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a dash of
Snowsoft Sparkle... www.mtfx.com/vm
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Features Regulars Journey of discovery
Givenchy’s new menswear store in Paris is the perfect intepretation of the brand’s one-of-a-kind style.
Beauty: 10 Savage Alexander McQueen
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38 Shopping centres
Lighting
Leader Diary
13-15 News
17-18 Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe.
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Top of the POPS
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Karl McKeever
25-32 Project Focus
Topshop : Google: Givenchy
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Opinion
Darren Jackson, retail solutions director at APS Group, takes a look at some of the innovations driving the retailtainment trend.
Focus on: Technology
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Q&A
Richard Brownlie-Marshall, creative designer at Pret A Manger, chats to Retail Focus about the evolving design of cafes and eateries, as well as future plans for the brand.
48-56 Products Products and services for the retail industry.
Who will listen to retailers at the 2015 election? Asks Karl.
www.retail-focus.co.uk
Bursting with new ideas The Visual Merchandising and Display Show is celebrating its anniversary next year as it returns to the Business Design Centre for three fabulous days in April. 25 Years of inspiring new ideas 21st to 23rd April 2015 at the Business Design Centre London Stand space very limited Call: 01945 420 068 Email: enquiries@rvmww.com www.vmanddisplay.com
leader
April ‘15 2015 is the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. With this in mind we take a look at recent developments within the retail lighting arena. It seems all-LED solutions are being specified more, as more retailers open up to the advantages of using this type of lighting, such as tighter colour control and increased durability. Spot and track systems are also a lot smaller and sleeker than they used to be, allowing them to be integrated into the store design unobtrusively. Following on from RBTE last month, we focus on technology in this issue. Westfield has introduced its Future Fashions pop-up experience, taking shoppers at White City and Stratford on a journey through a series of digital fashion experiences covering the season’s trends through virtual reality and avatars. March saw Google open its first shop-in-shop within the Currys PC World store on Tottenham Court Road. The outlet allows customers the chance to sample its range of products, including Android phones and tablets, Chromebook laptops and Chromecasts. Google has created an interactive and fun store environment with several unique touches. It’s a complete learning experience, hosting regular classes and events such as tutorials on using Google devices. The digital and physical worlds are certainly coming together more. This year will see a number of new shopping centre developments opening or work beginning. With the likes of Grand Central Birmingham and Mall of Scandinavia scheduled to open later this year, and George Osborne’s pre-election budget including money for regeneration schemes in Brent Cross and Croydon, the shopping centre scene is certainly an evolving one. We take a look at the new developments scheduled for 2015, and what they have to offer the ever-growing savvy shopper. Lyndsey Dennis Editor
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Lyndsey Dennis e. lyndsey@retailfocus.co t. +44 (0)845 680 7405
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diary
Clerkenwell Design Week Clerkenwell, London 19-21 May 2015 The sixth edition of Clerkenwell Design Week returns in May, building on the success of its previous five editions with an impressive mix of cutting-edge installations, exclusive product launches and insights into contemporary design and architecture. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has grown to become one of the most respected events on the global design calendar, with total visitor numbers topping 32,000 in 2014. Set against the historical backdrop of Clerkenwell, the festival will be centred upon leading design showrooms in the neighbourhood as well as four exhibitions: Design Factory, Platform, Detail and Additions. CDWfestival
www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com
May Design Series ExCel, London 17-19 May 2015
NEC Solutions Showcase Vinopolis, London 20-21 May 2015
Printeriors Cologne, Germany 18-22 May 2015
The third edition of the show will bring together five areas — Furniture, Lighting, KBB, Decor and DX. New for 2015 is a complimentary high-level conference and seminar programme that will run throughout the three days of the show. The May Design Series welcomes previously unseen international suppliers alongside the best of new British talent.
Taking place at Vinopolis in London, The NEC Solutions Showcase 2015 provides a unique platform for innovation, presenting best-in-class technology solutions within multiple sectors to demonstrate real-life scenarios to both educate and inspire. NEC also invites visitors to partake in a Vinopolis Wine Tasting Experience, allowing them to discover a world of wine.
Printeriors is designed to highlight the creative possibilities when combining print and interior design. Printeriors will be home to some of the industry’s most creative printers and manufacturers to allow interior designers, architects, buyers, hoteliers and creatives the opportunity to discover how easily print can be incorporated into interior design.
MayDesignSeries
www.maydesignseries.com
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NECShowcase
www.showcase-nec.com
printeriors
www.printeriors.net
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Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen
SAVAGE BEAUTY:
ALEXANDER McQUEEN The V&A’s exhibition, dedicated to the late Lee Alexander McQueen. The Victoria & Albert Museum opened its doors last month to Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen, an exhibition dedicated to the late Lee Alexander McQueen and his breathtaking and inspirational designs. proportion>london created mannequins and bustforms for the exhibition using raw materials, including papier mâché and natural wood. Bonaveri supplied 55 bespoke mannequins. The exhibition opened on 14 March and runs until 2 August 2015, and is a great source of VM inspiration. Originated by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Savage Beauty has been edited and expanded for the V&A’s large exhibition galleries. It features 66 additional garments and accessories, including some rare early pieces lent by private individuals and collectors such as Katy England and Annabelle Neilson, as well as pieces from the Isabella Blow Collection and the House of Givenchy. A new section has been added to the exhibition, focusing on McQueen’s early London collections. Other new garments displayed include a red ballet dress from The Girl Who Lived in the Tree (A/W 2008) and a white feathered dress from The Horn of Plenty (A/W 2009). Gainsbury and Whiting, the production company that collaborated with Alexander McQueen in staging his catwalk shows, has worked with the V&A on the exhibition. Each section captures the essence of McQueen’s provocative, dramatic and extravagant catwalk presentations, through installation, music and film. For example, a dedicated gallery is used to recreate the spectacular moment where Kate Moss appeared in a gown of rippling organza as a holographic 3D image, or Pepper’s Ghost, for the finale of the Widows of Culloden (A/W 2006) catwalk show. Another feature of the exhibition that has been expanded at the V&A is the Cabinet of Curiosities. Presented in a double-height gallery, interspersed with film footage of nearly all of McQueen’s catwalk shows, it showcases designs produced by McQueen in collaboration with fellow creatives such as milliner Philip Treacy and jeweller Shaun Leane. In total, the exhibition includes more than 240 ensembles and accessories, the largest number of individual pieces designed by McQueen and collaborators ever seen together. They range from McQueen’s Central Saint Martins’ postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final designs for A/W 2010, completed after his death, and are drawn primarily from the Alexander McQueen archive in London.
Romantic Naturalism Gallery
Voss
Romantic Exoticism Gallery
Romantic Gothic Gallery
Romantic Primitivism Gallery
Romantic Nationalism Gallery
Cabinet of Curiosities Gallery
London Gallery
Platos Atlantis Gallery Savage Mind Gallery
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, in partnership with Swarovski, supported by American Express, with thanks to M•A•C Cosmetics, technology partner Samsung and made possible with the co-operation of Alexander McQueen, runs from 14 March - 2 August 2015. www.vam.ac.uk/savagebeauty
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news
Selfridges launches gender-neutral concept Selfridges has launched a genderneutral space across three floors of its Oxford Street store in collaboration with designer Faye Toogood. Selfridges is taking its customers on a journey where they can choose to shop and dress without limitations or stereotypes. With a genderless attitude to fashion and styling becoming increasingly mainstream, Selfridges looks at how to evolve and enhance the shopping experience.This transformative shift is reflected through specially conceived and curated collections, as well as the introduction of rethought in-store and online environments. A space where clothing is no longer imbued with directive gender values will enable fashion to exist as a purer expression of ‘Self’.
Westfield launches Future Fashion immersive pop-up experience Earlier this year, Westfield launched its latest dining campaign, The Food Sensation, at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City. Westfield partnered with sensory food consultant Condiment Junkie to create an immersive taste
Toogood has created an interconnected store space across three floors. Mannequins were removed from the windows and the space. Online, menswear, womenswear and unisex pieces are shown on male and female models. Through Agender, the power of clothing will be seen in a new way. Throughout March and April, Selfridges has been working with an agender-setting collective of contributors to bring the project to life in-store and online — through design, music, film, photography and instore conversation. Contributors include designers, photographers, editors, image
makers and stylists. ‘For us, Agender is not about harnessing a trend but rather tapping into a mind-set and acknowledging and responding a cultural shift that is happening now. We will explore the relationship between gender and retail physically, digitally and in all of our stores. The project will act as a test bed for experimentation around ideas of gender — both to allow our shoppers to approach the experience without preconceptions and for us as retailers to move the way we shop fashion forward,’ says Selfridges’ creative director, Linda Hewson.
explosion pop-up experience called Tongue Twister, which demonstrated to visitors how their sense of taste is profoundly influenced by what they see, hear and smell. Travelling through a Willy Wonka-style environment, visitors were immersed in four zoned areas that stimulated the tastebuds. Westfield has since launched Future Fashion in partnership with Inition, which presents a new way of experiencing the season’s trends through technology. At both Westfield London and Stratford City, visitors are taken on a journey through a series of digital fashion experiences covering the season’s most covetable trends: Denim, Floral and Future Modern through virtual reality and avatars. The different areas are distinguished by fitted carpet from MD Flooring Solutions. ‘One of the most interesting topics
today is the impact of the digital world on our everyday lives. Last year, Westfield’s Future Fashion event brought together the best in technology innovation, allowing shoppers an opportunity to immerse themselves in fashion in a new way, says Myf Ryan, Westfield director — UK & Europe. ‘With the evolution of Future Fashion we wanted to explore a more abstract way for our consumers to experience the season’s key trends. From research Westfield conducted we know that shoppers are eager to explore new fashion technologies and are intrigued by new virtual ways to experience it; 52 per cent would use augmented reality in a retail environment and 57 per cent are tempted by virtual mirrors. This event will take our shoppers on an incredible virtual journey, which pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology.’
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news
In brief... Karen Millen has opened a new concept store in Covent Garden, London. The 246 sq m space is located at 2-3 James Street and is home to the retailer’s latest collection as well as some of the most successful in-store concepts from the brand’s flagship stores in New York and Knightsbridge. FENDI has relocated its New York flagship, moving from Fifth Avenue to Madison Avenue. The space, which was previously home to Montblanc, has been designed inside and out by architect Peter Marino. He has taken inspiration from the brand’s Roman background, with the completed design featuring a mix of leather, fur and Travertine. Topshop has opened its first Texas store at The Galleria Houston. It will also be opening the second largest Topshop/ Topman flagship store in the world at 3,716 sq m on New York’s Fifith Avenue this autumn. Burberry is extending its London flagship at 121 Regent Street with a new cafe and gifting area this spring. The cafe is currently under construction at the back of the store on Vigo Street between Regent Street and Savile Row. Macy’s has announced it will open a new Bloomingdale’s Outlet store in autumn 2015 at 2085 Broadway, in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It will be the 14th Bloomingdale’s Outlet store and the first in a major urban centre. Great Portland Estates has pre-let a new flagship retail store at 73/89 Oxford Street to New Look. On completion of the development, anticipated in April 2017, New Look will occupy 2,954 sq m on basement, ground, first and second floors and will take a 20-year lease.
