Retail Focus August 2017 by Retail Focus

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August 2017 : £6.75 #90

August 2017/issue 90

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Window Shopping : Etude House Seoul : Kate Spade Paris : Zhongshu Bookstore Suzhou : Stores for women : In & Around King’s Road : Retail Exchange Podcast : Luxury retail : LDF 2017 : Focus on mannequins : Q&A with Colin Flynn, intu

over the rainbow

Inside the colourful Zhongshu Bookstore

Window Shopping : ETUDE HOUSE SEOUL : Kate Spade Paris : Zhongshu Bookstore Suzhou : stores for women : Luxury retail : THE RETAIL EXCHANGE PODCAST : LDF 2017 : Focus on mannequins : Q&A with Colin Flynn, intu

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contents

CONTENTS Somewhere over the rainbow

31-32

The Xanadu of Rainbows is one of four zones in Zhongshu Bookstore in Suzhou, China, creating a colourful new world using symbolism.

34 The Retail Exchange

Design 51 London Festival

39 Stores for women

47 Luxury retail

24-32 Project Focus

Leader

Etude House, Seoul : Kate Spade, Paris : Zhongshu, Suzhou.

Diary

10-14 News 17-19 Window shopping

David Martin, joint managing director at M Worldwide, explores the phenomenon of grocerants and the implementation of food outlets in store.

Inspiring window displays from around the globe.

20 23

Top of the POPS Karl McKeever If you don’t deliver positive and effective retail transformation at store level, others will, says Karl this month,

Opinion

In and Around... King’s Road. Offering a vibrant mix of traditional Chelsea shops alongside international brands.

The podcast for the retail industry Listen on www.theretailexchange.co.uk Download and listen later, wherever you are

on: 67 Focus Mannequins

55-64 Products Products and services for the retail industry.

Q&A Colin Flinn, regional MD at intu, discusses his work with St David’s Cardiff and how the role of the shopping centre has evolved.

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welcome August ‘17 ‘Recognise what they want, even beyond what they know they want, and then give it to them,’ said Kate Nightingale, founder of Style Psychology, when exploring the mindset of shoppers during episode three of our Retail Exchange podcast. Discussing what shoppers want, the recording was an interesting debate exploring the minds of shoppers and how to understand their shopping patterns and behaviour. You can listen to the latest episode at www.theretailexchange.co.uk and read the highlights on pages 34-36. Getting into the minds of shoppers is something we also touch on in our article about designing stores for women on pages 39-40. Fear not guys, we will be looking at designing stores for male shoppers in our September issue. Our cover story this issue is the colourful Zhongshu Bookstore in Suzhou, China (pages 31-32). ‘We needed to create a fascinating street view to draw people in to step into the bookstore. We thought, why not use a rainbow to draw people’s attention?’ says Yu Ting, founder of Wutopia Lab who developed the concept. It certainly does that. We also look inside Kate Spade’s new Paris abode (28-29) as well as the experiential world of cosmetics brand Etude House in Seoul (pages 24-26), where its latest beauty destination has been dubbed the ‘House of Colour Play’. David Martin, joint managing director at M Worldwide, looks at the phenomenon of grocerants and the implementation of food outlets in store (page 43). He believes food is becoming the new retail. ‘Not only has food become an intrinsic part of the shopping experience, but it’s an experience in and of itself, often competing with retailers for a share of people’s leisure spend,’ says Martin. Dr. Valerie Wilson Trower explores the luxury retail sector on pages 47-48, highlighting key retailers offering the right balance of luxurious interiors, VM and customer service.

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diary

DIARY

Paris Retail Week Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, France 19-21 September 2017 The third edition of Paris Retail Week, the European event dedicated to 360-degree commerce, will open its doors from 19-21 September 2017 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Hall 7.3. More than 600 companies will participate, with the arrival of ‘Live Retail’ in commerce at the heart of the many discussions taking place. The event will bring together E-Commerce Paris, the biggest cross-channel event in Europe, and Digital(in)Store, a trade show devoted to the digitalisation of point of sale and distribution. The third Paris Retail Week will reinforce the synergies between offline and online. PRWOfficial www.parisretailweek.com

POPAI Awards Lancaster London Hotel 3 October 2017

Kesslers Innovation Seminar Stratford, London 11 October 2017

Now in its 11th year, the POPAI Awards continue to celebrate the role of retail marketing in all areas of shopper engagement and successful retailing. The evening will begin with a complimentary champagne reception for informal networking followed by a four-course dinner, the awards ceremony and dancing.

Kesslers’ next annual Innovation Seminar will take place on Wednesday 11 October at its Stratford head office. This will be the 18th in the Innovation Seminar series, and is the first event to feature two speakers instead of one. The day begins at 12 noon and will comprise networking with drinks and lunch provided, followed by the two presentations.

popaiuki www.popai.co.uk

Kesslers_Ltd www.kesslers.com

VM & Display Awards The Bloomsbury Big Top, London 23 November 2017 The only event dedicated to celebrating excellence and innovation in the retail visual merchandising and display sector, the VM & Display Awards bring together the UK’s most influential creatives, retailers and suppliers in celebration of their achievements over the past year. VMDisplayAwards

www.vmanddisplayawards.com

news

Australian homewares retailer HOUSE to launch in the UK Australian homewares specialist HOUSE, owned by Global Retail Brands, is preparing to launch in the UK. The retailer aims to open its first stores by April 2018, with a total of 75 stores set to open within three years. Global Retail Brands has 170 stores in its native Australia and describes itself as a kitchen, cooking, dining and entertaining specialist. It typically carries up to 4,000 items in its HOUSE stores, including cookware, glassware, small electrical appliances, knives and crockery. ‘We want HOUSE to become a household name in the UK as the go-to for cooking and entertaining. We believe that 75 stores is a safe number to target, however, this will very much be opportunity-led. We also want to create a sustainable product; for example, we are not focusing on putting a showcase on Oxford Street as we want the first store to be the same as the 75th store,’ says Steven Lew, executive chairman at Global Retail Brands.

The Forbidden Forest store opens at Harry Potter Studio Tour The Forbidden Forest is the latest set to open at Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter, and includes a new themed gift shop. Designed by Lumsden, the atmospheric retail interior plays homage to the original movie sets, which include giant enchanted trees and an array of characters hidden in the darkness. Fixtures have been made from two types of reclaimed timber — a clear finish for the trees and a darker one for the perimeter. The cash and wrap area is made from irregular timber boards. Product is displayed in recesses in three vast floor-to-ceiling, timber-clad columns. The back wall is filled with a back-lit graphic of the Forbidden Forest created by MinaLima, the original graphic artists on the Harry Potter films. A limited print is also on sale exclusively in the shop. The walls are painted backdrops created by Warner Bros. set designers for the project. There are spiders hidden between the trees for children to spot, providing a playful twist to the atmospheric mood. Low lighting plays a key part in creating atmosphere, glowing through the camouflage netting hung on the ceiling. Six GOBO projections of leaf shapes dapple the floor with a theatrical effect. The sound track used in the Forbidden Forest is also played in the store. ‘The Forbidden Forest and the tales around it will always be an iconic part of the Harry Potter story. This shop has been created by us to enhance the experience of the visitors, as well as to enable the fans to take away memories of this mysterious place,’ says Callum Lumsden, founder of Lumsden.

Appear Here launches Space for Ideas competition Appear Here, a marketplace for short-term retail space, has announced the launch of its second ‘Space for Ideas’ competition in partnership with Square to discover the next three big retail ideas. Judged by a panel of industry professionals, the winning ideas each receive a two-week flagship space in one of the world’s top retail destinations: London, Paris and New York. They’ll also get the mentorship, design advice and budget to bring their idea to life. This year’s judging panel includes fashion and commerce powerhouses Neil Blumenthal, co-founder of Warby Parker; Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter; Nick Jones, founder of Soho House, and Ajaz Ahmed, founder of AKQA. With the competition, Appear Here aims to give emerging brands and young designers the leg up they need to get started. Brands can enter now until 15 September 2017 via the Space for Ideas website: www.appearhere.co.uk/ spaceforideas. The three winners will be announced on 21 September and will open their doors to the public on 18 October - 1 November.

news

Volkswagon rolls out new concept at The Bullring Volkswagen has opened a new store concept at The Bullring in Birmingham, using ‘the joy of Volkswagen life’ as the inspiration. Designed by Dalziel & Pow, this pioneering vision for automotive retailing connects consumers with the pleasures of car ownership. Customers are encouraged to engage with stories and admire the brand’s innovations, as well as jump behind the wheel, get more out of their free time and live adventurously

with Volkswagen. Bringing the process of car buying into the shopping centre experience, customers can seamlessly conduct everything in the store, from initial enquiries to the purchase or both new and pre-owned models. A digital wall invites everyone to explore the brand and its models in a richly engaging interplay of physical objects, film and animation. Shelves of

tactile objects trigger car-related stories to play. Vignettes of people enjoying the real life benefits of vehicle ownership come alive around car models, and on a model of Volkswagen’s Car Towers in Autostadt is a button that prompts illuminations and facts about the factory and manufacturing processes to appear on the wall. Additional scale models give visitors the opportunity to discover more, and with a simple touch 360 degree footage of the vehicle and its key features appear on the screen behind. A series of icons along the interactive wall and shelves trigger the latest in technological advancements from Volkswagen. Customers can use iPads to configure their own car, getting added inspiration from wall-mounted samples of colours and finishes, before moving onto a big-screen ‘reveal’ of their chosen vehicle. A final side-by-side consultation with non-commissioned product experts finishes the purchase journey in a personal, human way. Customers can also take models for a test drive in the recently refurbished Bullring car park.

In brief... Retail marketing agency IPOS has expanded its UK offering into mainland Europe, opening an office in Amsterdam. The agency, which specialises in point-of-sale marketing for both online and offline retail channels, said the opening is in response to ongoing positivity about the investment brands are making in their bricks and mortar stores.

Côte Brasserie added to Trinity Leeds’ food offering French inspired restaurant, Côte Brasserie has opened one of its largest sites at Trinity Leeds. The 371 sq m restaurant is located on the upper level of the shopping and leisure destination, overlooking the centre’s galleried atrium space. Designed by Cantor Masters, the new Côte Brasserie incorporates the familiar colours and textures of other Côte restaurants, including a mix of oak plank and French concrete floor tiles, grasscloth and gold leaf wallpaper as well as banquette, booth and loose seating.

‘We’re really excited to have worked on this landmark design for Côte at Trinity; a really vibrant location at the heart of the Northern power house,’ says Neil Masters, lead designer at Cantor Masters. The new Côte Brasserie also features a bar area to the front of the restaurant, which has only been incorporated in one other location. Special features also include mirrored coffered ceilings, the bespoke bar design and a circular waiter station.

