the crispness of
Ice Wax
www.mtfx.com/vm
leader
September ‘15 Retail Focus is pleased to announce the launch of our Readers’ Choice Award at this year’s VM & Display Show in November. This award recognises the best window scheme from the last 12 months. We brought together a panel of judges in August to help us draw up a list of finalists from all the windows that have featured in our Window Shopping article from September 2014 - August 2015. Voting is open until 31 October 2015 via our website: www.retail-focus.co.uk/vote. You can find out more about the judging panel and all 15 finalists on pages 32 - 36. Still on the subject of VM, we have three inspiring project focus articles for you this issue, all featuring a variety of display techniques. We start with the new Harvey Nichols store in Birmingham on pages 23 - 24, followed by Moschino’s New York boutique on 26 - 27, and the new womenswear department at Selfridges Manchester Exchange on 29 - 30. On pages 38 - 39, we explore the interesting topic of gender and retail design. Selfridges’ Agender campaign earlier this year pushed the boundaries of gender in retail. With a genderless attitude to fashion and styling becoming increasingly mainstream, Selfridges axed traditional men’s and womenswear departments in favour of three floors that created a ‘celebration of fashion without definition’. As well as Selfridges we look at what other retailers are doing in this field, and hear the views of several designers on the subject. As women and men shop in quite different ways, gender neutrality instore may well depend on location and brand. One thing is for sure, there is more of a social aspect about the instore environment, especially around the changing room areas. And for some, such as UNIQLO, gender neutral environments work very well. Lyndsey Dennis Editor
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diary
Liberty in Fashion Fashion and Textile Museum, London 9 October 2015 28 February 2016 Liberty in Fashion celebrates the 140th anniversary of the retailer. The exhibition charts Liberty’s history as ‘the’ fashionable place to shop as well as its role as the source and originator of key trends in fashion history. The exhibition explores Liberty’s impact on British fashion. More than 150 garments, textiles and objects demonstrate Liberty’s strong relationships with designers since 1875, from Arthur Silver of Silver Studio to collaborations with Jean Muir, Cacharel, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood. FashionTextile ‘Bengal’ Bernard Nevill for Liberty and Co. on silk, 1969 © Copyright of Liberty Fabric Limited
Mademoiselle Privé Saatchi Gallery, London 13 October - 1 November 2015 This exhibition provides visitors with an exciting journey through the origins of CHANEL’s creations, capturing the charismatic personality and irreverent spirit of both Mademoiselle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. In addition it will showcase Chanel’s haute couture collection. The exhibition will spread across three floors at the Saatchi Gallery. CHANEL
www.mademoiselleprive.chanel.com
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www.ftmlondon.org
Mapic Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France 18-20 November 2015
VM & Display Awards The Bloomsbury Big Top, London 19 November 2015
Taking place in Cannes, this event gathers 8,400+ international participants, including more than 2,400 retailers and 2,300 property developers for three days of exhibition, conferences and networking events targeting all types of retail property: city and shopping centres, factory outlets, leisure areas and transit zones.
The VM & Display Awards recognise and celebrate the best in visual merchandising and retail display. The awards have moved to a new venue for 2015 — The Bloomsbury Big Top in London, and will include the new Retail Focus Readers’ Choice Award. Visit the website for table and ticket enquiries.
MAPICWorld
www.mapic.com
VMDisplayAwards
www.vmanddisplay.com
IT’ S D I S P L AY TI M E The Greatest Visual Merchandising and Display Show on Earth is once again at it’s home of the Business Design Centre in London on 20th to 21st April 2016. Let’s be spectacular together - secure your space now. Call 01945 420 068 or email enquiries@rvmww.com www.vmanddisplay.com
news
Fendi pop-up arrives at Harrods Fendi has opened a pop-up space at Harrods that’s inspired by the grandeur of its new headquarters at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. FormRoom was invited to bring the design to reality. In collaboration with the artistic duo, Andrea Mancuso and Emilia Serra of Analogia Project, this pop-up transports customers to majestic Rome by mirroring the impressive archways and structural magnificence of the building. FormRoom specified materials and finishes that would immerse customers in
an ethereal and sensory experience. The whole area was identified by a bespoke carpet of washed blue tones with an antique bass trim. Bags are showcased on acrylic shelves, positioned in the arches of fragments of ruined buildings and finished with a stucco effect. These are backed by illuminated light boxes of blue sky scattered with clouds, making them appear to float within the space. This dynamic element was then continued by large LED screens presenting moving
versions of these cloudy skies. To encourage customer interaction, Fendi wanted to include a bespoke piece that would showcase the brand’s first digital competition. FormRoom produced a stylish iPad stand where customers design their own bag to enter the competition. The competition prize is then displayed on an accompanying stand beside it. FormRoom designed and produced furniture and fixtures for the space in glass, leather and lacquer to display mini bags and accessories.
