships - I’d like to think that we are that tide.’

The facility, and all the hard work it took to establish it, obviously fills Gerry with pride. ‘We have been involved in the construction of some fantastic stores you know - on the high street, in malls, shopping centres and airports,’ he says, ‘It’s great to walk down a major high street and say we did that, and that and that!’ So, what exactly makes Dynamic such a runaway success? Is it possible to sum it up? Gerry pauses for thought, ‘Our local crews, managed by our field and site managers, deliver top quality builds within tight deadlines. We always do it, on time and on budget, no excuses. That’s the reason clients stay with us a long time, and why we are still working with our first client! We are a one-stop solution for everything from design and on-site management, to construction and installation services and, most importantly, everything is handled through a single point of contact. Quite simply, whether you are launching one store or one thousand, we take the headaches out of launching and maintaining stores and the pain out of growing - it’s that simple.’ www.driglobal.com

experiential retail Text: Lyndsey Dennis

EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL:

COMING ALIVE Experiential retail is a powerful tool in the fight to get footfall through doors. A place to dwell, get connected and experience the total brand, as Retail Focus discovers. To persuade people to step inside their stores, retailers have to offer shoppers something more than pure product; an interaction that enhances their customer journey. A memorable and enjoyable experience that facilitates social sharing and will have them returning time and time again. ‘Today’s connected consumer can buy anything, anywhere at anytime. Retailers have responded by creating rich, dynamic, interactive experiences from high tech to high touch, from analogue to digital, while incorporating relevant food/beverage and other services into their overall offering,’ says Sterling Plenert, senior vice president at CallisonRTKL. So what should a retailer consider when implementing experiential retail in store? ‘The store design is one part of the equation,’ says Plenert. ‘However, there is a whole ecosystem of strategies that need to be aligned and implemented consistently. From empowering the sales associates to differentiated merchandising strategies, from in-store programmes and events to online social media channels: they all need to work together to create a dynamic experience that is worth coming back to again and again.’ Amy Thorn, customer experience strategist at Household Design, says 2016 will be an exciting time for physical retail with customers demanding more such as personal, seamless experience, human, tactile interaction and to be inspired. ‘Last year we were wowed by Lush’s Oxford Street store, which provides 360-degree immersion with demonstrations, interactive displays and a multisensory event space. In 2016 physical retail will provide more brands with the opportunity for tactile discovery, where brands come alive, bring communities together and facilitate social sharing. Where customers are engaged through storytelling, sensorial interaction and enhanced, theatrical service offers.’ Created with the help of Design Time, the Lush flagship indulges Lush lovers into a complete immersive brand experience. Offering a haven in the chaos of London, the store introduced several new concepts for the first time, including a Gorilla Perfume gallery, Hair Lab, regular events and classes, large fountain sinks for experiencing products and the Lush Spa with treatment rooms including a double room. Down the road at The Toy Store, Propability created a Nerf Target Practice Range, allowing children to play with Nerf blasters and darts for target practice. ‘The target range delivers an element of fun but also stimulates the senses. It’s not just the fact that you press a button and things happen. Following the first press of the button from selecting your gender, the overall look and feel of the gallery responds accordingly. We have pink for girls, blue for boys, neon lighting, and voice and sound effects. Highly active and heroic music plays and the game has begun. The gallery is very fun; its competitive but it also provides the people interacting with it a high sense of feel good factor,’ explains Tyrone Cano, owner of

Propability. ‘The action music is immersive; the overall experience of moving through the gallery, testing the product and testing your target skills stimulates the senses. The countdown and various sound effects and lights create the entire experience. It’s about developing the use of the product that bit more.’ Cano says the aim of experiential retail is to glorify the product as much as possible. ‘It’s about delivering an environment that allows you to do this but without losing the focus on the fact that you have to sell. The main consideration is how to compromise the experience with the product and not jeopardise the space. Secondly, there has to be a point of difference — create something that is fun and different to what’s in any other store. You need to stimulate the senses, offer something that online shopping and just walking around a store picking product up off a shelf can’t do. Create an experience that is different. Finally, money is always a consideration — you need to be clever with the budget.’ Cano says in his experience, while there is no end to what you can do, sometimes the cleverest ideas aren’t always the most expensive. A sense of community is something that Green Room Design has implemented in several recent projects. At The North Face store on London’s Regent Street, customers are invited to make use of lockers and store their shopping while exploring the city. A notice board where the retailer’s #neverstoplondon community can grow also features in store. Regular participatory events encourage people to share their desire to train and explore, offering another dimension to the retailer’s brand engagement. Over at the Sun & Sands Sports flagship at The Dubai Mall, the brief was to create community by allowing customers to trial and compete at their favourite sports in store. Green Room created three giant interactive zones for football, basketball and running to give customers the chance to immerse themselves in a digital version of the sport. ‘Their results are displayed live on an in-store leader board and the opportunity for sharing on social media is taken up by almost half of the participants,’ explains Mike Roberts, chief executive officer of Green Room. Roberts says relevance to a retailer’s key target audience is fundamental, along with commitment to keep curating and updating the experience. ‘Empowerment and co-creation; a way for customers to interact and share their experience.’ Burberry used the power of technlogy during the 2015 festive period by partnering with several technology giants to bring interactive experiences to the masses. The retailer worked alongside Google to create The Burberry Booth that enabled customers to star in a personalised version of its festive campaign. Powered by Google and using the latest real-time video stitching