Morgan Holt has been appointed to the newly created role of chief strategy officer at global retail and brand consultancy FITCH. Effective from 4 September, Holt will be based in London and a member of FITCH’s global leadership team. He will lead the growth of the consultancy’s strategic offer across all markets. The RIBA Regent Street Windows Project will now take place in April 2018, having previously taken place in September.

international news

international

NEWS Dover Street Market opens Singapore site Dover Street Market has opened its latest site in Singapore. Located at Block 18 Dempsey Road, the design and creative direction was undertaken by Rei Kawakubo who conceived the original Dover Street Market on London’s Dover Street in September 2004 alongside Adrian Joffe of Commes des Garçons. ‘As with all human existence, nothing ever stays still, everything is always changing, and so it is that the first outpost of Dover Street Market in Southeast Asia finds itself in Singapore, and for the first time on only one floor, in an old army barrack with the highest ceiling ever seen in any DSM or CDG store,’ says Adrian Joffe, president of Dover Street Market International.

Away launches concept store in Los Angeles Luggage brand Away has launched a concept store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. First class luggage at a coach price is the company ethos, when the co-founders recognised a gap in the market for affordable lifestyle luggage. Creative design agency JUSTSO designed and realised the West Coast store expansion, having worked on a number of global activations and pop-ups with the retailer, including its current New York concept store on Crosby Street. ‘We took careful consideration of the store design to ensure we kept in with the L.A. vibe,’ says Stuart Henry, JUSTSO managing director. JUSTSO invoked the L.A. vibes with a light and engaging high-finish environment to explore the brand.

Molecure Pharmacy unveils new concept

Photographer: Kuomin Lee

Molecure Pharmacy in Taichung, Taiwan has unveiled a new store concept. Molecure, a combination of the word molecule and cure, is owned by a third generation pharmacist, who wanted to bring the store up to date for the modern world. Design practice Waterfrom Design looked at the original purpose of a pharmacy — extracting molecules from nature to synthesise healing drugs. The space, which has been conceived as a green laboratory design concept, combines holistic medicine with science and technology. Waterfrom extracted the two characteristics of molecule — ‘connectivity’ and ‘aggregation’ — into the design. One-way counter service has been removed and replaced with a laboratory table in the core of the space, where pharmacists interact with customers. Together with the open dispensing area, and iPad embedded consulting service system, interactive information and better customer experience are created.

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visual merchandising

INSPIRING WINDOW DISPLAYS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Lululemon To highlight the Lululemon Sweatlife Festival in July, the athletic apparel company unveiled a huge â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;waveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wall installation in its Regent Street flagship, made from rolled up yoga mats. More than 1,000 mats were used, cut to various lengths to engineer the wave effect, all weighing over one tonne. The installation was created in collaboration with Lucky Fox.

Harvey Nichols For Autumn/Winter 2017, Harvey Nichols takes visitors on an incredible journey through its Escapism window displays. With a whimsical approach, the escapism journey is embodied in aeroplanes formed of hundreds of birds taking flight, a boat consisting of shoals of fish and a classic car made from miniature toy horses. Each window presents a magical form of transportation and gives a full 360-degree view of the story that is told through the continuation across all windows. There is an ethereal sense of movement, especially with the horse made entirely of Scaletrix tracks and racing cars. The mannequins, dressed exclusively in AW17 collections, feature exquisite hair of feathers and are suspended to create a fun yet mystical ambience.

visual merchandising

Hunter Footwear retailer Hunter has unveiled a summer scene of beach huts in its Regent Street window. Three beach huts stand proud in the window, each one finished with a hand-painted graphic that reflects the classic Hunter red and white branding. Whilst the beach huts act as the main feature, additional props include polystyrene sculpted sand dunes coated in real sand, a strapline vinyl, bunting and characterful poised mannequins adding life to the window. The beach huts were manufacturered and installed by Tenn. Image courtesy of Gucci

Harrods Gucci has brought its botanical bounty to Harrods, taking over the windows, as well as in-store display areas and digital channels with vibrant colours and patterns. The department store’s 16 windows on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge bring two exclusive Gucci stories to life — the launch of the first fragrance under the new creative direction, Gucci Bloom, and the arrival of the House DIY programme (a personalisation service). Visually, the windows are connected through memorable motifs associated with the Gucci Garden. The faces of the fragrance (actress Dakota Johnson, artist Petra Collins and actress and model Hari Nef) appear in the print and TV advertising visuals and also serve as a backdrop to some of the windows. The Gucci Bloom fragrance bottle is repeatedly showcased on round lacquered tables. The window scheme comprises green or pink velvet capitone walls, vintage oriental rugs and the Gucci DIY iconic crest. Items are displayed on a variety of elements, including valets and wooden closets.

Photography: Melvyn Vincent

Ted Baker Ted Baker has taken over window 11 at Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street with a scheme inspired by, and in support of, the brand’s exclusive launch of new loungewear and its collaboration with the department store’s Music Matters campaign. The window shows a soft, luxurious private jet scene featuring bespoke fabrication and upholstery. The scheme was designed, produced and installed by Harlequin Design and features Miss Molly mannequins by More Mannequins.

vis

visual merchandising

visual merchandising ON Motcomb Flowers adorn the windows of independent boutique, ON Motcomb in Knightsbridge. The design has been inspired by the retailer’s latest collection, including the dresses and the running trend of appliqué flowers throughout. PLANarama designed, produced and installed the scheme on Motcomb Street, also looking at the trend of the colours used throughout the collection of dresses, including purples, pinks, white and subtle hints of red. The design team used the shape of the dresses, outfits and gowns to see how they could manipulate them into the windows to suit the style of the store as well as the luxury of the brand. Producing the skeleton of the dress, woman and bustier from a wire with added details and finishing in gold, PLANarama added around 1,000 silk artificial flowers into the scheme, creating a beautiful elegant skirt for the second window, then adding texture and detail to the other two windows.

See more window schemes at www.retail-focus.co.uk/vm

Penhaligon’s Penhaligon’s has implemented its award-winning Heritage window scheme, revamped for 2017. The scheme uses vinyls to accentuate the heritage angle and show how long the company has been delivering excellence in scent within Britain. The roll-out consists of polished pieces of copper interconnecting to produce a geometric lattice type structure. Each level holds conical flasks, holding ingredients such as dyed water, artificial silk flowers and leaves. On each level the flasks are held in place using brass fixings to give a beautiful contrast of metals and materials used throughout. Implemented by PLANarama, the roll-out was delivered to stores across the UK, from Regent Street to Edinburgh, giving each store its own bespoke scheme.

pop

TOP pops of the

Company: Propability

Client: Universal

Display title: Despicable Me 3 movie launch Selfridges take over

Sector: Toys

Location: Selfridges London Toy Department

The brief: Selfridges required an in-store treatment to display new product for the launch of Despicable Me 3 and the blockbuster movie merchandise sales at Selfridges. The theming needed to be in a contemporary style that complemented the Selfridges brand and provided adequate merchandise display and storage in a fun and eye-catching way. The brief was to use a 1980s feel to reflect the theming of the film.

The solution: A minimum colour scheme was developed with bold â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s geometric patterns as a nod to the era. Creating a bright display, award-winning integrated brand and communications agency Oakwood partnered with Propability, a leading manufacturer of high quality visual display solutions and props, to produce the eye-catching area for the toy department. Propability produced various features from MDF including plinths, a lenticular interactive wall with audio points for customers to listen to the soundtrack and live lit oversized acrylic Rubix cubes. Propability also handled a highly complex vinyl install for all existing fixtures.

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column

Karl McKeever

Going places this summer? Whether you’re jetting off or staying closer to home this summer, the holiday season will hopefully provide a valuable opportunity to re-charge, regroup, reflect, and gather your thoughts. On a personal level, I’m indulging in a little reflective thinking of my own at the moment. The start of summer not only marked another new financial year for Visual Thinking, but also the beginning of our Silver Anniversary celebrations. Like most of you, I’m not sure where the first part of 2017 (let alone the last 25 years) has gone. I have a suspicion that for the retail executives amongst you, a large portion of it has been spent simply trying to swim with the tide. If you stop and think about it (should you find a precious spare minute to do so), the speed at which most of us within the industry now routinely work is truly staggering. Little wonder then that a week or two away from desks, hopefully somewhere hot, is so warmly received. Notwithstanding the fact that your well-earned holiday will no doubt fly by in the blink of an eye, there are rarely ever enough hours in the day. Waiting for you on your return will be the usual flurry of seasonal in-store events, providing another busy end to the year. From the launch of AW collections to Halloween, Black Friday, and (dare I even mention it?) the C-word — Selfridges has already once again dared to steal a march on everyone by launching its Christmas shop before July even ended. All these seasonal events will offer a welcome spike in trading activity. But they also serve to reinforce the short-term, tactical nature of the retail world we now operate in; one that is, it seems, increasingly focused on immediate priorities and results, with less time afforded to strategic thinking and sustainable success. A study presented at this year’s World Retail Congress suggested that retail executives are keenly aware of the need to consider and implement a longer-term vision for their businesses. According to the research, 80 per cent of retailers understand the need for delivering in-store transformation programmes. Despite this, under a quarter of retail executives say they know what transformation looks like on a day-to-day basis. It’s perhaps not surprising. Simply ensuring that routine in-store tasks are completed is often challenging enough.

In reality, there is no shortage of retailers for which in-store transformation will be a commercial imperative in the months ahead. The Body Shop, now under new ownership, fashion retailer New Look and DIY retailer Bunnings are just three of the names that immediately spring to mind. In some instances, the answers to the question of what real transformation looks like may already exist within. But often, even when they do, there is rarely sufficient time for internal teams to realise them on their own. In the time-starved world that today’s retail executives operate within, accepting external specialist support is increasingly a must-have, rather a nice-to-have. The rewards of doing so can be enormous. From identifying the reality of what is currently happening in store (as opposed to what you believe is happening — typically two very different things) to providing strategic guidance and gifting leadership teams with the ability to make more decisive and informed decisions. One thing is certain: if you don’t deliver positive and effective retail transformation at store level, others will. One retailer for which a clear strategic vision is starting to pay dividends in store is Morrisons. Much maligned in recent years, its star is now in the ascendency under the stewardship of David Potts. In recent weeks, I have spent some of my own time with those responsible for delivering change within Morrisons on a day-to-day basis. Talking to them, in my role as an industry awards judge, the sense of transformation and, most importantly, the engagement and energy behind the retailer’s transformation strategy were both palpable and truly inspiring. The retailer’s extended foray into clothing, via its Nutmeg range, could yet demand further transformation, both in terms of strategic approach and practical visual merchandising, if it is to deliver a truly winning shopper experience cross-category. But what I saw with my own eyes is proof that the time invested at a strategic level is starting to pay dividends, and is matched by a willingness at store level to make it happen. So, perhaps now is an opportune moment for other retail executives out there to reflect on how you should divide your focus when you return. Maybe take the time to think like the lifeguards that you will come across while on the beach this summer. As the saying goes: good lifeguards rarely get wet, because 95 per cent of their work is preventative.

Karl McKeever is founder and managing director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.

Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co karlmckeever www.visualthinking.co.uk 23

project focus

ETUDE HOUSE

Myeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea Design: Dalziel & Pow Opening date: May 2017 Store size: 195 sq m The flagship store of South Korean cosmetics brand Etude House has undergone a refurbishment to reflect its new brand positioning. The Myeong-dong store is presented as an interactive beauty destination called the ‘House of Colour Play’, where customers are encouraged to be creative with cosmetics. Bringing a sophisticated, confident attitude while staying true to the brand’s playful spirit, it expresses Etude House’s refreshed ‘Sweet Dream’ philosophy. ‘We were briefed to develop Etude House’s signature Princess Fantasy design into a new, more modern concept. The new House of Colour Play concept we created is a little bit more confident and grown up, yet stays true to the label’s brand pillars: lovely; sweet; trendy,’ says Benedetta Sodini, senior designer, and Richard Marking, design project leader at Dalziel & Pow. The transformation includes digital interactions, a revamped store facade and a cohesive brand identity for Etude House. The flagship store offers a brand experience over three floors. ‘With Etude House it was key that we turned it into an experiential brand,’ continue Sodini and Marking. Complementing the refreshed façade are the sleek, on-trend and contemporary

project focus

‘With Etude House it was key that we turned it into an experiential brand.’ interiors that instantly wow customers entering the store and offers a glimpse of the mezzanine level. Dalziel & Pow devised a layered approach for the retail experience principles: essential touchpoints reflect the core store offer for target customers, while signature touchpoints were designed to elevate the Etude House experience above and beyond its beauty retail competitors. The space is filled with colour, charm and fun, and has the feel of a real home with a blend of classic and modern details. Though the iconic pink roof has been retained, Dalziel & Pow introduced a secondary palette to balance the brand’s trademark pinks. An eye-catching pink door has been installed on the side of a façade, now a popular photo spot for tourists in Myeong-dong. POS and signage have been simplified and clarified, while

signature motifs based on hearts and circular patterns were built upon. ‘We had to work within quite a tight brief and incorporate the brand’s three signature pink shades. We decided to take one as the main shade and use the others more sparingly, and interject them with pastel hues inspired by the brand’s iconic “life is sweet” logo,’ say Sodini and Marking. ‘It was important that we introduced colours that were not just pink in order to bring a more mature look to the store. The circular patterns and mirrors in the store are inspired by the brand’s signature round makeup cases.’ On the ground floor customers are encouraged to explore all products, share looks and socialise around an oval mid-floor table that’s haloed by a modern lighting feature and illuminated wall mirrors. Key Etude House décor details such as the

project focus

parquet floor and Georgian panels have been mixed with more contemporary fixtures and materials. The mezzanine level features a Personal Studio offering, My Colour Finder and My Colour Draping services for finding each customer’s most suitable shades. New ‘Find your Look’ demos empower and educate customers, adding a unique Etude House twist by including skincare to the how-to guides. Dalziel & Pow created nine signature looks for this section, with beauty experts on hand to demonstrate and advise. Digital is also a strong part of the Etude House experience, with expanded product stories and immersive tutorials. For example, girls can use a face colour scanner to find out their exact skin tone. ‘Experiences like makeovers, skincare tutorials, beauty classes etc. are all important ways of engaging customers that lots of brands have been doing for a while and should continue with,’ believe Sodini and Marking. The second floor offers even more personalisation and play with the Colour Factory concept. Customers can blend bespoke lipsticks at the My Lips Bar using cutting-edge beauty technology. They can then select a favourite lipstick case to be personalised and have their name engraved on the packaging. Helpful hints and tips permeate the whole store, sharing simple beauty advice in the brand’s distinctive tone of voice, while a strong loyalty and gifts offer rewards customers in fun and engaging ways. Etude House also features an enticing Snap & Share space, encouraging interaction on social media. The store is emblematic of the brand’s steady evolution over the years, becoming more sophisticated and contemporary with every new phase while targeting customers in their early 20s. The store is currently out-trading the rest of the Etude House retail estate, a clear sign of the power of engaging design.

‘The new House of Colour Play concept we created is a little bit more confident and grown up.’

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project focus

KATE SPADE NEW YORK RUE SAINT-HONORÉ, PARIS Design: Househam Henderson; Portview Fit-Out Store opening: June 2017 Store size: 185 sq m Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris has welcomed a new flagship from US fashion brand Kate Spade New York, marking the brand’s first specialty store in the French market. The flagship follows the retailer’s Regent Street store opening in London last year. The iconic store location will showcase the world of Kate Spade New York in its most sophisticated and elegant expression. Located at 418 Rue Saint-Honoré, the 185 sq m store offers multiple product categories, including handbags, ready-to-wear, fashion accessories, small leather goods, jewellery, watches, shoes and eyewear. ‘It’s incredibly exciting to be opening a store in Paris,’ says Deborah Lloyd, chief creative officer of Kate Spade & Company. ‘Paris is a global fashion and shopping destination with a rich design heritage. As an American brand with a global sensibility, we are looking forward to introducing the full breadth of the Kate Spade New York lifestyle offerings to new and existing brand fans.’ The design of the flagship embraces mid-century modern influences while maintaining the authentic aesthetic of the neighbourhood. The store’s two-level facade was inspired by a traditional Parisian shopfront, incorporating painted wood and dark stone accents. Furniture from the retailer’s home collection is blended into the overall store design, allowing customers to immerse themselves in the world of Kate Spade New York. ‘We are proud to open our first Kate Spade New York specialty store in Paris as we continue to establish the Kate Spade New York brand in Europe,’ says Craig Leavitt, chief executive officer of Kate Spade & Company. ‘We have already seen strong customer demand and brand resonance in the market with our wholesale presence, making a Paris specialty store the natural next step for Kate Spade & Company’s growth.’ The brand already has specialty stores in London on Regent Street, Covent Garden, Sloane Square and Westfield, as well as Oslo, Norway, and is also available at Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

project focus

Retail Focus Sloan Advert Outlines.indd 1

11/07/2017 15:43:46

project focus

ZHONGSHU BOOKSTORE Suzhou, China, Design: Wutopia Lab Opening date: July 2017 Store size: 1,380 sq m

Designed by Yu Ting, founder of Shanghaibased Wutopia Lab, Zhongshu Bookstore in Suzhou, China is the newest store from the brand since its first site opened five years ago. The store is divided into four main zones and several sub-divided zones. Aiming to create a colourful new world by using symbolism, the architect gave a unique character to each of the four zones. ‘The new “Zhongshuge” needed to figure out how to stand out. For us, we wanted to do a new bookstore to go beyond our old work; the very first “Zhongshuge” bookstore in Songjiang,’ says Ting. ‘The client needed four different functions in the bookstore. We used symbolism by giving a unique character to each zone — The Sanctuary of Crystal for new arrivals; The Cave of Fireflies for recommendations; The Xanadu of Rainbows for a reading room; The Castle of Innocence for children’s books.’ At the start of the customer journey is The Sanctuary of Crystal, a space full of books and nothing else. The latest arrivals are arranged on pre-fabricated,

transparent, acrylic shelves, outstanding the presence of the books. Using glass bricks, mirrors and acrylic, The Sanctuary of Crystal is a shining white space, luring customers into the heart of the store. After the whiteness, The Cave of Fireflies is a darker tunnel connecting the main hall and the entrance. Customers will pick books here and follow the guide of fibre optics into the main reading area. As the site is in a new district, all the buildings are in a modern style with large windows. ‘We needed to create a fascinating street view to draw people in to step into the bookstore. Then we thought why not use a rainbow to draw people’s attention?’ says Ting. After a relatively narrow space, The Xanadu of Rainbows is a large and open space. Natural light pours into the space thanks to a series of large windows. Being the most prominent zone, The Xanadu of Rainbows provides a variety of experiences. Taking advantage of different heights of shelves, steps and tables, the architect created a hyper architecturised and

project focus

abstracted landscape of cliffs, valleys, islands, rapids and oases. Thin, perforated, aluminum sheets in gradient colours are reminiscent of rainbows installed in the bookstore. These 1cm-thin panels divide zones of different functions, at the same time bringing a mysterious and vague atmosphere to the space. At the very end of The Xanadu of Rainbows is the children’s book area, surrounded by white ETFE walls. With the help of translucent ETFE, The Castle of Innocence is an inner world inside the bookstore. Many complex installments were added in the space, building a world where children can interact with each other and with the bookstore itself.

‘We thought, why not use a rainbow to draw people’s attention?’

The perforated aluminum sheets that shape the windows play a huge part in the project. When half of the sheets were perforated, they lost the visual quality of shining metals. When multiple panels of different sizes and colours were fixed together, a veil is created. The distance between each set of panels is also of great importance. Some gaps between the panels are larger than others, thus creating spaces of different experiences. Again, with the almost translucent quality of the panels, the boundaries between each individual space is weakened. With the use of lighting, the colourful sheets can also be seen from outside, making the bookstore an inviting destination.

Photo Credit: SLVHCS ‘Project Legacy’, New Orleans, USA © Sean Airhart/NBBJ

#retailexchange

WHAT SHOPPERS WANT The third episode of The Retail Exchange podcast gets in the mind of the shopper to find out what they want and desire. Text: Lyndsey Dennis

Participants:

Lucinda Bowden Host

Kate Nightingale Founder of Style Psychology

Danielle Pinnington Founder and owner of Shoppercentric

Victoria Buchanan Visual trends researcher at The Future Laboratory

Exploring the concept of the ‘multi-individual’, we ask how retailers can better serve today’s shopper as each of us juggle a range of different mindstates and needs when shopping, in our bid to deal with the pressures of modern living. In this episode we dissect increasingly complex purchasing behaviour and look at ways retailers can ensure the retail experience resonates with shoppers in a way that’s relevant and personal, every time they visit a store.

The shopper and the consumer – is the distinction between the two clear in the eyes of the retailer? ‘Im not so sure that most retailers necessarily realise that somebody who is making that decision in store might not be purchasing for themselves. I think one of the biggest things we’ve seen at The Future Laboratory is this idea that you can’t necessarily segment people by their demographic anymore,’ kickstarted Victoria Buchanan, visual trends researcher at The Future Laboratory. ‘I wouldn’t try to differentiate so much between the consumer, shopper or customer. Let’s just think about the human, and how the human buys, why they buy and really target the basic human needs,’ adds Kate Nightingale, founder of Style Pyschology. ‘I think a retailer’s priority should be the person that’s in the store or online and assume that person has particular purchase needs. You want to convert them from looking to buying. What are the influences that I can use? Whether it’s in the in-store environment or online, to nudge them along or to make sure I’m not creating a barrier,’ says Danielle Pinnington, founder and owner of Shoppercentric. ‘I saw a statistic that said women are 70-80 per cent of all consumer purchasing, and yet when you think about a lot of

Recognise what they want, even beyond what they know they want, and then give it to them.

#retailexchange

industries, for example automotive or technology, they don’t really speak to women at all, yet often it’s the woman making that final decision. So I think there are lots of industries that segment by gender and they’re getting that wrong too, which is a problem when you start to think about the products being designed and the advertising that’s trying to push that message through, and the experience that you then get in store doesn’t necessarily match up to the person who has that decision,’ notes Buchanan. ‘We’ve moved from “I want it” to “Do I need it?” and then a step further to “Do I like what it’s selling me?”’ says Pinnington.