StudioXAG creates Adidas pop-up at Harvey Nichols StudioXAG has designed, produced and installed the new Adidas pop-up in Harvey Nichols, London. The space is clad entirely in cool-toned steel panels and interjected only by super bright prints lifted from Y-3’s SS15 collection, which are blown up to take over selected facades. It effortlessly marries contemporary streetwear with
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Burberry opens first freestanding store in Osaka, Japan
Burberry has opened the doors to its first freestanding store in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Set over two floors, the new store houses the largest Burberry product assortment in Osaka, including the brand’s collection of iconic Made in England trench coats. In-store, digital screens showcase Burberry content and broadcast live
events directly from the brand’s global headquarters in London, enabled by the Burberry retail theatre concept. The store houses womenswear, menswear, accessories, eyewear and watches. To celebrate the opening, a collection of men’s and women’s accessories has been designed exclusively for the Burbery Osaka store. The range includes limited edition versions of key Burberry bag styles. Burberry has a long-term commitment to Japan where it currently has four mainline stores and 13 concessions in locations including Omotesando, Kobe, Ginza Marronnier Dori and Roppongi.
The Handbag Clinic opens on King’s Road A new clinic has opened on London’s King’s Road, with the aim to restore couture accessories to pristine condition. The Handbag Clinic is the first of its kind and the first venture by the company into the high street, which already has an online business. The brainchild of leather repair company Furniture Clinic, The Handbag Clinic repairs and cleans bags, adds zips, mends stitching and can completely change the colour of a bag if required. ‘We knew the space needed to be visually enticing because of the individual concept of the business. The service the business offers is a stand alone concept I hadn’t seen before so I wanted to create an interesting space portraying the company’s story through its design,’ explains Sally Rea, interior designer at Aubery Design who designed the space. The concept that Aubery Design pushed was called A Nightmare on King’s Road, which stemmed from the fact that it’s a woman’s worst nightmare when they have stained their designer leather
industrial materials. The infamous three stripes are exploited to become functional folded shelving, claiming the walls to display footwear, while Y-3 clothing hangs from metal frames. A tall metal locker and high-gloss black bench add a sporty hint, and the Adidas logo stamps the space with metal-on-metal attitude.
handbag. ‘This then inspired me to come up with the colour scheme — a dark palette with metallic features. With the level of skill in this business I wanted the finished products to be on a unit that was so subliminal the bags spoke for themselves. A unit where the bags made the statement. We chose a clear shelving unit and backlit this with lighting and achieved an effective display.’ The exterior front window is designed to stop people in their tracks. ‘To a sharp cut angular wall we added floating stained handbags, an element which I feel is a strong point in the overall design. My theory on this was that people would question the stained bags, not presume the space was a retail shop and wonder what the business was about,’ says Rea.
news
PSCo unveils new Assessment Centre PSCo enjoyed a successful launch of its transformed Assessment Centre in Reading last month. The centre is a great destination for anyone looking for impactful display solutions. It’s the only venue in the UK where you can see large format, video wall, high bright and super high resolution LED display technologies as well as mounting solutions alongside the latest players and processors displayed side by side in an independent environment. Stuart Holmes, CEO of PSCo, says: ‘As well as being able to see the different display offerings side by side, allowing for easy comparison between sizes, resolutions, manufacturers and cost, we have been able to talk to our customers about PSCo services including our unique service centre where we are authorised to service down to component level on any product in the PSCo portfolio.’ To book a tour of the new Assessment Centre, which is open 8.30am - 5.30pm, Monday - Friday, contact PSCo on T: +44 (0)118 372 3300.
APS Group launches Retail Lab APS Group rolled out the red carpet for the opening of its Retail Lab in Cheadle near Manchester on Thursday 26 March. Boris the robot greeted guests as they arrived, and even broke into a sing song to serenade the crowd. Darren Jackson, retail solutions director at APS Group, took to the stage and welcomed visitors, followed by a presentation from the CEO of a leading high street retailer. Visitors were then divided into a series of groups, hosted by APS Group staff, and shown around the new facility and shown various presentations and technology demos. As well as being able to interact with some of the most innovative technologies of
the moment, attendees were guided through some of the hot topics in the world of retail technology and digital, ranging from biometrics and the role of digital signage to in-store communications. One discussion in particular focused on the ever-growing need for social media to be incorporated into marketing strategy, since there are now currently 7.8bn social media users around the world. One of the particular highlights for many attendees was found in the company’s Reveal Room, which showcased the journey APS Group undertook with Superdrug and also revealing the progress the company has made with its Ford project.
Foyles flagship scoops BREEAM Award The new Foyles flagship at 107 Charing Cross Road, London has won the Retail – Refurbishment & Fit-Out category at the BREEAM Awards 2015. The BREEAM Awards celebrate the best in sustainable construction and recognise the achievement of those involved in the specification, design, construction and management of BREEAM certified buildings. Hilson Moran was the BREEAM assessor and building services engineer for the project, which achieved a BREEAM Excellent score of 73.4 per cent in 2014. The refurbished store was designed by architect Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, and has 3,437 sq m of retail space, housing a range of more than 200,000 different titles spread across four floors, and is the largest bookshop to have opened in the UK so far this century. The building features a retained facade that has been thermally upgraded with new high performance windows, as well as exposed thermal mass, which enhances comfort and helps to smooth the temperature swings as crowds of visitors enter the store throughout the day. Air source heat pumps also provide low carbon heating and cooling to retail spaces. In addition, a large PV array and green roof was also provided.
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It’s our birthday and you’re all invited Free champagne reception Celebrating 25 years of creativity for free at the Café de Paris London on Wednesday 22nd April 2015 from 7pm – 12am Join in the celebrations and contact us for tickets: Call: 01945 420 068 Email: enquiries@rvmww.com
visual merchandising
Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe
FENDI
Image: Copyright Francis Peyrat
Printemps As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, Printemps invited 11 artists from France and abroad to interpret the 11 legendary windows of the department store on Boulevard Haussmann. Pictured is Mia Pearlman’s window, in which Printemps asked the designer to create an installation using its theme, Pantone Rubine red (a shade of hot pink) and flowers. Pearlman chose to interpret the theme through one of her main inspirations, Japanese Rinpa screen printing. Cherry blossoms are a common motif and symbol of spring in Japanese art, and the Printemps anniversary coincided perfectly with the first cherry blossoms in Paris. ‘I used some of the cut paper pieces from my 2012 installation ONE at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, and created new cut paper forms resembling pink cherry blossoms, which I folded on site to become three dimensional. The idea was a winter storm blowing through and leaving spring in its midst,’ explains Pearlman.
FENDI has collaborated with Analogia project, founded by designer Andrea Mancuso and architect Emilia Serra. The design is a reinterpretation of the Palazzo Della Civiltà Italiana Building, also known as Square Coliseum, and FENDI signatures, visually characterised by a strong graphic and the use of precious materials in unexpected and ironic ways.
Faberge at Harrods JUSTSO commissioned Projection Artworks to produce the digital content and project element for Faberge’s Easter window at Harrods. JUSTSO’s Stuart Henry and his team conceived the idea of a virtual egg. They visualised an interactive projection show on a 1.5m 3D egg-shaped model. The installation was part of a five-window display and also incorporated an interactive touch screen element to showcase Faberge’s fine jewellery designs.
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visual merchandising
Coach These Baseman takeover windows by Coach for its spring/ summer collection feature at Bleecker Street, New York and Bond Street, London. The characters imagined by Baseman, Buddy and Buster, mischieviously take over the window space, wrecking havoc and at the same time introduce the new collection collaborated with Coach’s creative director, Stuart Vevers.
Bentalls For its Home Event, Bentalls decided to promote newness and feature several of the brands it stocks, rather than promoting discounts and offers. The windows are 6m wide so were broken down into smaller display spaces with the use of vinyl on the glass and dividing walls inside.
Warehouse Dyson at John Lewis Harlequin Design’s scheme for the new Dyson Humidifer at John Lewis is a timely launch for the National Allergy Week in April. The brief was to raise awareness and demonstrate the benefits of the Dyson Hygienic Mist in alleviating allergy symptoms. Harlequin has broken the scheme into three segments: Baby Mobile, communicating the message of a good night’s sleep with the reference to counting sheep, rotating around the Dyson Humidifer in the form a baby mobile; Dandelion Installation comprising neon lights in the shape of dandelion seedlings being blown away around the Dyson Humidifer implying the deduction in allergies with the use of a humidifer; and Mist Wall featuring a backlit panel to recreate the hydrated mist projected by the Dyson Humidifer, resulting in a more hygienic home environment.
Blacks has designed, produced and installed the Warehouse SS15 campaign on London’s Oxford Street and Argyll Street. Blacks worked in conjunction with the Warehouse creative team on the scheme, which features an abundant array of live Californian desert inspired succulent plants, housed within a matrix of bespoke raw timber stacked lit frames. The relaxed mix of raw materials set against a backdrop of layers of succulent plants creates a natural and elegant theme that complements the army of mannequins.
See more window installations on the blog: Photography: WindowsWear Pro
www.retail-focus.co.uk/blog
Topshop The Topshop and Topman flagship store at White City, London features a lighting installation concept where the slim long length LED lights were equispaced at a unified length across the entire high level fascia of the window. Blacks designed, manufactured and installed the window in collaboration with the Topshop creative team to produce a striking window installation using white LED lights only with a splash of summer colour across the graded wall finish. On the ground level, platinum bobbed Topshop mannequins are staggered throughout the window on clear acrylic and wood plinths filled with a series of angled LED light tubes.
Saks SFD collaborated with Saks to design, sculpt and make these arms for its Fifth Avenue Disney Cinderella windows. The arm was designed to be princely in its look and feel. It mounts directly into the wall and the ruffle by the hand is removable so they can be reused for different promotions. SFD made in excess of 1,400 arms and pillows and developed a special fitting so that the pillow would sit perfectly on the hand, and the shoe also has a housing for it to sit perfectly in the middle of the cushion.
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global-display.co
POP
p o t POPS e h t f o
Company: Chameleon Visual
Client: Diptyque
Display title: Diptyque Concession, Selfridges
Sector: Candles and Fragrance
Location: Lower Ground Floor, Selfridges, Oxford Street, London
The brief:
Photography: Melvyn Vincent
Moving the Diptyque concession in Selfridges to a larger matt on the lower ground floor meant designing an impactful yet recognisable space for the brand. Taking inspiration from the new 34 collection and the updated store concept, the brief was to refresh the existing cabinets to create a bold statement with the use of wallpapers and different materials.
