retail design
A SIMPLE STUDY ON COMPLEX THINGS issue I
the design you don’t see
issue I the design you don’t see
The world of retail is rapidly growing, expanding and adapting to the technologically driven generation of today. With the growing use of personal devices at the center of the industry, the consumer process is no longer linear and the omnichannel of retail is clearer than ever before. We believe that retail has become much more than just a simple product purchase- it has become a narrative of beauty. A narrative of beauty where an experience is sold alongside the product. And how is this experience brought to life? This is where retail design comes to play. This is a visual guide that aims to outline main design strategies of a selected collection of stores and exhibitions which are able to effectively execute in terms of their retail design. By extracting timeless retail design concepts, we aim to outline useful trends and strategies that fellow architects, designers and connoisseurs may appreciate, resonate with or learn from.
In a world today where the overload of digital information is causing an influx of tangible noise, brands find themselves under the pressure of grabbing the maximum customer attention in the most inventive and brand-representational way possible. Inditex magnate Amancio Ortega stated that “the customer has always driven the business model”. Stores already understand that they must create and sell an experience that matches the target market that the brand initially established to reach. By being able to precisely identify its target market, a brand will have a stronger understanding of its value proposition and its end goals. By increasing the brand’s own authenticity, they are in turn able to increase their brand affinity. The significance of design strategies become a highly effective tool in this context as it becomes not only a creative means of presenting a brand or a product, but it also becomes a source of immediate customer feedback. Brands are able to find a stronger connection with their market by experimenting with what works and what doesn’t visually, within the convergence between technology, media and commerce to bridge the gap between the brand and the client.
N E W Y O R K The tenacious world of retail is ever-changing and ever-growing; attentively striving to keep up with the nature of the newer and younger “consumers of tomorrow” (also known as Millennials). New York City, widely deemed as the cultural capital of the world, plays an extensively significant role in shaping the industry as it is a global landmark for media, art, and most especially fashion. After spending a month in the “city that never sleeps”, we’ve come to learn that a storefront is nothing but a fraction of the essence of retail design. Each store that we’ve walked into -- whether in SoHo, Williamsburg or Fifth Avenue -- is a carrier of its own story, and each of these stories are influenced by the diverse energy of the city that is powered by people of all types of backgrounds. Given that fashion trends are incredibly transitory, we have come across many concept, flagship, and popup stores that we know will eventually change, but are also exemplifying certain design strategies that will never leave. Our goal is to permanently capture and document these design strategies and to understand why and how they work in the world of retail. What better place to begin this investigation than in the city of New York?
Before a retailer begins his analys take into account in the design of begins this process by asking him
sis of key design strategies to f his store, it is crucial that he mself these first few questions.
design strategies taste
scent
AMBIANCE
sound
texture
atmosp
experience
visual
STORYT
attraction flow
additional services
customer service
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
phere
feedback
technology
lifestyle
event
TELLING
display art
After understanding your market you can now move on to studying the important design strategies in successfully reaching your client . We have grouped the key design strategies into three main categories: ambiance, social engagement & storytelling.
retail design process EXPERIENCE S T O R E FR O N T
AMBIENCE
A D V E R T I SI N G
PROD UC T I N MI N D
color
TEXTURE
mate
SCENT
produ
SOUND
music
TASTE
food
ART STORYTELLING
FLOW DISPLAY ATTRACTION
BRAND L O YALT Y
EVENT
WO R D O F MO UT H
TECHNOLO SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
S O C I AL ME D I A
VISUAL
FEEDBAC
CUSTOMER SE
ADDITIONAL SE
r / light / shape / eye-catching / ...
KN O W THE BR A N D
erial / touch / ...
BR A N D L O YA LT Y
uct related / inviting / ...
c / mood / ... / café / free tests /... SALE
architecture / collabs / installation / ...
POSITIVE experience
product display / customer path / ... gallery / museum / showcase ... lifestyle / vibe / ...
party / concert / exclusive ...
OGY
photobooth / VR / instagram ...
CK
survey / newsletter / emails...