Outdoor experience for Adidas fans in Korea Adidas Outdoor recently unveiled the Vertical Store in Korea, a 10m-high pop-up concept that challenged the brand’s fans. The Vertical Store was represented as the symbol for the athletic brand in the outdoors to target Korean
consumers. Aligned with the global strategy and positioning, the store was created to maximise the concept of extreme outdoor sports. For five days, approximately 1,300 people experienced the terrex footwear to conquer the Vertical Store.
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news
The Shard pops up at Fortnum & Mason
Sonia Rykiel London receives a makeover
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty closed its doors on 2 August, becoming the V&A Museum’s most visited exhibition ever. A total of 493,043 people from 87 countries visited the exhibition during its 21-week run, with overnight opening times put in place for the last two weeks of the exhibition to accommodate visitor demand. Martin Roth, director of the V&A, says: We are absolutely delighted that nearly half a million people have visited the V&A to see Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty which is, I am proud to say, one of the most unpredictable, dramatic and spectacular exhibitions we have ever staged. The
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Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty most visited V&A exhibition response has been phenomenal and has exceeded our expectations in so many ways. We had visitors attending from every corner of the globe and it’s been a remarkable experience to stay open around the clock for the first time ever to give even more people the opportunity to see this special show in McQueen’s home city.’ The exhibition was the only major
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - Romantic Nationalism Gallery
A massive 6m-high sculpture of The Shard now stands proudly in the stairwell at Fortnum & Mason in London. PLANarama was commissioned by The View from The Shard to create the sculpture of the famous 87-storey skyscraper, to promote the retailer’s summer collaboration where visitors can enjoy a Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea picnic or icecream in the surrounds of a pop-up summer garden on level 72. Constructed from stainless steel with frosted acrylic panels backlit by LED lighting, this abstract interpretation of The Shard doesn’t look out of place in the traditional surroundings of Fortnum & Mason, and creates a stunning statement fit for the partnership between London’s newest icon on the skyline working with the renowned British retailer.
Sonia Rykiel has continued its books pop-up theme, this time at its London store located at 27-29 Brook Street. The design comprises some 15,000 books inspired by the concept that opened in Saint Germain des Prés in March and Aoyama, Tokyo in April. The space has been created by Julie de Libran, Sonia Rykiel’s artistic director, incollaboration with director-publisher, Thomas Lenthal and artist, André Saraïva. The boutique-come-bookshop evokes the intimate ambiance of the literary cafes that characterise Paris’s 6th arrondissement. The outdoor patio area has been laid out like a literary café with chairs and tables. ‘Julie wanted to recreate an intimate space where customers can take their time and enjoy being surrounded by books and they can take them to read,’ explains Romain Stinson-Lemullois, PR Manager for Sonia Rykiel. The London store also displays a selection of vintage vinyl records from the 60s and 70s, comprising French songs with Serge Gainsbourg and Françoise Hardy among the famous composers and singers. This selection has been cutared by Thomas Lenthal. Literature, including erotic books, is displayed in the fitting rooms, which have been arranged as cosy saloons. Other design touches include parquet flooring alongside three vintage sofas and armchairs from the 70s.
retrospective of the work of the visionary fashion designer, Lee Alexander McQueen, widely celebrated as one of the most innovative designers of his generation. The first version of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty was presented at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2010. The exhibiton was open at the V&A since 14 March.
news Retail plans revealed for London’s Borough Market
sponsored column
Vinopolis, the wine restaurant and venue by London Bridge and Borough Market, will be replaced by a collection of boutique shops when it closes in spring 2016. The property fund that bought the two acre site will build a retail development in a £300m plan, due to complete by 2018.