The result: Chameleon Visual created handcrafted oak cabinets with a black lacquer ombrĂŠ paint finish, gold hardware and an oversized wallpaper print housed on the back wall. The back wall treatment is applied with magnets, meaning that the artwork can be changed over easily when required. The gold hardware and gloss finish on the units gives a luxurious feel to the space, with a small seating area for consultations with the brand specialists.
www.chameleonvisual.co.uk
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...TO MAKE A RETAIL FABRIC LIGHTBOX 22
Q&A column
Karl McKeever government; good for shoppers and for the good of the country overall. But instead of just demands, I believe in giving something back. Here are a few retail marketing best practice pointers that I’d like to suggest for those electoral candidates to use to help sell themselves better to the electorate, regardless of political colours.
Who will listen to retailers at #election2015? This time in 2010 I was invited to Newsnight on the eve of the election to speak about how the retail psychologies of the polling station can impact on people’s decisions in the polling booth — a train of thought that began here in my Retail Focus column. As we approach Election 2015, I’ve been thinking about policy changes and improvements that the next government should be considering. In short, things that will help UK retail to get back on its feet and compete again with some gusto. So for what it’s worth, here are some worthwhile additions to any manifesto. Firstly, I think that retailers are in direct need of some rental relief, especially given that the rules for online and bricks and mortar retailers are at best unbalanced. Online brands can move to cost effective distribution hubs with cheaper rates — bricks and mortar retailers can’t and have to trade where footfall and rents are high. Aside of the commercial benefit to the country of supporting bricks and mortar retailers, it’s also crucial to tackle as part of regenerating towns and cities and restoring social heart to urban areas, which in turn helps to prevent both crime and degeneration. Generous support is given to start-up businesses in other fields in the form of supported hubs with subsidised expert advisors on hand, group purchased utilities and access to grant funding and the like. Could this work in the form of a specialist retail zone, for fledgling UK, food, drinks, apparel and general merchandise producers, run under the same principles? Parties could also consider reduced VAT on the purchase of certain retail improvement or growth services. Whilst we are on the subject of payments, parties could also champion the enforced fair payment terms for SMEs that I’ve discussed in recent columns. I think the first government to address the issue of affordable and accessible parking in our town and city centres will receive a surge in popularity from the retail and shopper communities. For me, parking is just another tax on consumers and one that’s rarely equally applied. A fairer, lower cost and more consistent approach is required across the country from both on and off road providers. This could mean ‘funding’ parking as part of retail regeneration zones from cash provided centrally to the local government. That’s what I would champion for retail from an incoming Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.
Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co www.visualthinking.co.uk
Branding — nowadays, all parties have become less effective at this, in that during the process of ‘modernising’ and reaching out to all they have lost clarity, impact and consistency of their messages. Those that get this right have a great opportunity to gain political advantage and of course to create a winning brand. Leafletting — in my experience, these are generally truly awful communication tools that are developed locally by candidates. Poorly written and with confusing, amateurish results — in the worst instances they are ‘brand’ damaging. Typically, retailers don’t value this anymore, switching to more effective digital-based campaigns.
Advertising — as grocers prove weekly, outdoor media can be a very effective medium when the message is clear and easy to understand, and the media is positioned well at a good size and where it can be seen and is linked to other advertising messages in digital, print and broadcast campaigns. The reality is that few political candidates think or act like a grocer in this field. Largely, election advertising is fragmented and lacks clarity and impact. It’s simple really — chicken ad in the paper and online. Chicken ad in the Sunday mag. Chicken ad on TV. Chicken ad instore. Chicken in the shopping basket and home! It really isn’t that hard to take a voter on this path. If you’re a candidate, stand for something and reflect that clearly in your brand, advertise and market consistently and make the ‘sale’ of a vote when the voter is ‘in-store’ at the polling station.
Candidate recognition — candidates need to wear outfits to belong to and be recognised as part of the brand. Parties need to agree the dress code and insist that everyone gets behind it. All politicians regularly confuse the voters by wearing the other parties’ colours! Over time the BBC News team has learnt to ‘wear the code’ and do this skillfully (and stylishly), in a way that expresses individuality with BBC visibility. A tie policy, at the very least, with some freedom of personal expression within the rules. My parting message to all parties this election is to not forget high street retail’s value to both the economy and social cohesion. As I think I’ve shown, the candidates can learn a lot about how to win votes from retailers, and they should remember that retail has become so good at marketing, as only the strongest and savviest brands survive and thrive on the high street at the minute. Whilst I never wish to see these retail marketing skills soften, it would be great to see the UK’s bricks and mortar retailers get at least a little break from the new government come May.
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TOPSHOP de Kalverstraat, Amsterdam Design: rpa:group Opening date: February 2015 Store size: 1,170 sq m
In February, Topshop and Topman opened its debut European flagship store on the bustling shopping street of de Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. The brand already has various concession stands present within department stores across France, Germany and the Netherlands, but felt now is the right time to begin persuing European expansion with the presence of its own stand alone stores, starting with Amsterdam. The three-storey site is situated at the previous location of bookstore de Slegte. ‘The design brief centred on achieving the normal dynamic Topshop and Topman store environment in a tricky/narrow Amsterdam site. We had to move the brand environment forward as always, tailor the components to suit the streetscape of Amsterdam and make it easy for customers to move between ground, first and basement floors,’ explains Ben Phillips, part of the Store Design department at Topshop. ‘The site, as is typical with retail in Amsterdam, is long and narrow. This presented a challenge as to how to fit in our normal room set features. However, it ended up helping us to create a separate boutique feel to the shop-in-shop spaces.’ The shopfront is divided into three sections, sympathetic of the building’s entire facade and historical background. The shopfront design comprises white aluminium goalposts and large, clear glazing panels to be minimalist but striking, offering open views into the store. The interior layout offers customers more space to browse the collections. Exposed brick walls have been white washed or covered with pale wooden panelling to reflect a clean and minimalistic feel.
As Holland is a big lover of denim, the store features more of the brand’s casual wear, including more space for its denim range. ‘The colour palette of the store is deliberately composed to create contrasts,’ explains Phillips. ‘Shiny metal alongside rough brick finishes. Coloured glass alongside wide timber planks. These materials help to create this contrast, and the juxtaposition of these materials creates an energy and supports the fashion authority of the brands.’ In partnership with Arcadia Group, rpa:group’s interior architecture team designed a space that offers a variety of spacial and atmospheric environments, depending on gender and product. This is to clearly identify the different Arcadia fashion destinations within the store. Collection rooms have been created
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within the space by careful use of finishes and lighting. The existing building offered up a number of design challenges, including linking the rear building at ground floor by raising the existing floor levels. Two feature staircases lead from the basement to the first floor and feature white, slimline steel sheet balustrades, brushed stainless steel handrails and nosing details, a ceramic tile floor finish and LED striplighting to the underside. The basement houses Topman, while Topshop ranges including Beauty, Boutique and Premium are located on the other two floors. The first floor features Topshop’s shoe collections, accessories and lingerie departments, with Topshop Beauty located on the ground floor where make-up consultants are on hand to provide expert beauty advice. The ground floor houses the brand’s complementary stylist service, which offers a dedicated team of fashion experts ready to offer styling tips and advice on an appointment basis. This service includes private fitting rooms as well as a lounge area with refreshments, offering customers a premium and bespoke shopping experience. ‘The launch of our first European store is the start of a very exciting expansion plan across the continent,’ explains Sir Philip Green, chairman of the Arcadia Group. ‘Amsterdam is an international city, with a burgeoning new fashion district and style conscious customer, so it feels like the right time to be here.’ Phillips concludes: ‘The location is exactly where Topshop and Topman should be. There is a great energy to the street and incredible footfall. Also, the customer demographic in Amsterdam is a perfect fit for the brands. Amsterdam is already a great retail destination. We hope that Topshop and Topman’s introduction into the market adds something new to this destination.’
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GOOGLE Tottenham Court Road, London Design: In-house Opening date: March 2015 Store size: 85 sq m
Google has opened its first ever shop-in-shop within the Currys PC World store at 145-149 Tottenham Court Road, London. Named the Google shop, the outlet offers customers the chance to sample Google’s range of Android phones and tablets, Chromebook laptops and Chromecasts, and learn about how they work together from one device to the next. Visitors also have the chance to play with the brand’s software tools and apps in a completely unique and interactive way. The shop will host regular classes and events, including tutorials on using Google devices and teaching the understanding of how different devices work together to enable a more connected lifestyle. Virtual Space Camps are offered to teach children the basics of coding, and teachers will be invited to Open House events to keep up to speed on the free educational tools on offer from Google. James Elias, the UK marketing director for Google, elaborates: ‘The pace of innovation of the devices we all use is incredible, yet the way we buy them has remained the same for years. With the Google shop, we want to offer people a place where they can play, experiment and learn about all of what Google has to offer; from an incredible range of devices to a totally-connected, seamless online life. We think it’s a genuinely unique try-beforeyou-buy experience.’ To provide a key focal point for the shop, AV integrator Pixel Projects installed a Portal (formally Liquid Gallery) with software
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development partner End Point. The large-scale panoramic display provides users with a truly immersive experience. Visitors can use a joystick mechanism to dive into any point of the earth, land or sea via Google maps. For budding artists, Pixel Projects also installed the Google Doodle wall, in close partnership with Deeplocal. The wall features a digital spray can, allowing users to create virtual art on a largescale surface. There’s also a Chromecast Pod where customers can enjoy Google Play Movies, YouTube and more, all cast through a Chromecast dongle that converts any TV into a smart TV. Ainsley Sykes, senior project manager for Currys PC World, explains the retailer’s delight at working with Google: ‘We’re delighted to partner with Google in bringing a world-first retail experience to one of our stores. This will be a new and innovative way for customers to engage in-store, interacting with the immersive technology as well as having fun while learning. Google experts will be on hand to maximise the experience for users and provide help and support around the Google eco system. This fantastic space complements the interactive and informative environment we aim to create for customers visiting all of our stores.’ Two more bigger stores are planned to open in Currys PC World’s Fulham and Thurrock Megastores.
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GIVENCHY rue des Archives, Paris Design: In-house Opening date: March 2015 Store size: 465 sq m Givenchy has opened a new menswear store in the heart of the fashionable Le Marais neighbourhood in Paris. Spanning 465 sq m, it’s the perfect intepretation of the brand’s one-of-a-kind style. For this boutique, Riccardo Tisci, creative director of Givenchy, has designed a bold and unique setting that resonates with the creative and cosmopolitan Le Marais district, complementing the 1950s architecture of the building. This is the first Givenchy store wholly designed by the brand’s creative director. Each space in the two-level store features a slightly different aesthetic,
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expressing the transgressive and exceptional world of Tisci, who’s collections are inspired by his travels. Just like a patchwork, the store brings together contrasting spaces that invite visitors to travel through the different worlds that the fashion house offers its male clientele. Deeply anchored in the brand’s DNA, the concept boasts a wealth of contradictions — a blend of street style and aristocratic elegance — and presents a perfect mix of fine and raw materials; haute couture embodied in architecture. Tisci created a range of atmospheres, which he describes as a ‘chic elegant’ entry salon adorned with dark, polished wood and green silk walls; an all-white space paved in white subway tiles, and a suite of grittier rooms upstairs, with walls left raw but the point de Hongrie flooring buffed to a high shine. Throughout are select furnishings, including a giant persian carpet laid out in one room, awaiting the arrival of a Givenchy fall collection that
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bears similar tapes-try patterns. The store is constructed like an avant-garde fashion gallery, contrasting fine materials, marble, wood and silk marmorino and a streamlined designed with raw materials such as concrete. A copper-coloured facade, flanked by the brand’s iconic logo, grabs the attention of passers by. The store reflects Tisci’s personal
passion for interiors and landmark Italian designers from the 1960s and 1970s. The choice of location in Le Marsais, a historic and iconic Parisian neighbourhood, reflects the House of Givenchy’s codes — a district that is cultural, urban and refined in one. More men’s stores are planned to open in both New York and Milan, as well as a London store set for 2016.