experiential retail technology, The Burberry Booth enabled customers to appear alongside some of the festive film’s cast members in a 15 second personalised edit of the campaign. The film was made by capturing individuals jumping in the style of the advert, and then placing the footage within the film itself. Once their bespoke film had been created, The Burberry Booth instantly sent customers a shareable copy via YouTube, Twitter or email. Each film was accompanied by the Burberry Festive Film’s soundtrack, Cosmic Dancer by T Rex. The 2015 Christmas season also saw the retailer partner up with Dreamworks Animation and NOVA to create the first interactive luxury marketing campaign using new 3D technology. Using the NOVA media visualisation platform, Burberry designed a brand new digital out-of-home experience, featuring computergenerated versions of its iconic heritage scarf that users were able to personalise and play with on the world famous Curve screen in Piccadilly Circus, London. The campaign allowed up to five users to explore the full range of Burberry scarves on their mobile device, monogram their favourite and see it appear on the giant screen where it flew around directed by the motion of their device. They then had the option to purchase their scarf on Burberry.com or receive directions to the nearby Regent Street flagship store. The experience launched on 14 December and ran 24 hours a day until 31 December. ‘Experiential is all about creating added value. For most products it’s easy to buy online and get them delivered at home or to click and collect. Experiential activity has to go the extra mile, making it worthwhile to move offline and go into store, so this may mean that customers get to play with a product, get additional advice and expertise — something that they can’t access ordinarily in an online experience,’ says Adam Tregaskis, head of retail at The Market Creative. ‘The customer’s experience has been transformed with experiential retail to deliver to all the senses,

so you get to see, smell and feel meaning that you can fully appreciate the product and its benefits.’ The Market Creative has been working with Sharps on the design of its Baker Street, London store. The Sharps brand is all about ‘Created with You’, which highlights the partnership between the shopper and Sharps to transform their bedroom. ‘We wanted the showroom to feel like a creative space where shoppers can explore the available designs and ranges that they can choose from, while equally allowing the expertise of Sharps to help them on their journey. The zones within the showroom tell a story and encourage shoppers to touch, explore and take their time in the showroom,’ explains Tregaskis. ‘It’s vital to start not with design or layout but with research and planning. Look at what’s going on in the retail world; we usually take clients out on a “Retail Safari” to explore different retail experiences. This is not just about looking at the competition, but viewing out-of-category too for best-in-class examples and identifying their strategies. Once you’ve thoroughly investigated you can then take your insight and combine it with knowledge of the brand and retail expertise to identify the strongest stories and the most interesting ways of bringing them to life in store. These range from expressing the brand’s personality to dramatising specific product benefits. Only then can you move forward into the creative development of the showroom design.’

Facing page: The Lush flagship indulges fans in a complete immersive brand experience.

Above, clockwise: At Sun & Sands Sport at The Dubai Mall, Green Room created a sense of community by allowing customers to trial and compete at their favourite sports in store; Powered by Google, The Burberry Booth enabled customers to star in a personalised version of the retailer’s festive campaign; For Sharp’s Baker Street London showroom, The Market Creative designed different zones that tell a story and encourage shoppers to touch, explore and take their time in the store. Left: At The Toy Store on London’s Oxford Street, Propability created a Nerf Target Practice Range allowing children to play with Nerf blasters and darts for target practice.

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materials & finishes Text: Lyndsey Dennis

Tactile discovery With the Surface Design Show on the horizon, Retail Focus investigates trend predictions in materials and finishes for the year ahead.

In 2016, retailers look set to work towards more tactile experiences in store. Whether its luxury metallics or sustainable materials, these finishes can have a major impact on the look, feel and ambience of a store and the brand. For the first time, Pantone has chosen to blend two shades – Serenity and Rose Quartz – as the Pantone Colour of the Year. The global authority on colour and provider of professional colour standards for the design industries has chosen a harmonius pairing of shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace. ‘With the whole greater than its individual parts, joined together Serenity and Rose Quartz demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace,’ says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. The prevalent combination of Serenity and Rose Quartz also challenges some more traditional perceptions around colour association. ‘In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted colour trends throughout all other areas of design,’ continues Eiseman. ‘This more

unilateral approach to colour is coinciding with societal movements towards gender equality and fluidity, the consumers’ increased comfort with using colour as a form of expression which includes a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged, and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to colour usage.’ The organisers of The Surface Design Show have identified a number of key trends for the 2016 exhibition including texture; geometric; glass, mirror and reflection; natural stone and brights and bolds. ‘In spite of the rise in e-commerce, the physical point of sale is still with us and the traditional store is having to up its game in terms of the experience and brand relevance. This has resulted in new and exciting surfaces being introduced by architects and designers as we become increasingly aware of the role our surroundings play in supporting the retail experience,’ says Christopher Newton, event director of the Surface Design Show, which takes place next month. Surface Design Show exhibitor, Heliot & Co. predicts a shift towards ultra tactile and softened surface design in 2016, in both form and material finishes. ‘Sugary

toned pastels are paired with pearlescent greys for a playful, contemporary colour palette. Soft materials, such as foam and silicone, are combined with colourful resins and rubberised or powdercoated material finishes, for an imaginative mix of the senses,’ says the Heliot & Co. design team. ‘Finishes are matt, icy and soft with high gloss highlights, whilst pattern trends see small geometrics, grids and dots with colour blocking and tonal mixing. Shape trends are plump, rounded and soft, with an almost cartoon-like aesthetic to comforting home interiors. Softness and comfort will inform interior design in 2016, creating a more approachable, playful and decorative aesthetic. Heliot and Co. create surfaces with these seasonal trends in mind, using colour, form and finish to create contemporary collections of surface solutions and interior products.’ At Budha Bar in Dubai, texture and metallics are a key theme. Designed by Giles Miller Studio, a mix of ceramic finishes