New Look to open five standalone menswear stores New Look has announced plans to launch five standalone menswear stores. The retailer is hoping to capitalise on the booming fashion market with standalone spaces dedicated to young men, following the success of the latest product ranges and store concept within its Oxford Circus flagship and other key locations. Roger Wightman, chief creative officer of New Look, says: ‘Menswear is a key strategic priority for New Look, and the opening of menswear standalone stores represents a natural next step for us. We are very proud of the improvements made to our offer over the past two years — the opening of menswear standalone stores will allow us to more fully showcase the enhanced quality of our product ranges. Our new menswear director, Christopher Englinde, joins us from H&M in September, and as a business we are very excited about the prospects of future growth.’
The state of UK retail design
In this second part of our series on UK retail design, we turn to Umbrella’s marketing department and speak to Sue Fabian, general manager, and Cat Brook, marketing, to get their take on what’s hot in retail. Where are your favourite places to shop right now? Sue: Department stores are really exciting again. Selfridges and Liberty have always delivered on experience but for some time their collections have been a bit predictable. Recently, there appears to be a desire to experiment and try new brands. Rather than banking solely on dead cert sellers, they’re allowing space for a ‘let’s see what happens’ mindset. This introduces nice surprises and promotes discovery for shoppers. Cat: I agree. When I go to a department store, I’m looking for greater exclusivity and right now that’s exactly what I’m getting. Go into Selfridges and you’ll find a completely different ACNE collection than in the ACNE stores. Department store buyers are getting much better at editing their collections to reflect their unique customer profiles. The high street could learn a lot.
Which trends are capturing your attention? Cat: When you consider the crazy amount of competition grabbing shoppers’ attention, exclusivity is absolutely essential for attracting people in-store. Collaborations are particularly effective. Short-runs on specific products or celebrity-inspired fashion collections give shoppers a genuinely compelling reason to visit. The Oasis Collection inspired by the Victoria and Albert Museum’s fashion archive is truly inspired and stand out.
Retail revamp planned for Paddington Station Network Rail has announced plans to significantly overhaul its retail and dining offering at Paddington Station. The area known as ‘The Lawn’ that houses the retail outlets at the back of the main station building is to be renovated to provide passengers with better retail choices and more outlets for food and drink. Architectural practice BDP has been appointed to redesign the area. BDP’s vision creates a retail and catering destination that fully integrates with the magnificent volume of Brunel’s famous station structure. The customer experience will be improved to provide an elegant piece of place-making with a tenant mix that caters for the grab-and-go customer right through to quality dining and liquid refreshment in a unique and memorable setting. Natalie Holden, Network Rail’s senior commercial scheme sponsor for the project, says: ‘Paddington is one of Britain’s busiest stations and getting busier each year, so it’s only right that passengers have the facilities to make their travelling experience better. ‘We’re working closely with English Heritage to preserve the heritage of this iconic building, making sure the changes we make are sensitive to the original structure and take account of its Grade 1 listed status.’ The project is expected to take 18 months to complete and trains will not be affected by the work.
Sue: Introducing complimentary services is also proving a good draw for consumers. However, they have to make sense. Vets in Pets at Home, that makes sense. Coffee shops in fashion stores make sense. Beauty counters in supermarkets don’t. Who wants to have a make-over in a busy grocery store. Certainly, it’s not going to frighten customers away but it’s also not going to suck them in either. So, instead of bigger baskets, you’re left with major real-estate that’s not doing anything for your bottom line.
What could the high street do better? Sue: Exclusivity is relevant here too. Consider the Flagship Store. All too often, the extra real estate is seen as an opportunity to offer a brand’s full portfolio. It makes some sense from a financial point of view but it’s a wasted opportunity. A true flagship store delivers an extra special experience. Something that can’t be found elsewhere. Not just in terms of their product portfolio but in terms of experience and architecture. Zara’s new flagship at the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford Street is a good example. The environment feels premium but the product offering is the same as everywhere else; it’s a shame. What could’ve been a brave, original statement is a new store concept that will only draw short-term interest. In the longterm it may struggle to draw traffic from the more fashionable Regent Street end. Cat: I’d like to see more event driven retail on the high street. Again, it’s about creating a compelling reason to visit. Whether it’s a fashion show, book signing or something similar, you are giving the customer a branded experience that deepens the connection you have with them.