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ILLUMINATING THE POSSIBILITIES
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Galeria Melissa, London. Photography by Melvyn Vincent
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lighting
2015: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT With 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, it seems fitting we take a look at what’s new in this thriving sector. The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. With the mention of energy efficiency, LEDs immediately spring to mind. Hardy Amies on Savile Row features an all-LED lighting solution by IlluminationWorks. This was its first all-LED retail lighting scheme in London, and utilises TM Lighting equipment. ‘Many of our high-end retail clients simply insist on more standard sources, such as metal halide and halogen, because they don’t want to risk the shop nor merchandise looking flat,’ says Chad Rains, managing
been possible in the past,’ says David Giddings, business development manager of Reggiani UK. ‘The requirement and the expectation from the retailer is now much more specific and this can easily be achieved with good lighting placement and control. This includes outlets from clothing retailers to car showrooms, all of whom require a high level of colour rendering that will show merchandise at its very best and home stores that are wanting to create a more homely feel. Atmospheric lighting is now a reality and not a wish. We are also seeing the need for more zone lighting and even night lighting is becoming more important to the retailer.’ Giddings notes an increased uptake in retailers wanting a simple-to-use yet comprehensive dimming solution that
Left: IlluminationWorks specified an all-LED solution for Hardy Amies, Savile Row. Photographer: Ed Reeve
director of IlluminationWorks. The company has proved with Hardy Amies that an allLED scheme works, and well. ‘The quality, power, colour rendition, and especially the optics available can now be relied upon in spotlights to create the high-contrast environments required. Linear LED quality has been there for quite some time, so we are excited to finally tell our clients yes, it can be done.’ Reggiani has seen clients embrace LEDs. ‘We have found that the new generation LED chips are allowing us to offer the retailer and its customer a new shopping experience that has never
will complement the in-store lighting. ‘Manufacturers are now teaming up with lighting control companies to provide a one-stop-shop that will allow clients to discuss their individual needs with one dedicated person who will create a scheme to meet exact requirements. With such sophisticated lighting now available, the retailer has much more choice, flexibility and control of individual lighting schemes.’ While some retailers want to move to an entirely LED lit store, without looking at the pros and cons, many seek to retain the overall look and feel that traditional lighting has offered in the past, while being able to save money, believes John Phillips, managing director at Optelma Lighting. ‘This means there has been an increase in demand for LED lighting with high CRI levels, such as the Xicato Artist range. Manufacturers are obliging by developing tighter colour control, increased durability and more technically advanced products, as these could be used for many years without the need to change.’ Technology, for example wireless monitoring and control from devices such
as smart phones, has been available for some time. Now, larger manufacturers are starting to look at this as a possible standard option for the future. ‘48V technology offers a fresh look at the track and spot combination,’ says Phillips. Being smaller they can blend into the environment or can be hidden away, so viewers can see the effect of the light, not the source. 48V track can be curved and spots controlled by one remote driver positioned a distance away. Individual DALI addressing built into the light and not the driver is just one of the exciting developments ahead. Ben Porter, lighting designer at Hoare Lea Lighting, has noticed a move away from the bland, white box. ‘Lighting is increasingly used to create drama and to change the mood within a space, from moody to bright. There has also been a move away from the colour changing elements that used to mix on an endless cycle. Now, when colour is used it’s more subtle and minimalist, adding interest discreetly.’ When employing innovative design techniques to lure customers back onto the high street and into stores, a lighting designer ‘needs to be a consumer pyschologist, directing the moods and emotions of customers to drive behaviour, and also a marketing magician, employing the latest technology to support retailers in their drive for sales,’ believes Paul Nulty, founder of Paul Nulty Lighting Design. He says trends in fashion retail lighting also fluctuate according to consumer demographic. ‘High contrast and drama of light ratios of up to 20:1 creating dark and moody interiors for young shoppers have now been decreased 5:1 to accommodate the spectrum of ages in light of the more youthful 30-something demographic consumers.’ Hiroto Toyoda, senior designer at Speirs & Major Associates, believes the exciting advancements in LED technology offer great opportunities. ‘The lightsource itself is becoming smaller and more efficient. This allows the luminaires to be smaller, more innovative and intelligent. Through clever use of optical lenses and reflectors, the light can be directed and focused where
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lighting you need it to be, improving efficiency. Adjustable beam LED spotlights are particularly useful for retail projects. Also, there are many LED systems that offer a dynamic white solution where the colour temperature of light can be tuned.’ Toyoda says always consider light as a fundamental building material as early in the design process as possible. Don’t allow lighting to become a cosmetic layer that gets applied at the last minute. ‘It can help enhance the customer journey and create a memorable immersive experience. Good lighting design can also strengthen the identity and awareness of a brand. To this end, the key question that the retailers should be asking themselves is ‘How do we want the customers to perceive our merchandise, journey through our store and experience our brand?’ and not ‘What pendant light shall we use?’ Aside from quality, energy, carbon emissions and cost of ownership, a far more exciting aspect of modern lighting technology is its potential role on our increasingly connected world. Something that Paul Goodall, director of retail lighting at Philips, is excited about: ‘Imagine the insights from tracking lighting choices and behaviours. Improvements could be made simply by conducting a quick analysis of lighting settings versus customer behaviour. A better understanding of how light levels and scenes can influence the sales of a certain product could be revealed or how adjusting the lighting influences customer behaviour around the holidays, increases or directs foot traffic, or even enhance product sales. In the end, connected lighting systems can help you use information to
create targeted, illuminated experiences that positively impact results and change outcomes.’ He says an indoor positioning system can also be used to send packing and re-stocking orders directly to staff in the warehouse or store, making order picking and shelf stacking more accurate and
straightforward. Store managers can also assign tasks and adjust employee activity more efficiently by using this real-time information. ‘Lighting has a key role to play in our digital evolution and this is where we need to start thinking beyond illumination.’
Above: Optelma’s Pavia 5 adjustable recessed LED spotlight supplies ambient and accent lighting throughout the two floors at LA MARTINA on Jermyn Street, London. Photo courtesy of LA MARTINA / Photo credit: aardvark360.co.uk
Paul Nulty’s top tips Above : Speirs & Major’s concept for Fortnum
• Start with the brand philosophy and use light to reinforce it.
& Mason at King’s Cross St Pancras enhances both the slow and fast customer experiences in store.
• Ask the question, ‘What do we want the customers to feel?’ • With a flexible lighting scheme, always ensure the visual merchandising team is trained to refocus the light when products move/the store changes. • Always consider glare and ensure luminaires are unobtrusive. • Always consider the design life of the store and whether LED is worthy the additional spend; when making a decision, consider metal halide sources compared to others.
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Photographer: James Newton.
Below: Hoare Lea Lighting designed a vibrant
Above: Paul Nulty Lighting Design developed
lighting scheme for Victoria Place, London.
the lighting concept for Matchesfashion.com’s
Photography – Redshift
store in Wimbledon Village.
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shopping centres
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE Today, shopping centres offer a complete experience, combining shopping, dining and entertainment under one roof. We look at some recent developments and new ones scheduled to open in 2015. With the likes of Grand Central Birmingham and Mall of Scandinavia scheduled to open later this year, and George Osborne’s pre-election budget including money for regeneration schemes in Brent Cross and Croydon, the shopping centre scene is certainly an evolving one. The progression of shopping centres as must-visit destinations has seen malls incorporate a variety of activities — dining areas, cinemas, bowling, arcades and special play areas for children. It’s more than just a visit to the shops; it’s a whole day out filled with dinner and entertainment. 2015 will see a number of new retail and entertainment destinations opening.
Birmingham This year sees the biggest shake up in retail in Birmingham since the Bullring opened in 2003. Innovative malls are being built, new stores are coming and the old centres are going through transformation so they can both complement and compete with the new developments. The Mailbox will open its redeveloped retail space in phases from July, culminating in a celebration event in September. Harvey Nichols at the Mailbox is currently undergoing a major renovation by Sterling Prize winner Stanton Williams, and the store is also doubling in size. Grand Central Birmingham is due for completion in the second half of the year. The development will be home to more than 40 premium fashion and lifestyle shops, including a 23,225 sq m John Lewis anchor store, alongside 20 cafes and restaurants. The Pavilions was once Birmingham’s prestige shopping centre but has lost some retailers due to the competition in the area. Shops still operating include Laura Ashley, Moss Suit Company, L’Occitane, H&M and Evans, with an opening to Marks and Spencer at the end. Primark bought the centre last year with plans to create a four-floor superstore. Resorts World is thought to be the biggest leisure and entertainment destination in the UK and the whole of Western Europe. The development is located adjacent to the NEC and will include 50 shops, a hotel, spa, restaurants, bars, casino and 11-screen cinema.
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Mall of Scandinavia Scheduled to open in autumn 2015, Unibail-Rodamco’s Mall of Scandinavia offers a high level range of shops, restaurants and services. Here, shopping is combined with entertainment, restaurants, cinema and service in a way that is completely one-of-a-kind for the Swedish market. The 100,000 sq m development will comprise 230 stores and 22 restaurants. Flagship stores will include Sweden’s first ever Disney store, Superdry and the first ever Michael Kors in a Swedish shopping centre. Others include H&M which will take three stores, Cos and Starbucks. It will also house a 6,000 sq m Åhléns department store across two levels. Popular Swedish supermarket Hemköp will also take a unit, alongside the country’s only liquor store, Systembolaget, and ICA grocery. The Designer Gallery will be a dedicated area for contemporary and premium retailers.
shopping centres intu Milton Keynes Plans to remodel and transform parts of intu Milton Keynes have been unveiled. Proposals from intu for the prime 39,948 sq m shopping centre will, according to the company, see one of the most significant retail and leisure developments that central Milton Keynes has seen in more than a decade. Work focuses on remodelling the centrally connected Midsummer Boulevard area. A new dining quarter, over two levels, will deliver a choice of places to eat in a relaxed and comfortable environment. A five-screen boutique cinema will provide an alternative cinema experience with luxurious seating and high quality food offer. External green public spaces will provide a platform for community events and entertainment as well as a relaxing area for lunchtime workers and families, retaining intu Milton Keynes’ position at the heart of the community.