How have shoppers become this way inclined and how can retailers respond to it? Buchanan says in the last five years we’ve seen that consumers are becoming increasingy overwhelmed by choice. The idea that we’re living in the age of attention and attention is the scarecist resource. In terms of brands communicating with people, she notes social media and people bombarded by choice. ‘Amazon is all about choice; you can keep scrolling and scrolling and they will never run out of new things to show you. I think we’re starting to feel suffocated by all this choice and we want the brand to curate and edit based on our personality and what that brand knows about us. I think brands that create an edited version of that shopping experience in the future will for certain be capturing consumer attention,’ says Buchanan. ‘That’s part of the rise of the convenience store. Although you know you pay a little bit more, you actually feel you save a bit 7 choice is because you’re not being tempted so much and the easier and quick. We’re now learning that doing little and often

means we avoid waste, we’re not tempted by so much and it’s easier for us,’ adds Pinnington. Nightingale agrees: ‘Definitely too much choice and naturally our brain is designed in a way that we process way more information subconsciously and therefore make more decisions subconsiously than consciously. Our brain processes 11 million bits of information per second subconsciously and barely 40 bits consciously. We use certain cues such as colours, textures, specific shapes, stereotypical connections; our brain uses all of those cues and more to gather information very quickly and decide if this product is really what I’m looking for. So we do have to take into account how that works and understand how we can bring that customer from “I need to make this decision and this particular choice”, and quickly give them precisely what they want. Recognise what they want, even beyond what they know they want, and then give it to them.’

How important is emotional connection ? ‘Hugely important, particularly for the emotive categories — food for example. We’re using things like emojis and Snapchat; you look at social media and it’s all about image and yet we’re only just learning the role of image within stores. Shoppers make snap decisions on the basis of what they can see. I think we’re going to see more of that coming into stores; it won’t just be how many products can you shove on shelves, it will actually be how can you display them in a way that entices shoppers or gets them to see something different? But it takes knowing what shoppers need and how they’re going to make their decisions subconsciously and consciously as well,’ believes Pinnington. Buchanan agrees: ‘In the last year we’ve seen Apple investing

#retailexchange

in emotion recognition technology and there’s talk of Amazon Alexa being able to, in the future, understand your emotion based on your voice and flection when you’re speaking, then tailor the music it’s playing and the products it will be shopping for you. So how can you really create that experience that helps someone find the product they want based on the mood that they’re in? People are increasingly looking to have those emotional experiences. This idea of emotions becoming more important is just going to grow and grow.’ She adds: ‘It’s been shown that having human interaction in store is a key driver for discovering new products, and they see a much better uptake of people purchasing when its driven through that human experience.’ Pinnington also uses Apple as an example — a retailer that isn’t hailed as great just because they’re full of lovely kit and nicely designed; it’s also because you can talk to someone and access that information. ‘That person isn’t just there to read off a script; they love their products so much they will talk to you to the enth degree about the products and tell you things that you might not have been aware of. It’s about tapping into that passion.’

How important is the store environment to the brand? ‘I think its hugely important. Clearly we can see that stores are still alive. The store is transforming to meet our needs. Now we’re looking for experiences; we’re looking to get that extra level of customer service,’ says Buchanan. She notes US retailer Reformation which has just one of each dress on display and customers order on a screen, after which staff will deliver the dress to the changing room. ‘Staff can really focus on the customer service. We have always been social and physical retail fulfils that need for us,’ says Buchanan. ‘It’s making the time they spend in store useful time,’ adds Pinnington.

What is the most important element that influences shoppers’ behaviour? ‘There is no most important thing to be honest. Every single little detail, so understand how the subconscious is processing the information. But if we really want to simplify it, just go back to Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs,’ says Nightingale. ‘I completely agree with everything Kate has said, but also thinking that perhaps it’s the shopper mindset that’s the biggest influence and how you tap into that depends on that mindset in the first place,’ adds Pinnington. ‘If you’re thinking about a marketplace that is increasingly convenience driven, but at the same time people are looking for those more slower, indulgent experiences, then customer experience becomes the key differentiator there,’ says Buchanan. You can download the full podcast and previous episodes at www.theretailexchange.co.uk

#retailexchange

‘We have always been social and physical retail fulfils that need for us.’

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designing stores for women

FEMALE OF THE

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In part one of a two part series, we look at designing stores for the female market. Females have more of an emotional connection in store than men, but how can retailers and designers use this and create the ultimate in-store experience for women? It seems our senses are a key tool, and used alongside memorable experiences will satisy a woman’s connection with a brand. ‘Retailers should consider how their shop floors appeal to the whole breadth of their market, remembering that women often shop with emotion and need to feel a connection with the brand — buying a product is much more than a transaction,’ says Stuart Geekie, managing director at HMY Group (UK). He stresses the importance of engaging with all of a customer’s senses, introducing theatre in store and exciting pop-up stations. ‘Bringing in new technologies is also essential if you are to build a loyal customer base, as it shows that you are market leaders and are committed to giving them the best possible experience. Augmented reality is a particularly useful way to do this with female shoppers, as retailers can create virtual fitting rooms and comparison tools to make their time in store more personalised and enjoyable.’ Geekie stresses the importance of steering clear of out-dated, incorrect stereotypes when it comes to colour: ‘Pink is not always the answer and overdoing this in the design of a store can in fact have the opposite effect and deter customers from sticking with you.’ Lara Marrero, firmwide retail practice area leader and senior associate at Gensler, agrees. ‘More and more today I think we’ve done a really good job of breaking down the barriers and made women realise that we work as individuals and not just a group of women. What we’ve been looking at [at Gensler] is how do you avoid stereotypes whilst shopping?’

Text: Lyndsey Dennis

Marrero also agrees that women have more of a focus on the emotional connection. ‘Women tend to respond better to a full sensory experience than men do. If you’re able to engage more than three senses, you tend to get better engagement; they tend to stay longer, they tend to be more engaged in the details.’ Gensler considers everything in the design from what they’re looking at to the music playing, smells, touch, beverages and snacks. She believes that the use of digital in-store for women should be used to inform and not replace interaction. She also notes understanding patterns of behaviours of online shoppers. ‘How can we take her buying behaviour online and help to inform her store behaviour accordingly?’ Gensler has been looking at utilising user generated content in store. ‘If you’re going to have images of products, instead of them being really obsessive, well shot products, look at putting user-generated content around the statements so we see how real people use the products. It feels more authentic to the brand and more authentic to the customer.’ At NYX Cosmetics, Gensler introduced Instagram posts in store, showing everyday people using the brand’s products, and selfie bars where customers can take photos of themselves trying out products. ‘It’s women sharing with other women; that real endorsement. I’m just a regular person and you can use this product the same why I’m using this product,’ says Marrero.

Main: lululemon provides service that compliments its products, such as in-store yoga classes.

designing stores for women

Using lululemon as an example, Marrero adds: ‘Provide service that compliments products and really understand education as well. If you’re able to serve her in a way where she feels she is getting time back; so shopping and taking a yoga class in the daytime, you’re going to position yourself as something high value to her.’ More often than not, women will want to know the supply chain of products, how they are made and where they come from. Marrero stresses the importance of making the supply chain transparent. ‘People, especially mums, want to know where products come from, especially if they’re going to be around their babies and children.’ More than 70 per cent of shoppers at Duke of York Square in Chelsea are women. The Square’s events programme, which includes a complimentary running club, yoga classes, Wimbledon screenings and the floral festival of Chelsea in Bloom tying into the Chelsea Flower Show, also attracts a largely female audience. ‘For us, the focus is always on the holistic experience — attracting customers to the physical enjoyment of shopping, rather than just sitting and ordering online at home,’ says Hugh Seaborn, CEO of property management company Cadogan. Seaborn says they increasingly see consumers mixing and matching lower-priced items with luxury accessories. ‘The estate perfectly reflects this modern approach to shopping across the “layers” of luxury — from affordable luxury at Duke of York Square to the couture offering of Sloane Street.’ ‘For us, it’s the same as designing for a guy, or a Millennial, or a silver pound consumer, you have to be able to take your head off and think like them,’ says Steve James-Royle, co-founder of retail design agency, The Yard Creative. ‘Whether you’re a female or male designer, explore their world; understand their routine in the morning, their needs and their emotional connections. Never assume you know them just because you may be one of them. Once you know this, you can design for them.’ James-Royle says there’s no doubt that compassion and connection are key for female consumers, but don’t wrap them in cotton wool. ‘Our strategic work on the Size? female only format or Models Own has shown they are way more knowledgeable than most men when it comes to being an informed consumer. They find the time to research, explore and question each purchase and know what they want,’ adds James-Royle. We’ll be exploring the male market in our September issue.

Top: For Models Own Boxshop at Westfield Stratford City, The Yard Creative designed a user-friendly store that helps shoppers understand how to use the products, as well as how to curate en vogue looks. Right: For C&A’s latest concept across Europe, Gensler was asked to look at a new market sector for the brand called ‘casual pretty’.

Kate Nightingale, founder of Style Pyschology, shares some interesting research results and how to apply them in store: • W omen use more information and cues to make a decision — make that information more accessible to lower their cognitive effort and increase pleasure, e.g. list of product benefits in POS display. • Women trust people more than technology — focus on fostering social connections and customer service with great non-verbal skills, e.g. social changing rooms. • Personal, emotional, expert and positive language is more effective for women — use personal yet knowledgeable experts and accentuate emotional and social benefits of products or brand activities, e.g. TOM’S charitable activity and employees’ first-hand experience of it. • Women have a tendency to stress more — allow women to relax and experience positive emotions to increase shopping satisfaction, e.g. Anthropologie on Regent Street uses biophilic design and burning relaxing candles from its collection. • Women are immune to obvious sensory cues — bright colours and red sale signs won’t always work on women and might have an opposite effect; instead use cues of quality such as wood, dark colours and leather, e.g. Hedonism Wines in Mayfair. • Women are better at multitasking — just because science proves women are better at multitasking and managing complex situations, doesn’t mean they want to; make it simple and intuitive, especially in wayfinding and signage (digital is not necessarily the best option as it adds to the information women need to process).

The Fitting Room of the future – new Ansorg concept boosts turnover in fashion stores The fitting room, once intended as the strong point of bricks-and-mortar retail outlets, has now become a real hindrance to sales. Over 40 per cent of consumers who show their clear interest in buying by visiting the fashion stores are leaving them again without making a purchase simply because they found the fitting room unappealing. This was revealed by a representative survey conducted on Ansorg’s behalf.

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opinion

Food is the new retail David Martin, joint managing director at M Worldwide, explores the phenomenon of grocerants and the implementation of food outlets in store.