T. 020 7833 4032 www.umbrelladesign.co.uk
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FINISHES OF THE FUTURE. www.rarebasic.com
visual merchandising
Window shopping Inspiring window displays from around the globe
Selfridges
Image courtesy of Mulberry and Melvyn Vincent Photography
Apple has taken over all of Selfridges’ 24 windows to promote the Apple Watch. This concept draws on inspiration from the Apple Watch experience, specifically extracting the watch faces. The Flowers face features eight blooming flowers set as a background with the time placed above. The window installation utilises this UI design and enlarges it on a grand scale to take over 24 windows of the Selfridges store. The windows have been filled with flowers ranging from 200mm to 1.8m in height.
Image courtesy of www.retailstorewindows.com
Harrods Harrods’ Made With Love II campaign includes a number of windows created by Elemental Design. To display Mulberry’s new Mini Jamie bags, Elemental Design created wavy layers of shelving in a mostly cork finish. The upper shelves have backlit opal bases to illuminate the products below, while the lower shelves have brushed gold tops. Photo credit: PrintempsPalace@ FrancisPeyrat
Ted Baker Prop Studios has produced a large scale window scheme for Ted Baker’s new store in the Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Situated on the site of the Formula One circuit, the theme was motorsport injected with boy racer bling alongside strong ties to British heritage and vintage motorsport. Prop Studios developed a ‘car part rain’ using salvaged parts of real cars to convey the excitement of a day at the races.
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visual merchandising
Fenwick At Fenwick on Bond Street, London, Propability created giant hand sculpts, shaped in a way they would take a mannequin standing in the palm. The hands were sculpted in polystyrene on the Propability 3D robotic arm, then hard coated in polyurethane. The sculpts are set against a coppery, glitter fabric backdrop, and the windows feature the #Instaglam hashtag.
Topshop This scheme at Topshop uses a combination of mirrors, with revolving mannequins on mirrored boxes for maximum stand out. Another Topshop scheme that plays on light.
Joseph Fashion Harlequin Design’s latest scheme for Joseph Fashion includes a bespoke conveyor belt running through the window and in-store area. The belt, which snakes through the space, has been realised by FMH Conveyors and is used as a platform for the accessories collection.
See more window installations on the blog:
www.retail-focus.co.uk/blog
Bentalls Bentalls’ latest windows depict some of the key elements from the 1970s. All of the props were built in-house, with mannequin renovations by Arty Wigs from a previous scheme.
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JAEGER
JOSEPH C
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CM
MY
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ANYA HINDMARCH
K
JOHN LEWIS
MICROSOFT / JOHN LEWIS
Retail concepts. Window designs. Instore environments. Prototyping. Prop sourcing. Global production. Logistics. Distribution. Installation.
harlequin-design.com twitter.com/HarlequinLondon facebook.com/harlequindesignlondon +44(0)20 7253 6238 Harlequin Design (London) Ltd. 4th Floor 26/27 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DS
POP
p o t POPS e h t f o
Company: Elemental Design
Client: Byredo X Oliver Peoples
Display title: Byredo X Oliver Peoples: Joint Perception of the Senses
Sector: Fragrance & sunglasses
Location: Selfridges, London
The brief: To create a scheme for the launch of the collaboration of Byredo X Oliver Peoples, Stockholm-based brand Byredo and American luxury eyewear brand Oliver Peoples: Joint Perception of the Senses. The pair have released limited edition fragrances and sunglasses based on the concept of synaesthesia — where the stimulation of one sense can involuntarily produce an association with another. The effortlessly complimentary designs unite sight and smell. Elemental Design created instore POP linking to the window scheme.
The result: Elemental Design created a promotional site in Selfridges that reflects the understated and chic image of both brands. A marble counter with Byredo’s geometric logo is the centrepiece, with a large light box displaying the campaign image. Shallow light plinths display the sunglasses and fragrance bottles, showcasing the different colours offered. The company also produced a window display.
