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25-26
Bright, witty and serendipitous. These are the three words that architect, Alex Lifschutz of Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands uses to describe the new Foyles bookshop on London’s Charing Cross Road, which opened in June.
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Leader
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Diary
11-14 News
16-17 Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe.
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61 Design & deliver
Travel retail: Up & away
Regent Street: A mile of style
Top of the POPS
21 Karl McKeever This month, our columnist discusses how and why British retailer M&S can beat its high street rivals.
Image: Hufton+Crow
Features Regulars By the book
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VM Focus supplement
22-29 Project Focus
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GINA: Foyles: Finch Avenue Optometry
59 Opinion
The confectionery sector is booming thanks to a recessionary appetite for small indulgences and brands taking inspiration from the luxury fashion sector, claims Katie Baron of Stylus.com.
66 Focus on: Lighting
74 Q&A
British designer, Lee Broom talks about his new product collection, working out of his comfort zone and focusing on global projects.
62-64 Products Products and services for the retail industry.
www.retail-focus.co.uk
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July ‘14 As we go to press with this issue of Retail Focus, M&S has announced its 12th consecutive fall in quarterly general merchandise sales. In its trading statement for the 13 weeks to 28 June 2014, the British retailer said that sales were impacted by the settling in of the new .com site, which launched in February. The womenswear business was in growth as a result of stronger full price sales and uplift from seasonal and fashionable products, although like-for-like clothing sales overall were down by 0.6 per cent. One of the issues, says Karl McKeever, is that M&S doesn’t seem to be able to harness its collective company focus, considerable energy and resources to consistently deliver better product presentation and higher store standards for clothing and general merchandise. However, it is, and can be, much better than its recent UK performance would suggest, argues our columnist this month, and now is the time to put effective processes, activities and tools in place (page 21). As London’s Heathrow Airport reveals its new £2.5 billion Terminal 2 building and National Rail shows healthy growth in retail sales, this month we look at the latest developments in travel retail and the opportunities on offer to brands (pages 31-33). Elsewhere in this issue, we look at how the £1 billion Regent Street Vision investment programme is transforming the thoroughfare in the West End of London into a world-class shopping destination fit for the 21st century (pages 56-57). We also bring you the summer edition of our VM Focus supplement, with articles on the beauty and simplicity of paper, and the importance of collaborative working. Until next month!
Gemma Balmford Editor
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diary
London Design Festival London, Citywide 13-21 September 2014 The London Design Festival has established a reputation as one of the largest and most dynamic design events in the world. Now celebrating its twelfth year, the Festival aims to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world, and as the gateway to the international creative community. More than 300 events and installations will be on offer across the capital, from a stimulating programme at the V&A to a major installation in Trafalgar Square, called ‘A Place Called Home’, in collaboration with Airbnb. A number of large group-shows will also take place across the city.
L_D_F www.londondesignfestival.com
Digital Revolution Barbican, London 3 July - 14 September 2014
Autumn Fair NEC, Birmingham 7-10 September 2014
100% Design Earls Court, London 17-20 September 2014
The Digital Revolution exhibition brings together a range of artists, filmmakers, architects, designers, musicians and game developers, all pushing the boundaries of their fields using digital media. The exhibition also looks at exciting creative possibilities offered by augmented reality, artificial intelligence, wearable technology and 3D printing.
Autumn Fair International 2014 offers product sourcing opportunities for Christmas and for early previews of Spring 2015 ranges. This year the Trend Bar Theatre will include a visual merchandising inspiration wall. Seminars will include Top Tips for Creative Visual Merchandising, and Four Consumer Trends Disrupting ecommerce and their impact on retailers.
This year 100% Design celebrates its 20th edition with an opening by French designer, Philippe Starck. The event takes place during the London Design Festival at Earls Court and is characterised by a solid framework of five distinctive zones, each featuring a prominent, specially commissioned installation.
BarbicanCentre www.barbican.org.uk
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news
Amazon launches collection lockers at London Underground Transport for London (TfL) has partnered with online retailer, Amazon to install lockers at London Underground station car parks. Launched at the end of June, customers are now able to have orders delivered to Amazon Lockers at Finchley Central and Newbury Park. During the past seven months, TfL has worked with local and national retailers to introduce a number of click-and-collect services as well as pop-up shops, bringing new and innovative retailers to customers using the transport network. With the rise in smartphone devices and the availability of Wi-Fi at 137
London Underground stations, customers can also make their purchases as they travel around the network and collect their items at a time and location that is suitable for them. ‘Some of our first lockers in the world were launched in London and they have become the preferred delivery option for many in the capital,’ says Christopher North, managing director of Amazon.co.uk. ‘We are delighted to have teamed up with
TfL to bring the convenience of Amazon lockers to an even greater number of London commuters.’ Amazon customers select a locker location when they get to the checkout and are then given a unique pick-up code in order to retrieve their items from that Amazon locker. The number of Amazon locker locations across the UK is now approaching 300.
Lumsden produces latest retail chapter at British Museum Lumsden Design has created a new bookshop at The British Museum. The store is the next step in a series of designs that began with the Family and Collectibles shops in the museum’s Great Court. The retail scheme is stylish and sophisticated, incorporating a material palette of natural oak, black lacquered MDF and grey Corian, highlighted by brass detailing. Tabletops wrapped in black leather echo the original Reading Room writing desks. The long, narrow space is sensitive to Foster’s iconic architecture with areas of the Great Court’s Portland stone visible between the retail display furniture and fixtures. Designed by Lumsden, the retail furniture is manufactured by Benbow and features dovetail joints to reflect the subtleties and craft of bookmaking. The shelving on the walls appears to float in the space, supported by slim uprights that reveal much of the stone floor to enhance the feeling of space. Integral storage is incorporated throughout the design but hidden from the eye of the shopper. The window display currently features a two metre-diameter wheel made of 300 books and the entrance to the shop has a bespoke oversized book and feature display. PLANarama worked with Lumsden and The British Museum to develop and produce the book wheel, along with the window graphics. Callum Lumsden, creative director and founder of Lumsden
Design, comments: ‘The British Museum is a global destination for scholars, academics and visitors alike, and the Bookshop has to cater for a prolific array of titles and categories. We have strived to create a compelling retail environment which complements the majesty of the Reading Room, as well as enhancing the architecture of Lord Foster in the Great Court itself.’ Lumsden Design has developed six shop interiors for the British Museum, including the Grenville Room shop and the Exhibitions Shop, which opened in the new Sainsbury Exhibition Gallery earlier this year.
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news
In brief... N Brown Group has appointed Barber Design to create a flagship store for its brands, Simply Be and Jacamo on London’s Oxford Street. The store will trade from three floors and is expected to open in September 2014. Innovare Design has created the brand identity and store design for the Wonderful World of Golf, which opened in Sunningdale in June. The concept is built around the sporting heritage epitomised by American golfer, Ben Hogan. Global retail and brand consultancy, FITCH has opened an office in Paris as part of a joint venture with its integrated digital partner, Ampersand. It is the first French office for FITCH in its 42-year history. Retail design consultancy Sheridan&Co has completed a full store redesign for beauty and cosmetics retailer, Feelunique in St Helier, Jersey. The company worked alongside local suppliers on the multibrand environment. Central London retail space is forecast to increase by eight per cent by 2020, according to a new report by Knight Frank. The findings show that the arrival of seven new Crossrail stations will substantially change the capital’s retail landscape. The current retail development pipeline around new Central London Crossrail stations totals c.213,677 sq m.
Ladbrokes places bet on new store format British betting and gaming company Ladbrokes has unveiled a new store format on The Strand, London that will be used to trial and evaluate new initiatives in a live environment. Designed in collaboration with FITCH, the new format will help inform the longer term development approach for existing shops and future locations. The new shop is designed to recreate the thrilling atmosphere and environment of a live sports venue that appeals to both men and women. Replacing static poster content at the front, moving content in the window displays, including twitter feeds, live updates and broadcasts, now welcomes customers into the shop. There is also a cinematic ‘event space’ where customers are invited to follow the live action of major sporting events. Reactive lighting and audio are used to create a sense of anticipation and excitement around the broadcast, while scents are also being trialled with
the aroma of turf sprayed in the shop to reinforce the immersive sports atmosphere. An open counter area in the centre of the shop allows customers to watch the game together, providing an informal, social hub while using digital tablet computers to support the bet. Some traditional barriers around the counter have been removed to create a welcoming and friendly environment, and shop teams are encouraged to mingle with the customers. Wi-Fi, phone charging plates and coffee are available for visitors. FITCH design director, Nathan Watts comments: ‘We’ve shifted Ladbrokes’ shop proposition from transactional to experiential. The shop takes reference from sport stadia - materials such as turf and exposed brick along with localised sport action imagery and reactive audio-visuals all help to make the customer feel closer to the action. New technologies have also been deployed throughout the shop to fit behaviours of the multichannel bettor.’
Land Securities acquires stake in Bluewater shopping centre Commercial property company, Land Securities has acquired a 30 per cent stake in Bluewater shopping centre, Kent for a cash consideration of £656 million from Lend Lease. It has also acquired the full asset management rights for the centre and 110 acres of surrounding land for £40 million. Lend Lease Retail Partnership owns 25 per cent of the asset, M&G Real Estate and GIC own 35 per cent and Hermes and Aberdeen Asset Management control 10 per cent. Bluewater shopping centre is home to
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more than 330 retailers, cafes, bars and restaurants, including Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser, John Lewis, American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Jack Wills, H&M and Zara. Scott Parsons, managing director, retail portfolio at Land Securities, comments: ‘The acquisition of this interest in Bluewater is part of the continued strategic shift of our retail portfolio towards dominance, experience and convenience. This acquisition, which increases our exposure to the South East, follows the recent disposals of Overgate, Dundee and
The Bridges, Sunderland, and demonstrates the pace at which we are delivering on our strategy. ‘We see opportunity to improve returns at Bluewater by reducing the void rate of 5.3 per cent in line with our retail portfolio average of 2.6 per cent, combining units to provide fewer, bigger units which are more attractive to retailers, and improving the leisure and catering offer. We are confident that our fresh approach to asset management together with the South East’s strong economy will deliver rental growth as market confidence returns.’
news
John Lewis to open Italian restaurants at Oxford Street flagship Italian restaurant chains, Ham Holy Burger and Rossopomodoro will open a new social space in the John Lewis Oxford Street store, offering customers a more diverse range of dining options. The move builds on John Lewis’ recent opening of two branded catering outlets, Scandinavian juice bar Joe & the Juice in its Solihull shop and Hotel Chocolat’s cocoa bar cafe in Edinburgh and York. The John Lewis opening will be Ham Holy Burger’s first UK site. Rossopomodoro opened its first restaurant in Naples, Italy in 1999 and now has eight sites in the UK, in London and Birmingham. Andrew Murphy, retail director at John Lewis, comments: ‘Ham Holy Burger and Rossopomodoro will give John Lewis
In brief... customers a fantastic range of fresh food alternatives to help make their visits to our shops even more enjoyable and memorable. With their focus on quality and fresh ingredients, we think people are going to love the offer from these two brands at our flagship shop. We’ve had a great response to the coffee and juice outlets we’ve already opened in Edinburgh, York and Solihull, so it made sense to add restaurants and involve our London shops in this initiative.’
Galeries Lafayette to open at Westfield Milan Westfield and Arcus Real Estate, controlled by Stilo Immobiliare Fananziara, joint developers of Westfield Milan, have reached agreement with French department store, Galeries Lafayette to open a flagship in the shopping centre, which is set be Italy’s biggest mall. Trading from four floors, the 18,000 sq m Galeries Lafayette flagship store will affirm Westfield Milan’s position as a new shopping destination for Milanese, Italian and European shoppers, as well as international tourists, and will complement the city’s traditional shopping areas. The Galeries Lafayette Italian store will be its second European store outside of France and it follows recent openings in Beijing and Jakarta. At 175,000 sq m, the €1.3 billion Westfield Milan development will feature more than 300 stores as well as a luxury village, cinemas, 50 restaurants, and the latest in digital technology, and signature shopping and tourism services. It will incorporate the best of Italian heritage and design with Westfield and Stilo Immobiliare Finanziaria’s global experience in creating innovative retail and leisure destinations. Michael Gutman, managing director Europe Westfield, comments: ‘Westfield’s global strategy is to develop iconic centres in key world cities and the inclusion of Italy’s first full line Galeries Lafayette department store in this location will be a key attraction for consumers seeking a real point of difference. ‘For our first mall on mainland Europe, we will bring all our experience from London and other international centres as we believe the Milan region is dramatically underserved by a quality retail and leisure attraction.’ The development is expected to open 2017/2018.