Above left: For the first time, the blending of two shades – Serenity and Rose Quartz –are chosen as the Pantone Colour of the Year . Above Right: Buddha Bar in Dubai features a wavy metallic bar to mimic the skin of a dragon. Top At Charming Charlie in Manhattan, texture is a big part of the overall scheme, designed by CallisonRTKL. Photographer: Chris Eden

materials & finishes glazes in matt, high gloss and crackled bronze on the undulating bar front artwork. This design is a nod to the scaley surface of a dragon’s skin and has a true tactility and depth. ‘You can’t feel rich textural surfaces on a screen, so retail stores are moving away from crisp, clean and chemical, offering up the tactile with designs that might include fleecy sheepskin seating, rustic patterned flooring and open industrial ceilings as at Charming Charlie’s new Manhattan flagship,’ says Joan Insel, retail brand strategist at CallisonRTKL. ‘Sustainability will continue to be an important trend in 2016. The environment is a key issue for consumers, and brands are making a concerted effort to show it’s important to them too,’ says Adam Hewitt, senior designer at Umbrella Design. ‘At the top end of retail, understated glamour in

The Surface Design Show takes over the Business Design Centre in Islington on 9-11 February 2015, and one of the key focuses for this year’s event is retail surfaces. A Preview Evening, sponsored by Pintark, takes place on Tuesday 9 February at 6pm-9pm. The evening includes a Live Debate, hosted by New London Architecture with the topic ‘Architecture is More Than Skin Deep’ chaired by Peter Murray.

the form of brushed metals, raw finishes and exposed materials have replaced the glitzy bling of the 90s. This has been happening for some time but it’s now filtering down into the mass market, where sustainable materials are being beautifully finished to create the same natural, honest effect.’ Hewitt also notes the use of simple, clean and clear interiors. ‘Simplicity and sustainability are interconnected. So it’s not surprising to see a more paired back aesthetic continuing. It’s not quite minimalist as pattern, colour and texture remain. For our recent work with Voisins department store we used a basic palette of only three to four colours, many of which were variations on a grey theme. It was a useful approach for creating a neutral backdrop that had texture, richness and character but didn’t overpower the brands. Another good example is Victoria Beckham’s shop, which

is very clean. Brands don’t want to be seen to be too ostentatious. It’s about quality and integrity rather than overcooking the environment; we want the product to take centre stage. ‘As digital printing matures, its use will become more prominent in retail environments,’ continues Hewitt. ‘By enabling brands to create bespoke laminates, flooring and wallpapers, cost effectively and in small quantities, they can customise each environment according to their needs. The same is true of 3D printing. As it becomes more affordable, it’s set to play a much bigger role. It’s incredible scope for customisation will help unshackle the designer from more traditional manufacturing processes. Increasingly, 3D models that can be created on a computer will be affordable to produce as bespoke items.’

Annalie Riches, director of Mikhail Riches, will host the PechaKucha Evening on Wednesday 10 February at 6pm. Architects and interior designers will show 20 images, each for 20 seconds, providing an exciting and inspiring presentation. Visitors can choose from three seminar areas during Surface Design Show and Light School — The Main Stage, The CPD Hub and Light School’s School Room. Future Thinking will present Surface Spotlight Live, providing a closer look at the topics and trends covered by the show’s Surface Spotlight Newsletter throughout the year. Material directions for health and wellbeing (media partner Healthcare Design & Management Magazine) and Retail Design (sponsored by Concord) will be highlighted — two key markets developing new and exciting products for architects and designers. Surface Design Show is collaborating with trend researcher and writer, Sally Angharad to present a tactile sample bank

of forward thinking materials, welcoming visitors to come and take a closer look at the latest developments that offer innovative solutions and exciting new aesthetics for both healthcare and retail sectors. Angharad highlights some of the trends that she will be looking out for during the show: ‘Texture is key. I will be looking for surfaces that address all the senses and encourage touch and feel as we look for more engagement with our surroundings. Colour continues to be very important. Sophisticated bright colour palettes are emerging in new material collections and I am also looking forward to seeing the exhibitors offering customers the potential to specify a bespoke colour.’ To find out more and register, visit the show website:

www.surfacedesignshow.com

Clockwise from far left: Rupert Bevan will exhibit examples of the mirror and reflection trend on stand 336; Heliot & Co. predicts a shift towards ultra tactile and softened surface design this year (stand IC/3). Evan James Design (stand IC/7) is collaborating with award-winning product designer, Adam Davies to develop signature interactive wallcoverings to incorporate light and sound. Right: Cliq Designs, a specialist in 3D textured quilting, will be demonstrating textures on stand 118.

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SURFACE DESIGN SHOW James Latham - stand 208 The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest independent timber and decorative panel distributor, James Latham is gearing up for Surface Design Show 2016 next month, where the company will unveil a number of exciting new surface materials including an inspiring range of real wood veneers (pictured right) that promise to create plenty of interest among visiting architects and interior designers.

T. +44 (0)1442 849 100 E. marketing@lathams.co.uk www.lathamtimber.co.uk Twitter: lathamsltd

Concreate Flooring - stand 106 Concreate will showcase the latest developments in concrete surfaces. Ready-made floor and wall panels can be installed in just about any interior space and work alongside any material to create compelling, modern, architectural styling. Visitors can learn about the many benefits including its strong green credentials, lightweight nature, long-term durability and easy of installation. The company will also demonstrate how, for the first time, wood and concrete panels can combine with no transition gap using the Concreate wood panels that form part of the Concreate range. T. +44 (0)1276 859 111 www.concreateflooring.co.uk Twitter: ConcreateUK

Knauf AMF Ceilings stand 100

nora flooring systems stand 240

At last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show, Heradesign from Knauf AMF Ceilings made an impact on architects and designers for the visual energy and contemporary warmth it adds to their interiors. Visit stand 100 to find out why. Heradesign is a range of sustainable, wood-wool based ceiling tiles and wall panels, which are cost effective and easy to install. The visible wood fibres give Heradesign its naturally textured finish and the panels are robust to ensure longevity. Design possibilities are endless, Heradesign is available in a wide range of sizes, edge details and unlimited colours. Heradesign can be fitted as a suspended ceiling, hung as rafts or fits, or directly onto walls and ceilings.