ERVICE
staff image / attention ...
ERVICES custom-made / lounge / café ...
N E G AT I V E experience
Regardless of any brand’s efforts to spark an advocacy, to promote a way of living, or to simply entertain its market, at the end of the day it still boils down from the company’s economical means to do so. The success behind the omnichannel of retail revolves around the integration of the client with the brand, which in turn will confirm a sale. Up until the client has made the purchase, it is the brand’s plight to ensure it consistently and coherently presents itself and its product worth the price. From the color palette of the space to the type of music played inside, the following chapters will expound on design strategies and core concepts that designers and architects could take into account in the process of reshaping an environment that will seal a return of investment.
INDEX Ambiance Social Engagement Storytelling
01
AMBIANCE The ambiance or the sensory experience of a store is defined by its visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory (and even its gustatory) design strategies that are meant to enhance the overall “on-brand� experience. By illustrating what the brand is trying to convey in an innovative way, the brand should be able to create an environment that determines the user’s relationship with the brand and the product. With the rise of ecommerce, brands need to create an experience that users cannot get online, because at the end of the day, engaging the five senses in the consumer process has been proven to maximize in-store profits. Key tips: (1) Effective sensorial marketing triggers reactions in a subtle way (2) is authentic to the brand and (3) is not overbearing or pressuring on the user.
INDEX Visual Scent Texture
Every designer knows for a fact that the effect of colour, regardless of its subjective nature, is undoubtedly impactful in the visual and perceptual experience of the end user. In words of Wassily Kandinsky “color is a power which directly influences the soul�, teaching us that it can not only define an atmosphere but can even make an impact in the customer’s mood. Therefore, a good choice of color in the design of the store could be the key to success in setting up what we want the customer to experience and, moreover it is a good ally when it comes to product display as it really works at outstanding an item. From the lighting to the furniture, it all takes part in the visual experience by using a determined color palette. It can be done with one same color, different tones in a color palette, color blocks... Our examples underlay how understanding the complex effects of a simple hue on the human condition is a key skill that will allow the designer, architect or artist to personify something, to deliver a message, to outstand a product, or to connect with the end client.
MANSUR GAVRIEL
134 Wooster St, New York, NY 10012
Mansur Gavriel shows us that the use of color is essential not only in selling a product, but also in defining a brand and its image. It started as a Pop-up store for feminine shoes and handbags in a retail space on Wooster Street, but it quickly turned into the brand’s Flagship store due to its wide success. The use of a muted rose-like shade of pink creates a feminine and fresh ambiance for the store, which clearly establishes their target market by either instantly attracting or repelling the client. Despite being surrounded by other well-known brands, the Mansur Gavriel immediately becomes an outstanding visually eye-catching store because of its key design strategy is the use of a monochromatic color scheme for the entire space. The monochromatic color scheme allows the products to stand out, much like its store does on Wooster Street. Furthermore, as a client enters the store, the harmony of the design and the brand can be felt in every detail. There is a high-quality and clear attention to material, color and detail -- all of which are concepts that sum up the brand’s overall identity as a shoe and bag manufacturer.
How are you going to reach them?
CACTUSDECARTIER 653 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022
The Cartier Pop-Up shows us that the same adjectives to describe a product or collection must be extended and reflected in the means it is presented. French luxury brand Cartier recently launched its new cactus-inspired collection which is, by the brands’ own words, sculptural, imaginative and daring. The same adjectives could be used to explain the visual effect of its pop-up event in The Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue. Cartier effectively uses contrast and light control to amplify the colors used to present the product. The pop up exhibition took place on the top floor of the mansion. Different color schemes were used to distinguish between the two main spaces that articulate the rooftop which are the terrace and the interior, where the main jewelry pieces are showcased. Therefore contrast can be deeply noticed between these areas: while fresh and organic materials and colors are used in the terrace, the interior space transmits an immediate energy through the use of powerful colors in an orange to fuchsia palette. Light is also used as a tool to control the visual experience, since it breaks the limits established by plain and strong colors by using gradients and transitions. Depending on the color and power of the lights, hidden and directly projected in a wall from the bottom to the top, color changes from a yellowish orange to an intense pink. This is all enhanced by the sculptural forms which are used as furniture and decorative elements of the exhibition. How are you going to reach them?