Consultancy firm Elix-IRR has written and edited a new book called ‘Re-Thinking Retail in the Digital Era’ that provides expert analysis on the evolving retail landscape. Based on the author’s work with some of the world’s leading retail companies, each expert in the book examines the fundamental changes brought about by the digital consumer and the related shifts in the retail sector. The 152-page book is published by LID Publishing. POPAI UK & Ireland has announced the nominations for the POPAI Awards 2014. Categories include travel, leisure and automotive, consumer electronics and shop-in-shop. The winners will be announced at an evening ceremony in London on Thursday 9 October. Fashion retailer Michael Kors will open its first UK flagship store on London’s Regent Street in autumn 2015. The store will measure nearly 1,400 sq m over three floors, making it the brand’s largest store in Europe. US fashion brand American Eagle Outfitters has announced its entry into the UK, as the company further expands its global presence with the opening of three new stores. The stores are expected to open at Bluewater, Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City in autumn 2014.
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PLANarama designs ZSL pop-up shop Visual merchandising company PLANarama has worked with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to transform a vacant space on London’s Carnaby Street into a vibrant pop-up shop. Created as part of ZSL’s Lions400 campaign – a public fundraising project designed to raise £5.7m for the endangered Asian lion – the ZSL Living Conservation shop is used to host events as well as sell new product ranges created especially for the store. Revamping the space from top to bottom, PLANarama painted the floor, installed paw print floor vinyls, hand painted a bright feature wall with stripes and created a hero wall to showcase ZSLs conservation heroes. The company also designed and produced a chandelier of animal models, which hangs at the front of the store.
Best interiors shortlist announced for World Interior of the Year award 2014 The INSIDE World Festival of Interiors has announced the nominees for World Interior of the Year 2014. The awards comprise 60 nominations from 21 countries across nine diverse categories, including retail. The shortlist includes MAKE Architects, who are nominated in the retail category for their art deco redesign of the Harrods escalator hall and their delicate restoration of its 1920s staircase. In the same category, OpenAir Studio are nominated for their Just Cavalli concept store, which sees
20.20 develops ‘Dutch House of Ideas’ for V&D Dutch department store chain, V&D has worked with London-based design consultancy, 20.20 to create a new shopping experience on the ground floor of its Leiden store in South Holland that highlights the brand values and personality while attracting a more affluent customer segment. Each department is differentiated to evoke the feeling of intimacy within the large store format, with a clean material palette selected to appeal to the Dutch love of simplicity. ‘The Dutch are renowned for “acquiring experiences, not things”, and therefore the shopping journey showcases ideas, facilitates human interactions, and makes the store the meeting place,’ explains a spokesperson for 20.20. ‘Each
Superdrug unveils new Beauty Studio British beauty and health retailer, Superdrug has unveiled a new store concept in St David’s Centre, Cardiff that offers a seamless combination of beauty services and products. Named ‘Beauty Studio by Superdrug’, the new store provides a range of beauty services, including blow-dries, manicures, ear piercing and nail printing, as well as new designer brands. In addition to beauty, the store features Superdrug’s first in-store hair salon, comprising five work stations manned by a team of experienced stylists. As part of the project, Superdrug
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walls, shelving and installations crafted from rusted metal, inspired by the brand identity. Other entries include the Cultura Bookstore in Sao Paulo and a pink neon Willy Wonka-style patisserie designed by junior architects from Elenberg Fraser’s trainee programme for chef Adriano Zumbo. All nominees will compete in the form of live presentations and debates during the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors from 1-3 October 2014 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
department celebrates the service at its heart; from the Lounge anchored with the central, vibrant seating and shoes try-on area, via the watch service in the Treasure Room, to make-up workshop tables adding retail theatre to the Beauty Studio.’ The newly renovated store is designed to celebrate product and encourage curiosity, and if successful key elements could be rolled out across the estate.
worked with APS Group to implement digital displays throughout the store that inform customers about new products and promotions, as well as available beauty treatments. A catwalk also enables customers to show off their beauty treatments on a big screen before taking pictures and footage via a video wall and HD camera, which they can then share on social media. The store opened on Friday 4 July.
www.diagroup.co.uk info@d-i-a.net
SHOPFITTING SYSTEMS
ALUMINIUM EXTRUSIONS and mild steel accessories From concept to finished product.
TEL +44 (0)1273 582241 FAX +44 (0)1273 580644
visual merchandising
Window Bergdorf Goodman New York department store, Bergdorf Goodman celebrates the 40th anniversary of Diane von Furstenberg’s classic wrap dress. ‘Feel like a woman, wear a dress!’ declare the windows.
shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe
Photography: Ricky Zehavi
Topshop Topshop collaborated with Chameleon Visual for its Summer Swing Campaign, featuring the new Aloof mannequin collection by Bonaveri. Topshop designed and produced all of the watercolour prints based on its spring/summer collections. Photography: Melvyn Vincent
Galeries Lafayette Galeries Lafayette’s latest window scheme on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris is inspired by summer music festivals, celebrating music in a gypsy chic atmosphere. The displays incorporate ‘contemporary urban and alternative universe with arid deserts’. Neon lights and light haze enhance the special atmosphere.
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Fred Perry Fred Perry’s World Cup windows featured a rotating grabber, holding shirts and a stack of World Cup footballs made from Fred Perry shirt material. The footballs were later replaced with ‘sale’ props. The display was designed in-house and produced by PLANarama.
Ted Baker White fluffy clouds move in on the Ted Baker summer windows. The ‘Cloud Pleasers’ scheme was designed in-house, and produced and installed by PLANarama for all UK Ted Baker stores.
Lomography Illustrators and set designers, Stefano & Alejandra created this window display for Jameson Whiskey in the Lomography Embassy store in Madrid, Spain. ‘Life is a constant cycle of moments, people and emotions,’ say the duo. ‘We are part of a continuous change in which everything flows, like the water of a fountain. Under this idea we created our unique tribute to this carnival of colour, energy and life, with a colourful mural and a fountain made with the whiskey bottles surrounded with the Lomographic cameras.’
Bentalls Kingston department store, Bentalls adapted a generic window pack from Sony to tie in with its store theme for the World Cup using footballers quotes.
Hackett London Hackett London recently partnered with the Queens Tennis Club and the Ageon Championships to create window displays for its stores on Sloane Street and Regent Street in London. The focus was to take the view of the spectator from the side of the court. Umpire stands were also present to finish the edge of the court theme.
See more window installations from London and Paris on the blog: www.retail-focus.co.uk/blog
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POP
p o t POPS e h t f o
Company: IPOS
Client: VF Northern
Display Title: Vans x Star Wars (Disney)
Sector: Fashion
Locations: schuh stores, nationwide
The Brief: For the Vans x Star Wars collaboration, IPOS was tasked with creating a number of 3D retail displays, printed door vinyls and point-of-sale items to promote a new footwear, apparel and accessories range throughout schuh stores. The company drew inspiration from the 1977 poster artwork from Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
The Result: Working closely with Vans, Disney and schuh, the IPOS team produced a number of creative concepts, including a vibrant lightsaber 3D window, a Stormtrooper guarding the Vans x Star Wars footwear, and freestanding retail display units using tiered characters from the films. Stormtroopers also patrolled the streets around schuh flagship stores on London’s Oxford Street and Liverpool ONE to further promote the Vans x Star Wars collaboration. The reaction exceeded expectations, with celebrities posing for photo opportunities with the Stormtroopers.
www.ipos-design.co.uk
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WE ARE IPOS. WE SPECIALISE IN RETAIL. IPOS, Unit 2d, Heapriding Mill, Ford Street, Stockport SK3 0BT iposdesign
info@ipos-design.co.uk | 0161 477 8501 | ipos-design.co.uk
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 tomorrow’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: Delegate: Paige Aitken Supplier: Courtney Brown 01992 374100 rds@forumevents.co.uk www.forumevents.co.uk @Retail_Summit
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9th - 10th February 2015 Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted
Q&A column
Karl McKeever Why and how M&S can beat its high street rivals We’ll have all seen that M&S’s recent figures confirmed a drop in profit but a modest increase in sales for its clothing division. Marc Bolland has interpreted this as a sign that the brand’s performance in general merchandise and clothing is turning the corner and on track to deliver better performance. He suggested that the brand was to overhaul various elements of the business, including new IT and warehousing, relaunching its website and revitalising its clothing range. It’s the latter that interests me most though. M&S has invested significantly in its clothing operation but, for me, this investment has not been spent in the right places – or perhaps with the wrong emphasis. Let me explain why. At the same time as M&S was dealing with the slightly negative AGM, its high street fashion rival, Next (which has now overtaken M&S in terms of profitability) was brazenly placing full page advertising for its summer collections on the front covers of leading daily newspapers. Basically, administering a very public corporate kick up the backside to M&S when they were down! As this latest brand spat plays out, it’s worth remembering that the upstart Next is a much younger brand with a smaller and newer store estate. So where is Next’s strength? While working with one of our clients this year, we’ve been reviewing women’s fashion stores and comparing our client’s brand like-for-like against other clothing retailers, including M&S. From this, M&S’s clothing offer stood out for lots of positive reasons. We saw that M&S has invested significantly in refurbishing many store interiors and purchasing a considerable amount of new VM equipment. Overall, I believe that M&S is well equipped with the assorted VM armoury that’s required to beat Next and its high street competitors. If we were to look starkly at the clothing offer of both M&S and Next, the latter could sometimes be criticised for having its own fair share of poor stores across its estate and a customer experience that isn’t always looking its best either. The big difference, though, is that Next has a terrific brand and product range, which the public like. For many years, this has stood Next in good stead. However, Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.
Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co www.visualthinking.co.uk
with product director Christos Angelides soon to leave the company after 28 years, the continued ascendency of Next should not be taken for granted. People like the Next brand and it has momentum on its side. Think about high street success and Next comes to mind. Can the same still be said of M&S? Perceptions matter in how consumers think and where they shop. But with this in mind, I have a rallying call for M&S. Why should it play second fiddle to Next and the like, when it has such great resources to hand, and the ability to win out on scale? For me, it’s the expert delivery of its brands and product collections in store that are missing. Many of M&S’s stores can have a ramshackle, ‘work in progress’, disheveled feel about them. The considerable investment in new interiors and VM equipment is sadly, and all too often, badly utilised. Illogical layouts, poorly positioned POS and sloppy store standards are still disappointingly commonplace in store. As a brand, M&S doesn’t seem to be able to harness its collective company focus, considerable energy and resources to consistently deliver better product presentation and higher store standards for clothing and general merchandise. However, it knows how to do this successfully in its food division, so where’s the problem? M&S has many talented people in its head office, but unless store managers and staff at ground level execute the strategy and vision effectively, performance will continue to struggle. If you study a Next, Topshop or John Lewis store, you will see the management team routinely reviewing and actively improving many aspects of product presentation throughout the day. Communications between management and staff are productive, and store teams are well trained and managed to get the details right. These brands are clearly focused and organised to ensure their VM strategy is successfully, tirelessly delivered, to keep them on top of their game. This happens at M&S too, but seemingly not with the level of consistently applied expertise, passion and pace to make the difference in sales performance companywide. For me, I believe M&S must redouble its efforts to create the culture for expert brand delivery in store. Now is the time to put effective processes, activities and tools in place. It also, dare I say it, could be more demanding of itself for higher standards and improved VM policy delivery through better staff training and people management activities. M&S is, and can be, much better than its recent UK performance would suggest. It has many people with the potential to shine, great resources, a fantastic brand heritage and an affection from the public that can help make it the giant that it once was. The only thing seemingly standing in the way of it beating other high street clothing competitors is M&S’s own ability to make it happen. M&S must roll its sleeves up and make its shops great again. It won’t be easy, but I really do believe that M&S can do it. Like many people, I sincerely hope they succeed.