There are very few things traditionally existing on the high street that can’t now be obtained online. Notable exceptions include services such as shoe repair shops, dry cleaners, funeral parlours, hair and beauty salons, and dog grooming. But even the bricks and mortar shop front element of those is vanishing, with many offering ‘mobile van’ services straight to your front door. Then there are things that can certainly be bought online, but we prefer not to, because of the inherent nature of those things or our need state, such as shoes, impulse products and distress purchases. There is one category that happily straddles both worlds because it’s a fundamental part of our lives — fresh food. Sure, you can buy anything from mushrooms to scallops online, but many people still love to shop for their fresh food physically, especially those looking for a sensory experience (or that don’t trust supermarkets to pick out the best produce for them). Our consumption of packaged and tinned food is reducing, and it’s easier to have bulky supermarket commodities such as toilet rolls delivered. This has led to a revival in shopping for fresh food several times a week, instead of one big weekly shop. No other category has such universal appeal and so many positive aspects. Fresh food is emotive, sensory, galvanising, sociable, inspiring, comforting, enlivening, sexy, adventurous, and more. At one time only very select restaurants offered the theatricality and setting to showcase food’s positive attributes. But there’s a new world order in retail and food seems to rule everywhere. Grocery meets restaurant More and more grocery retailers are

turning sections of their stores into a foodie’s delight and creating tough new casual dining competition for fast-food chains and traditional restaurants. The phenomenon is growing so fast that it has its own name: grocerant. In the USA alone, grocerants generated 2.4 billion visits and $10 billion in sales in 2016, according to The NPD Group. Grocerants take the service deli counter to the next level, with niceties that can include sit-down service with waiters, full bars and even sushi chefs. Customers get the convenience of being able to order a meal, then fill their shopping carts with home essentials while they wait. Stores pick up extra sales. In Copenhagen, department store Magasin du Nord is working with casual dining retailers such as Gló Restaurants to forge a different grocerant model in its flagship. The department store is moving away from a traditional supermarket model and towards a casual dining and leisure food model, and Gló is the core anchor for Magasin du Nord’s completely redeveloped basement food hall in the centre of Copenhagen, which has direct access to a Metro station. The 240 sq m 105-seat restaurant and food-to-go area is open from morning to night. It takes up almost one quarter of the entire food hall. Plus a standalone Gló-branded fresh juice bar and fresh produce area elsewhere in the food hall will supply bottled product and produce to its main restaurant and kitchen. It’s all about fresh ideas and solutions that are closer to the point of consumption rather than commodity groceries and produce. Fashion goes foodie Luxury clothing retailers are providing their own subtly branded café experiences that brand aficionados are sure to buy into. In addition to the dining experience, carefully selected products from the brands and other partners often form part of the design. Witness Thomas’s Café, part of Burberry’s Regent Street flagship in London. Following the success of an immersive pop-up collaboration, Burberry teamed up more permanently with The New Craftsmen, purveyors of handcrafted

British homeware, to completely rethink the café in 2016. Weekly evolving merchandise — all by British makers — is curated by The New Craftsmen, and sits alongside Burberry gifts created for the café. Many of these can be personalised with calligraphy, embroidery, leather hand-painting and embossing — presumably while you wait and enjoy a toasted teacake by the fire. I don’t think this exists, but I can totally imagine a range of curated Paul Smith craft beers sold in his own quintessentially modern English pub, and I’d almost certainly go there. This approach goes way beyond just sustenance and products. Food IS intrinsic to the shopping experience Not only has food become an intrinsic part of the shopping experience, but it’s an experience in and of itself, often competing with retailers for a share of people’s leisure spend. Department stores have multiple food and dining options on every floor to not only refuel but encourage dwell time. Rather than a means to the end of buying more products, these food offers are often the end in and of themselves. Then there are the specialist food markets and dedicated food emporiums such as London’s Mercato Metropolitano. They truly deliver something special — excellent value and experience in exchange for time spent there. Just a few of Mercato Metropolitano’s endeavours beyond selling food include: an on-site urban garden that teaches how food is grown, cooking classes, live demonstrations by local producers, specially curated films and cultural programmes at an on-site arts centre/ cinema, and affordable workspace for the emerging entrepreneurial community. Food really is becoming the new retail. Don’t believe it? Recent figures from PWC and the Local Data Company indicate that rising demand from consumers for takeaway food shops and ice-cream parlours has led to a decline in the number of clothing and fashion shops!

www.mworldwide.co.uk 43

king’s road

KING’s ROAD From a private road for Kings Charles II to a high-end shopping district, King’s Road in London offers a vibrant mix of traditional Chelsea shops alongside international brands. Stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, King’s Road derived its name from its use as a private road for King Charles II to travel to Kew, and was only opened to everyone in 1830. Chelsea was originally a poor area on the outskirts of London and became the area for artists and bohemians. Later, King’s Road was the centre of counter-culture starting with the mods and evolving through punk to today, with shops such as Vivienne Westwood and Mary Quant being followed by The Ivy and the Bluebird today. Neighbours with Cadogan Gardens, Duke of York Square and Sloane Street to name a few, King’s Road and the surrounding area has changed substantially in recent years. ‘There are two main changes, the first is that Chelsea has become far more international and now attracts retailers from all over the world. We have luxury pewter specialist Royal Selangor from Malaysia, Russian hair and beauty brand Sakurami, both on the King’s Road alongside the first UK branch of French boulangerie, Oree on the Fulham Road,’ says Richard Everett, Sloane Stanley Estate manager. ‘The second change is the type of retailer. Whilst we still have traditional Chelsea shops such as Green & Stone, serving the artistic community, and Wilde Ones, a bit of bohemian Chelsea, there is a new generation giving a new twist; retailers such as Duck & Dry for quick hair styling, Face Gym providing non-invasive “facial workouts”, or Fake Landscapes stocking artificial flowers and plants,’ continues Everett. Sloane Stanley has long used pop-ups as a way of introducing even more diversity and change, and attract increasing numbers of non-traditional retailers. This has been so successful that there is now a dedicated retail unit on the King’s Road, the Concept Store. ‘This is a revolving pop-up space within a prime retail unit that

Text: Lyndsey Dennis

Retail neighbourhoods

offers brands the opportunity to secure a high street presence on the King’s Road. We hand pick the best selection of brands possible to complement our retail offering and are proud to provide a dedicated space for exciting designers, entrepreneurs and emerging local and national brands with an opportunity to trade within our thriving and iconic destination,’ says Everett. In the Concept Store last year, dairy free ice-cream specialist Nana Nice Cream hosted a series of events from yoga classes and wellness talks, to a breakfast bar with Rude Health. Throughout the year the estate neighbours with key events including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Wimbledon Championships, which sees many of the tenants adorning their windows with displays inspired by these events. Recently the area welcomed French furniture specialist Silvera with its debut UK showroom on the King’s Road. Prior to this, Italian pizzeria Lievito opened its first ever pizza and craft beer dining concept on nearby Fulham Road in March. There has also been a strong succession of pop-ups this year, most recently a co-curated summer fashion concept store at 227-229 King’s Road which stocked a unique mix of brands and emerging designers. ‘The brands we continue to attract complement the vibrant Chelsea community and highlight the estate as a distinct retail and leisure destination in London,’ says Everett. So what’s next for King’s Road? ‘Evolution and hopefully a bit of revolution! The Estate is fortunate that we can experiment, try out new ideas, take a chance. We are in discussions with a number of interesting retail and leisure brands, and also have an exciting calendar of pop-ups in place for the Concept Store, so watch this space,’ concludes Everett.

The area is home to French boulangerie, Oree, which opened in 2016.

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luxury retail

THE RIGHT BALANCE:

LUXURY RETAIL Dr. Valerie Wilson Trower explores luxury retail, highlighting key retailers offering the right balance of luxurious interiors, VM and customer service.

Luxury in visual merchandising and retail is fugitive: it is no longer to be found in many of the premium stores in which it might be expected to reside. Instead, vestiges of real luxury remain in locations which have not been refitted with faux and durable surfaces, or the patina of age destroyed by ruthless store refitting. For this reason, Prada’s delicate wallpaper-clad stores with Chinese screens are luxurious. Most frequently it is the quality and finish of wooden surfaces that let down the impression of luxury. A little too light; a little too uniform; a little too pink-toned. Woods betray intentions unless in expert hands and often speak sadly only of aspirational brand positioning. Waterstones in Piccadilly — the former Simpson’s department store — with its lovely curving, non-reflecting windows, beautifully enshrines luxury in its muchloved, worn, travertine marble staircase and parquet floors. Of new examples, Valentino’s marble and wood are good. Luxury in VM is something of an oxymoron. By its nature, VM is ephemeral, and many of the tropes of retail luxury embody the reassuring solidity of quality and permanence in wood, marble and metal finishes. The two are hard to reconcile. However, the fleeting element of luxury VM can be magnificently conveyed in the use of fresh flowers, not only inside but also outside the store, as at Emma Hope during Chelsea Flower Show or Sotheby’s, conveying abundance and largesse, and cleverly making use of compelling faux flowers mixed with the real in order to prolong the display. The heirloom, heritage quality of traditional bespoke retail interiors, be it Ede & Ravenscroft’s Georgian, Grade II listed wall fixture, or Hatchards’ seemingly unchanging permanence, are sometimes the result of coincidence. James Smith & Sons’ heritage umbrella retail interior is due to previous generations’ parsimony, frugally refusing to spend on

store fitting, and accruing merchandise fixtures still in use. As a result, the store — perfectly situated between Covent Garden and the British Museum — has immense appeal, appearing in every tourist guidebook to London with commendable sales results. Like Hatchards, Daunts is a pleasurable experience, the jouissance of reading enshrined in the stores, but in comparison, not replicated in the giant, new, purpose-built Asian Eslite bookstores. Paul Smith is to be honoured for his early recycling of a pharmacy for the Floral Street store, but here the charming patina

Main: Fortnum & Mason’s ‘Every Cup Tells A Story’ campaign earlier this year. Above: Prada’s delicate wallpaper-clad stores with Chinese screens ooze luxury.

luxury retail

Top: Waterstones in Piccadilly beautifully enshrines luxury in its much-loved, worn, travertine marble staircase and parquet floors. Middle: Ede & Ravenscroft’s Georgian listed wall fixture. Bottom: Emma Hope during Chelsea Flower Show.