The new rubber flooring noraplan value from nora systems now combines two aspects, warm colours and natural surface structure, giving rise to a cosy atmosphere in every room. Like all new products from nora systems, the noraplan valua design is the child of international architectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; workshops. The surface structure imbues the floor with life, providing depth and quality. noraplan valua combines the authenticity of the material rubber with an irregularity based on nature.

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Osmo UK - stand 330 Eco-friendly wood and finishes expert, Osmo UK will offer visitors at the show the chance to see its latest wooden flooring and high quality wood finishes. Osmo will exhibit its ESCO wood flooring range, as well as its renowned wood flooring product, Polyx-Oil. Visitors will be able to view the collection based on nine solid oak flooring styles. As one of Osmo UK’s leading products, Polyx-Oil is a premium wood finish that’s guaranteed to keep wooden surfaces in top condition. It’s natural components penetrate deeply into the wood to create a micro-porous finish. This allows the wood to breathe, moisture to evaporate and ensures a flawless finish for years to come. Quality assured, Osmo Polyx-Oil guarantees hardwearing protection, as well as offering resistance to stubborn stains such as coffee, wine and cola. T. +44 (0)1296 481 220 E: info@osmouk.com www.osmouk.com Twitter: osmo_uk

Plexwood - stand 470 Plexwood is an all-natural and sustainable interior wood veneer composed of end grain wood and long grain, glued crosswise. Because end grain wood is harder than regular cut wood, Plexwood is ideal for heavy traffic (flooring) applications. The veneer is available in a variety of geometric patterns, suitable for creating modern geometric effects on large wall or flooring surfaces, on every scale and in every direction. Plexwood is modern, but the geometric patterns also retain a certain traditional character. In their production, Plexwood uses no added formaldehyde or VOCs, creating a completely safe and eco-friendly product. T. +31 (0)30 296 43 67 E. info@plexwood.com www.plexwood.com

Finsa UK - stand 204, 202 Finsa UK will exhibit a host of surfacing solutions, including Fibracolour, a coloured board made of selected wood fibres (MDF). Fibreplast Lucent adds a new dimension to high gloss surfaces, while Jazz is an embossed in-register melamine with a deep texture that follows a natural pattern, giving a sense of realism and reality. Also on show will be SuperPan Decor that combines industrious strength and melamine style. It comprises two external faces of MDF with a chipboard core. Compacmel Plus is a compact board made of selected wood fibres and coated with decorative paper impregnated in melamine resins. Greenpanel is a highly resistant ultralight board that consists of faces and core of thin MDF arranged like a grid. T. +44 (0)151 651 2400 E. uk@finsa.com www.finsa.com Twitter: FinsaUK

ROCKFON - Stand 154 Acoustic ceiling and wall solutions specialist, ROCKFON continues to push the boundaries of technology and will be exhibiting its innovations at the show. The company has been chosen as a Commercial Interior Surface finalist at the Design Awards and has been selected to feature at Surface Spotlight Live for Health + Wellbeing within the exhibition. Highlights on the stand will include ROCKFON Blanka, the company’s whitest tile ever; the seamless monolithic ceiling ROCKFON Mono Acoustic; highly sound absorbent ROCKFON VertiQ wall absorbers; ROCKFON Color-all ceiling tiles and wall absorbers, and ROCKFON Eclipse acoustic islands. All ROCKFON ceiling and wall solutions are made from stone wool and provide excellent fire safety and humidity resistance. T. +44 (0)800 389 0314 E. info@rockfon.co.uk www.rockfon.co.uk Twitter: RockfonUK

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FLOORING + SURFACES Karndean Designflooring Vinyl flooring specialist Karndean Designflooring is adding 12 new wood designs to its popular Van Gogh Wood collection. Inspired by reclaimed natural wood, the large (48in x 7in) plank designs replicate the unique look that comes from the transformation of wood over time, in addition to processes such as scorching, liming and smoking. Available to order, the four striking groups — French Oaks, American Redwood, Scottish Beech and Mexican Cypress — ensure a grain and colour palette to suit any commercial space. ‘Our new Van Gogh designs are our boldest to date,’ explains Paul Barratt, managing director of Karndean Designflooring. ‘They are a welcome addition and reflect the trends we’re seeing for authentic and textured interiors for commercial applications. The collection is not only design-led, but also retains all the durability, ease of maintenance and availability our customers have come to rely on.’ Available with a recently extended 15 year commercial warranty and R10 slip ratings, the complete Karndean Van Gogh collection will now feature a total of 32 wood designs. T. +44 (0)1386 820 100 E. commercial@karndean.co.uk www.karndean.com Twitter: KarndeanFloors

Polyflor

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High design vinyl flooring from Polyflor has been chosen to create a modern look for gift and gadget retailer RED5 at Princes Quay Shopping Centre in Hull. Tapping into the growing trend for concrete effect floorcoverings, Expona Design luxury vinyl tiles in Dark Concrete were installed throughout the shop floor area by local flooring contractor The Hull Flooring Co. Developed for heavy commercial environments, the Expona Design range of luxury vinyl tiles features 28 stunning wood, stone and abstract effect designs including a number of concrete options with surface embossing for added authenticity.

Ukrainian interior designer, Victoria Faynblat has launched a new collection of decorative wall effects using Armourcoat polished plaster entitled ‘Fragile Touch’. The designer uses the hand applied plaster finish alongside stencils and embellished with Swarovski crystals, to create seamless highly decorative finishes taking inspiration from memories and the world around us. She has included traditional and modern technology, high fashion and dream-like themes to present original wall finishes in a carefully curated range of colours.