TORY BURCH
38-40 Little W 12th St, New York, NY 10014
The Tory Burch franchise shows us that a cohesive and consistent color and material choice are used to reinforce a brand’s identity and image. The iconic bright orange, brilliant green carpeting and gold framing are present in any Tory Burch store around the world. The brand is a women’s clothing, shoes and accessories brand that is directly related to the founder and the creative director’s personal story. The color scheme, especially with the bright orange reinforced by the warm lighting, are utilized to establish a relationship with a more high-end clientele.
Retailers take every aspect of their stores into account : the visual layout, the lighting and the music. Whether we realise it or not, they have been manipulating our senses to make us buy their products. Today, retailers are even tapping into the customer’s fifth sense, smell. Why? Because scents promotes sales. Science demonstrates why many are investing in what we can call scent marketing. Human psychology place great importance on this sense as it links us quickly and deeply to positive memories so we can repeat those experiences. Certain scents create a lasting impression on consumers. Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Starbucks have created their own scents for their stores, which consumers quickly come to associate with the brand. Many retailers are now seeing the importance that scent holds in creating a more immersive brand experience.
GLOSSIER
123 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013
Glossier is a cult-fave beauty/cosmetics brand that is known most for its make-up and skincare products. Room is infused with the same scent of the new product of the Balm dotcom line that they are trying to release. The product was done as a collaboration with the famous Momofoku Milk Bar from NYC. The aura of the store is enhanced with the sweet scent of the flavored balm, which smells exactly like the Momofoku Milk Bar Birthday Cake. The product they are trying to release, in a way, captures this particular essence of the store, which could arguably make it a more saleable product.
How are you going to reach them?
ST.IVES
577 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
The St. Ives Mixing Bar pop-up in New York demonstrates that scent can be used as an instant introduction to inform the user about the brand or the product that is being sold. St. Ives is a nature-inspired brand that sells scrubs, lotions and body washes that are made with 100% natural exfoliants, moisturizers and extracts. As the user enters the space, the drastic change of scent is notable with a strong mix of different fruity and citrusy scents. This is meant to emphasize the wholesome, natural and additive-free nature of the product and the ingredients by which they are created. The scent is not exactly very pleasant, but gives a user a clearer idea of what the store is advocating or what products they are trying to sell.
TEXTURE
Texture can be seen as something that gives both a tactile and visual experience to the user. It is one of the the few aspects of the shopping experience that can only be felt in-store along with scent and taste. Choice of material, finishing details and attention to its quality help define the ambiance of the store, which is what retail design of today has grown to be all about. It also establishes special bonds with the client, but also with the product and the store (brand identity related) as we tend to attribute certain aspects to the store through the experience of touch. When the customer touches something, an intimate experience is created. Retailers use this tool to recall personal feelings that alter the client mood and its perspective towards the product.
RAG&BONE
425 W 13th St, New York, NY 10014
The use of materials in the store can represent either the aesthetic of the brand or the district in which the store is located. Rag & Bone is a brand from New York that has a combination of British heritage and modern design when it comes to their clothing. Today, the brand has become synonymous with innately wearable clothing that innovatively melds classic tailoring with an edgy yet understanding aesthetic. The store is decorated in a rustic feel since it is located in the meatpacking district of New York. In a sense, the store merges very well with the industrial brick-andmortar aesthetic in context to the neighborhood it is in. The walls are red brick and all of their displays are made with iron, wood, and some copper pipes. Their choice of materials used to recreate this blank retail space is essential in creating an environment for the user to explore and enjoy. Furthermore, there is a Jack’s Coffee Bar inside with a small lounging area. As the client enters the store, the scent of freshly brewed coffee is infused in the store, making it more inviting.