Croydon Over the next few years, the Croydon Partnership will transform the town’s two main shopping centres, Whitgift and Centrale, into a retail and leisure destination that will reposition Croydon as a key place to shop, work and live in south London. The London Borough of Croydon has resolved to grant planning permission to the Croydon Partnership’s outline planning application for the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre, marking a significant step forward in Westfield’s and Hammerson’s plans to regenerate Croydon’s retail town centre.
The Broadway Bradford Owned by Meyer Bergman with Westfield acting as the development partner, The Broadway in Bradford is a £260m development located in the heart of the city. Work began at the end of 2013, with the shopping centre scheduled for completion at the end of 2015. It will comprise 52,954 sq m of floor space, with 70 retail units anchored by Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Next.
Westgate Oxford
Meadowhall, Sheffield
In March, the Westgate Oxford Alliance, a joint venture between Land Securities and The Crown Estate, confirmed the appointment of Laing O’Rourke as the principal contractor for Westgate Oxford. Chapman Taylor has been appointed as the delivery architect on the new £440m retail and leisure development. The 74,300 sq m scheme will create a contemporary retail environment in four separate building blocks surrounded by new public routes and spaces. It will include more than 100 stores, 25 restaurants and cafes, a boutique cinema and rooftop terrace dining.
Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield will undergo a £50m refurbishment programme to the mark its 25th anniversary. Work will begin later this year and finish in 2017, and will create distinct districts within the centre, each with a different finish including wood and punctured metal. The works will also enable a number of retailers to install double-height shop fronts. Other plans include new way finding, mall seating and lighting, as well as a dramatic lighting artwork.
Brent Cross Cricklewood Brent Cross Cricklewood is a planned new town centre development in Cricklewood by Hammerson and Standard Life. The development will include 7,500 homes, 370,000 sq m of offices, four parks, transport improvements and a 55,000 sq m extension of Brent Cross Shopping Centre. As well as a much wider range of shops, the site will comprise new evening entertainment to provide the area with a thriving night time economy, including a cinema, dining options and a network of covered streets and spaces.
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show review
FRESH THINKING
Retail Design Expo made its debut at Olympia in March, alongside Retail Business Technology Expo. We bring you some of the highlights. Aisles were bustling, seminars were packed out with people standing round the edges and plenty of networking was done at the debut Retail Design Expo in March. Live demonstrations at VM Live! drew in a healthy crowd, while visitors could explore the Future Laboratory Trends Lab where they enjoyed one-to-one sessions with forecasters and analysts to explore trends that are set to impact on the sector. Students were recognised for their achievements at the Student Design Awards. Students from four colleges took part in the competition, with those from Northumbria University and Nottingham Trent University working on a brief set by John Lewis. Ted Baker set a brief for students from Kingston University and Ravensbourne. David Daziel of Dalziel & Pow and Tim Greenhalgh of Fitch had the task of judging the entrants. Zoe Baker from Kingston University won the entry for Ted Baker and Victoria Blizzard of Nottingham Trent won the John Lewis category. Design creatives exhibiting at the show had definitely created some show-stopping
Stylographics won the SDEA’s Best Stand Award Dalziel & Pow’s interactive stand Aspecta demonstrated its line of commercial flooring Progress Lighting launched its Masterspot 2 track fitting
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show review stands, with Stylographics winning the SDEA’s Best Stand Award. Panache chose to let its new Skye flying mannequin speak for itself and take centre stage on its stand; a scheme that definitely paid off in terms of making an impact. Global Display’s Pashion mannequins with gold detailing and huge bright orange wigs certainly made you stop in your tracks. Dalziel & Pow created an interactive exhibition stand demonstrating how appropriate technology can be used to engage and create shareable content. Screen-printed illustrations sprung to life when touched, uncovering a host of playful animations, data feeds and sounds. Annie Swift, event director of Retail Design Expo, says the event has enjoyed a high level of rebookings and is set to double in size in 2016. Both Retail Design Expo and RBTE attracted a healthy figure of 12,049 visitors, with more than 1,500 attending from overseas. Martin Trevillion, senior creative and development designer at JD Sports, summed up the show: ‘There’s a really good selection of materials and suppliers and also the designers as well, which is quite interesting to see what they’re doing in the design world.’ The next show takes place on 9-10 March 2016.
Rare Basic’s sleek blue and white theme stood out
The show featured an extensive seminar programme Nathan King, head of visual at Warehouse, and Chris Browne, principal at Brown Studio, collecting their Store Concept 2014 awards on the Retail Focus stand
Armourcoat launched its Rusteel decorative effect
Global Display’s eye-catching Pashion mannequins strike a pose
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show review
SOURCE OF INNOVATION Highlights from Retail Business Technology Expo in March.
Now in its fifth year, Retail Business Technology Expo settled into its new home at Olympia, London, moving from Earls Court. This year’s event featured a major addition in the form of new show Retail Design Expo running alongside. There was a clear divide between the two shows, running as separate entities yet still complementing each other. Every inch of floor space at RBTE was booked out at the 2015 show. Even the BBC felt it important to attend the event, reporting from the show floor about new innovations such as retail robots. Visitors were able to see more than 450 exhibitors under one roof, in addition to the extensive educational programme. Two seminar rooms offered a wide variety of seminars running across the two-day event, which seemed to work better than the seminar spaces on the exhibiton floor in previous years at Earls Court. A multitude of topics were discussed, including multichannel, payment systems, maximising customer engagement and convenience, RFID, the 21st century shopping experience and virtual technology. New features included the Eye on Innovation programme, where a committee of industry experts selected the best innovations that RBTE exhibitors had to offer. The eCommerce Bootcamps made a welcome return, with retailers spilling out into the aisles to hear the expert advice on offer.
‘RBTE is a great place to come and see the latest developments in technology, to understand the way retail’s going and the way technology can take retail. It’s a great way of getting a lot of information in a short space of time,’ says John Boyle, chief operating officer at Ann Summers, speaking at the event. Tim Linsell, IT Delivery Manager at John Lewis, agrees: ‘RBTE is a really valuable opportunity for a company like John Lewis to be able to come and see all of the suppliers together in one place and actually get hands on with the technology and see what’s available and what we can use in our stores.’ Matt Bradley, event director of RBTE, says: ‘Due to the phenomenal success of RBTE and the record rebook onsite and the clamour of interest from visiting suppliers to be part of next year’s event, the floorplan for RBTE 2016 has grown by over 30 per cent, with some very exciting new features and developments in-store.’ Next year’s show takes place on 9-10 March 2016.
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opinion
THE ART OF RETAILTAINMENT What do robotics, coffee shops and yoga classes all have in common? Darren Jackson, retail solutions director at APS Group, takes a look at some of the innovations driving the retailtainment trend. Square footage is a precious commodity in retail, with prime locations such as Oxford Street known to fetch as much as £700 per sq ft. Understandably, retailers often come under pressure to deliver ‘bang for buck’ in every inch of space and create a stimulating environment that encourages shoppers to enter the store, make a purchase and crucially, return again. Similarly, retailers are all too aware of the importance in keeping the customer in the store for longer. The growth of click-and-collect is a prime example of brands encouraging the e-customer to enter the bricks and mortar environment. Once in the store, the retailer has the opportunity to offer them something unique, and ultimately increase the likelihood that they will make a purchase or increase their basket size. This could be an experience that reinforces the brand’s image, or handing across a voucher for them to spend in-store when they are picking up their click-and-collect purchase for example. Historically, retailers have often adopted a ‘mass product’ approach — packing the rails with products in every possible size, colour or style in the hope that customers will be able to find what they’re looking for without having to shop elsewhere. Filling the shop floor with as much stock as possible makes sense in theory and yet it’s important that retailers also make time — and space — to inspire shoppers if they are to enhance the overall shopping experience. Today’s brands are increasingly seeing the benefit in making room for an area that’s product free. Dubbed the retailtainment trend, this space is designed to do more than just sell, but to inspire, entertain and engage. Many have looked upon the retailtainment trend as a marketing gimmick, and with return on investment as important as ever, understanding which technologies to invest in can be a difficult balance. One area that is mixing the entertainment factor with tangible deliverables is robotics; used by retailers to greet customers and locate items for them within the shop, all while offering touchscreen and scanning functionalities as well. One retailer successfully embracing this technology is a hardware store in San Jose who currently uses an OSHbot robot as part of its regular team. At approximately 5ft tall, the OSHbot can speak English and Spanish, recognise any hardware part on sight and deliver real-time information about availability of stock. For a hardware store, where shoppers may not always know the name of the item they’re looking for, this feature is the perfect fit — integrating technology with something that still has ‘human’ qualities. This technology is becoming more commonplace across the board as retailers test how they can use it in a range of different ways. Taking robotics a step further, a denim store, located in Seattle, trialled robotic technology back in 2014 in order to create an improved retail experience for its male shoppers. The store had found that, historically, male shoppers didn’t enjoy shopping and wanted to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible, with minimal interaction. In response, the store trialled an app which shoppers could use to decide what they wanted to try on before they visited the shop. Robots then delivered the clothes to the changing rooms directly — clothes that weren’t the right fit could
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be thrown down a chute whereas any purchases could be made in the same changing room using a swipe card. In these cases, as in all retail, knowing what’s important to the customer is key. While robotics may not be the right fit for everyone, the concept of designating a space or feature to inspire customers can be replicated by any retailer. In-store, coffee shops are extremely popular, while everyone from Selfridges to Superdrug now has in-store beauty bars available which will, for example, often link up to a social wall where shoppers can share their latest treatment. Of course, retailtainment doesn’t always have to consist of a permanent, fixed feature. Equally, in-store events can be a great way to encourage people to spend more time there. Activewear retailer, Sweaty Betty runs a series of free-to-attend in-store classes including yoga, pilates and circuits, as well as its own running club. When in the store, attendees are more likely to browse stock, purchasing a water bottle or yoga mat. Dubbed the Get Fit 4 Free campaign, this inspirational theme transfers to the website too, making the brand a good case study of how retailtainment can work in an omnichannel capacity; all the classes are available to book online with a ‘get the look’ section pointing shoppers to key pieces. All the workout videos are also available to watch online and complete from the comfort of your own home — inspiring shoppers beyond the store. Technology is also helping to fuel the retailtainment trend, enabling retailers to evaluate the benefits of giving up product space in favour of something more creative. For example, store managers are able to put out a more selective range of stock, safe in the knowledge that shoppers are still able to access the full range there and then via a transactional iPad or in-store kiosk. The purchase is then delivered to the customer within 24 hours or made available for pick-up at the store in the next few days. One might argue that the retailtainment trend is nothing new (food courts and bowling alleys located within the shopping centre are an age-old example) and yet this is perhaps the first time that we’re seeing the trend justified as part of retail spend. Marketing teams are now asking, ‘what’s the allocated budget for entertainment?’ It’s a question that is being posed more often as retailers recognise the power in delivering a completely customercentric experience.