T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E. info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com Twitter: Polyflorltd

T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E: sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat

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URBAN VINTAGE RETAIL DISPLAY

56 PAGE CATALOGUE ON REQUEST The Urban Vintage collection from Andy Thornton includes a complete range of industrial-style retail display products including shelving units, garment rails, drawer units, cabinets, trolleys and display tables, plus furniture, decorative lighting and tin tiles. Send for your copy. Call: 01422 376000 Email: marketing@andythornton.com Online: andythornton.com

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SIGNAGE AND DISPLAY Artillus - Ways2display Colour temperature controllable light sheet from Artillus - Ways2display can be adjusted between 2,700ยบK and 6,500ยบK, with dimmable brightness from zero to maximum softly, all controlled simply with a remote touch controller. Bespoke light boxes, light sheet and panels are available. They are suitable for a variety of applications including commercial displays and signs, shop stands and cases, jewellery display cabinets, displays in hospitals, schools and shops, as well as art galleries and museums. T. +44 (0)333 123 0345 E: sales@artillus.com www.artillus.com

The Jewellery Display Company The Jewellery Display Company offers luxurious steel fixtures available from stock in chrome, brushed steel and matt black. Designs include handbag stands, hat stands and shoe stands. The company is able to provide customers with any branding or signage solution, varying from branding blocks, magnetic blocks, plaques and other point of sale displays. The Jewellery Display Company uses materials such as acrylic, plastics, glass, steel, wood and leather to name a few. T. +44 (0)208 805 8551 E. sales@tjdc.co.uk www.jewellery-display.co.uk Twitter: d1splay

arken POP arken POP has added a secure Hinged Door version to its Move-it range of water-filled base forecourt signs. Incorporating extruded aluminium frames on both sides, aluminium back panels and clear PETG front sheets, the posters are securely held in place behind a hinged door which is designed with a concealed lock mechanism and supplied with a special opening tool. The water-filled base has integrated castors for easy mobility and high tension springs help to deflect the wind, making this a perfect solution for exposed areas. These signs are available in standard 60in x 40in and 40in x 30in sizes but customised options can be quoted.

Andy Thornton This period style changing room bench from Andy Thornton has an industrial vintage look that is so popular at the moment, and at six foot tall and five foot wide it provides plenty product storage options, with shelving, hooks and mesh backing. It is particularly useful in fashion outlets and boutiques to display clothing in a variety of levels and positions. The changing room bench is just one of an extensive selection of stylish display products from the Andy Thornton Urban Vintage range. This retail display collection from Andy Thornton includes retail shelving, cabinets, drawer units, display tables and garment racks, and the full range can be viewed and purchased online. T. +44 (0)1422 376 000 E. marketing@andythornton.com www.andythornton.com Twitter: andythorntonltd

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LIGHTING GE Lighting GE has delivered a cash-positive lighting infrastructure upgrade for the UK business of Santander. As the UK’s biggest ever fully-funded LED lighting retrofit, the project will see 90,000 new lights installed across the bank’s UK estate of 800 branches and 13 office buildings — slashing energy use in half and reducing carbon emissions by more than 7,000 tonnes each year. GE will deliver lighting services throughout the 10-year contract, which includes optimised system design, installation, maintenance and management. T. +44 (0)800 169 8290 E. gelightingeu@ge.com www.ge.com Twitter: GELighting

Minimise Energy Farmfoods’ growing portfolio of buildings must all provide the correct ambient conditions and achieve optimum efficiency. To help meet this brief at its Avonmouth distribution centre, Minimise Energy provided a complete lighting design and supply solution. Farmfoods incorporates LED lighting in all new stores and warehouses. Minimise designs, supplies and manages all new and refurbishment lighting projects, achieving return on investment periods of less than three years for each. T. +44 (0)330 313 3220 E: info@minimisegroup.com www.minimisegroup.com Twitter: Minimise_Energy

Zeta Specialist Lighting LED lighting from Zeta Specialist Lighting is helping Bidvest Foodservice make operational areas safer. Investment in the lighting company’s environmentally friendly, energy- and cost-efficient LED technology as part of a trategy to improve external lighting across 20 sites nationwide has enabled Bidvest Foodservice to improve the working environment for its night shift operators. Zeta recommended its LED Flood Light, a long lasting (typical lifetime is 40,000 hours), low power alternative to halogen and sodium flood lighting. T. +44 (0)1869 322 500 E: info@thezetagroup.com www.zetaled.co.uk Twitter: zetaled

Commercial Lighting The popular Sovereign LED Round Panel range has been extended with the addition of new sizes and mounting options. It’s now available in 400mm, 500mm and 600mm diameter with suspended, surface or recessed mounting options, and incorporates the latest edge-lit LED technology in conjunction with softlens diffuser for optimum aesthetic appeal. A high efficiency LED driver is located within shallow profile spun aluminium tapered rear gear housing for ease of installation. Dimmable and EM versions are also available. The main spun housing can be finished in any BS/RAL colour. T. +44 (0)1489 581 002 E. sales@commercial-lighting.co.uk www.commercial-lighting.co.uk Twitter: clslight

products

SELECTION Tormax Passengers using the new concourse at Newcastle Central station now enjoy the benefits of a number of popular retail concessions. Welcoming customers, TORMAX worked with North Eastern Glass to install full-glass automatic sliding doors to the entrances of both Paperchase and Boots UK. Driving the entrances to both shops, the TORMAX iMotion 2202 is one of the most technologically advanced bi-parting door operators on the market today, delivering unparalleled reliability coupled with low maintenance requirements. T. +44 (0)1932 238 040 E. sales@tormax.co.uk www.tormax.co.uk Twitter: tormax_uk_ltd

SPC International SPC offers EPOS solutions to all retail and hospitality sectors based on NCR’s market leading hardware and specially selected EPOS and hospitality applications from the company’s software partners. Of particular interest to the design conscious retailer will be the very latest EPOS terminal from NCR. The XR7 offers the sleek high-tech look of a tablet to meet with new store design demands, combined with the retail-hardened long life and best in class performance retailers expect from an NCR product. Coupled with printers and cash drawers in a stylish black to complement the new terminal, the XR7 offers an exciting new look for retail outlets. T. +44 (0)1895 203 124 E: bmiller@spcint.com www.spcint.com Twitter: spcint