ALLSAINTS
415 W 13th St, New York, NY 10014
Stores can use a single unique object or material that is constantly present in all of their stores to further enhance the ambiance and strengthen brand recognition. AllSaints is a British fashion house, established in 1994, operating within a culture of innovation and design. Their target is teens and young adults that they know shop at their store. Their clients are music, film, hip, edgy young adults that love the biker jacket feel. The store emanates the feel of old and rustic, not the new and clean. They are able to represent this in their store in a variety of techniques. At the storefront, they have old rusty sewing machines stacked up in columns as the first thing the customer sees, which is a design motif that is present in almost all of the All Saints franchises. As the customer browses through the shop, they have papier-mache like mannequins, which is another key element because their texture reflects the softer side of the store’s aesthetic. Most importantly, the columns in the store are like old steel bars that look like they are holding the ceiling up, allowing a customer to touch them and feel how cold they are. This idea of having “old� and rustic objects in the store is what brings their clients into the store, allowing them to want to stay longer.
02
STORYTELLING Storytelling brings us back to the very beginning of this topic and the three main questions any retailer must have an answer for: Who are you? What are you trying to say? How are you going to say it? In the end, it is all about selling a something, and that is a story. The story is what gives life to a simple object and what profits a brand in the end. Through stories, a product is transformed into something particular, something different from its kind. In turn, the client is then urged to buy it even if he or she already owns something similar. Through stories, we create necessity, and we subtly create a modest atmosphere where the client fulfills that necessity. Storytelling can be understood as a general tool behind any other design strategy, since it is at the very core of the retail process. Depending on what a brand’s story may be, different design strategies have to come along to help effectively communicate it. The more general the story, the more general the use of design strategy will be. This chapter is about how different brands have accomplished the storytelling of an specific product or collection, or even a store itself by using different tools.
LOUIS VUITTONx JEFF KOONS
655 Madison Avenue, 10065 New York
Collaborations between brands are able to creatively tell stories by connecting different styles and values. Known very well for its collaboration with acclaimed designers and artists, Louis Vuitton collaborated with contemporary artist Jeff Koons this year to renew its image and attract new clients. The collection is sold online but there is also a pop-up exhibition of the collection on Madison Avenue in NYC for three months. Nothing can be purchased in the exhibition; it is merely a blank space with ceiling-tall windows and printed canvas with text regarding the collection. The museum-like ambiance and approach for the display highlights respect or esteem for the product and designers as if it were an exclusive work of art.
How are you going to reach them?
KITH 644 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
The way a story is told speaks for the brand’s identity and image. Kith is a hypebeast streetwear retailer that sells specific brands and products in full knowledge of their target market. Kith is most recognized for its limited edition sales and exclusively collaborated products between selected brands. The store has a particular space that is used for pop-up exhibitions specifically for newly released products. This space changes its interior design and concept monthly, depending on the product showcased. This particular space engages with the product’s nature with Kith’s own identity as a brand. In our example, Kith manages to display the Nike Cortez in a museum-like manner, emphasizing the history, the process and the creation of the shoes on display. This allows buyers and clients to appreciate the product in a deeper level; it makes the act of purchasing a pair of shoes feel more special than it truly is.
KINFOLK90
90 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Storytelling is a difficult task when there are too many components to express. A good story weaves different parts together for a better narrative because in the end, story is the product. Kinfolk 90 is a concept store set in a brooklyn lifestyle. Apart from its meticulously curated commercial store, it has a coffee house, a cozy lounge upstairs, and a space that transforms into a club. It offers a different kind of service, turning the retail space into an actual landmark in the city. Kinfolk 90 stands out among other brands because it sells not only a certain product, but a certain lifestyle. Although the question of longevity has become a test against the growing chain of concept stores, Kinfolk 90 stands against the odds by promoting a lifestyle in various avenues, not just through their in-store products.
How are you going to reach them?