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project focus
GINA Mount Street, London
Photography: Alan Chapman for Getty Images
Design: Caulder Moore Opening date: May 2014 Store size: 84 sq m Luxury British footwear retailer, GINA has opened a new boutique on Mount Street in Mayfair, London as part of its programme of international expansion. Designed in collaboration with Caulder Moore, the 84 sq m interior features beautiful contemporary furnishings set in soft grey panelled rooms with fine period detailing. Located in a Grade II listed building, between Carolina Herrera and Allens of Mayfair, the store interior is the first phase in a new retail development for GINA, which was established 60 years ago in London by master shoemaker Mehmet Kurdash. ‘We currently have a very strong concept which works internationally, so the brief was to reflect the boutique nature of Mount Street, which is fast becoming the place for high-end luxury specialist brands,’ says Caulder Moore’s creative director, Ian Caulder. ‘We also wanted to reflect the architectural attributes of the site and location.’ The striking black exterior of the store, with its large period windows, gives way to an interior palette of delicate greys; from dove to stone and granite, to metallic pewter painted wood. The overall feeling is one of refreshing modernity with the intimacy of
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a private residence, referencing the refined simplicity of classical Georgian interiors. From the gentle grey plastered walls, subtle plasterwork inlays create characteristic period frame detailing, which is the resonating motif for display units, freestanding mirrors and recessed shelves. In the main retail area at the front of the store, a grey calfskin chaise-longue takes centre stage on the two-tone pewter shimmer flecked plush carpet. This symphony of grey is completed by the suspended two metre-wide Swarovski hoop drop chandelier. Towards the back of the store, through the glittering ‘fashion corridor’, is a VIP couture lounge, where customers can try on their bespoke shoe orders. Here, individual shoe podiums act as miniature stages to herald the cut, finish and dynamic embellishments of the footwear. Free-standing floor lamps create a soft light, illuminating the collections while remaining easy on the eye. Commenting on the new design, Aydin Kurdash, director at GINA, says: ‘As part of our international expansion we identified Mount Street as our venue of choice to invite the style cognoscenti to discover our latest evolution in luxury fashion retail. Caulder Moore have passionately realised the allure and elegance of “fashionable high-society” consumerism for a modern age.’ GINA also has a store on Sloane Street in Chelsea, London with plans to open further stores in the near future.
project focus
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Foyles Charing Cross Road, London Design: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands Opening date: June 2014 Store size: 3,437 sq m
Photography: Hufton+Crow
Bright, witty and serendipitous. These are the three words that Alex Lifschutz, director of architectural practice, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands uses to describe the new Foyles flagship store on London’s Charing Cross Road, which opened in June. The bookshop has moved two doors up the road to the former Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design building, marking a new chapter for the family-owned business, which was founded more than 100 years ago. The 3,437 sq m flexible retail space is spread across eight alternating foot-plates over four floors and houses more than 200,000 different titles on an amazing four miles of shelves. It is also home to a 200-seater auditorium, a purpose-built gallery and a cafe run by Leafi, which already operates in a number of arts and heritage sites in London. ‘Foyles is more than just a bookshop; it is a much-loved British institution and we are seeking to emphasise its importance as a
destination,’ says Lifschutz, who worked on the project. ‘Foyles has given us the opportunity to look at the nature of book selling. In contrast to web-based sales, we want to celebrate books in an attractive, sensual environment.’ Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands has designed an open, light and flexible environment that can be adapted and subdivided by the bookshelves to create spaces of different character. The key factor, notes Lifschutz, is that Foyles has the flexibility to tune the space to what they see working on the shop floor. The design team has stripped away the central well into an atrium to flood daylight into the centre of the building. The floors are set out at half landings on either side of the atrium, making it easy for customers to move from one level to another. ‘The challenge of circulating around the store is solved by this building’s very unusual cross section,’ explains Lifschutz. ‘We are keen that customers will be relaxed enough to wander a little to make their own discoveries rather than heading directly for the book they might have intended to buy.’ For those customers who are in a hurry, however, Foyles has developed an in-store smartphone search tool, nicknamed Ariadne after the mythological figure who guided Theseus through
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the Labyrinth. When a customer logs into the Wi-Fi, a search bar appears that enables them to see if a book is in stock and then locate it in store. Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands worked closely with Foyles on the interior materials and colour palette to make the most of the natural light in the space. ‘The first thing you notice when you look at a shelf of books is that, on the whole, the jackets are dark in colour, so we used a very light timber for the shelving to lift the light levels and create a light, open, welcoming space,’ explains Lifschutz. ‘The ground floor is oak throughout, except in the former assembly hall, where we retained and restored the original rosewood sprung dance floor.’ The other floors, meanwhile, feature a mixture of oak flooring and carpets. ‘We envision that Foyles will come alive with events, discussions and talks, and we need to be able to have those events going on at the same time as people browse the shelves,’ continues Lifschutz. ‘Carpets are very good at absorbing sound that may come up through the atrium, ensuring that as it becomes more lively, Foyles doesn’t lose the characteristic calm of a bookshop.’ The exterior of the building has also been cleaned and restored, and extended to enlarge the ground, first and second floors. ‘The opening of Foyles 107 Charing Cross Road is a hugely significant moment for us all,’ says Foyles CEO, Sam Husain. ‘It is a sign of confidence in the future of the printed word and has given us the opportunity to think long and hard about what a bookshop in the 21st century should offer. It’s about discoverability, a chance to interact with authors and artists, to listen to great music in one of our many performance spaces and forging partnerships right across the cultural sector.’ Foyles currently has seven stores in its portfolio, including 107 Charing Cross Road.
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Retail Focus - 297 x 210 - July 2014 v2_Layout 1 19/06/2014 12:07 Page 1
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Finch Avenue Optometry North Toronto, Canada
Photography: Tom Arban
Design: Bortolotto Opening date: July 2013 Store size: 210 sq m
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Taking cues from the building’s black brick exterior and its rotund west corner, the retail showroom concept for Finch Avenue Optometry in North Toronto, Canada plays on themes of contrast, perception, light and the rounded shape of the eye. Created in collaboration with Canadian architecture and interior design firm, Bortolotto, the double-height, museum-like space is defined by an understated luxury. Entering the showroom, the customers’ attention is immediately drawn to a prominent ocular ceiling that has the glamour of a chandelier and gives the space a sense of grandeur. Inspired by the mechanics of the eye and depth of field, eight concentric rings cascade downwards, each defined by recessed white RGB LED lights, culminating in a mirrored centre (like the pupil of an eye!) The interior is perfectly white and luminous, with sparkling black accents. Custom-crafted white lacquer shelving, with recessed LEDs, transmit a clean and pure light while polished white Cambria stone tile flooring unifies with a feeling of purity. A curvilinear wall encircles the interior with a band of windows towards the top that draw daylight into the heart of the showroom. Throughout the space, display fixtures maintain a clean and cohesive appearance, despite the frequent rearrangement of product or change of merchandise. ‘The shelves are designed to unify their contents so that the shapes, sizes and colours of the glasses never overwhelm clients,’ explains a spokesperson for Bortolotto. Comfortable, rotund leather chairs in neutral colours blend with the overall concept while black granite tables accent the space. ‘Instead of cluttering the waiting area with a clutch of chairs and tables scattered with magazines, we left the centre of the room open to create a relaxing, contemplative environment,’ says the spokesperson. Flat screen monitors are incorporated into the wall to add further luminosity and dynamism to the store. ‘Patients come in and are pleasantly surprised at the openness, the brightness and the clean look and feel of the space,’ says a representative for Finch Avenue Optometry. ‘The design has helped our business as it has made the flow of traffic a lot better and more efficient.’
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travel retail
Travel retail:
Up and away
New state-of-the-art shopping environments at train stations and airport terminals are enabling retailers to expand their presence and grow sales.
The global airport retail market is forecast to reach $59.2 billion in 2019, a rise of 72.9 per cent on 2013, according to research published by Verdict earlier this year. This surge is likely to be driven by stronger passenger growth as well as growing affluence in emerging markets. In Britain, railway stations are also experiencing a rise in retail sales, with the latest quarterly figures from Network Rail showing a healthy 5.6 per cent growth in like-for-like sales from January to March 2014. London’s King’s Cross was found to be the top performing station in Network Rail’s portfolio, followed by Cannon Street and Manchester Piccadilly. The findings come as new sensor technology reveals that tens of millions of people a year are visiting the stations to shop, eat and drink as well as those traveling by rail. ‘Partly due to the extremely challenging economy over the past seven years, retailers have had to adapt significantly to changing consumer shopping habits, and become more adept at integrating the ability to shop into a customer’s everyday routine,’ says Gregor Jackson of design consultancy, gpstudio. ‘Travel hubs present a huge opportunity for retailers in this respect, as train stations and airport terminals both benefit from high, predictable footfalls and long dwell times.’
Airport retail soars Increasingly, retailers are likely to treat their travel hub stores as a capsule collection, says Jackson, with the aim of inspiring customers to explore further at a later date. ‘This could be either stimulate a visit to another physical store or, particularly in airports where customers may live further afield, to drive website traffic,’ he notes. A good example of this is the new John Lewis store at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2, in which gpstudio acted as a consultant in the early stages. The 335 sq m store, which opened in June, is the retailer’s
first ever airport outlet and curates the best of John Lewis home, fashion, gifting and seasonal ranges. ‘This opening is a significant step forward in developing our international strategy,’ says Paula Nickolds, buying and brand director at John Lewis. ‘Terminal 2 will serve 20 million passengers each year and will offer John Lewis access to one of the most concentrated, valuable and influential markets in the world. We hope to bring the John Lewis brand to a wider set of international customers, showcasing our offer within a dynamic environment, building brand awareness and credibility as a worldwide brand.’ The new £2.5 billion Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal is a destination unto itself, attracting passengers to the terminal earlier than their departure time in order to spend time and have experiences with the wide range of amenities, services and retail the airport has to offer, says Luis Vidal, the architect behind
Left: John Lewis opened its first ever airport store at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 in June.
Above: Shopfitting & interior display firm, Alan Nuttall completed several projects at Heathrow Terminal 2, including the main World Duty Free area in Departures.
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travel retail the project. With retail spend in airports on the rise, demand for space is high, with four or five retailers reportedly applying for each unit at Heathrow Terminal 2. Among the 33 retailers at the new terminal are British brands Cath Kidston, Ted Baker, Mulberry and Burberry. In addition, Harrods has opened a 160 sq m Fine Watch Room that takes inspiration from the Knightsbridge store, and celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal has opened a new restaurant called The Perfectionists’ Cafe, designed by AfroditiKrassa. ‘The functional airport processes, such as check-in and even security in some cases, have dramatically streamlined over the last couple of years, taking a huge amount of stress away from passengers at their first touchpoint at the airport, and more importantly giving back their precious time,’ claims Paul West, creative strategy director at Household Design. ‘In parallel, food, drink and shopping has had a facelift beyond recognition in many airports, making for some of the most interesting retail experiences around for travellers.’ While ‘click and collect’ has become a well-established offer at most retailers, retail travel spaces can make shopping even more accessible for customers, argues Jackson. ‘We’ve already seen trials of ‘click and commute’, but airport retailers should be thinking about how to tailor ‘click and fly’ packages to their customers’ needs.’ West agrees that those brands offering connected services, such as ‘shop now and collect’, and ‘buy now deliver home’, will inspire travellers to consider airport shopping more seriously with pre-planned shopping missions. ‘Services that enable travellers to enjoy more of their time with ease will win,’ he says. ‘Zurich airport offers a service where, for a fee, bags can be picked up anywhere at the airport and delivered to a customer’s final stop/destination.’ In an apparent first, Heathrow has opened a Personal
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Shopping lounge at Terminal 2 that provides customers with a comfortable and private space with an accredited stylist to deliver tailored sessions free of charge and regardless of ticket type. ‘Terminal 2 marks the next step in our quest to provide passengers with the best possible experience when they choose to travel through Heathrow,’ says Heathrow’s retail director, Max Vialou-Clark. ‘Heathrow is now the only airport in the world to offer a free Personal Shopping lounge together with a selection of over 140 brands that have been selected especially for our customers.’