www.theapsgroup.com
URBAN VINTAGE RETAIL DISPLAY
56 PAGE CATALOGUE ON REQUEST The new Urban Vintage catalogue from Andy Thornton is out now. 56 pages of industrial-style retail display and visual merchandising products, contract furniture, decorative lighting and tin tiles. Send for your copy. Call: 01422 376000 Email: marketing@andythornton.com Online: andythornton.com
THE ORIGINAL
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN BUSINESS
AT-RetailFocus-2015.indd 1
09/03/2015 13:24
products
LIGHTING Progress Lighting Progress Lighting introduces the Invisua Masterspot 2 Track. This fitting offers high lumen output (4,000lm), high CRI of 95 and a wide tunable white colour temperature range of 1,500K 10,000K. For the first time a new era of total control and ease of installation have been combined to produce this highly versatile track-mounted fitting. T. +44 (0)1423 704 124 E. led@progresslighting.co.uk www.progresslighting.co.uk Twitter: progressled
Megaman UK To complement its extensive energy saving lamp range and utilise the company’s breadth of lighting knowledge, Megaman UK has launched a comprehensive collection of high quality fixtures and integrated units. They are extremely versatile and can be used in a wide range of applications including restaurants, hotels, retail units and offices. Designed for use with Megaman’s LED low energy lamps, the new range offers modern and stylish fittings for internal use and includes integrated, recessed, fixed, tilted downlighters, track lights and the newly launched fire rated VERSOFIT downlighter. The range also includes exterior rated fittings such as the Cortona floodlight and Dino, a waterproof LED batten that can be used as an alternative to T5 and T8 fittings. T. +44 (0)845 408 4625 E: sales@megamanuk.com www.megamanuk.com Twitter: MegamanUKLtd
Concord Lighting Concord has introduced the Beacon XL, a spotlight with the power to provide up to 3,000 fixture lumens at only 40W. Retailers will benefit from the energy savings that LED technology provides, whilst also incorporating the flexibility of dimming and lowering maintenance costs compared to traditional CMI technology. Available in black and white versions to compliment the rest of the Beacon range, the Beacon XL can replace existing 35W CMI-T (HID) luminaires to provide significant energy savings. With a CRI figure of up to 97, the Beacon XL offers retail and display environments a high powered LED luminaire with great colour rendering. T. +44 (0)870 606 2030 E. info.uk@havells-sylvania.com www.concord-lighting.com Twitter: Concord_HS
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Zumtobel The INTRO Modular LED lighting system provides maximum LED efficiency and flexibility. It creates individual lighting using innovative technology and provides the ideal accent lighting with a range that assures a complete lighting solution. There are four models: INTRO M and INTRO S for accent lighting; INTRO PANOS infinity for light that efficiently provides brightness in the room; INTRO liteCarve that uses patented reflector technology to ensure both uniform illumination to vertical surfaces but also produces a rectangular lighting cone, and lastly the INTRO RESCLITE emergency luminaires. T. +44 (0)1388 420 042 E. LightCentreUK@ zumtobelgroup.com www.zumtobel.com Twitter: Zumtobeluk
products
Design LED Products Design LED Products’ Shelf product family is the world’s thinnest shelf lighting solution*. Clyde offers a 2mm thin light tile and Edinburgh is a 6mm thin luminaire for high quality illumination, free from glare and multi-shadow artefacts. These products are easy to install in lengths up to 5m, driven from a single ECG with the option of dimming. Together with the world’s thinnest and most flexible backlighting solutions*, Ness and Lomond, designers can create outstanding possibilities to put products in the best light. * incorporating Design LED patented technology
T. +44 (0)1506 592 310 E. info@designledproducts.com www.designledproducts.com
Applelec Applelec creates sophisticated fabricated signage and manufactures ground-breaking lighting and display products. Alongside in-house manufacturing, Applelec sources and adapts innovative products to deliver imaginative project solutions to the signage, lighting and display industries. Alongside the popular flat light panel LED Light Sheet, Applelec also offers a range of built-up and flat-cut letters. I-Sign display frames and neon-like product Borderline. T. +44 (0)1274 774 477 E: sales@applelec.co.uk www.applelec.co.uk Twitter: Applelec
Nualight The Arc LED high bay from Nualight is a new ultra light LED high bay solution with smarter design for large-scale industrial and retail applications. The smarter design of Nualight’s Arc family solves the industry’s biggest high bay lighting issues and generates more energy savings and profit for both installers and end users. With excellent lighting performance and on-board smart controls, Arc also creates healthier, safer and more productive workspaces with tailored light levels and user friendly dimming. T. +353 862432931 E. sodwyer@nualight.com www.nualight.com Twitter: @Nualight
Commercial Lighting Sovereign EcoBlade is a range of high performance LED uplighters available from Commercial Lighting, designed around the very latest in LED technology. They are available in a range of standard sizes with LED efficiency up to 130lm/W, making these high quality units ideal for most applications. The units are designed and manufactured in the UK using high purity extruded aluminium housings with an integral thermal management system for optimum performance and longevity. All versions are supplied with a high transmission Microprism diffuser to provide full protection to internal components. Wall-mounted, freestanding and pendant versions are available and can be finished in any BS/RAL colour. T. +44 (0)1489 581 002 E. sales@commercial-lighting.co.uk www.commercial-lighting.co.uk Twitter: clslight
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B
arthelmess
UK
. e m a n d e h s i l b a t s e . s a e d i h s e r f
be inspired. be surprised. complete visual merchandising solutions. visit our website @ www.barthelmessuk.com
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products
BARTHELMESS Right on the dot CNL Mannequins from Barthelmess introduces the ON THE DOT collection, a fun and contemporary range of mannequins, bust forms, accessories and props. The company provides customised, tailor-made mannequins, busts and accessories unique for your retail brand; all you need for your individual visual merchandising project. With the largest mannequin manufacturing capability and in-house sculpting studio, it can develop and deliver your project on time and within budget, without compromising on quality. T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E. info@barthelmessuk.com www.barthelmessuk.com Twitter: buk_vm
Be inspired, be surprised Whether you would like Barthelmess to help you develop an idea or concept of your own, or create a scheme from start to finish, the company can help, starting with an array of inspiring ideas and concepts. It will then develop for you, via a fully collaborative creative process, tailormade and precise visual design concepts to meet your exact requirements. Barthelmess offers complete visual merchandising solutions; design with European and Far East manufacture; project management; bespoke mannequins and forms; Christmas and seasonal schemes and decorations; worldwide logistics management; strict sustainability and environmental policies. T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E: info@barthelmessuk.com www.barthelmessuk.com
Off the shelf With the Decorado catalogues, Barthelmess offers you a comprehensive selection of trend oriented design products, themed decorating concepts, and a wide range of decorating materials — in stock, reliable and fast. In fact, everything a retailer would require to create window and in-store displays throughout the year. From mannequins to props, store and display essentials to visual merchandising fixtures, lighting and point of sale solutions, it’s all here. The Decorado catalogue is updated twice a year for spring/summer and autumn/winter (including Christmas), T. +44 (0)1234 241 822 E. lucie@barthelmessuk.com www.barthelmessuk.com
The V-Neck: get ahead CNL mannequins from BarthelmessUK introduces it’s new V-Neck Concept with fully interchangeable mannequin parts in multi media finishes, textures and colours. Make a change easily and cost effectively. CNL produces high quality, on-trend mannequins in both fiberglass and recyclable polyurethane in a huge variety of styles and finishes. With a focus on innovative design, it offers significant cost savings without compromising on quality, backed up with full UK customer service. The company can make and customise a range of mannequins and forms unique to your brand. Services include custom design mannequins; free prototyping and samples; fast turn-around; rollout specialist; quality at competitive prices; wide range of materials; polyurethane (rotation moulding); magnetic arm fittings; custom measurements; innovative finishes; worldwide logistics and UK customer service. T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E. info@barthelmessuk.com www.cnlmannequins.com
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products
flooring + surfaces Armourcoat Armourcoat’s new Rusteel metal rust finish, which was introduced at Retail Design Expo last month, has been launched to the Ukrainian and Russian markets at two key industry events. Local Armourcoat agent Faktura UA participated at the Kiev International Furniture Forum (KIFF) in March. KIFF is the leading furniture fair in Ukraine and is recognised as a launch platform for Ukrainian market bestsellers — locally designed products or by world famous brands. Armourcoat’s Russian agent Studio A Dekor exhibited at MosBuild on 31 March - 3 April; the largest annual international exhibition in Russia, with 1,500 leading global building, finishing and decorating material brands presented. T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E: sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat
Polyflor Expona luxury vinyl tiles from Polyflor have been used to create a sophisticated statement floor design at Harris + Hoole coffee shop in Slough. With unlimited design possibilities available from the Expona range, a combination of tiles in contrasting colours were chosen by interior and retail branding design consultancy Path Design of London to create a striking effect. Flooring from two collections within the Expona range were selected for use in this retail space; heavy duty commercial Expona Design PUR tiles for front of house and Expona Control PUR safety flooring for back of house. Individual designs and patterns can be easily created by simply laying different Expona luxury vinyl tiles next to each other. Bespoke designs are also available. T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E: info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com Twitter: Polyflorltd
Junckers As grey toned wooden floors continue to prove popular, Junckers has developed a new collection based on the success of its finishing product, Driftwood Grey Oil. Available on its full range of solid oak floors, wide board planks, twostrip and textured oak floors, the new Driftwood Grey Oak has a distinctive worn look, with the patina of a rustic, aged wooden floor without compromising on any of the benefits of a Junckers solid hardwood floor. The new floors are delivered pre-finished, with the Driftwood Grey stain sealed with Junckers UltraMatt lacquer applied before the floor leaves the factory, achieving a perfect finish, which can be used and walked on as soon as it’s installed. T. +44 (0)1376 534 700 E. brochures@junckers.co.uk www.junckers.co.uk Twitter: junckersfloors
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Karndean Designflooring The Opus Enhance range of luxury vinyl flooring from Karndean Designflooring achieves a result of 40+ in the Pendulum Wet Test, the highest currently available. Ideal for use in a variety of commercial settings, the enhancement to the PU coating allows for added grip without compromising on aesthetics. The collection features the most popular designs from Karndean’s commercial Opus range. The six planks and two large format tiles ensure a wide spread of different colour palettes. T. +44 (0)1386 820 100 E. commercial@karndean.co.uk www.karndean.com Twitter: KarndeanComm
Call: 0845 680 7405 to advertise
Advert 86mm wide x 127mm deep
Dragon Display Systems
Designed and Manufactured in the UK
Manufacturers of flexible wall and centreshop hanging and shelving systems, particularly for clothingrelated trades: fashion, lingerie, outdoor, sportswear & urban.
www.dragondisplay.co.uk Display Systems Ltd
Tel 01952 290055 • Fax: 01952 290056 • sales@dragondisplay.co.uk
Shelving Strip
Call us now about the new Shelving-Lite range
01922 740011 www.cookebrothers.co.uk sales@cookebrothers.co.uk
Practical shelving and bookcase solutions. Suitable for retail environments, libraries, schools, offices, institutions, and more.