of age has been concealed under a unifying dark stain. New and beautiful luxury retail interiors are to be found in some of the nicest home stores, including Heals, Scandium, Franz Hansen and David Linley’s Burlington Arcade store where the original floor has been retained but re-stained; the wafer-thin display shelves appear to float on the wall and the lighting has a comfortable, domestic-lux level. A lovely touch is the full-size ruler, wall-mounted adjacent to the door, for measuring the height of junior customers. This neatly brings me to my next point: luxury VM embodies humour. The use of humour, apart from suggesting that the VM professionals concerned enjoy their jobs and that the brand is inherently nice, also suggests that staff have sufficient reflective time to devise the small, gentle VM jokes that enliven customers’ worlds. Remember John Lewis’ joyous Christmas penguin, blindfolded by a pair of underpants on its head, about to step off the top of a washing machine? John Lewis and Chameleon, which devised the concept and installed the Oxford Street windows, successfully conveyed a generosity, besides evoking the classic cartoon humour comprehensible to all ages and cultures. Luxury VM, as distinct from store fitting relies partly on classic VM display skills, often labour-intensive (as in paper art or Fortnum & Mason’s recent tea windows). Islington home, toy, and stationery store, After Noah beautifully embodies these, delightfully combining the delicate colours of quality merchandise to allow the customer a pleasurable serendipity. Metaphorically, the store is akin to reading French novelist Proust, rather than the alphabet primer-experience that many multi-brands offer. That said, Zara with a retail policy of a pleasant prime location, combined with clean and attractively-lit stores, does this very well, and in an emerging retail landscape, such as Manila for example, this is outstandingly appealing. In a mature retail environment, say, London’s Bond Street, it is not so effective. In comparison, Massimo Dutti with its engaging strategy of emulating a classic, South of France boutique complete with checkerboard marble tiles floor, freestanding dining tables laden with neatly folded merchandise, and effective spotlighting, is beguiling, especially in non-mall environments, and succeeds in surprising and delighting the customer with its unexpectedly reasonable prices. Proving that new and shiny, and luxury retail are not mutually incompatible, the elevator in the midst of Watches of Switzerland’s helical staircase is a truly luxury experience. Moving totally smoothly and silently, it’s glass walls reveal the en-wrapping, ribbed-metal staircase walls above pale, wooden staircase treads, and its true luxury: a completely silent and slightly unnecessary digital clock. A critically important element of luxury is, of course, satisfying customer wants, and stores which combine a broad range of merchandise with excellent service must also be included. Kitchen equipment and hardware stores, including Mottram’s in Tunbridge Wells, and David Penton in Marylebone Lane, are wonderful examples. As in After Noah, the visual and tactile pleasures in touching and examining merchandise, assisted by an informed sales assistant, is truly a luxury in a retail world where browsing in sparsely-stocked premium boutiques is disappointing and almost forbidden. That said, sometimes space itself can be a luxury. In denselypacked urban cites, expansive retail space conveys a generosity on the part of the brand, but this is very specific and contextualised. Hong Kong premium multi-brand, Joyce long had a full-size,

Image courtesy of Appear Here

black-polished dining table completely stacked with part-melted and lit church candles — beeswax not tacky paraffin tea-lamps — a few alight at any one time (to have lit them all would certainly have been a fire risk). The indulgence and beneficence this suggested in a central location where real estate prices were, and are, horrendous, was almost philanthropic, offering its customers a simple spectacle that most customers would be unable to replicate for themselves at home. To conclude, the modernist design credo, ‘truth to materials,’ and ‘form follows function’ are critical to luxury VM and retail interiors, however, architect Mies Van der Rohe’s claim ‘less is more’ does not follow. Just as new crystal chandeliers, beveledged mirrors, dull Chinese marble and chrome are not luxury, sometimes, ‘less’ is just less. And, is this important? Yes, it is critical to distinctively and congruently building the retail brand.

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LDF preview

LDF: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS London Design Festival returns in September for its 15th year, celebrating and promoting London as the design capital of the world.

The capital will host an inspiring programme of events and installations in celebration of this year’s London Design Festival in September. ‘People have established, run and successfully sold their businesses via the Festival, and our commissioning process for young designers really showcases their work early on in their careers,’ says Ben Evans, director of LDF. ‘Few cities have a cultural infracture like ours,’ says Evans. ‘It’s a magnet for creative people both in the UK and around the world. Everyone wants to come here because of the scale and quality of our offer. We are culturally spoilt. London Design Festival has contributed to that — international brands have seen what’s happening and want to be part of it.’ As a citywide event, LDF is an essential platform for the capital’s major trade shows including 100% Design, Decorex International, designjunction, Focus/17 and The London Design Fair (including Tent London and Super Brands). In 2017 there will be eight official Design Districts across the capital, featuring distinct concentrations of design activity and events that can be reached easily on foot. This year will see a new Design District, Mayfair, take part alongside Bankside Design District, Brompton Design District, Brixton Design Trail, Chelsea Design Quarter, Clerkenwell Design Quarter, Islington Design District and Shoreditch Design Triangle.

Above: LDF will bring British designer Ross Lovegrove’s 25m-long Transmission installation to the V&A Museum. Above right: Universal Design Studio and The Office Group (TOG) have teamed up to create a pavilion of repetition in the Shoreditch Design Triangle.

Villa Walala In celebration of 15 years, the Festival, along with headline partner British Land, will launch a series of commissions and installations, including a landmark project at Broadgate Circus with renowned textile designer Camile Walala entitled Villa Walala. The vibrant, geometric installation is designed as a light-hearted antidote to the straight-laced, busy city, injecting a sense of playfulness into just another day at the office. Transmission by Ross Lovegrove Inspired by the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries at the V&A, British designer Ross Lovegrove has created Transmission, a 25m-long fluid and freestanding three-dimensional tapestry using Alcantara, a tactile and sound absorbent material and an alternate material to animal-based textiles. The installation responds to the rich scenes of wealth and aristocratic fashion depicted in the 15th century tapestries at the V&A, and complements them with its own gold and silver threads.

LDF preview

While We Wait by Elias and Yousef Anastas Palestinian architects Elias and Yousef Anastas will debut While We Wait, an installation inspired by the scenic Cremsian Valley on the seam between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The installation aims to explore the cultural claim of nature in Palestine. While We Wait is a stone construction of a lace-like pattern, in which the sophisticated dentelle structure is in stark contrast to the plain uniform concrete of the separation wall. The structure will be an immersive space that visitors can enter and feel the texture of the stone and participating in the experience through an ambient soundtrack, as if entering the Cremsian Valley itself. London Design Biennale 2017 Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, the 2018 London Design Biennale will ask questions and explore new ideas about cities, migration, sustainability, artificial intelligence and social equality. Sponsored by Jaguar, visitors will enjoy engaging and interative installations, innovations, artworks and proposed design solutions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all in an immersive, inspiring and entertaining tour of the world.

Above: Turkishceramics will create an installation by Adam Nathaniel Furman in the central fountain space on Granary Square that celebrates the rich history of ceramics in Turkey. Left: Elias and Youself Anastas will debut While We Wait at the V&A Museum. Below: Camille Walalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Villa Walala architectural playground in the middle of Broadgate Circus is designed as an antidote to the straight-laced busy city, injecting a sense of playfulness into just another day at the office.

Image courtesy of Appear Here

When and where London, 16-24 September 2017 For a full list of events taking place during London Design Festival 2017, visit www.londondesignfestival.com

L_D_F #LDF17 *All information correct at time of going to press

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SURFACES & FINISHES James Latham James Latham has become a major distributor of Abet Laminati, a leading manufacturer of decorative high pressure laminate (HPL). In a move which significantly strengthens its credentials as a leading laminate supplier in the UK, James Latham will be offering the full Abet range across all nine of its nationwide panel depots. ‘This is a clear signal to the market that we are a serious laminate supplier and ensures national availability of Abet’s entire range throughout the Latham Group,’ says Rob Smith, Latham’s group laminate manager, ‘The Abet collection fits perfectly within our existing portfolio and significantly enhances our laminate offering. Abet has always focused strongly on creativity and innovation, and with links to the best Italian and international designers in the business, they offer a diverse range of laminates in many colours, styles and textures to suit almost any application and I am confident that this will quickly have a major impact on our presence within this sector.’ T. +44 (0)116 257 3415 E: marketing@lathams.co.uk www.lathamtimber.co.uk Twitter: lathamsltd

Armourcoat

Surface Styling

Designed by Double Retail, the new G-SHOCK store in Carnaby Street, London features Armourcoat’s ArmourFX modular panel system. ArmourFX concrete effect panels are ideal for a deconstructed urban look for contemporary projects. The panels offer a wealth of design options to achieve a distinctive industrial style including distressed effects or recessed ‘shutter’ markings. They can be highly customised to suit the client, sent directly to site and installed in a few hours.

For designers and specifiers, the Surface Styling design resource can take the headache out of sourcing the multiple surfaces that are required for interior projects. The portfolio embraces the world’s most innovative materials with more than 12,000 product lines to choose from. Products on display at 100% Design in September will include a new worksurface range made from the specialist nanotechnology surface, Fenix NTM, plus the latest additions to Avonite, Hanex and Hanex Stratum solid surface, Showerwall bathroom panelling, the Swiss Krono One World collection of decorative panels and Malmo luxury vinyl flooring. Visit Stand D302 at the show.

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

T. +44 (0)845 603 7811 E: info@surfacestyling.co.uk www.surfacestyling.co.uk Twitter: SurfaceStyling

products

FLOORING Polyflor Vinyl flooring manufacturer Polyflor has added new wood effect designs to its relaunched Forest fx PUR flooring collection, incorporating the latest commercial interior trends into one of the company’s most popular sheet vinyl ranges. The expanded 18 design heterogeneous collection features nine new shades, including two parquet effect designs for dramatic statement floors as well as a selection of contemporary grey-toned oaks and rustic wood designs which add variety to the collection. The Forest fx range is available in a practical and resilient 2.0mm gauge vinyl sheet format with a 0.7mm wear layer, making it ideal for high traffic, heavy commercial environments in the education, healthcare, leisure, retail, housing and office sectors. T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E: info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com Twitter: Polyflorltd

Junckers Riverside Campus at City of Glasgow College has won a multitude of architectural awards for its outstanding design. Home to the Maritime College, the new building features a grand atrium where Junckers 22mm Oak Harmony finished in Ultramatt laquer was specified for the expansive staircase and walkway. The flooring adds natural warmth to the large, open space and provides a hardwearing surface for a busy college environment. The flooring contractor was McKay Flooring. Junckers solid hardwood flooring is made from renewable, sustainable forests. T. +44 (0)1376 534 700 E. enquiries@ junckers.co.uk www.junckers.co.uk Twitter: junckersfloors

Polyflor Hardwearing wood effect Expona Flow commercial flooring from Polyflor has given a new lease of life to the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Lancashire based interior designers BWD Ltd were contracted to manage the design and build of the museum refurbishment project and selected Polyflor’s Expona Flow PUR sheet vinyl flooring in Sun Bleached Oak for the reception area, shop and Waterside Café. Featuring wood grain detail for added authenticity and subtle cool tones, this floorcovering complements the interior design scheme perfectly, improving the experience of visitors as soon as they enter the museum. Available in a two metre-wide format with a 2mm gauge and 0.7mm wear layer, the UK manufactured Expona Flow PUR flooring collection includes 50 high performance wood, stone and abstract designs. T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E. info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com Twitter: Polyflorltd