Train stations on the right track Train stations are also becoming destinations in their own right, with retail spend at some of Britain’s biggest and busiest terminals rising above high street growth. ‘Whereas airports represent a saturated market in many ways (you only sell more by adding another terminal or substantially refurbishing existing ones), railway stations are by comparison an exciting blank canvas,’ claims Nigel Collett, CEO of rpa:group. ‘Network Rail owns a lot of desirable real estate and whilst mainline stations already have wine bars, restaurants and exotic fast food, our prediction is that within the next five years or so they will become more like shopping centres, offering multilevel activity, extensive car parking, cineplexes, leisure facilities and all major supermarkets plus specialist retailers. In the meantime, there is more diversification in the pipeline, which will deliver even greater contributions and innovation from retailers, not only in product mix but also in store design.’
travel retail An example is the new Doddle parcel service which is being rolled out to railway stations and major hubs across the UK over the next three years. The online shopping collection and returns points will open seven days a week and provide easy-to-use website and notifications service through SMS and email. The open access approach will enable retailers and carriers, such as ASOS, New Look and T.M.Lewin to enhance and complement their existing delivery offering, as well as allow consumers to combine collections and returns from multiple retailers into one trip at a time that suits them. ‘More people are traveling by rail than ever before and stations have become more than just a place to wait for, or get off a train,’ says Network Rail’s managing director, network operations, Robin Gisby. ‘We’ve adapted to passengers’ changing needs and now offer quality retail, food and drink at our biggest stations. Introducing Doddle to stations will enable us to reinvest our profits back into the railway and is a natural next step to help passengers and people who work and live near stations, whose lives are
Left: The new 160 sq m Harrods Fine Watch Room at Heathrow Terminal 2 takes inspiration from the Knightsbridge Store.
Below: London King’s Cross has been voted the best railway station in the world for food and drink at an awards ceremony celebrating the best airports and railway stations have to offer.
Right: Online shopping collection and returns service provider, Doddle is to open 300 shops in railway stations and major hubs across the UK in next three years.
increasingly busy and on the move.’ Online retailer Amazon has also recently announced that it is to install lockers at London Underground station car parks to make it easier for consumers to collect deliveries at a time and location that is convenient for them. John Lewis will also open its first ‘click and commute’ shop in London’s St Pancras station this autumn, which if successful, could be rolled out to other transport hubs and high street locations in the future. In Central London, retail space is predicted to increase by eight per cent in the next six years, largely on the back of Crossrail, according to a new report from Knight Frank. In particular, the new station at Tottenham Court Road is expected to transform the east end of Oxford Street by attracting a growing number of international brands to the area. Canary Wharf is also set to entrench its position as a burgeoning shopping destination with the retail offer of the Jubilee Place extension and Crossrail station expected to grow by nearly 14,864 sq m. The current retail development pipeline around the seven new Central London Crossrail stations stands at around 213,677 sq m the equivalent of 1,000 standard retail units or four Selfridges stores. ‘Whatever the territory covered by a business, a coveted airport or railway store will mean increased turnover and enhanced brand recognition,’ concludes Collett. ‘Already airports like Heathrow have five applicants for every retail space, making them the most soughtafter retail locations in the world and now train stations are finding that they can be just as choosy.’
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July 2014
Paperwork 3D paper scu
lptures
News Opinion Collaborate to innovate
introducing
rarebasic.com
Welcome Paper. It’s where ideas begin and, in the dynamic world of art and design, where they come to life. The flexibility and simplicity of the material make it the ideal medium for transforming two-dimensional designs into exquisite sculptural displays and is why it is often used in retail to add colour, shape and interest to a window scheme. In this special VM & Display supplement, we take a closer look at the versatile material and how it is being used to create dramatic backdrops to window and in-store displays (pages 42-43). The displays we feature in the Paperwork article this month are the result of collaborations between brands and talented paper artists, Collaborative working is nothing new but it is becoming increasingly common in retail as brands look to create innovative products and engaging shopping experiences that appeal to a changing and increasingly savvy consumer market. In this supplement, we look at the benefits of collaborating on projects and sharing ideas (pages 47-48). In addition, Sue Fabian of umbrellabrand shares her insights and experience on what it takes to deliver a successful retail experience (page 59). Gemma Balmford
42-43 Paperwork
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News
47-48
45 Opinion
Collaboration at work
41 News The latest from the visual merchandising and display industry.
42-43 Paperwork
www.retail-focus.co.uk
Retail displays that celebrate the beauty and diversity of paper.
Editor Gemma Balmford e. gemma@retailfocus.co t. +33 (0)7 61 03 21 33
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Production & Web Terry Clark e. terry@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405
Display Sales Lee Cullumbine e. lee@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405
pinion: Psychology, stats and O setting up shop
Understanding shopper psychology is vital for planning store space and product placement. Sue Fabian of umbrellabrand shares her insights and experience on what it takes to deliver a successful retail experience.
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Cover image: Life-sized paper birds in the Mappin & Webb Christmas 2013 window display, created by The Makerie Studio. Photography: Melvyn Vincent
47-48 Collaboration at work Collaboration is nothing new but it is becoming increasingly common in retail as brands look to create original and immersive shopping experiences.
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be inspired. be surprised. visit our new website @ www.barthelmessuk.com complete visual merchandising solutions design with european and far east manufacture bespoke mannequins and forms project management decorado off the shelf display props trend spotting and inspirations christmas & seasonal schemes and decorations worldwide logistics management strict sustainability and environmental policies
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news
Event Prop Hire opens in London Event Prop Hire has opened a new Central London office and showroom. Designed as a walk-through experience, the showroom features themed areas, such as an American Diner, the seaside and Alice in Wonderland. The prop hire and theming company also has a warehouse and offices in Yorkshire.
KENZO loves Printemps
Luxury fashion brand, Kenzo will take over the windows at Printemps this August as part of a collaboration with the Paris department store. The fashion display windows will feature pieces from an
VM industry awards open for entries
All eyes on Lancôme Elemental Design has built an interactive add-on to Lancôme’s permanent beauty counter at Selfridges in honour of the 10-year anniversary of the Hypnose mascara and the launch of a new eye palette collection. The site features a stunning three-dimensional eyelash structure inspired by colourful parabolic
exclusive, limited edition collection while the store atrium will be transformed into a playful and experimental pop-up shop. The windows will be unveiled on Thursday 28 August.
threading techniques; bronze, champagne, black and gold satin thread are weaved into the lashes to match the signature colours of Hypnose mascara. The site, which has the theme ‘All Eyes On You’, also incorporates a digital, globe-shaped pufferfish which allows for touchscreen spherical projecting. The VM & Display Awards 2014 are open for entries. Now in their tenth year, the awards celebrate the best of visual merchandising and display excellence. Entry is free and there is no restriction on the number of entries companies can submit. Categories this year include Best Window Graphic, Best Use of Mannequins and Best Christmas Window. Projects must have been completed between 1 August 2013 and 1 August 2014, and the deadline for submissions is 15 August 2014. The winners will be announced on Friday 3 October 2014 at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London. For more information, visit www.vmanddisplay.com
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paper sculpture
Paper work
The flexibility and simplicity of paper make it the ideal medium for transforming two-dimensional designs into exquisite sculptural displays. The versatile material is often used in retail to create dramatic installations that bring the brand and product to life in a compelling way. Here is a showcase of some intricate designs that are the result of innovative partnerships between brands and talented paper artists.
Retail displays that celebrate the beauty and diversity of paper. Lancaster Paris In collaboration with Things by Laura To celebrate its latest line of handbags, called Adèle, Lancaster Paris created a colourful window display at its Rue Saint Honoré store using tear drop furniture covered in delicate paper flowers. ‘The first idea was to envelop each bag as a piece of jewellery in a magnificent cocoon, surrounded by luxuriant vegetal elements,’ explains Magali Doizelet, visual merchandiser at Lancaster. ‘I also wanted to work on colours, which are very strong and part of the handbag’s identity. Each tear drop is covered with very delicate paper flowers and it seems like they are blooming all over the bags. I wanted the window display to be very feminine, precious and ethereal to reflect the simplicity and beauty of the bags.’ For the flowers, Lancaster collaborated with British freelance artist, crafter and prop stylist Laura Reed of Things by Laura, who spent more than 200 hours meticulously creating the pieces in various shapes and sizes. ‘I like the fact that I can create something from nothing,’ says Reed, who has worked with a variety of brands, including Accessorize, Jaeger and Penhaligon’s. ‘The lightweight nature of paper makes it ideal for use en-mass in windows and there are so many different colours and finishes to choose from, each project looks different from the one before.’ The tear drop-shaped furniture was created by French artist, Christophe Bigot, who specialises in resin and glass fibre.
www.lancaster.fr www.thingsbylaura.co.uk
Mappin & Webb In collaboration with The Makerie Studio The Makerie Studio produces unique three-dimensional paper sculptures for both commercial and artistic purposes, using specialised papers and intricate detailing. For Christmas 2013, the designers worked with fine jewellery and silverware retailer, Mappin & Webb to create life-sized birds in single colours that would tie in with the rest of the window scheme, inspired by a 1960s Christmas catalogue. The studio produced around 60 birds, including herons, peacocks and falcons in either completely 3D or layered 2D versions for stores across the UK. ‘Working with paper is good because it can virtually become anything,’ enthuse Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft of The Makerie Studio. ‘It’s versatility means it can be used to express so many ideas, and so to us feels like a natural medium for bringing individuality and artistry to a window or in-store piece. Knowing how far you can push the paper is the fun part.’ The duo were also involved in the window displays for ‘A Fabergé Easter at Harrods’ earlier this year. As part of the display, they created a giant, fully functioning music box, featuring one of Russia’s most famous ballerinas, Mathilde Kschessinska. The ballerina was made to rotate on an intricately decorated pedestal, surrounded by beautiful ornate mirrors.
www.mappinandwebb.com www.faberge.com www.harrods.com www.themakeriestudio.com 42
paper sculpture
Radley In collaboration with Sarah Feather Design London-based Sarah Feather Design specialises in creating retail displays from paper. For the Radley Press Day SS14, the studio produced three metre-tall wild flowers using paper colour matched to the SS14 collection. The show pieces, which included poppies, dandelions, magnolias and foxgloves, were sculpted using a combination of crepe paper, papier mache, card, ink and emulsion. ‘Using an everyday material and transforming it into something unexpected and hopefully impressive is always fun,’ says Victoria Burnett, creative manager at Sarah Feather Design. ‘In terms of large scale, it works really well because it is lightweight and affordable.’ Sarah Feather Design is often involved in retail projects that centre around paper sculpture, as well as schemes that have paper sculpture as the value engineered option. ‘If wood or metal is being used in flagships, the scheme can be translated into paper sculpture and is a fantastic option for affordable and easily transportable roll-outs to all stores,’ says Burnett.
www.radley.co.uk www.sarahfeatherdesign.com
Liberty London In collaboration with Studio Boo To celebrate the Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs exhibition at Tate Modern, which runs until 7 September 2014, Liberty London decorated its shopfront windows for a time with installations referencing the French artist’s recognisable coloured paper cut-out technique. The department store collaborated with Ana and Amy of Studio Boo to develop a concept that reflects Matisse’s cut-outs using their signature style of layering and texture building with paper. ‘With the famous cut-outs in mind, we designed a concept based on Matisse works about the sea,’ says Studio Boo. Using similar expressive shapes to suggest the organic matter of the ocean, the team created windows that have movement and 3D elements, bringing to life the colours and shapes, and combining with select products from around the store. All of the patterned paper shapes are taken from the seasonal Liberty Art Fabrics collections, with the final window showcasing the new Liberty London Iphis accessories collection.
www.liberty.co.uk www.studio-boo.co.uk
Bonpoint Paris In collaboration with Fanciful Designs It took US-based Fanciful Designs three months to produce more than 1,000 paper garlands for children’s clothing brand, Bonpoint Paris. The studio worked closely with the creative department at Bonpoint to achieve a window display that was ‘young, whimsical, innocent and that danced as you entered the doors behind a dreamland’. ‘I love paper,’ says Noel Solomon, owner of Fanciful Designs. ‘Finding exact freedom in this material through sculpting allows me to create with an unrestrained imagination. It’s soft entwined fibres and beautiful textures combined with a fanciful inner laced imagination turns paper into a piece of art. My over-sized creations are especially a favourite as they add a sense of wonder to the world.’ The whimsical garlands were installed in 143 Bonpoint Paris shops, worldwide at the beginning of 2014.
www.bonpoint.com www.fancifulshop.com 43
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opinion
Psychology, stats and setting up shop Understanding shopper psychology is vital for planning store space and product placement. Here, Sue Fabian of umbrellabrand shares her insights and experience on what it takes to deliver a successful retail experience. Great environmental design is essential for success in today’s uber competitive retail market. However, while look and feel are important, maximising the profit potential of your store demands a strategic approach to both space planning and range/product placement. I’m no psychologist but my time heading up Calvin Klein and Shiseido, and running the shop floor for Harvey Nichols and Jenners has taught me the importance of understanding what’s going on in the mind of the customer, when considering the store layout. While you’ll have a specific type of person who likes shopping your store, psychologically speaking there are three customer mindsets to consider:
1. Loyal fans who know you, like what you have to offer and have a habit of visiting your store.
2. Sniper shoppers who want nothing more than to come in, find what they want and get out.
3. Newbies who venture in because of something they’ve seen or heard and want to check you out for themselves. Each mindset has subtle differences but if you’re clever, you can appeal to each with a single store layout.