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products
selection Troldtekt Black Troldtekt panels have been installed throughout Kähler’s new flagship shop in the Danish town of Aarhus. The store has been stunningly transformed from an old butcher’s shop in one of the town’s oldest shopping streets. The ceiling panels reinforce the inviting feel of the interior with good acoustics and a matt darkness that contrasts well with the lightness of the ceramics. In addition, two rows of spotights have been installed in the ceiling, which creates a unifying, calm and attractive surface. This prestige showroom is not dissimilar to the well-known Hedonism Wines boutique which was opened recently in the heat of London’s upmarket Mayfair district. In the same way, acoustic ceiling tiles have been used to create an aesthetically pleasing interior and a noise-free environment, which attracts a very appreciative shopping public. Danish manufactured Troldtekt acoustic tiles are specified throughout the UK and Europe. Made from 100% natural wood fibres, their benefits include high sound absorption, high durability, natural breathability, low cost life cycle performance and sustainability. They are used to improve acoustics in many different projects such as schools, swimming pools, commercial and public buildings. Available in various sizes and in three grades from ultrafine to coarse, they can be left unpainted or painted in virtually any RAL colour. Troldtekt sustainability has also been recognised with certification at Silver level within the Cradle to Cradle concept. This international certification has been achieved because the panels do not contain hazardous substances and can be recycled. T. +44 (0)844 811 4877 E. info@troldtekt.co.uk www.troldtekt.co.uk Twitter: Troldtekt
Cooke Brothers
JS Air Curtains
Cooke Brothers has introduced two new shelving strip options in addition to its ever-popular shelf support range of products. The Shelving Lite range is made from lightweight anodised aluminium and is available in a wide range of finishes and popular profiles, including both surface-mounted or rebate fixing. Further requests from customers for shorter lengths of shelving strip has led to the company supplying the Shelving Lite in new standard lengths of 1,140mm. A further addition to the shelving system range is the option of solid stainless steel patterns, now available across the company’s two most popular profiles — flat (7470) and raised (7472).
Finesse from JS Air Curtains is a discreet and high performance recessed air curtain suitable for a range of environments, from banks and boutiques to shopping centres and airports. The Finesse delivers an air flow up to 6,100m3/h enabling it to seal doorways up to 3.5m high and, with its easy to install compact design, fits neatly into a suspended ceiling system. The aesthetic Finesse is available in white RAL 9010 as standard but any RAL colour on request. The air curtain can be operated with a wireless controller or connected to a BMS. It can also be fitted with a time switch, a door switch or an indoor temperature sensor. The Finesse can also incorporate water or electric heating elements.
T. +44 (0)1922 740 001 E. sales@cookebrothers.co.uk www.cookebrothers.co.uk Twitter: CookeBrothers
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T. +44 (0)1903 858 656 E: info@jsaircurtains.com www.jsaircurtains.com Twitter: JSAIrCurtains
New Retail Catalogue A4_Layout 1 20/03/2015 09:03 Page 1
COMING SOON
Morplan's 2015 catalogue, featuring over 5,000 products for the retail industry is launching 20th April. Call now to register for your FREE copy.
products
TECHNOLOGY NEC Display Solutions Visitors to the NEC Solutions Showcase on 20-21 May at Vinopolis, London will experience readily-deployable solutions in a wide range of real-world scenarios. In the retail area experience contextual digital solutions for a bank, customer service desk, shop window, cat walk, changing rooms, click & collect kiosk and shopfloor display. You’ll find high visibility ‘context aware’ and interactive solutions, bridging the communication gap between the shopper and brand, maximising the accuracy of delivered content and providing vital information on customer activity. T. +44 (0)870 120 1160 E. infomail@nec-displays.com www.showcase-nec.com Twitter: necshowcase
Futura Retail Solutions Discount retailer This is it in the South West and a fast growing online business is the first to benefit from a new relationship between Futura Retail Systems and the Peoplevox warehouse management solution. Integration work by Futura using the Peoplevox API (Application Programing Interface) has created a seamless link between its leading retail management solution and the Peoplevox platform to provide This is it with live stock visibility wherever it resides in the business, together with fast and accurate fulfilment for its expanding ecommerce activities. Integration has improved information and management control, while intelligent multi-location stock management and automated fulfilment has increased speed, accuracy and reliability in the warehouse. T. +44 (0)1189 841 925 E. sales@futurauk.com www.futura4retail.co.uk Twitter: Futura_retail
Tyco Tyco has launched the Illustra Fisheye Camera. An ideal security solution for retail environments, the camera provides a 180° panoramic view when mounted on a wall, or a 360° bird’s eye view when mounted on a ceiling. This enables applications such as retail stores to be properly safeguarded with an ultra-wide field of view in real time. Quick and easy to install, the new camera is a cost effective measure than can significantly improve security levels. The camera has ePTZ (electronic pan-tilt-zoom) capabilities for ultra smooth transition. The benefits of this technology is that there are no moving parts, so the motor will not deteriorate and require maintenance, however it still enables uses to digitally zoom and navigate the camera’s viewable area using advanced software. T. +44 (0)1932 743 333 www.tyco.com
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One iota One iota is a multi-channel retail technology specialist in online, in-store and interactive solutions. Working with some of the UK’s leading brands — JD Sports, Superdry, Mamas & Papas, Quiz Clothing and Very.co.uk, it helps retailers drive sales and create exceptional shopping experiences for their customers, across multiple channels and devices. The company is developing the very latest in-store solutions to help retailers integrate their online and offline channels, These include: in-store HD kiosks, assistive selling iPads, wall integrated digital signage, beacon technology, iOS and android apps, web apps and interactive apps. T. +44 (0)843 216 1010 E. enquiries@itsoneiota.com www.itsoneiota.com Twitter: Itsoneiota
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call our free helpline
0808 801 0808 confidential and independent help for personal and work problems we are here 24hrs, 365 days Or get in touch via: Text HELPLINE to 88010 | helpline@retailtrust.org.uk | www.retailtrust.org.uk
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Retail Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1090136) and in Scotland (SCO39684) Company No 4254201 (Company Limited Guarantee) Registered in England and Wales Registered Office: Marshall Hall, Marshall Estate, Hammers Lane, London, NW7 4DQ
technology
focus on: technology Way finder Pricer has created a mobile app for Carrefour called C-oĂš, which allows customers to create shopping lists and search for products, meaning they can prepare their basket before they arrive at the store. The app also generates recipe ideas, and when a recipe is selected by the shopper it highlights and suggests what other products are required. The solution also includes geolocalisation; once inside the store, it helps customers find any product and optimises their shopping route through indoor navigation.
www.pricer.com
On the go BEETLE /moPOS is a tablet POS solution by Wincor Nixdorf that can be used as a stationary and mobile point of sale device. All the necessary POS functions, information on products and payment by card are now offered in mobile form wherever the consumer needs them in the store. Store staff can call up the inventory status of the desired product, reorder goods and obtain more details on articles anywhere in the sales area. In order to use the BEETLE /moPOS as a stationary checkout, the 8.3in or 10.1in tablet is simply inserted in a docking station to which a cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display, checkout scales or other devices are connected.
www.wincor-nixdorf.com
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This year’s Retail Business Technology Expo and Retail Design Expo in March highlighted some of the most recent retail technology innovations, demonstrating the digital and physical worlds coming together. As retailers strive to offer something different and entice customers in-store, technology is playing a huge part in making this happen, whether its way-finding apps in supermarkets, audiovisual display screens or mobile POS systems to eliminate fixed cash desks. We bring you some of the recent launches.
technology Sensing a presence
Do it yourself
Experience design specialist Mood Media Corporation has partnered with Shazam and launched Shazam In-Store, a locationbased mobile marketing product combining the power of Shazam with the strength of Mood’s proprietary Presence technology. Shazam-In Store is integrated into the existing Shazam app and offers brands the opportunity to connect to more than 100 million monthly Shazam active users. The solution is the first to use Mood’s Presence signal, and connects to consumers’ devices via an inaudible digital watermark through retailers’ overhead music systems. In order for it to connect, first a customer must activate the Shazam app to identify a song or audio message. Then, the app will recognise the watermark and deliver the requested song information and the business’s targeted content directly to the customer’s mobile device.
Retail Merchandising Services has pioneered the UK’s first self-scan mobile phone app. MiniCheckout provides a safe and quick online platform to pay for products while on the go. Following initial account registration, a customer’s smartphone turns into a virtual and personal checkout. Simply, shoppers can scan a product barcode with their mobile phone and complete the payment transaction via the platform; ultimately reducing the need for cash registers and chip and pin machines. All customer details saved on the app are encrypted with 256 bit security keys and a digital receipt is provided and saved on the app following each transaction.
www.moodmedia.com www.shazam.com
www.rms.uk.com
Attention grabber The Apparel Box is the latest innovation from Evoke and was launched at Retail Design Expo by the company’s stand partner, One iota. The idea is to showcase products while providing interactive content and additional information. It can be used to demo fashion, product launches, key features of the latest shirt, but also in different store environments to demo toys, games and more. This particular in-store technology grew huge excitement from visitors to the show.
Cool factor
www.itsoneiota.com
LG Electronics launched its M+ transparent panel technology at Retail Design Expo. Presented as a Transparent Display Cooler Door, visitors were captivated by the amalgamation of real products dramatised by engaging digital media. When there is no content being shown, the display is completely see-through so that people can see the products inside. When the media plays, the products are interspersed with the graphics to bring them to life. This can be integrated with real-time content such as sports results and social media or transformed into an interactive display to showcase product information.
www.lg.com/uk
Putting on a show Intevi worked with technical distributor PSCo to provide super high resolution Absen LED display screens for Melissa’s Covent Garden store. In the large entrance hall, visitors are surrounded on three sides by floor to ceiling LED screens, featuring anything from pyschedelic art installations to fashion shows. The screens are mirror backed so they can be turned off to provide a reflective surface around the art installations. Intevi visited PSCo’s Assessment Centre in Reading and chose an Absen A106 6mm for the larger display and an Absen A103 3mm for the three-sided display.
www.psco.co.uk
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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
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Axis design, develop, manufacture and install bespoke retail display solutions. We’ve worked with the biggest names on the high street, but approach every project in the same way, with the maximum thought for your brand, products and sales environment.
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.
T, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc
T: +44 (0)8450 944 699 E: ben.wang@ksf-global.com W: www.ksf-global.com S: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal
Design Consultancies
H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas. T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.
Original suppliers of display fabrics, textiles, PVC and polycarbonates for retail displays and exhibition stands since 1934 Backgrounds have been our background since backgrounds began and B Brown have more than 400 in stock.