Havwoods Introduce the grandeur of French parquet flooring to interiors with the Versailles panels from wood surface specialist, Havwoods. Named after the famous Palace of Versailles, where in 1684 the iconic diagonal parquet flooring was introduced to replace the old marble covering, this surface is now synonymous with luxury and elegance. Havwoods‘ Versailles design is perfect for adding depth and intricacy to a space. Continuing the time-honored artistry of this historical pattern, customers can choose from six distinctive finishes including the deep rich tones of Antique and Drift, and the cool palettes seen in Eston and Unity. T. +44 (0)1524 737 000 E: info@havwoods.co.uk www.havwoods.co.uk Twitter: havwoods

products

FLOORING Tarkett iD Mixonomi from Tarkett has won the coveted Red Dot Award: Product Design 2017, competing against participants from 54 countries with around 5,500 products and innovations. Created for architects and designers, iD Mixonomi is a new Modular Vinyl tile flooring range that makes custommade interior environments possible. Built upon the principle of combining colours, shapes and patterns, iD Mixonomi is an intuitive tool to create personalised and tailored flooring installations, from timeless patterns to the most vibrant collages, There are 33 colours and 10 shapes to play with. T. +44 (0)1622 854 000 E: ukretail@tarkett.com www.professionals.tarkett.co.uk Twitter: TarkettUK

Gradus Contract interiors specialist Gradus has supplied Esplanade 6000 primary barrier matting to The Gate leisure and entertainment centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. As part of The Gate’s £3.5 million investment programme, Gradus’ Esplanade 6000 primary barrier matting in closed construction with Boulevard 6000 wipers in Nightfall was installed at various entrances to the complex, providing an ideal matting solution for the busy leisure and retail environment. It gives the entrance a sleek, modern and professional appearance to visitors entering The Gate. T. +44 (0)1625 428 922 E. imail@gradus.com www.gradus.com Twitter: Gradus_World

Forbo Flooring Forbo has refreshed its popular Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) collection Allura, introducing new tile shapes and sizes that are ideal for use across the retail market. New to the collection are 180cm x 32cm giant oak planks, 1m x 1m tiles, small 50cm x 15cm planks and Hungarian Point planks cut on a 45o angle allowing realistic herringbone and chevron designs to be created. There are new marble options, and in Forbo’s largest ‘wood’ offer to date there are new contemporary solids and more planks than ever, with in-register embossing to bring designs to life. T. +44 (0)844 822 3928 E: info.flooring.uk@forbo.com www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/allura Twitter: forboflooringUK

Atrafloor Atrafloor is taking the rough luxe look to pastel places in the form of a new range called Ice Cream Industrial. Introducing Bonbon, Mint, Vanille and Coal — the soft and stylish new brick designs in Atrafloor’s Ice Cream Industrial Collection, featuring a pale, refreshing palette inspired by ice cream colours and flavours. Atrafloor is a specialist in custom printed and bespoke vinyl flooring, bringing never seen before design solutions to the world of flooring. Simple and easy to install, the flooring is stylish, durable and practical. T. +44 (0)151 305 7376 E. contact@atrafloor.com www.atrafloor.com

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TECHNOLOGY ONELAN ONELAN, a global leader in digital visual communications, continues its drive into the QSR space delivering a failover solution which ensures business critical information such as menu boards, pricing and calorific values are always available for customers, without the need to invest in a redundant network of multiple back-up players, dual output players or screens. This enhancement in ONELAN’s enterprise Content Management System (CMS) further enriches the functionality of ONELAN’s System-on-Chip (SOC) and Net-Top-Box (NTB) solutions, helping to cement ONELAN’s position as one of the industry’s leading innovators in the QSR environment. T. +44 (0)1491 411 400 E: sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com Twitter: onelan_ltd

Box Technologies Cath Kidston has upgraded its point of sale (PoS) system in its London flagship store, provided by Box Technologies. ‘We’re a beacon store for the business and the new PoS suits the design-led concept of the store. As they’re touchscreen, it makes it easier for us to deal with the volumes of customers we consistently have,’ says Jo Curlewis, flagship general manager for Cath Kidston. Following the success of the implementation, Cath Kidston is looking to roll-out the Cielo Enterprise to the rest of its UK store estate. T. +44 (0)1844 264 000 E. sales@ boxtechnologies.com www.boxtechnologies.com Twitter: BoxTechnologies

Thames Card Technology Thames Card Technology has completed a project with Tesco to launch the UK’s first contactless loyalty card programme. The completely redesigned card increases security and value for customers, and gives Tesco greater brand recognition and actionable data. Several million cards are now in the hands of customers and many more will be issued over the coming months. To make the new Clubcard stand out in increasingly full wallets, a new PVC core colour was developed to match the red of the Tesco brand, contrasting with the deep blue of the face and rear of the card. T. +44 (0)1268 77 55 55 E. info@thamescardtechnology.com www.thamescardtechnology.com Twitter: ThamesCardTech

Futura Retail Solutions Whether you are a well-established brand with multiple software systems that are not communicating properly or are looking to expand, the choice of a retail management system could make all the different to your future growth. So what do you need to think about when selecting systems and what are the steps you can take to improve the outcome? Drawing on the company’s 30 years’ experience in delivering retail management systems to more than 35,000 users, Futura has put together a guide to help you through the critical stages of selecting a new solution. Visit www.futura4retail.co.uk and click on the link on the home page to receive your guide. T. +44 (0)1189 841 925 E. sales@futurauk.com www.futura4retail.co.uk Twitter: Futura_retail

products

SIGNAGE & DISPLAY Signwaves Signwaves has expanded its café barrier range by introducing the cost effective stainless steel alternative, the Adfresco LT. The new stanchions (pole) and base offering has the same ‘top clip’ mechanism as the original Adfresco units, and is used in conjunction with the top cross rail for banner fit. To allow for further savings the new LT only comes with bottom bungee tethers to secure the banner into place. The Adfresco LT has a low profile base with a weight of 10kg, however it still benefits from being concrete filled and therefore provides superb stability. T. +44 (0)1493 419 300 E: enquiries@signwaves.co.uk www.signwaves.co.uk Twitter: Signwaves_Ltd

Graphica Display Graphica Display specialises in the design, production and installation of retail and commercial interior graphics and signage. From roll-outs to promotional displays, branding to exhibition and event graphics, Graphica Display has the solution for you. Find out more about the company at its new and exciting website: www.graphicadisplay.co.uk T. +44 (0)845 373 0073 E: sales@graphicadisplay.co.uk www.graphicadisplay.co.uk Twitter: graphicatweet

DURABLE (UK) DURAFRAME is the innovative and easy to use signage solution for shop windows or in-store POS. For windows exposed directly to sunlight choose DURAFRAME POSTER SUN. The static-cling frame is UV stabilised and heat resistant up to 70°C, which means your print is protected against sun damage for up to two years. Apply easily to store front windows without unsightly air bubbles and remove and reposition without leaving residue on the glass. Information inside the frame can be inserted and changed quickly due to the fold-back magnetic panel allowing you to change messages in line with key retail periods. The professional way to display. DURAFRAME — the infoframe. T. +44 (0)1202 897 071 E. customeroperations@durable-uk.com www.durable-uk.com Twitter: durableuk

Anchor Magnets Attract is a multifunction, double or single-sided magnetic display system, designed for use throughout a retail environment. The versatile nature of Attract allows it to be installed as a free-standing, wall-mounted or suspended unit. Attract contains an internal magnetic surface housed within an elegant, sleek frame. The magnetic surface works in conjunction with printed ferrous media such as digifilm, which is overlaid onto the magnetic surface. Displays to be quickly and easily changed or updated, and promotional messaging to be added instantly. T. +44 (0)114 244 1171 E. sales@anchormagnets.com www.anchormagnets.com Twitter: AnchorMagnets

products

LIGHTING acdc acdc has supplied its Blade wall grazing linear LED luminaire to two new restaurants in Ipswich — Frankie & Bennys and Chiquito — part of The Restaurant Group. As part of expansion plans, the two restaurants required an external lighting scheme that would match the fun and vibrant nature of both brands, which could be rolled out to their stores nationwide. Working closely with Harper Signs, acdc created the best lighting solution for both installations and it was agreed the Blade perfectly matched the key brief criteria. T. +44 (0)845 862 6400 E: sales@acdclighting.co.uk www.acdclighting.co.uk Twitter: acdcled

Hacel Lighting The Aleda range of ported downlighters offers maximum versatility to a host of lighting scenarios. Available in Solo, Duet or Trio formats with a refined and discreet semi-recessed port, the distinctive luminaires are aesthetically designed with the inclusion of Aleda downlighters, offering excellent pan and tilt adjustment further enhancing the products outstanding appeal. Available in a choice of lumen outputs, delivering up to 5,029 lumens per Aleda head, including efficacies up to 127 lm/W, the Aleda range features the latest single point LED modules and converters, with a life expectancy in excess of 60,000 hours (L70, B10) and colour stability within 3 MacAdams. T. +44 (0)191 280 9911 E: sales@hacel.co.uk www.hacel.co.uk Twitter: Hacel1

Megaman UK When Argentian sports retailer Dexter required a complete lighting solution for its Buenos Aires store, it was imperative that the chosen lighting would illuminate merchandise and create a welcoming experience for customers. Working with distributor Artelum, Megaman’s LED Tube was specified — an ideal alternative to T8 fluorescent tubes and suitable for retrofitting. The 18W LEDs also help to provide the requisite ambience due to the cool white colour temperature of 4,000k and an impressive 1,750 lumens. To enhance the merchandise on display, Megaman’s 10.5W PAR30s LEDs were installed in the track fixtures. A custom-built lighting fixture was created by Artelum, comprising nine dimmable 15W GU10 AR111 LEDs, which were selected for their 24° beam angle and low energy consumption. Megaman’s lighting solutions will now be rolled out across all branches of Dexter in Argentina. T. +44 (0)1707 386 000 E: marketing@megamanuk.com www.megamanuk.com Twitter: MegamanUKLtd

Ansorg The ultra-flexible, award-winning Coray family is a range of universal fittings for all retail applications, from decorative lighting to the illumination of peripheral and central areas. The luminaires come in various sizes and designs, providing dynamic yet consistently stylish lighting. The powerful driver is invisibly integrated and all surface-mounted luminaires rotate 360 degrees and pivot 90 degrees. The accessories range includes reflectors, collimators, glasses and films which can be used as required to ensure optimum light distribution in brilliant quality, and excellent colour rendition whatever the ceiling height. T. +44 (0)20 7954 3058 E: info-gb@ansorg.com www.ansorg.com

@retailfocus

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genesis-display.com GENESIS ad for retail focus 05-17.indd 1

24.04.17 08:48

mannequins

focus on MANNEQUINS From yoga inspired forms to mix and match options, in this issue we bring you a wide edit of mannequin forms that stand proud in window displays and in-store schemes.