JS Air Curtains Air curtain specialist JS Air Curtains is pleased to announce the launch of its new product catalogue. Packed with detailed information on its wide range of exposed, recessed, industrial and revolving door units, the catalogue incorporates quick glance product options and performance data tables for each model. Tim Scott, head of sales at JS Air Curtains, says: ‘This catalogue has many new products, an easy to view selection guide, information on heat pump technology and more control options. These details and its comprehensive range for all air curtain applications makes this catalogue the go-to resource for air curtain selection and expert advice.’ T. +44 (0)1903 858 656 E. sales@jsaircurtains.com www.jsaircurtains.com Twitter: JSAirCurtains

GEZE UK The Close The Door campaign has named door and window control systems specialist, GEZE UK as the exclusive sponsor representing the automatic door industry. The nationwide campaign aims to persuade retailers to save energy and create a better environment for staff and shoppers by reversing their open door policies. GEZE UK is the only door control company to support the campaign, which was launched following a winter walk by founder Jeannie Dawkins, who became concerned after seeing how hot air from the open shop doorways was melting the ice on the street. T. +44 (0)1543 443 000 E. info.uk@geze.com www.geze.co.uk Twitter: GEZE_UK

signs & graphics

focus on: SIGNS + GRAPHICS Clear, concise, eye-catching signs and graphics can help retailers stand out and promote offers both in-store and in their windows. From window vinyl to new neon alternatives, this month we bring you a mix of solutions to help brands make their mark and get the message across.

Precision led Unibox Retail’s Neonist is a modern alternative to the neon sign. Designs can be translated more accurately with CNC precision and Neonist utilises reliable, energy efficient, long-life LED lighting. Neonist is becoming a popular product and has recently been used to create bespoke illuminated signage installations in fashionable bakeries, Gail’s and Pinkmans.

www.uniboxretail.co.uk

Stand out from the crowd Graphica Display now prints and installs many varied forms of window films, including UV-printed optically clear vinyls. Using a technique where it sandwiches white between layers of colour, this process offers a more vivid and effective solution to printing on clear films. The company offers a permanent or removable media and this can be installed anywhere in the UK or abroad using its in-house install teams.

www.graphicadisplay.co.uk

Better connected Stylographics recently refitted Vodafone’s flagship in Westfield White City, designing large-scale signage, lightbox graphics and POS throughout the store. The main aim of the re-fit was to bring two existing store units together to create a larger flagship store that would create a sense of 3D theatre and mirror the success and luxury of the Vodafone brand. Stylographics was able to use the store’s large scale to create stand out graphics and displays, the most notable being the large London cityscapes that can be seen from outside the store and the vibrant hanging signage above the Top 10 Table.

www.stylographics.co.uk

signs & graphics

Festive cheer W&Co Displays and Signs fitted out the new Flutterbyes pop-up at Bluewater in time for Christmas, where temporary signage and graphics were installed to create a big impact for low-cost and short-term use. The main fascia sign was manufactured from printed self-adhesive textured wallpaper and was a huge 8.5m wide by 1.5m high. The material was specifically chosen so that it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t damage the paintwork when it was removed. The same self-adhesive material was applied to the external panels on the side of the store, while cut vinyl Christmas slogans were applied throughout the interior. Subtle snowflake-shaped window manifestations were produced from cut frosted vinyl and applied to the glass to complement the range of products in the window as well as the fascia signage.

www.w-co.co.uk

Big and bold MX Display has produced and installed extra large wall graphics and displays as part of a new ambient graphics scheme that dramatically transformed the feel of The Mall Luton shopping centre. Designed by Simon Cohen of Simon Inc, the bold and bright designs feature elements that are relevant to the surrounding area such as the hats and flamingos, proving popular with the locals. From a production and installation point of view it was a great opportunity for the MX Display team to print and install cut vinyl to such vast internal walls. Other elements of the project included custom printed wallpapers, bespoke wayfinding solutions, Contravision, light boxes, fret cut dibond, laser cut acrylics, floor graphics and printed manifestations.

www.mxdisplay.co.uk

Sign of the times The Sign Group offers a modern arrival to the neon stage in the form of NeonPlus, featuring LED-driven technology at its heart. NeonPlus comprises novel machined assemblies and cleverly designed and deployed LEDs to illuminate those assemblies from within. It is technically capable of competing with neon as a means of illuminating channel letters and also does a very good job in the role conventional neon fills in the raw state.

www.thesigngroup.co.uk

Directory

Retail Supplier Directory, find the specialist retail products and services you are looking for from leading suppliers around the world. Retail Supplier Directory Visit the Retail Focus online directory at www.retail-focus.co.uk to discover a comprehensive list of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading retail suppliers. Each listing contains indepth company information together with inspirational images, video footage and informative press material. You can also link through to company websites and connect with suppliers through Twitter and Facebook. The Retail Supplier Directory is divided into a number of categories, such as design agencies, point-of-purchase, lighting, props and surfaces, to make the site easy to navigate. To feature in the online directory, contact Terry Clark on 0845 6807405 or email terry@retailfocus.co

Directory

Aluminium Fittings

Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin

Bespoke Display

Axis design, develop, manufacture and install bespoke retail display solutions. We’ve worked with the biggest names on the high street, but approach every project in the same way, with the maximum thought for your brand, products and sales environment.

Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.

T, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc

T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative

Design Consultancies

H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas. T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd

Aluminium Fittings

Bespoke Display

MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.

Original suppliers of display fabrics, textiles, PVC and polycarbonates for retail displays and exhibition stands since 1934 Backgrounds have been our background since backgrounds began and B Brown have more than 400 in stock.