STORY 144 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
The effectiveness of a design strategy is relative to the story that is being told. If the story changes, so must the design. Stories is a concept store that describes itself much like a magazine, changes like an art gallery, and commercially sells products like a store. The store changes every 4-8 weeks and completely renews its interior according to its theme and collaboration with external brands. The key to its success is that the store is never static, and is thematically developing over time. The exhibition this month had the general theme of “FRESH�, with decorations, merchandise highlights and in-store events that all have to do with promoting freshness. Floors and tables are covered with artificial grass, there are living moss exhibitions, and the space is infused with the scent of cherries. Everything is curated to the last detail according to the overall theme. There is an element of ephemeral retail here, where a product becomes more valuable because of its role within the ongoing story.
How are you going to reach them?
photos taken from thisisstory.com
DOVER STREET MARKET
160 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016
Curatorship must always stay true to the image and identity a brand wants to convey. Dover Street Market presents a store-art gallery concept where footwear, apparel and accessories are showcased along with art pieces and other miscellaneous installations. They also have a collection of limited designs by specific luxury brands. The means in which DSM cultivates its image through the presentation of its products raises their value, where each product is treated like an art piece. Every floor is telling a different story, but woven all together, they are able to spell out the lifestyle and image that DMS wants to convey: counter-culture, avant-garde and high-fashion.
How are you going to reach them?
03
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT The sensory experience of a store is defined by its visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory (and even its gustatory) design strategies that are meant to enhance the overall “on-brand� experience. By illustrating what the brand is trying to convey in an innovative way, the brand should be able to create an environment that determines the user’s relationship with the brand and the product. With the rise of ecommerce, brands need to create an experience that users cannot get online, because at the end of the day, engaging the five senses in the consumer process has been proven to maximize in-store profits. Key tips: (1) Effective sensorial marketing triggers reactions in a subtle way (2) is authentic to the brand and (3) is not overbearing or pressuring on the user.
LELABO
120 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Friendly, welcoming and hospitable customer service that know their product makes clients trust their word. LE LABO is a fine fragrance store that makes personalized perfumes, helping customers create their own personal scent. As one enters the space in Brooklyn, the scent is a mix of their classic Santal 33 and freshly brewed coffee from their coffee bar, which is followed by a warm and friendly welcome by the staff. By generating a friendly atmosphere, the customers are inclined to trust the product trying to be sold to them. The staff of Le Labo, experts in perfumery, are extremely accommodating and hospitable in helping a customer choose a scent that fits them. They start conversations immediately with customers who enter the store, which keeps the user interested in the conversation, the store and the product.
photos taken from lelabofragrances.com
SATURDAYS NYC 31 Crosby St, New York, NY 10013
“Decorating� an ambiance within the store that promotes a lifestyle is just as important as decorating the physical store itself. Saturdays Is a men’s apparel and concept store that digresses to a very specific customer, what they like, and what their interests are. The store caters particularly to those of the passionate surfing culture. Each of their stores are comprised of the same design elements and strategies including the white walls and the wooden claddings, shelvings, countertops and flooring. Most of their stores typically include upfront espresso bars, but their Crosby Flagship store even has a patio area where people can hang around, chat with a staff member, or simply enjoy their drink. The store is decorated with surfboards, curated art pieces and catalogs of their latest store-produced magazines that help illustrate the lifestyle they want to sell. Most importantly, the staff members are people who believe in the core, essential values of the brand, making the products easier to understand, like, and ultimately sell.
How are you going to reach them?
NIKE SOHO
529 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Technology can be used to present an unconventional retail experience that enhances the in-store, brand and product experience. Nike SOHO is a chain retailer that sells athletic apparel and footwear. Each of the four floors corresponds to different products of Nike, its collaborations, and some exclusive products that are only available in-store. The services of the store include in-store appointments with professional consultants and trainers, and spaces for trials of their football, basketball and running products. The first floor, however, presents a completely unconventional retail experience that engages the users to walk in to see and experience something new. Neon lights and signs are dangling from the ceiling, there are the main exhibition that changes every three weeks sleekly reveals a new product release, and there is a permanent station-- Nike by NYC -- which allows users to personalize and purchase selected Nike products.
How are you going to reach them?