Space and Signage Customers need to know immediately this is a place they can shop and there’s a lot for them to explore. When a customer enters they should be able to quickly take the store in and decide where they want to go. Open environments with clear signage enable sniper shoppers to easily see what they want and make a bee line for it. Loyal fans can quickly scan and pick out their favourite areas to shop, while identifying new things worthy of a browse. New recruits can size up the store and decide whether coming was a good idea or a waste of time.
Affordable Aspiration On entry, you have a few precious moments to engage your customer. People are bombarded on a daily basis with information and have become adept at discerning the stuff worthy of their attention. Shoppers want to be inspired and that means engaging them emotionally. It’s why theatre works really well at the front of the store. It quickly immerses the customer in the brand’s story. It might be a beautifully curated product display like the fruit
stall in Whole Foods or something architectural like the staircase and wow wall in Victoria’s Secret on Bond Street. Or, it might be human like Gill Hick’s male and female models. Whatever it is, it’s got to feel both aspirational and attainable. Your shopper wants to share in the brand experience and your goal is to help them take a piece of it home. Selfridges does attainable aspiration extremely well. As you emerge at the top of an escalator, there’s always something interesting to your right that demands further investigation and draws you to browse further into the department. The fact that it’s to the right is important. The majority of shoppers are right handed and naturally bear right when entering a store. If you want them to go in another direction, you’re going to have to persuade them to do so.
Shopability Typically, shoppers have an idea of what they want. Your job is to make sure they get it, plus the stuff they never realised they needed. Considering Pareto’s 80/20 rule is useful for achieving this goal. It’s an almost universal truth that 80 per cent of your revenue will come from just 20 per cent of your product. A popular misconception is that these best sellers should be at the front of the store. Best sellers don’t need to be sold, they sell themselves. While you may want to have popular products in your shop window as a reminder, once in-store they can be used to inspire investigation. Better to make them visible but line the journey with beautifully merchandised displays that stop shoppers in their tracks. Shopability, however, is more than the merchandising. It’s the overall experience. Is it easy to find your changing rooms or toilets? Do you have enough consultants to help shoppers navigate your ranges or enough assistants to man the tills? No one wants to get stuck in a queue.
Implement, Observe, Tweak You can do all sorts of planning and strategising but the truth is, you won’t know how your store is shopped until people come in. Find ways to monitor their behaviour. It will tell you everything you need to know to tweak the environment so that it offers the potential for achieving the greatest number of sales.
www.umbrellabrand.co.uk 45
The Visual Merchandising and Display Show is 25 years young next April. We’ll be marking the event with the usual pizazz and a renewed vigour. Come and join the party.
T: 0 1 9 4 5 42 0 0 6 8 | E : E N Q U I R I E S @ RV M W W.CO M | W W W.V M A N D D I S P L AY.CO M 2 1 S T TO 2 3 R D A P R I L 2 01 5 AT B U S I N E S S D E S I G N C E N T R E LO N D O N
collaboration
Collaboration
at work Collaboration is nothing new but it is becoming increasingly common in retail as brands look to create original and immersive shopping experiences, finds Retail Focus. Henry Ford once said, ‘Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success’. Over the years, forward-thinking brands and retailers have collaborated with designers and artists, as well as high-profile individuals to create innovative products and engaging shopping experiences that appeal to a changing consumer market. And the results have often benefited all parties involved. ‘Collaborations can inject a certain freshness or abstract way of thinking,’ says Jonathan Baker, course director at London College of Fashion and VM consultant. ‘The benefits are not only in the favour of the retailer, as these collaborations also provide artists and designers with a platform to showcase their work.’ Earlier this year upmarket menswear brand, Hackett London partnered with the London College of Fashion to give students on the BA (Hons) Fashion Visual Merchandising and Branding course a chance to design a new retail concept for eight of its London stores. The students were
tasked with constructing a mood board of who they saw the Hackett customer to be, with an explanation of their concept and any images to be used for the backdrop to the windows. They then styled a number of mannequins using the Art College Spring/Summer 2014 Hackett collection, adding props and accessories to make the windows come alive. The collaboration was part of Hackett’s Rising Stars project, which has since seen galleries and artists local to Hackett stores worldwide being given the opportunity to feature their artwork prominently in Hackett store window displays. In 2013, Harvey Nichols displayed a series of large-scale works by artist Andrew Salgado in its London store windows and Le Bon Marché department store in Paris enlisted the help of American screenwriter, director and actress, Sofia Coppola to design the windows for the limited edition Louis Vuitton SC bag. More recently, Liberty London collaborated with Studio Boo on a scheme that celebrates the Henri Matisse
Cut-Outs exhibition at Tate Modern while in 2015, Selfridges will present the fourth edition of its Bright Young Things project, which provides a launch-pad for fledgling designers to showcase their brand vision and creations to the public. As part of the initiative, the Bright Young Things are invited to create their own display in one of Selfridges’ Oxford Street windows. ‘One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is to apply the considerable might of our brand to seek, find and nurture young talents whenever possible and wherever they are,’ said Selfridges’ creative director, Alannah Weston at the launch of Bright Young Things 2013. ‘There would be no future for our retail industry and Below left: Karen Millen partnered with architect Mamou-Mani for the RIBA Regent Street Windows Project 2013. Below right: Galleries and artists feature artwork in Hackett store window displays.
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collaboration
many other creative industries if there was not renewal of ideas, no fresh approach and only place for the tried and tested.’ Over in the US, luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman hosted a series of art-inspired windows, events and collaborations between February and May this year, called Art Matters! The programme began with the debut of ‘Ten Artists for Ten Spaces’, an installation of work by 10 emerging contemporary artists in 10 locations, created in collaboration with Grey Area. The work, including paintings, sculptures, videos and site-specific installations, was on display in the store windows and on the main and third floors. Commenting on the project, Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman SVP fashion office and store presentation, said: ‘It’s exciting to turn a new generation of artists loose in our windows. We have a great following of both New Yorkers and visitors who might not get to see the work of these incredible artists otherwise. We like the idea of using our windows as an evolving gallery to reflect the synergy of art and fashion.’ As part of the Art Matters! initiative, the store also sponsored the Frieze New York art fair, collaborating with Salon 94 (a participating gallery at Frieze) to create installations in three of the 58th Street windows. For the past five years, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has been showing how collaborative working can add value across sectors with its Regent Street Windows Project. The concept involves pairing up-and-coming architects with leading retailers to create innovative window displays that both reflect the brand identity and engage the audience. ‘People normally think of architects as just designing big buildings, but architects are trained to use space innovatively and creatively,’ says Tamsie Thomson, director of the RIBA’s London region. ‘The
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RIBA Windows Project allows retailers an opportunity to do something strikingly different in their window displays by tapping into this vast resource. ‘With more and more people shopping online, retailers have to work increasingly hard to innovate and create an experience in their store,’ continues Thomson. ‘Participating in the RIBA Windows Project
Above left: Lucky Fox partnered with Converse and tattoo artist Paula Converse.
demonstrates a retailer’s commitment to quality design whilst tapping into a new source of creativity. Retailers add a new cultural element to the retail experience whilst increasing footfall. The architects, meanwhile, get a new opportunity to demonstrate their skills to a new designoriented audience.’ While collaborative working has been present in the retail sector for some time, it seems it is becoming more common as consumers grow more savvy and demand more from the brands they buy from, notes Jason Traves, head of creative at Lucky Fox, which connected with Converse and tattoo artist, Paula Converse in 2013 to create bespoke tattooed mannequins for the American footwear brand. ‘[Consumers] want to feel that the brand “gets them”, therefore those brands are reacting to this by connecting in a more relatable way to their audience,’ says Traves. ‘This is being demonstrated through channels such as social media, pop-up shops, experiential events and collaborations with artists and new designers, all of which help to engage with the target consumer.’
Above: Bergdorf Goodman sponsored the Frieze New York art fair.
Below: Hackett London collaborated with students at the London College of Fashion.
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Visual Merchandiser offer a boutique style service where every one of our clients is treated with the utmost attention and respect. Our professional skillful team have a wealth of experience, giving us the ability to understand your bespoke requirements first time, without hesitation. We offer many services, all of which can support your visual goals and aspirations. We know what it means to stand back and smile!