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
Walker Bros (Elland) Ltd is an Engineering Manufacturing company specialising in sheet metalwork and plastic fabrication. We supply precision metal and plastic products, components and light fabrications to a broad range of industries and markets throughout the UK and Europe. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
Balloons & Bunting
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. T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Walker Bros (Elland) Ltd is an Engineering Manufacturing company specialising in sheet metalwork and plastic fabrication. We supply precision metal and plastic products, components and light fabrications to a broad range of industries and markets throughout the UK and Europe. T: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
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
Bespoke Display
Display
No.1 Advertising Balloon Service: • Printed Latex and Foil Balloons • Helium Gas delivery and collection • Flags, Bunting and Banners • Promotional Sashes and T-shirts • Multi-store distribution nationwide
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.
With over 24 years experience and knowledge within the industry, we pride ourselves on offering a tailored service for retail solutions such as Mannequins, LED Lighting & magnIQ our patented magnetic wall system. We work with many different sectors, including; Designers, Stylists, Architects and Visual concept team buyers.
arken are a UK design and manufacturing facility creating bespoke poster display solutions. As well as our bespoke offer, we provide off the shelf products such as poster frames, light boxes, poster hanging systems, pavement signs, forecourt signs, all available in a range of colours and sizes.
T, 01494 774376 E. sales@b-loony.com W. www.b-loony.com
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: mail@rarebasic.com W: www.rarebasic.com S: www.twitter.com/rarebasic
T: +44 (0)1638 565656 E: info@arken-pop.com W: www.arken-pop.com
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Directory
Display
Are you looking to increase your product sales, re-brand or launch a new product? If you’re not already talking to us, you should. Our group offer an unprecedented level of experience coupled with a comprehensive range of products and services. Our aim is to make your products sell and your service the best on the market.
T: +44(0)113 265 0093 E: sales@concept-data.com W: www.concept-data.com S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
Display
Internationally acclaimed, award winning unique magnetic wall system offers instant flexibility & creative choice to architects, interiors & store designers. Since launching the magnIQ system in 2006 the response has been quite phenomenal. To date the system has won 13 prestigious awards and is now internationally recognised justifying the many years Rare Basic spent on research and development. T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: mail@rarebasic.com W: www.rarebasic.com S: www.twitter.com/rarebasic
Display - Digital
Furniture
Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.
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) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
Furniture
Display
Display
Display - Digital
GDP display, manufactures, delivers and installs world-class retail environments, store fixtures, displays and visual merchandising equipment. GDP is truly Global, through its activities in many parts of the world. We have supplied high-end displays and furniture to successful retail brands throughout Europe, North America, South Africa and South East Asia.
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.
We provide total end to end solutions encompassing all aspects of designing, implementing, managing and supporting multi-faceted marketing technology concepts and Digital Screen Media networks.
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: +44 (0)1582 433 771 E: info@gdprojects.eu W: www.gdprojects.eu S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, +44 (0)845 481 8020 E. info@screenmediatechnology.com W.screenmediatechnology.com S. www.twitter.com/ScreenMediaTech
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Display
Display
We are IPOS. A creative design agency whose extensive and impressive client list speaks volumes for the professional services we offer. We design, produce and install all aspects of our client’s POS. From instore graphics, window vinyls and 3D bespoke window displays to full multi location campaign roll outs.
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
EPOS
Offering an extensive range of EPOS hardware from world class suppliers such as Star Micronics, Honeywell and Posiflex, DED offer the complete EPOS hardware solution alongside a unique rewritable loyalty system.
T: 01797 320636 E: sales@ded.co.uk W: www.ded.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/dedltd
Finishes
Display
Display
Impulse POP specialises in Point of Purchase display systems for the Retail sector. We offer many years of experience in all aspects of retail design, with in house manufacture - including quick turnaround prototypes, or overseas manufacture, delivery, installation and retail merchandising.
Woodwood Group –Tx Frame UK are a specialist in tension fabric display systems and LED light boxes. We are able to deliver the highest quality service with a friendly but professional approach to ensure you receive the spectacular results you deserve.
Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T, 01376 295 016 E. sales@txframe.co.uk W. www.txframe.co.uk
T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk W. www.armourcoat.com S. www.twitter.com/Armourcoat
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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 POP specialises in Point of Purchase display systems for the Retail sector. We offer many years of experience in all aspects of retail design, with in house manufacture - including quick turnaround prototypes, or overseas manufacture, delivery, installation and retail merchandising.
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
Lighting
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
POP/POS
LED Solutions are a specialist LED lighting supplier who can offer you a wide variety of bespoke lighting solutions for the sign, shop fitting and display industries.
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: 0116 262 5933 E: sales@ledsolutions.co.uk W: www.ledsolutions.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/ LEDSolutionsUK
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
POP/POS
Custom made, 20mm deep LED Edge lit ‘Diamond’ light boxes, and 8mm deep ‘Garnet’ light panels for retail display, signage and advertising.
T: 0333 123 0345 F: 0333 123 0445 E: Sales@ways2display.com W www.artillus.com
POP/POS
From small, lightweight point-of-sale display turntables for short term use, to larger turntables designed for durability and reliability over many years, Movetech UK has a turntable to meet your needs.
T: 01204 537680 E: display@movetechuk.com W:www.movetechuk.com S. www.twitter.com/movetechuk
POP Install
100% provides services in the UK & Europe covering: • • • • • •
Display Installation POS Updates & Maintenance Store Audits Transport & Warehousing Project Management Online Reporting
T: +44 (0)161 929 9599 E: dan.williams@100percentgroup.com W: www.100percentgroup.com S. www.twitter.com/ 100percentgroup
POP Install
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: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Slatwall
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.
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: +44 (0) 1625 569 200 E: instore@momentuminstore.com W: www.momentuminstore.com S: www.twitter.com/momentuminstore
T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat
POP Install
Our aim is simple: To provide GOLD STANDARD Installation and Merchandising of Display Equipment at competitive prices.
T: 0161 941 2239 E: mike.kirchin@plan2install.co.uk W: www.plan2install.co.uk
VM
MTFX Winter Effects artificial display snow range includes all you need to give your displays the crispness of a winter setting or the chill of a frosty Christmas.
T: 01452 729903 E: info@mtfx.com W: www.mtfx.com
POP/POS
POP/POS
Retail Consultancy
VM - Training & Tools
We specialise in Point of Sale (POS) and Point of Purchase (POP). We design, manufacture and fit retail fixtures and store displays and we’re good at it. For over 55 years Axiom has been designing and producing exciting and innovative retail displays for well known brands and retail groups.
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.
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.
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)161 681 1371 E: info@axiom-displays.co.uk W: www.axiom-displays.co.uk
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, +44 (0) 1858 414275 E. hello@twovisual.co.uk W. www. twovisual.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/TWO_Visual
T, +44 (0) 1858 414275 E. hello@twovisual.co.uk W. www. twovisual.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/TWO_Visual
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Q&A
Richard Brownlie-Marshall is creative designer at Pret A Manger. Here he talks to Retail Focus about the evolving design of cafes and eateries, plans for the brand and his favourite store design. RF. What’s your career background? RBM. After studying product design at Northumbria University, I knew I wanted to move to London, so sought after an internship with the Brent Hoberman founded, mydeco.com. This was a fastpaced and exciting environment that I thrived in, and worked up to eventually become the design coordinator. Although I absolutely loved the company, I felt that I wasn’t doing as much hands-on design as I would’ve liked. It turned out to be a good emotion to have, as it encouraged me to launch my own interiors line, which drew from all the knowledge I had learnt while working on the site. Soon after launching my first products, I came into contact with the founder of Tossed, Vincent Mckevitt and convinced him to take me on as the head of creative. I was with Tossed for almost four years and saw the company (and myself) grow considerably in this time. Alongside my work at Tossed, I was raising my design profile through commissions and one-off designs with clients including Zizzi, Candy Kittens and The Archbishop of Canterbury. Eventually an opportunity arose at Pret A Manger where it was expanding its creative team and as a fan of the brand I was very keen to be part of it. In my current role I’m working on Pret design around the world, which includes packaging, marketing and interiors. RF. How do you feel the design of cafes and eateries is evolving? RBM. Going back a few years, brands were a lot louder in their delivery; now it’s much more about stripping it back to basics. We’re dealing with a much more design-savvy consumer, so it’s not solely about logo application. They want to feel the brand’s essence, and that’s where design does the talking. We’re stepping away from shiny and standardised to a much more natural and organic feel. I think this is partly due to the boom of the pop-ups, which brought an eclectic vibe. With a heightened awareness, designers are encouraged to try out new materials and processes, which in turn results in a lot more experimentation in food retail design. RF. How has the design of Pret A Manger evolved? RBM. When I was first introduced to Pret at a customer level, the interior was head to toe in stainless steel. It felt exciting and futuristic, speaking very much of the time by giving off an express feel with a strong brand presence. Today the interiors show a much softer side, featuring brickwork, signwriting and hessian menus. I think this look speaks very much of the current time, offering the quality of a chain with the character and comfort of a one-off. The introduction of printed hessian in recent years was something I had never seen before, and gave a new medium to communicate its coffee story.
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RF. What has been your favourite store concept to work on? RBM. When I joined Tossed, one of my first projects was to design a store at the gates of the London 2012 Olympic games in Westfield Stratford. I always think of it as the project where I earned my design stripes, as it was my first time dealing with the complete design of a retail space. I pushed boundaries to create a store that was visually exciting and was a design departure for the brand, while being completely on-track to what was to follow. The aesthetic took inspiration from a traditional English garden but was Tossed-ified with a contemporary edge. It incorporated hundreds of plant pot hanging lights, tree woodcuts and bright pink gnomes. I challenged myself creatively, producing a majority of bespoke products, which made a truly one-off interior. It was a steep learning curve but I enjoyed being submerged into the project, and it ultimately produced a more compelling outcome. I still try to visit the gnomes if I’m ever in the area. RF. What plans are you working on at the moment re. store concepts for Pret A Manger? RBM. Pret A Manger is a fast-paced company to be part of, which keeps it engaging in terms of design. It’s great to be with a company that is about to turn 30 and continues to evolve and bring fresh ideas to the table. One of the projects I was working on most recently was the Good Evenings on the Strand, which looked at how a Pret store might look like if it was adapted for evenings. It was an interesting brief, as it was how the space could be used for breakfast and lunch, yet transform into a different dining space after hours. In terms of design, we considered how the Pret brand could be injected into the table setting with placemats, crockery and glassware. We changed up how the Pret artworks are displayed by introducing printing onto wood and craft paper. The overall interior incorporates a darker colour palette and lighting is used to full effect in differentiating the space throughout the day. I imagine this is a concept that will continue to evolve, and I look forward to seeing where it eventually leads.
I founded Armourcoat 30 years ago to pioneer ideas in stunning polished plaster decorative wall finishes. In that time we’ve become an integral part of the world’s most prestigious architectural interiors. The Signature Collection is my celebration to all we’ve achieved. It reflects our unmatched quality, innovation and commitment to our craft.
I’m proud to put my name on it.
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