Look sharp The sharp-cut graphic aspect of the two-tone bodies gives the new ‘Collection 85 Absolute Reservo white marble’ a strong and modern personality. Adding interest, the top of the busts are interchangeable with other styles of the Reverso range, and a selection of accessories in the shape of stones are also available in dark wood and black marble.

www.windowfrance.com

Good things come in threes Forming Reality has launched three new ranges — Balance, Harmony and Salon. Balance, a range of active posed male and female mannequins; Harmony, a group of yoga inspired female mannequins; and Salon, a collection that suits all brands and is elegant, sophisticated and the perfect understated clothes horse. The female range is available in nine positions with a selection of heads. The male collection is available in six positions. Email Forming Reality to find out more about its full mannequin design service: sales@formingreality.co.uk

www.formingreality.co.uk

Man power Couture male, the latest range by Genesis Mannequins, features a contemporary, semi-abstract design. A combination of casual poses and strong postures gives the mannequins the assertive character of fashionconscious men. Couture male represents a style-confident and smart looking gentleman between 25-35. He can present smart casual wear and luxurious eveningwear just as well as casual denim or streetwear. Particularly striking is the combination of a Couture male with a Couture female mannequin. Two new abstract and semi-abstract heads were developed especially for the 11 expressive poses. Due to the mix ‘n’ match principle of Genesis Mannequins, Couture is available with any other head from the wide range of heads.

www.genesis-display.com

mannequins

Strike a pose Profile Man 2 from Universal Display comes in a variety of eight poses, all compatible with the original Profile Man collection. In addition to Profile Man’s effortlessly versatile poses, he has four new head options. The combination of Profile Man’s trim physique and commanding presence is sure to standout in any retail environment, and the collection is available in standard or bespoke colours.

www.universaldisplay.co.uk

In the bag Initially launched as an exclusive to Bloomingdale’s iconic windows during New York Fashion Week in February, Rootstein’s Bag Lady collection is now available to clients in Europe. The five-piece collection embodies a new, youthful generation of always-in-transit women for whom modern style is a mix-and-match ‘bag’ of high-low dressing, and accessories nearly always maketh the outfit. The core figure is cast on American model, Alex Rose, a gamine 20-year-old who continues Rootstein’s long-standing tradition of embracing both the luminosity of established stars and the fresh energy of rising talent. The five elegant figures come in both high-heeled and flat-footed poses, and any of the poses can be recreated with a realistically sculpted or abstract head.

www.rootstein.com

On the move Global Display is working on a new collection of figures developed utilising 3D printing and inspired by cultural, social and fashion trends. These influences come together to create a collection with drama and movement at its core. Discover Fluence by Global Display on the company’s website.

www.global-display.co

Sartorial elegance The Sartorial collection of busts from Bonaveri features male and female forms that can also be used as mannequins. With flexibility in mind, the range offers a wide range of positions, accessories and finish options. From the simplest of bust forms to full mannequin positions, the collection is modular enough to suit any requirement. Customers are able to choose between a full fabric torso or a combination of paint and fabric bib, classic mannequin arms or articulated arms in multiple wood or paint finishes. A series of metal stands and bases are available or to achieve a mannequin form, use the various leg positions. The collection also comes with or without heads, either integrated or as part of the torso.

www.bonaveri.com

directory

DIREcTORIES

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

directory

Aluminium Fittings

Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: sales@diasystems.co.uk W: www.diagroup.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin

Aluminium Fittings

Bespoke Display

Design Consultancies

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

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

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

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

Bespoke Display

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

Bespoke Display

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

Design Consultancies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio Visual Integration

Anna Valley looks to help guide clients with their audio visual decision making by offering high end impartial advice and help manoeuvre them through the current “minefield” of different technology and services available to them. This process then enables them to have a clear vision of what they are actually striving to achieve within the budget available to them and then provides a full range of services in the delivery of that vision.

Bespoke Display

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

Brochure Holders

Design Consultancies

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

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

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

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

T: +44 (0)208 941 1000 E: nick.shaw@annavalley.co.uk W: www.annavalley.co.uk/avintegration

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

Balloons & Bunting

Bespoke Display

Climate Control

Display

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

directory

Display

Focused on our customer’s unique needs, with expert knowledge of the procurement market, and a firm grip on the entire visual merchandising supply chain, we are specialists in designing and delivering complex point of sale projects.

T +49 (0) 911 97 13 389 E: info-uk@barthelmess.com W: www.barthelmess.com

Display

Display - DIGITAL

FURNITURE

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.

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

T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: mail@rarebasic.com W: www.rarebasic.com S: www.twitter.com/rarebasic

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

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

Display

Display - DIGITAL

FURNITURE

Durable have been one of Europe’s largest business supplies manufacturers for almost 100 years. We’re pioneers in developing and producing innovative solutions designed for retail from literature displays and POS to signage and display solutions.

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 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

T. 01202 897 071 E. customeroperations@durable-uk.com W. www.durable-uk.com S. www.twitter.com/durableuk

Display

We are ICON. We create and deliver engaging brand and live experiences, particularly in the retail sector.

T: +44 (0) 20 7593 5200 E: enquiries@icon-world.com W: www.icon-world.com S: www.twitter.com/ICON_HQ

Display

EPOS

GRAPHICS

Providing Scotland’s signage, exhibition displays, digitally printed wallpapers, LED flex faces, light boxes and window graphics. Located in the centre of Scotland we are ideally situated to cover your requirements throughout Scotland. We can offer huge savings with an excellent, professional and prompt service

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.

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: 0131 337 1237 E: info@specializedsigns.co.uk W: www.specializedsigns.co.uk FB: Specialized-Signs

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

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

Finishes

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

MANNEQUINS

pop/pos

Rootstein Display Mannequins is a creative mannequin manufacturer and renovation specialist - delivering both ready-made and bespoke concepts for fashion retailers, globally.

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

T: +44 20 7381 1447 E: sales@adelrootstein.co.uk W: www.rootstein.com/ S. @rootstein_

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

T. 01202 897 071 E. customeroperations@durable-uk.com W. www.durable-uk.com S. www.twitter.com/durableuk

LIGHTING

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.

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

Literature Display

Maintenance

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

pop/pos

Harrison Products provide one the largest ranges of POS and Display componentry in the UK. We are able to supply off the shelf and customised products to suit your project. We pride ourselves on our industry leading service and super quick delivery options.

T: +44 (0)1451 830083 E: sales@harrisonproducts.net W harrisonproducts.net

pop/pos

T. 01202 897 071 E. customeroperations@durable-uk.com W. www.durable-uk.com S. www.twitter.com/durableuk

pop/pos

We are ICON. We create and deliver engaging brand and live experiences, particularly in the retail sector.

T: +44 (0) 20 7593 5200 E: enquiries@icon-world.com W: www.icon-world.com S: www.twitter.com/ICON_HQ

signage

pop up

GENESIS MANNEQUINS design and produce high-class and trend-lead shop window mannequins, busts and displays for the international fashion industry. Additionally we offer style, trend and product consultation as well as a comprehensive after-sales service.

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

T: +49 (0) 5752 1803 0 E: info@genesis-display.com W: www.genesis-display.com S: www.twitter.com/GenesisDisplay

Retail Consultancy

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

Rootstein Display Mannequins is a creative mannequin manufacturer and renovation specialist - delivering both ready-made and bespoke concepts for fashion retailers, globally.

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

T: +44 20 7381 1447 E: sales@adelrootstein.co.uk W: www.rootstein.com/ S. @rootstein_

slatwall

VM TOOLS AND TRAINING

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

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

Q&A

COLIN FLINN intu is responsible for some of the largest shopping centres in the UK. Here, Colin Flinn talks about his role as regional managing director at intu, his work with St David’s in Cardiff and how the role of the shopping centre has evolved. RF. How did you become regional managing director at intu? CF. I took a degree in estate management, not really knowing too much about it until I started work with British Rail Property Board on its station retail portfolio. I then worked for several retailers during which time I served on the management committee of the Property Managers Association. I have also spent a lot of my career in private practice, but all of my 25 years as a chartered surveyor have been in retail and leisure. I joined intu in 2013 as an asset manager at intu Trafford Centre and was appointed to my current role as regional managing director for the west in February 2016. RF. Tell us about the new retailers at St David’s. RF. What does your role involve? CF. A s regional managing director, I am responsible for five centres down the west side of the UK. These are intu Trafford Centre and intu Potteries, and our joint ventures with M&G at Manchester Arndale and Cribbs Causeway, and with Landsec at St David’s, Cardiff. I work with our asset management teams to ensure the assets perform well and to drive through our leasing strategies and investment plans. We are always looking to improve and grow our centres and ensure that our customers (visitors and tenants alike) have the best possible experience. For me, St David’s is particularly exciting as this gives intu a chance to work in collaboration with another major property owner on one of the largest retail destinations in the south west. RF. Who is the St David’s customer? CF. Our retail offer has a pretty wide appeal. Our core shoppers range in age, from families attracted by the all day out experiential offer including Treetop Adventure Golf, to the large student population for whom we also host ever-popular student nights. Being home to a number of international brands such as Victoria’s Secret, H&M and Michael Kors, also adds to our fashion credentials and regional draw, and interestingly 47 per cent of our shoppers are male. RF. How do you feel the role of the shopping centre has changed? CF. There have been a lot of changes in recent years. In 2017, a trip to a shopping centre offers so much more than just a spot of retail therapy. Shopping centres today are fully comprehensive retail and leisure destinations, and places for people not only to shop but eat, drink and be entertained. Another key development has been the focus on increasing the variety of food and drink operators available, in large part driven by shopper demand for new and authentic experiences. Shopping centres have developed and broadened their appeal making for a much more exciting customer experience, in my opinion.

CF. Recent additions to St David’s include Bravissimo, Victoria’s Secret, Seasalt and restaurant brand Byron, set to open later this year. The latter will sit brilliantly alongside the casual dining on Tredegar Street and The Hayes, whilst also benefitting from proximity to the main events venue in Cardiff. This new signing highlights our ability to attract well known restaurant names looking to secure their flagship sites outside of London, joining Wahaca and Jamie’s Italian. Bravissimo’s new flagship and Victoria’s Secret are fantastic additions to the strong and diverse retail line-up at St David’s. RF. Do you host events and pop-ups to offer variety to visitors? CF. We have a hugely successful programme of pop-ups and commercialisation activity at the centre. The most recent of these was We Loves the ‘Diff. The St David’s marketing team worked closely with local cult start-up brand I Loves the ‘Diff to create five Cardiff-centric art prints. Customers could buy exclusive artwork for a minimum £3 donation, with each design representing what customers love about Cardiff as a city. All the money raised went to Huggard Centre, Llamau and The Wallich. Customers love local initiatives, and at St David’s art has proved to be a fantastic medium for engaging shoppers, offering a real point of difference. In just over a month, all prints had sold out and raised more than £30,000 for the three charities, surpassing the original target by 50 per cent. Recently we have also worked with numerous brands for successful pop-ups within the scheme, including Mercedes Benz, Highgrove and Ribble Cycles. RF. What’s next for St David’s? CF. In terms of leasing for St David’s, we are in discussions with a number of exciting retail and leisure brands, so watch this space! On a local level we have been delighted with the response to the We Loves the ‘Diff campaign and would certainly consider similar future initiatives to engage the local community and raise donations for worthy causes.

At Prosper we create spaces that make a difference. Our expert design, interior and architecture teams work closely with our clients to build success from the ground up creating effective solutions that deliver measurable results.

+44(0)1582 460 990 hello@madebyprosper.com

Interior Architecture Interior Design Brand Communications Retail Delivery

madebyprosper.com

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