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products
vm + display Magnetic Solutions Magnetic Solutions has introduced Budget Line versions of its successful PromoSteel and MultiMag products. The Budget Line versions, which are suitable for use with UV printers only, provide the same great performance of its existing products, with the benefit of significantly lower price points. Create a point-of-sale environment which can be changed in-store quickly and effortlessly. Try the Budget Line range today and enjoy the benefits of the next generation of magnetic and magnetic receptive graphic solutions. The range is ideal for in-store retail displays. T. +44 (0)114 242 2211 E. info@magnetic-solutions-ltd.co.uk www.magnetic-solutions-ltd.co.uk
Panache Display Panache Display present our new female collection Nouveau. Our new female mannequin is inspired by the natural forms of nature with soft curved lines, which allow her to harmonise with her surroundings. The collection consists of eight refined poses with three stylised head options and two hand options. The complete collection of Nouveau is available to view in our London showroom from the end of July 2014. Including collections from Bonami Mannequins and New John Nissen. T. +44 (0)20 8752 2520 E. info@panachedisplay.co.uk www.panachedisplay.co.uk Twitter: PanacheDisplay
Doro Tape arken P-O-P International arken is a one-stop shop for all of your poster display needs, supplying everything from illuminated window displays to poster frames. Products are available off the shelf, can be customised to your exact colour or size requirements, or bespoke displays can be designed in house to suit your needs. All products are manufactured to the highest quality at arken’s factory in the UK, allowing them to offer short lead times at very competitive prices, making them one of the most popular suppliers to leading retailers. T. +44 (0)1638 565 656 E. info@arken-pop.com www.arken-pop.com
The Linda Farrow brand is synonymous in the fashion world for luxury designer sunglasses. When designing its ‘shop in shop’ for Selfridges in London, it was important that the look lived up to the exclusivity of the brand. Part of this design included the use of Doro Tape’s strikingly individual films Aurora and Andromeda. These colour change films have a highly polished mirror finish and change colour from deep magenta to ocean blue for Aurora and fire red to emerald green for Andromeda. They form part of an exciting range of quality decorative films for the retail, display, and hospitality sectors. T. +44 (0)1858 431 642 www.dorotape.co.uk Twitter: doro_tape
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products
WBC The BRIX modular display system from WBC is a dream for retailers, pop-up shops, market stall holders, and exhibition designers. Designed and engineered in the UK, BRIX modularity allows you to change design as and when space or seasonality demands. The system is simple to build with no tools required. Endless configurations are available and all elements come pre-assembled, leaving you to simply slot them together. BRIX is a timeless piece of retail design. One box, Hundreds of ways to display. T. +44 (0)20 7737 4040 E. sales@wbc.co.uk www.wbc.co.uk Twitter: wbc
Eurostand Display The new iPad Duo and iPad Quad have been specifically created by the Eurostand internal product design team and allow for a much needed cable management system to give continuous use from your iPad. As the name suggests, the iPad Quad offers four information stations, letting your display reach a number of visitors at any one time. Also living up to its name, the iPad Duo lets two people use the iPad display at the same time. Both are perfect for events, showrooms, visitor’s centres and offices. T. +44 (0)1277 350 925 E. enquiries@ipad-displaystands.co.uk www.eurostanddisplay.com
Rare Basic Rare Basic are excited to announce they are now the UK distributor of Catwalk Mannequins, a fashion led brand embodying youth, attitude & style. In addition to the hugely successful IDW Mannequins Rare Basic are now able to offer greater choice. T. + +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E. mail@rarebasic.com www.rarebasic.co.uk
Andy Thornton Andy Thornton manufactures bespoke wood farmhouse display tables in a variety of sizes and finishes. They can be painted, stained, waxed and distressed to give that authentic vintage feel. Combine standard height with coffee table height to provide visual impact. They are perfect for displaying fashion items, food and giftware. The tables are part of the company’s rapidly expanding ‘Urban Vintage’ range of visual merchandising display equipment, which includes shelving units, carts, trolleys, cabinets, drawers and garment rails. Andy Thornton also supplies original shop counters and cabinets, industrial style-lighting and decorative metal tiles for cladding ceilings and walls. T. +44 (0)1422 376 000 E. marketing@andythornton.com www.andythornton.com Twitter: andythorntonltd
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promotion
And the beat goes on... 100% is a retail display installations specialist providing a range of services to deliver retail marketing campaigns throughout the UK & Europe. We are proud to work on behalf of some of the world’s leading brands & retailers, delivering solutions to the highest levels of service with a flexible approach demanded of retail. The key services we provide cover Display Installation, POS Updates & Maintenance, Store Audits and Transport & Warehousing. Our team has the knowledge, experience & expertise to deliver fully managed solutions within a wide range of retail environments from one-off specials or prototypes through to thousand store rollouts. In the UK we have over 100 regionally based installers who visit thousands of stores every month, operating 24/7, 365 days a year. We are the UK’s No.1 provider for implementing pan-European campaigns with active operations in 27 countries across Europe, Middle East & Africa. Last year 100% was commissioned by leading consumer audio brand Beats Electronics to provide a fully managed service for the implementation of its POP displays throughout the EMEA region. The solution included providing core services of installation, ongoing maintenance, tactical product updates & regional logistics. The initial phase of the contract focused on installation of the new displays and over an 8 week period involved working with 1226 display fixtures, installed into 1109 retail stores within 16 retail chains across 18 countries.
100% used its own field resource in the UK and managed 9 of its strategic partners located throughout Europe to provide localised project management, installation & logistics services. The complex project was successfully delivered to brief, to budget & on time as a result of efficient project management with detailed advance planning, close communication with all stakeholders, thorough installer training, and high quality of workmanship. Following the installation phase 100% embarked on an ongoing maintenance program to ensure the highly interactive & premium displays are always operational & deliver return on investment for Beats!
For more information or to discuss your project contact Dan Williams Tel: +44 (0) 161 929 9599 Email: dan.williams@100percentgroup.com Web: www.100percentgroup.com
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Regent Street
Regent Street:
A mile of style Now more than halfway through, the £1 billion Regent Street Vision investment programme is transforming the thoroughfare into a world-class shopping destination fit for the 21st century.
With 140,000 sq m of flagship retail space, a distinguished architecture and a fine collection of international brands, Regent Street remains one of the most important shopping thoroughfares in London, and indeed the world. Established in the 1830’s as the first purpose-built European shopping destination for fashion and accessories, the famous curve has evolved in recent years to provide a new and up-to-date retail stretch that meets the changing expectations and aspirations of the 21st century shopper. Since 2002 The Crown Estate, which holds almost the entire freehold to Regent Street, has been implementing a £1 billion investment programme on the street, which has so far delivered 12 redevelopments and major refurbishments, including the Quadrant at the southern end of Regent Street. Guided by the values of quality, heritage, style and success, the 20-year Regent Street Vision investment programme is ensuring the future viability and prosperity of the street and its buildings. The Quadrant mixed-use development - where Regent Street meets Soho - is home to heritage brands Wolsey, Stone Island, Jack Spade and Woolrich along with Rapha Cycle Club, UGG Australia and Whole Foods Market. ‘With its great location and exciting design aesthetic, Quadrant 3 offers us the exact dynamic we’ve been looking for,’ said
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Stone Island chief executive, Carlo Rivetti at the time of the store opening. ‘It has the non-stop consumer flow from Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus but within the creative hub of Soho. This works in perfect tandem with Stone Island’s brand ethos of offering sports and casual wear to a consumer who appreciates unique products with accessible design.’ Regent Street is home to a growing collection of top British brands, including Burberry, Ted Baker, Barbour, Hamleys and Hobbs. In January 2013, luxury British fragrance house Penhaligon’s gave its store a magnificent Edwardian makeover and in November, mens fashion brand Hackett replaced its existing Regent Street store with a three-storey flagship that currently holds the title for the largest Hackett store in the world. In the last 12 months a number of international brands have also joined the retail mix with flagship stores. Among
Above: Regent Street was established in the 1830’s as the first purpose-built European shopping destination for fashion and accessories. Right: Longchamp launched its largest store in Europe on Regent Street in 2013.
them, US fashion brand J.Crew opened its first flagship location outside of North America, French luxury leathergoods brand Longchamp launched its largest store in Europe and Karl Lagerfeld unveiled his debut UK store. ‘It’s the next chapter in our growth and our future,’ said Millard Drexler, chairman and CEO of J.Crew. ‘It’s an important flagship location on arguably one of the most important streets in one of the most important locations in the world.’ In addition, a three-storey Watches of Switzerland emporium is set to open imminently on the street, with a Hunter store due to launch in the autumn.
A 21st century experience Along with attracting leading global fashion brands, Regent Street continues to develop tools and initiatives to ensure that it offers a world-class shopping experience. It
Regent Street
provides a gift card that is accepted in more than 130 stores, hotels and restaurants in and around the area, and is also set to become the first shopping street in Europe to pioneer a mobile phone app, which delivers personalised content to shoppers during their visit. The app, developed by digital marketing firm autoGraph, uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with beacons in each store so that as shoppers walk past, they receive alerts direct to their mobile phone on new products, upcoming events and exclusive offers. ‘This is a fantastic example of how Regent Street is continuing to evolve as the world’s most successful shopping destination, bringing together online, physical and now mobile retailing to provide an experience which delivers across all of the platforms that appeal to 21st century shoppers,’ says David Shaw, head of The Crown Estate’s Regent Street portfolio. The introduction of the app forms part of the Regent Street regeneration programme and will include information
Below: Karl Lagerfeld opened its debut UK store on Regent Street in March 2014. Middle: Regent Street is set to become the first shopping street in Europe to pioneer a mobile phone app, which delivers personalised content to shoppers during their visit. Bottom: Burberry flagship store
‘Success in retail in the 21st century is strongly linked to how you engage your customers in store and online,’ Paul Lorraine, Longcham
p UK
little different today from those of 200 years ago; essentially to maintain the street in good order, to recruit and retain good tenants for the properties, and to assist in attracting good customers for those tenants. And with these latest developments, Regent Street firmly deserves its place on the list of top shopping destinations in London, if not the world. from the majority of Regent Street’s retail line-up. ‘Success in retail in the 21st century is strongly linked to how you engage your customers in store and online,’ say Longchamp UK general manager, Paul Lorraine. ‘Regent Street already has a reputation as being the place to be for brands like ours and the new mobile app will bring the digital and physical together, providing an exciting new way for us to
speak to our customers.’ Strengthening the street’s position as a leading retail destination is the annual programme of events and marketing activities, which include the popular Christmas lights switch-on, the yearly street festival and the RIBA Regent Street Windows Project. According to the book, A History of Regent Street by Hermione Hobhouse, the objectives of The Crown Estate are probably
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opinion
How the sweet industry is taking lessons from high-end fashion The confectionery sector is booming thanks to a recessionary appetite for small indulgences and brands taking inspiration from the luxury fashion sector, observes Katie Baron, head of retail at Stylus.com Over the past few months, we’ve seen a handful of confectionery brands incorporating open-plan ‘retail kitchens’ into their stores, revealing previously hidden manufacturing processes and encouraging customers to co-create and experiment with their products. For me, allowing customers to get behind the scenes of the production process is a crucial step in building more compelling engagement and encouraging repeat visits. One example is London-based confectioner Spun Candy, whose range is handmade by staff on-site and in full view of consumers. The store also hosts candy-making masterclasses and offers branded candy creations at corporate events. Fuelled by its success, Spun Candy is expanding into the United Arab Emirates. A new breed of store concepts based on speed and convenience are also emerging, from candy vans to takeaway kiosks. Targeting on-the-go shoppers, these retail formats are turning sweets from occasional treats into daily indulgences that build sales incrementally. Vancouver-based Candy Meister Van, which specialises in traditional German candy, roams around the city (changing location twice a day) to expand brand reach. The brand’s website allows consumers to track its location via a live schedule and digital map. Meanwhile, across the water, 100% Chocolate Café is a Tokyo-based chocolate store designed by Japanese interior agency Wonderwall, which features a quick-access takeaway kiosk integrated into its storefront. These in-transit spaces allow the stores to become daily destinations for everyday treats – not just occasion purchases. As consumer demand for confectionery continues to grow, so too does the value of premiumising the in-store journey. Retailers already adopting this mentality are borrowing cues from luxury fashion and jewellery stores, and even art galleries and nightclubs to elevate the brand experience. Located in Mexico’s industrial city of Monterrey, pastry boutique Theurel & Thomas echoes the exclusivity of a jewellery store, thanks to the way its brightly coloured macaroons are displayed like rare gems behind a glass counter in all-white, sophisticated interiors. It was designed by Mexican graphic
design studio Anagrama. Meanwhile, Melbourne-based patisserie boutique Adriano Zumbo borrows from the design language of premium nightclubs. Low-lit interiors and mirrored walls reflect the pink glow of the store’s neon signage. To evoke the childlike connections many of us have with sweets, numerous retailers are deploying whimsical, ultra-playful store concepts that awaken the fictional fantasies of Willy Wonka-style, storybook chocolate factories. Others are riding a slightly subverted version of the fantastical thematic with scientific styling that chimes with the wider consumer interest in science and technology. The stark white interiors of Mexican pastry boutique Cioccolato are juxtaposed with brightly coloured fixtures, such as crafted acrylic ‘chocolate’ dripping from the shelves. This overall ambience is theme-park playful, equally invested in wooing adults and children. A similar sense of wonder is also prevalent in ice-cream shop Once Upon A Cream in Thailand, where pieces of machinery and copper fixtures run through pastel-coloured walls and blue-sky ceilings. Last month, American chocolate manufacturer Hershey’s unveiled a new flagship store in the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The 1,200 sq m theme-park-like space stocks more than 800 kinds of candy, including super-sized chocolate sculptures of landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, as well as a 22m Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. The consciously extravagant retail experience-cum-tourist attraction has been conceived as a brand destination to rival competitors such as US confectionery manufacturer Mars’ M&M’s World stores. To engage consumers with the wonders of science, Australian confectionery Happy Lab exudes a laboratory-style ambience with packaging design, including conical flasks and test tubes, while staff wear white lab coats and safety glasses. Meanwhile, Paris-based éclair shop L’éclair de Genie features a laboratoryesque display of éclairs – visitors are encouraged to pick their own assortment of preferred treats from the 75 contemporary recipes. The confectionery sector is innately connected to the notion of luxury and indulgence. Brands that can borrow cues from other sectors such as fashion or hospitality to create premium retail spaces can really elevate their proposition. They should also consider how they can support consumers’ hectic schedules and experiment with short-stop formats to keep up with the fast pace of modern life. Brands that can take lessons from premium boutiques to lure aspirational customers and brand loyalty will taste sweet success.
www.stylus.com 59
You’re in capable hands when you entrust your project to bridgford interiors. With a breadth and depth of experience that enables us to tackle any project, anywhere... we will be sure to provide the complete fit-out solution. Contact us to discuss the successful delivery of your next retail, leisure or hospitality project...