Walker Bros (Elland) Ltd is an Engineering Manufacturing company specialising in sheet metalwork and plastic fabrication. We supply precision metal and plastic products, components and light fabrications to a broad range of industries and markets throughout the UK and Europe.

IGNITION is an independent creative company Our multi-disciplined team work together to deliver exceptional retail and commercial environments, global exhibitions and brands.

T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat

T, 08705 340 340 E. customerservices@bbrown.co.uk W. www.bbrown.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/luvbbrown

T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com

T, +44 (0) 1179 725168 E. victoria@ignitiondg.com W. www.ignitiondg.com

Aluminium Fittings

Bespoke Display

Hello Flamingo is a creative company for the retail and event sector, specialising in window displays, in store solution, POP ups, project management, design, manufacture and installation for bespoke projects at our fully equipped manufacturing workshop.

T: 01273 585768 E: info@helloflamingo.co.uk W: www.helloflamingo.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/helloflamingo1

Bespoke Display

Brochure Holders

Design Consultancies

Brochure Holders International Limited is part of the global Taymar group recognised as a leading manufacturer of premium quality injection moulded leaflet holders and display solutions. Committed to on-going product development the Taymar group offers one of the world’s largest collections of ‘clear view’ wall, floor and counter standing brochure displays.

We are TWO Visual, the retail agency specialising in visual merchandising. Led by brand directors Jeanette Cheetham and Brendan Gordon we provide everything retailers need to make their brands visually dynamic, whilst improving team and commercial performance.

T: +44 (0)1473 229250 E: sales@brochureholders.co.uk W: www.brochureholders.com

T, +44 (0) 1858 414275 E. hello@twovisual.co.uk W. www. twovisual.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/TWO_Visual

Balloons & Bunting

Bespoke Display

Climate Control

Display

No.1 Advertising Balloon Service: • Printed Latex and Foil Balloons • Helium Gas delivery and collection • Flags, Bunting and Banners • Promotional Sashes and T-shirts • Multi-store distribution nationwide

KSF provides retail merchandising display solutions to retailers, brands and trade customers from CONCEPT to COMPLETION via our global supply chain (China/UK/East EU) to deliver LOWER total cost of ownership. YOU’VE TRIED THE REST; NOW PUT US TO THE TEST.

Air Control & Development Ltd are Daikin, Mitsubishi and Toshiba accredited contractors, specialising in providing quality air conditioning, ventilation and overdoor heater installations, service & maintenance within the retail sector.

arken are a UK design and manufacturing facility creating bespoke poster display solutions. As well as our bespoke offer, we provide off the shelf products such as poster frames, light boxes, poster hanging systems, pavement signs, forecourt signs, all available in a range of colours and sizes.

T, 01494 774376 E. sales@b-loony.com W. www.b-loony.com

T: +44 (0)8450 944 699 E: ben.wang@ksf-global.com W: www.ksf-global.com S: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal

T 01922 455523 E: info@aircontrol.co.uk W: www.aircontrol.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/AirControl123

T: +44 (0)1638 565656 E: info@arken-pop.com W: www.arken-pop.com

Directory

Display

Are you looking to increase your product sales, re-brand or launch a new product? If you’re not already talking to us, you should. Our group offer an unprecedented level of experience coupled with a comprehensive range of products and services. Our aim is to make your products sell and your service the best on the market.

T: +44(0)113 265 0093 E: sales@concept-data.com W: www.concept-data.com S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects

Display

Internationally acclaimed, award winning unique magnetic wall system offers instant flexibility & creative choice to architects, interiors & store designers. Since launching the magnIQ system in 2006 the response has been quite phenomenal. To date the system has won 13 prestigious awards and is now internationally recognised justifying the many years Rare Basic spent on research and development. T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: mail@rarebasic.com W: www.rarebasic.com S: www.twitter.com/rarebasic

Display - Digital

Furniture

Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.

T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays

T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative

Furniture

Display

Display - Digital

GDP display, manufactures, delivers and installs world-class retail environments, store fixtures, displays and visual merchandising equipment. GDP is truly Global, through its activities in many parts of the world. We have supplied high-end displays and furniture to successful retail brands throughout Europe, North America, South Africa and South East Asia.

We provide total end to end solutions encompassing all aspects of designing, implementing, managing and supporting multi-faceted marketing technology concepts and Digital Screen Media networks.

We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.

T: +44 (0)1582 433 771 E: info@gdprojects.eu W: www.gdprojects.eu S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects

T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative

T, +44 (0)845 481 8020 E. info@screenmediatechnology.com W.screenmediatechnology.com S. www.twitter.com/ScreenMediaTech

T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo

Display

We are IPOS. A creative design agency whose extensive and impressive client list speaks volumes for the professional services we offer. We design, produce and install all aspects of our client’s POS. From instore graphics, window vinyls and 3D bespoke window displays to full multi location campaign roll outs.

We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.

T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign

T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo

EPOS

Offering an extensive range of EPOS hardware from world class suppliers such as Star Micronics, Honeywell and Posiflex, DED offer the complete EPOS hardware solution alongside a unique rewritable loyalty system.

T: 01797 320636 E: sales@ded.co.uk W: www.ded.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/dedltd

Finishes

Display

Impulse POP specialises in Point of Purchase display systems for the Retail sector. We offer many years of experience in all aspects of retail design, with in house manufacture - including quick turnaround prototypes, or overseas manufacture, delivery, installation and retail merchandising.

Woodwood Group –Tx Frame UK are a specialist in tension fabric display systems and LED light boxes. We are able to deliver the highest quality service with a friendly but professional approach to ensure you receive the spectacular results you deserve.

Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.

T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop

T, 01376 295 016 E. sales@txframe.co.uk W. www.txframe.co.uk

T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk W. www.armourcoat.com S. www.twitter.com/Armourcoat

Graphics

Graphica Display print, produce and install retail graphics including till point graphics, window graphics, LED lightboxes, cut & printed vinyl and much more. Nationwide & Euorpean delivery and installation.

