Being on the cutting edge of what’s new in retail design, our team embarked on a flight over the Atlantic to gain insight into what stores successfully guide the consumer from entryway to cashwrap. Three Chuties landed in London with a curiosity for what trends are driving this industry forward, uncovering insights curated to propel experiences. “It’s about creating an atmosphere that can both shock and inform the audience,” says Joanna Felder, Director of Strategy at Chute Gerdeman, “we were privy to a surprisingly modern take on a few familiar concepts.” Because today’s consumer is driven by change, innovation, and nuanced iterations of products sold by brands, so too should the design of an environment become just as ever-evolving.
Shouts of retail’s demise in 2010 have softened into whispers, giving retail the confidence to go bolder, bigger, and experiment in ways brands never thought they could. The industry was never on course for failure; instead, it was just going through its mid-life makeover. The result, a beautifully-constructed transformation of the strategy behind what keeps the idea of retail alive. Our trend, design, and strategy experts here at Chute Gerdeman have crafted three trends are sure to infuse their way from the cobblestone streets of London over to the US.
Sensorial Impact
With a phone in one hand and a personalized Starbucks Frappuccino in another, Gen-Z has become the hard-to-get target market retailers are challenged to entice. This challenge, however, has pushed forth a dynamic, new sense of communication. Multi-sensorial experiences force shoppers to look up from their phones and become immersed in ultimate branded spaces. Retailers in the UK have capitalized on stimulus as a tool to produce loyalty, sharing, and profit maximization. L’Occitane’s newest “Sensorial Escape” brings to life what brands should be doing in order to stay on par with the competition.
From a selfie studio to merchandised areas quite literally dripping in flowers, L’Occitane has taken its promotion of biophilia to the next level. Bars stocked with lotions are accessorized by associates to inform the key to caring for any skin type, demonstrating expertise and personalization.
The environment breaks the mold for how specialized attention can drive success. Store interiors have the potential to completely offset any vibe that lives just outside, transporting shoppers into a dimension of opposition, making the space even more enticing.
Product Manipulation
Shoppers are no longer simply hungry for an out-of-the-box journey; instead, they have grown to appreciate little snacks along the way. Nespresso has cultivated the truest essence of an appropriate focus not just on the space, but on the accentuation of the product as the accent to that journey. Digital screens tower Nespresso’s interior, framing the star of the environment–The Nespresso Tasting Area.
Flavor pods and clean typeface grid sections of the store, elevating the product and its accessories to its newly off-beat representation. Clean, clear design elements lay behind the color of each individual flavor, highlighted and explained by the wayfinding and merchandised moments throughout.
This food-focused element to retail allows consumers to feel like the experience is bigger than just a test run; it’s a playground designed for personalization, propelling bigger purchases at the end of each journey.
Merchandise Matters
Giving people the ability to dream, escape, and explore worlds they hold as supremely foreign destinations is arguably a primary goal for themed retail. The Harry Potter 9 ¾ store at Kings Cross establishes imagination as a prerequisite upon entry.
Taking an iconic brand, many of us have been exposed to for the entirety of our lives, and translating it to act as a timeless beacon is no ordinary task–in fact, it’s quite magical.
Being cognizant of every square inch within a retail space can be the difference between good and outstanding moments for the shopper. Retailers should not just focus on the impact that draws the customer in but also what gives them an incentive to stay.