Interior fit out specialists
Take a closer look. Bridgford Interiors pay attention to the detail...
bridgford interiors limited bridgford building, wellington crescent, fradley park lichfield, staffordshire WS13 8RZ tel: 01543 443200 email: alan.palmer@bridgford.co.uk web: www.bridgford.co.uk
@BILfitout
design & shopfitting
Design + deliver The success of a retail project will very much depend on the working relationship between the designer and shopfitter, and their understanding and appreciation of each others’ roles and responsibilities. Take the new Hackett London flagship store on Regent Street, for example, which is the result of an effective collaboration between the in-house team, under the direction of Michael Carey, and ISG Hospitality and Retail. The store took top honours at the NAS Design Partnership Awards 2014, which was held at the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall, London in May. The three-storey flagship opened towards the end of 2013 in the former Ferrari merchandise outlet and has a similar design to other Hackett stores, except with a slightly younger, edgier feel. The store was the unanimous choice of the judges with its bespoke feature staircase, iPad table, antiqued large-scale mirrors and gin bar with granite worktops. ‘An exceptional store experience can’t happen without a seamless relationship between shopfitters and design agencies,’ says Sarah Page, creative director at Household Design, who was on this year’s judging panel. ‘Hackett truly deserved to win. It’s one of the best brand retail experiences that I have had the pleasure of exploring in a while. It offers a whole immersive experience that creates an emotional connection. Nothing is done for the sake of it or to be “on trend”, with an exquisite attention to detail and strong visual thread that leads you from room to room. It’s a place you want to investigate
Clockwise from right: The Hackett London Regent Street store took top honours at the NAS Design Partnership Awards 2014; Longchamp London was among the shortlisted entries; Hackett London and ISG Hospitality & Retail collecting the NAS Design Partnership 2014 award; Hackett London’s flagship store opened on Regent Street in November 2013.
and discover, and a joy to visit.’ Following the project, Nik Krunic, divisional managing director of ISG’s retail business, said: ‘Our close working relationship with Hackett London, and early involvement in the project proved key to the successful delivery of the Regent Street store, which since opening has proved extremely popular, with great praise from both our client and customers’. Shortlisted entries in the retail category this year included Longchamp London and Mappin & Webb, Chester. In addition, two new awards were presented on the
A strong working relationship between designer and shopfitter is fundamental to the success of a retail interior, as highlighted by the annual NAS Design Partnership Awards. evening to Young Designer and Future Designer. Sponsored by global retail and brand consultancy FITCH, the Future Designer of the Year 2014 award went to Christopher Crawford Kelly, who is currently on secondment with Gensler, while Iliana Mitiova of London Metropolitan University CASS School took home the Young Designer of the Year 2014. ‘FITCH have over 40 years of creative success that has been built on the
foundation that nurturing young designers with raw talent is the best way to build the studio,’ says FITCH creative director, EMEA, Alasdair Lennox. ‘There is the lazy stereotype that designers and architects don’t get along with shopfitters. NAS give young designers and shopfitters the opportunity to work together at an early point in their careers, which is a great way of building long, indispensable relationships and maintaining them throughout their career.’ The NAS Design Partnership Awards 2015 will take place on 14 May 2015 at a venue in Central London.
www.shopfitters.org 61
products
flooring + surfaces Formica Signage manufacturer Astley chose VIVIX exterior facade panels by Formica Group for the building frontage of the Morrisons Kiddicare stores in Nottingham, Merry Hill, Thurrock, Aintree and Rotherham. ‘Working with the project manager and procurement teams from Kiddicare, we researched a range of materials that would fulfil the brief and achieve the desired look,’ says Paul Allan, sales manager at Astley. ‘A material which looked like wood and had a real “feel me” appearance was specified for the facade of the building.’ With a decorative surface on both sides, VIVIX panels offer opportunities to play with colour and shape. T. +44 (0)191 259 3100 E. samples.uk@formica.com www.formica.com Twitter: FormicaGroupEU
Armourcoat Armourcoat has launched the Duncan MacKellar Signature Collection of polished plaster wall finishes. Devised by Armourcoat founder and creative director, Duncan MacKellar, the Signature Collection comprises four polished plaster finishes; Biellese, Calabresi, Nebrodi, Volsini – inspired by an Italian heritage and MacKellar’s artistic interpretation of natural forms and surface effects. The launch comes as Armourcoat celebrates its 30 year anniversary. T. +44 (0)1732 467 993 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat
Armourcoat ArmourFX modular wall panels have been specified in the stunning refurbishment of an original Art Deco tower in Boston’s financial district by Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston. The building, now named ‘50 Post Office Square’, is occupied by Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., the oldest privately held financial institution in the US. The most significant changes occur on the ground floor, where many of the building’s original features include its high ceilings and the Maine granite that lines many hallways. The ground-floor lobby, designed by Elkus Manfredi, features a new exterior glass lobby, the interior of which has been clad in large-scale ArmourFX modular wall panels from Armourcoat Surface Finishes. T. +44 (0)1732 467 993 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat
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Traffik Retail, catering and hospital environments are hugely demanding on floors. With floors under constant pressure and wear rates high, businesses struggle to keep them looking good and lasting longer, let alone safe. Traffik UK, one of the UK’s leading floor care specialists, has more than 20 years experience in the refurbishment of resilient hard flooring, transforming floors with the addition of a longer lasting seal, providing a brand new wear layer. Traffik is the sole UK provider of German floor care specialist, Dr Schutz’s UV cured PU system, which is applied in liquid form and cures immediately providing a permanent seal that acts as an additional wear layer. T. +44 (0)1985 840 400 E. info@traffik.uk.com www.traffik.uk.com
products
selection Securikey Securikey is the largest supplier of Master Lock products to the UK security market. Offering a comprehensive range of highly innovative products, including combination padlocks, key padlocks, locker locks, safety lockout and key storage solutions, all Master Lock ranges from Securikey are designed to meet the exact needs and standards of the UK market. With more than 40 years experience in the physical security sector, Securikey can advise customers on the best product for their requirement from the extensive selection available. A range of Master Lock spares and extras are also available specifically for locksmiths, due to their need for assemble and professional tools, and these can be found on the Locksmith Padlock Accessories section of the Securikey website. T. +44 (0)1252 311 888 E. enquiries@securikey.co.uk www.securikey.co.uk
GE Lighting GE Lighting has launched the GE LED T8 range of LED tubes as a straightforward solution for retailers and commercial building owners looking to upgrade their lighting systems. Designed for easy retrofitting into standard T8 fluorescent luminaires with electromagnetic ballasts, the LED tubes offer up to 60 per cent energy savings and a quick return on investment. Capable of operating in broad ambient temperature ranges, the GE LED T8 tubes have a narrower and more targeted beam angle to reduce light loss. They also benefit from zero flicker and stroboscopic effect making them ‘kind’ on the eyes. T. +44 (0)800 169 8290 www.gelighting.com Twitter: GELightingEU
Verco Recognising that many customers are striving to reduce energy consumption and are committed to numerous environmental policies, Verco - a leading supplier of refrigerated open-chill and glass-door cabinets for the UK convenience store sector - is introducing Energy Plus, a low-energy, high-performance option for its Kingston and Verwood chillers. Among it features, Verco’s Energy Plus includes a redesigned cabinet to improve airflow, LED lighting and specification of an R407f refrigerant such as Honeywell’s Genetron Performax LT. T. +44 (0)1491 839 966 E.sales@ver.co.uk www.ver.co.uk
ONELAN Chemist Warehouse, one of Australia’s largest pharmacy retailers, has installed ONELAN digital signage in its 300 stores. The retailer wanted to be able to add to store ambience and energy, provide information to customers, increase sales of promoted items, support catalogue events and to sell airtime to stocked brands. The company chose ONELAN as it operates on a stable platform (Linux operating system), is cost competitive, and enables either full screen or multizone multimedia layouts with simple content management. There are four separate channels of content to each store: two pure advertising support and two ‘Healthy Break’ infomercials. T. +44 (0)1491 411 400 E. sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com Twitter: onelan_ds
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products
lighting Helvar Using its 910 lighting routers to control DALI luminaires throughout the new Nike Factory store in Norwich, Helvar has provided a complete lighting control system that enables quick switching between six different lighting scenarios. Across the store, four of Helvar’s 910 routers were installed – each of these carries two DALI lines, with each line being equipped to control up to 64 points. Connected to an Ethernet cable, the routers allow for ‘individual intelligence’, meaning a series of lighting scenes can be remotely selected via the touch panel, which is itself connected via an Ethernet cable. T. +44 (0)1322 222 211 E. Peter.Vanderkolk@helvar.com www.helvar.com
Reggiani Reggiani LED luminaires have been installed in the main customer-facing areas at the first Vauxhall brand centre at Staples Corner as part of the site’s recent major lighting upgrade. The chosen LED luminaires, including Envios and Unimosa, have enabled the company to maintain high quality lighting with high colour rendering, while also reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and maintenance costs. T. +44 (0)20 8236 3000 E. sales@reggiani.co.uk www.reggiani.net
Megaman Megaman’s 6W LED GU10 lamps are being used to great effect at The Caravan Restaurant, Granary Square, London. Installed as an alternative to the original 50W Halogen lighting, the GU10’s provide a much cooler running temperature while significantly reducing the running costs of the establishment. Part of Megaman’s Professional Series, the LED GU10’s offer superior performance, excellent light output and low maintenance costs as the lamps provide a long life of up to 50,000 hours. Following installation of the GU10 lamps at Caravan, the energy calculations have shown a saving of 6,468kw, which equates to 3,519kg of CO2 and approx £1,000 per annum. T. +44 (0)845 408 4625 E. sales@megamanuk.com www.megamanuk.com Twitter: MegamanUKLtd
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Artillus Artillus offers the finest custom-made ‘Diamond’ LED Light Boxes and ‘Garnet’ LED Light Panels purpose-built for display and interior design uses. The 20mm deep 24v Diamond light box comes with a 25mm snap frame front that provides an easy graphic change solution for advertising and retail promotions. The 24v Garnet light panels are only 8mm in thickness, provide an evenly lit decorative light source for the illumination of prints, stained glass or any decorative area requiring a back light source within in a narrow space. Diamond and Garnet LED come in any size up to 2500 x 1800mm, with delivery time of 2-3 weeks. T. +44 (0)333 123 0345 E. sales@ways2display.com www.artillus.com
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lighting
focuslighting on: Efficient and effective retail lighting design will attract customer attention, elevate brand image, and enhance the overall shopping experience, as well as reduce energy consumption and costs. This month, we shine a light on new schemes and products designed to bring the retail space to life.