T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet

Graphics

We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.

T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo

Directory

Slatwall

Interactive Displays

Permanent POS

POP/POS

> In house design and manufacture of permanent displays > Powder coated steel, stainless steel, plastics and print used in any combination > Rapid prototyping and batch manufacture > Confidentiality assured > Let us help you improve your product sales` Find out why our customers keep returning for more………

Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.

T: 01482 345067 E: sales@jcrpos.co.uk W: www.jcrpos.co.uk S. @JCR_POS

T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin

T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays

Lighting

POP/POS

LED Solutions are a specialist LED lighting supplier who can offer you a wide variety of bespoke lighting solutions for the sign, shop fitting and display industries.

Custom made, 20mm deep LED Edge lit ‘Diamond’ light boxes, and 8mm deep ‘Garnet’ light panels for retail display, signage and advertising.

T: 0116 262 5933 E: sales@ledsolutions.co.uk W: www.ledsolutions.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/ LEDSolutionsUK

Literature Display Solutions

Maintenance

T 01922 455523 E: info@aircontrol.co.uk W: www.aircontrol.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/AirControl123

T: 0333 123 0345 E: Sales@ways2display.com W www.artillus.com Web: www.ways2display.com

POP/POS

We specialise in Point of Sale (POS) and Point of Purchase (POP). We design, manufacture and fit retail fixtures and store displays and we’re good at it. For over 55 years Axiom has been designing and producing exciting and innovative retail displays for well known brands and retail groups. T: +44 (0)161 681 1371 E: info@axiom-displays.co.uk W: www.axiom-displays.co.uk

POP/POS

From small, lightweight point-of-sale display turntables for short term use, to larger turntables designed for durability and reliability over many years, Movetech UK has a turntable to meet your needs.

T: 01204 537680 E: display@movetechuk.com W:www.movetechuk.com S. www.twitter.com/movetechuk

POP UP

T: 01273 585768 E: info@helloflamingo.co.uk W: www.helloflamingo.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/helloflamingo1

Retail Consultancy

We are a global retail agency. Visual Thinking develops strategy, skills, hearts and minds to deliver retail excellence and transform brand performance.

T, +44 (0) 1788 543 331 E. mail@visualthinking.co.uk W. www.visualthinking.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/shoptactics

Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service.

Slatwall

T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat

MTFX Winter Effects artificial display snow range includes all you need to give your displays the crispness of a winter setting or the chill of a frosty Christmas.

T: 01452 729903 E: info@mtfx.com W: www.mtfx.com

VM - Training & Tools

We are a global retail agency. Visual Thinking develops strategy, skills, hearts and minds to deliver retail excellence and transform brand performance.

T, +44 (0) 1788 543 331 E. mail@visualthinking.co.uk W. www.visualthinking.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/shoptactics

Q&A

It all started with a sales assistant role at French Connection. Now, having worked as part of the visual merchandising teams at Fred Perry, Jack Wills and Topman, Tim Nash is going it alone with his new creative retail and visual merchandising consultancy, Let’s Create Things.

RF. What inspired you to follow a career in visual merchandising? TN. It may be a cliché but I was in the right place at the right time. After leaving University I got a job as a sales assistant in French Connection in Long Acre, London. I really wasn’t aware of visual merchandising but working in the flagship store there was a lot of VM attention and I began to help out the head office team before and after my shifts. The opportunity to inspire customers and be creative everyday was incredible and hugely rewarding. RF. You have worked for the likes of Jack Wills, Topman and Fred Perry. What motivated you to set up your own consultancy? TN. It had always been a career goal of mine and recent circumstances presented an opportunity to go for it. I love what I do, and to be able to work for myself and collaborate with incredibly talented and dedicated industry peers and brands every day is very fulfilling. The initial response to flying solo has been overwhelming and I am really looking forward to what 2016 brings. RF. How has the role of the visual merchandiser changed during your career? TN. Unfortunately, today I think the role of the VM in some organisations has become very corporate and calculated. For me, and how I was trained, visual merchandisers should be encouraged to push the boundaries, exciting the consumer and delivering memorable customer journeys without too much fear of commercial failure. If it doesn’t work, it can always be changed. RF. Your work has been nominated for many awards over the years. What makes a ‘winning’ window display? TN. Being brave, bold and ballsy. If it’s too easy or its been done before then don’t do it! RF. How important is it for retailers to collaborate with artists and designers on their displays? TN. Very! Especially up-and-coming ones. Artists and designers bring energy and creativity to any project and a refreshing break from the norm. I have been lucky enough to work with people such as Gary Card creating paper mache swim short wearing mannequins and Johnny Ace painting huge murals of the glamour of Southend.

What’s been your most challenging and/or rewarding project RF. to date? TN. Christmas is always challenging and rewarding in equal measure. No matter how early you start preparing, elements are still being finalised right to the wire. This year was no different, trying to secure 50,000 baubles and 500 trees in October. RF. Which store windows do you admire? TN. There is no denying how good the teams at Selfridges, Liberty and Harrods are. They never fail to deliver amazing windows. Topman / Topshop 214 will always be close to my heart; unless you work there you don’t realise how difficult these windows are. I love being surprised by the underdog and ensure I am always out and about seeing what is new. I have been super impressed with Debenhams of late, the refurbished Oxford Street store has been looking incredible. RF. What VM trends do you see emerging in 2016? TN. I think we are going to see more technology use in 2016. It has been on the cusp for a while but has been quite difficult to deliver in a window display. However, as the guys from Topman showed with their 3D mapping projection this Christmas, it is not impossible. RF. What are you working on at the moment? TN. Lots! Everything from print to props and anything in between. Aside from projects it has been a rather busy few months behind the scenes at Let’s Create Things getting the website live, a shiny logo and all set in the social-sphere.

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