Vertical limit Zumtobel’s liteCarve reflector technology allows precise, well-balanced rectangular light distribution, right up to the outermost peripheries. Mounted in front of a single LED (CoB) point light source, the reflector makes it possible to bring vertical surfaces alive, enabling uniform, efficient illumination, not only of displays, but also shelves, large posters, recesses and specific wall areas. The INTRO system with liteCarve technology is available in single, double and triple units, as well as in lighting channel form.
www.zumtobel.com
Light as ProAir Designed by LAPD, the ProAir LED spotlight from Philips provides a perfectly balanced product for retail applications. It has a high colour rendition index with a crisp white light and can be commissioned by untrained personnel without stepladders. Effective air-flow is designed into the product to channel heat away from the LEDs, ensuring a more efficient luminaire and an increased service life. ProAir is available with a variety of beam widths and accessories to ensure it has the full flexibility required from a retail lighting product.
www.lapdconsultants.com www.philips.co.uk/lighting
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Ted Baker takes control At the heart of the new Ted Baker store in Glasgow (Retail Focus, May 2014) is a dynamic, customised lighting system from Philips. A range of LED fittings are used to meet the requirements of different areas of the store, all linked to a Dynalite control system that is accessed through a customised touch-screen control panel. This enables staff to set different lighting scenes that are also synchronised with the music. Ambient lighting is delivered from a suspended raft system, supplemented by high-output eW Cove QLX fittings to uplight the ceiling and additional StyliD track mounted projectors located in recessed troughs to accentuate the merchandise and exhibits in the store. In the fitting rooms, recessed LuxSpace Accent 2 fixtures provide contrast for customers trying on various outfits.’We try to design every store, concession and office as a bespoke unit, reacting to the building and location we are in,’ says Ted Baker’s head of store design, Mark Valerio. ‘The overall design brief always includes special attention to lighting as this has a profound effect on the mood of the store.’
www.philips.co.uk/lighting
lighting Splash of colour
MaxMara goes Mosaico
Vivid colour, a sense of fun and a sprinkling of Latin spirit is at the heart of the lighting design for Chilango restaurants. The architectural lighting scheme, created by Paul Nulty Lighting Design (PNLD) for the chain’s new restaurants on Cannon Street and Leather Lane in London, plays a key role in drawing attention to the colourful interior design, highlighting the feature graffiti walls and enhancing the customer experience. Clusters of pendant light fixtures provide central feature and ambient lighting, while low-energy spotlights create dramatic accent illumination. A blend of colour is created through the careful use of bright neon signage inside the restaurant. ‘The lighting design for Chilango’s is right on brand,’ says Paul Nulty. ‘It demonstrates how the use of colour in illumination can bring interior design to life and enhance the customer experience.’ Suppliers included Metro lighting and Northern lights.
www.paulnulty.co.uk
The new MaxMara flagship store in Vancouver, Canada draws inspiration from an elegant and contemporary style, marked by white surfaces and minimalism alternated with the clever use of wood, all heightened and underlined by the lighting scheme. The 260 sq m space, designed by Duccio Grassi Architects, features the Mosaico range from Reggiani with a selection of light sources, including metal halides, halogens and LEDs. Mosaico is equipped with the IOS (Interchangeable Optical System) that allows for an even and flexible distribution of light, adaptable to the specific application needs of all parts of the store.
www.ducciograssiarchitects.com www.reggiani.net
Travel light The lighting scheme at Fortnum & Mason in St Pancras Station, London (Retail Focus, January 2014) is designed to enhance the ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ customer experiences: the quiet pleasure inherent in the ‘tea experience’ scaled to suit the time constraints of the busy traveller. Character pendants create the illusion of being the primary source of light in the store, but the reality is a very integrated approach of light in furniture, explains Clementine Rodgers, designer at Speirs + Major, which was responsible for the lighting solution. The scheme includes suspended white glass globe pendant lights that draw the eye through the space and bracket-mounted luminaires under the arches, which were chosen to tie in with the brass luggage rack rails in the dining area. The store was created in collaboration with Universal Design Studio and opened in November 2013. Major lighting suppliers included iGuzzini, Fagerhult, Lucent, LED Linear, LightGraphix, Rosco, Artemide, Glasshute Limburg. Photography: Speirs & Major / James Newton
www.universaldesignstudio.com www.speirsandmajor.com
Luxury lighting at Heathrow T2 An impressive stretched ceiling membrane in the concourse area of the new luxury retail zone at Heathrow Terminal 2 creates a bright, luminous atmosphere and gives the space its own distinct character. LEDs behind the membrane give an even brightness, creating a homogenous look that mimics daylight. Architect Chapman Taylor worked with Hoare Lea Lighting on the design of the concourse area, which houses units for brands such as Bulgari, Harrods, Paul Smith and Hugo Boss. Heathrow Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal opened in June 2014 following a £2.5 billion transformation.
www.chapmantaylor.com www.hoarelealighting.com
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Opening a new store ? We can supply all your needs in just one delivery... saving you money! Vist our online shop with over a thousand products available and in stock or call our Sales Team today
• Distribution • Shop fittings • Bespoke design • Display systems • Mannequins • Point of sale • Printed bags • Printed hangers
Call now 0844 8009 305 www.theretailfactory.co.uk
The Retail Factory provide a unique...
source · store · deliver “Our team of warehouse professionals will accurately pack the items you require for delivery, getting you everything you need, when you need it and where you need it.”
source · Consolidating your order process
· · · · ·
Store opening and closure service... We can now offer retailers a way to consolidate and simplify the process of new store set-up, the refurbishment of existing stores and the closure of any unwanted locations. Our service removes the organisational and logistical burden during a new store opening, significantly decreasing the stress, hassle and cost involved, allowing you to shift your focus onto the more crucial issues relating to establishing a successful retail environment. We will source all the products you need for your store openings, supplying everything you require from our retail, stationary and back office range of over 40,000 products. We organise the delivery of the items centrally into our 25,000 square foot warehouse, to be stored ready for dispatch to your locations, on the dates you specify. Before dispatch, all the items needed for a particular store are picked and packed onto pallets for delivery to you simultaneously, significantly reducing onsite traffic and the confusion that can be caused by multiple drops from several different suppliers.
Save hassle of dealing with multiple suppliers Significant cost savings Reduce your financial outlay on the project One point of contact for all matters relating to your order Invoicing and administration streamlined
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deliver · Delivering on demand · No ordering in bulk · Distributing to stores, only when required · Fewer deliveries
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Talk to us today call 0844 8009 305 or email enquiries@theretailfactory.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 UK’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.
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Directory
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Design Consultancies
RGB Products 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
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.
We provide a bespoke manufacturing service for Point of Purchase and Exhibition Display products. Using our CNC Router and other machinery, we can prototype and produce your merchandising displays and products.
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, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc
T, 01403 783670 E. sales@rgbproducts.co.uk W. www.rgbproducts.co.uk
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.
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.
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 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, +44 (0) 1179 725168 E. victoria@ignitiondg.com W. www.ignitiondg.com
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: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Balloons & Bunting
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
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.
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Bespoke Display
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service.
CNC Routing
Design Consultancies
Design Consultancies
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) 1858 414275 E. hello@twovisual.co.uk W. www. twovisual.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/TWO_Visual
Display
RGB Products 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.
We provide a bespoke manufacturing service for Point of Purchase and Exhibition Display products. Using our CNC Router and other machinery, we can prototype and produce your merchandising displays and products.
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, 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, 01403 783670 E. sales@rgbproducts.co.uk W. www.rgbproducts.co.uk
T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet
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Directory
Display
Display
Display - Digital
Furniture
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.
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
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.
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: +44(0)113 265 0093 E: sales@concept-data.com W: www.concept-data.com S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
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
Display
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
Display
GDP designs, 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. T: +44 (0)1582 433 771 E: info@gdprojects.eu W: www.gdprojects.eu S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
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. T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
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Display
Display - Digital
Furniture
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.
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
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 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Display
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
Display
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
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
Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
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
Interactive Displays
POP/POS
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.
Impulse are a retail display design and manufacturer, offering our own UK facilities and overseas supply chain if time allows.
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
Lighting
Atrium, established 36 years ago, is the UK’s longest standing independent architectural lighting supplier. Flos, Ilti Luce, LTS and Modular have granted us full exclusivity for the UK and the Republic of Ireland. We specialise in the supply of high quality design-led technical and decorative luminaires to the commercial project market. T: +44 (0)20 7681 9933 E: sales@atrium.ltd.uk W: www.atrium.ltd.uk S. www.twitter.com/Atrium_ltd
POP/POS
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
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.
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
POP Install
POP/POS
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.
100% provides services in the UK & Europe covering:
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
T: +44 (0)161 929 9599 E: dan.williams@100percentgroup.com W: www.100percentgroup.com S. www.twitter.com/ 100percentgroup
• • • • • •
Display Installation POS Updates & Maintenance Store Audits Transport & Warehousing Project Management Online Reporting
Lighting
POP/POS
POP Install
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.
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.
We are the leading retail implementation agency with unrivalled expertise in Installation, Retail Audits, Merchandising and Field Marketing. If you think your campaigns might benefit from a complete service, you should talk to us.
T: 0116 262 5933 E: sales@ledsolutions.co.uk W: www.ledsolutions.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/ LEDSolutionsUK
T: +44 (0)8450 944 699 E: ben.wang@ksf-global.com W: www.ksf-global.com S: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal
T: 0161 486 7878 E: instore@momentuminstore.com W: www.momentuminstore.com S: www.twitter.com/momentuminstore
Lighting
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
POP/POS
POP Install
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.
Our aim is simple: To provide GOLD STANDARD Installation and Merchandising of Display Equipment at competitive prices.
T: 01204 537680 E: display@movetechuk.com W:www.movetechuk.com S. www.twitter.com/movetechuk
Slatwall
T: 0161 941 2239 E: mike.kirchin@plan2install.co.uk W: www.plan2install.co.uk
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service.
Slatwall
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.
T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat
Slatwall
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: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Suspension System
Suspension systems - Simple installation, high carrying weights, automatic height locking device and progressive adjustment, compatible with existing covering and panelling.
T: 020 8446 0161 E: sales@walterlogan.com W: www.walterlogan.com
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Q&A
Lee Broom founded his own label in 2007 and has since gone on to become one of the UK’s leading product and interior designers. A supporter of British manufacturing techniques, Broom designs, manufactures and retails his own collections, collaborates with other brands and designs unique interiors, including stores for Coast and Christian Louboutin. Here, he talks to Retail Focus about his new collection, working out of his comfort zone and focusing on global projects. RF. What drew you to a career in design? LB. I have always worked in a creative environment, having started out in theatre school and then going on to work in the world of fashion. My dad was an artist and taught me how to draw, so I was always sketching as far back as I can remember. I also had an obsession with what kind of house I would live in when I was older and how it would look, so I suppose it was a natural progression for me to move into interior and product design. RF. You opened your first London store towards the end of 2013. Do you have plans to open any further showrooms in the future? LB. Probably not in London but definitely overseas, yes. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your work exactly how you envisaged. You don’t get that so much when your products are sold alongside other designers’ work. You really get the whole picture when you visit our store; it’s an experience rather than just a shopping trip or a specification exercise. RF. You’ve designed interiors for Topman, Coast and Christian Louboutin to name but a few. What do you enjoy about designing for retail? LB. My background was in fashion so it feels very natural to design for fashion retail. I understand clothes, how they should be merchandised and how to shop. RF. Who or what inspires you? LB. It sounds corny but inspiration is everywhere. The minute you lock yourself in a room with a sketch book and the internet it’s game over. I’m most inspired when I’m walking around the streets, looking at the architecture, checking out what people wear. The best ideas hit you when you least expect it. If I’m being more specific then a lot of inspiration comes from fashion. I read a great deal of fashion magazines. I also find that when I work on an interiors project, the concept will often inspire a new product range or vice versa. RF. Tell us about the collections you launched in Milan this year. LB. This year we launched On the Rock glassware collection at Spazio Pontaccio, one of Milan’s leading design boutiques. On the Rock consists of a wine and a champagne glass that combine lead crystal and beautiful Italian Carrara marble. It was great to be part of an exclusive dinner party taking place
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in the windows of the Spazio Pontaccio showroom. Also on show was the Carousel, a contemporary light fitting inspired by the Merry-Go-Rounds found at British fairgrounds in a new polished brass finish. The OLO pendent light was relaunched in matt white and new brushed gold and walnut finishes. We had a new addition to the Fulcrum range of sculptural candlesticks and finally our Half Cut glassware collection, which integrates the unused crystal stoppers from our Decanterlight collection that have been gathering over the years.
RF. What’s been your most ambitious project to date? LB. I would say the Christian Louboutin store we designed in Harrods. At the time it was their biggest store to date. It had their largest edit of product and the introduction of a new bag section. We were also working with a listed building, trying to keep the overall look in keeping with the architecture of Harrods as well as preserving the key Louboutin trademarks while adding something completely new to the scheme. It turned out to be one of my favourite interiors though; often the most challenging projects turn our to be the best and most rewarding. RF. You’ve worked for fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, launched numerous furniture and lighting collections, and designed more than 40 retail, restaurant and bar interiors. What’s next for you? LB. We are working a lot more internationally. We have a number of interiors projects overseas as well as continuing to distribute our products to new territories. We sell in more than 35 countries worldwide so focusing our attention to global projects is key. RF. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in design? LB. Start when you are at university, don’t wait until you have graduated. Dabble in the industry and network early on, start behaving and thinking like a designer and not like a student from the outset and it will put you ahead of the game.
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