www.elemental.co.uk
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Q&A column
Karl McKeever Waste not, want not The grocery sector has struggled in comparison to non-food retailers in recent years; something that has been compounded by the rise of the discounters entering the market. With the big four’s dominance challenged, competition has increased, prices dropped and bosses are striving for the next trend to drive customers instore. At both ends of the price spectrum, the mainstream volume market is being squeezed. New stores offering higher price and premium quality items, and the discounters with low prices and simplistic formats, are forcing the status quo to rethink and adapt. For me, the change that the grocers need to make begins with finding new ideas and innovations that will enable retailers to reconnect with their customer base — giving them a reason to look past the discounters and be prepared to spend a little more on a weekly shop. On a recent trip to Australia I came across a new idea in Woolworths — the country’s biggest supermarket chain — where it’s started to sell customers a range of ‘ugly’ fruit and veg. Produce that was previously thrown away and discarded before making it near a supermarket is now available at heavily reduced prices. Traditionally, for a piece of fruit to make its way onto the shop floor, not only would it have to be ripe and ready to eat, but also adhere to a set of conventional aesthetical rules. Thousands of items are discarded everyday, which although perfectly fine to consume, basically don’t look right. With discounts of up to 50 per cent available, customers have been purchasing in their droves to take advantage of the savings on offer. The idea has also made its way over to the UK’s shores, with ASDA implementing a ‘beautiful on the inside’ trial campaign earlier in the year. There is nothing stopping grocers taking the idea further, as back in 2009 a controversial EU ban was lifted, which previously restricted the sale of fruit and veg that failed to match standard shapes and sizes. Ethically it’s a practice that I would urge all supermarkets to look at. The process of widening the scope of sellable produce not only benefits the retailer and customer, but the supplier also. It’s thought that between 20 - 40 per cent of all edible fruit and veg are thrown away by the farmer, deemed too misshapen for the public’s Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.
Email Karl at karl@retailfocus.co www.visualthinking.co.uk
consumption, and all at the farmer’s financial cost. At a time when the farming market is struggling, this provides an additional sales channel for produce that would previously find its way into the bin. Whilst it offers value to customers, and does make money for the supermarkets, it also detracts from sales of existing lines. What its key achievement is, and what sets it apart as a new idea, is the wider choice provided for the customer and increased revenue for suppliers. Public perception is often that supermarkets don’t treat their suppliers in the highest regard; buying and then selling seconds should go some way to alleviating those beliefs. The UK’s big four have been rocked by the growing popularity of the discounters, namely Lidl and Aldi, which continue to improve their market share. As the big players look for ways to fight back and re-establish the status quo, ideas such as the discounting of ‘fruit seconds’ are solutions that get customers spending without affecting their bottom line. Is it possible that within the wonky fruit strategy there’s a silver bullet to help the supermarkets fight back? It’s not a new concept, just one that hasn’t been utilised in the grocery market before. Price is the single biggest driver of what a customer buys, and by selling seconds retailers can tap into this shopping mind frame. Items of clothing that didn’t meet the desired standard have long been sold at a cheaper rate. Taking this to the next level, Bicester Village in Oxfordshire is an incredibly profitable outdoor mall and has even made its way onto the tour bus route for wealthy Chinese tourists. The question now arises as to whether there are other items and ranges where the same strategy can be implemented? Such is some consumers’ appetite for a bargain, there are new food retailers coming into the market such as former Dragons’ Den hopeful, Approved Food. The Dragons may have rejected their ideas but it seems Britain’s savvy shoppers have seen the light with the company now delivering to 600 households a week. Approved Food sells short-dated or past best before date products from big brand manufacturers through its online store with huge savings for customers. It may not suit everyone but for some this is an ethical, sustainable format of grocery shopping with the strongest of green credentials. The big grocery retailers are always going to struggle to compete with the discounters when it comes to the price of a shopping basket. Where they do create a point of difference is in what else is on offer to the customer; product range, ethics, shopping environment and customer service to name a few. Ideas such as ‘ugly fruit’ tap into elements of these advantages and show that supermarkets can do things differently, and still grow their market share through innovative ideas and challenging their own, self driven conventions. And, if more consumers become sufficiently questioning, open minded and prepared to try something new, only time will tell what ideas that at first seemed ‘odd’ become commonplace and established thinking in future. Ten years ago, who would have thought the dominance, continued growth and near monopoly of the big four grocers was anything but guaranteed.
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project focus
HARVEY NICHOLS The Mailbox, Birmingham Design: Virgile + Partners Store size: 4,180 sq m Opening date: July 2015 Harvey Nichols unveiled its new Birmingham store in July, set in the heart of The Mailbox. The object of the new store is a new injection of vitality and modernity and a fresh sense of excitement and creativity. The aim was to create a contemporary cutting-edge environment for the next generation of stylish shoppers — an innovative and creative space, as well as sophisticated and chic. ‘The design approach has tried to break the rules and to challenge the predictable imagery and established principles that define luxury shopping environments, replacing them by a new visual vocabulary, more experimental, unconventional and creative,’ explains Carlos Virgile, director of Virgile + Partners. ‘It aims to be the blueprint for the future Harvey Nichols stores, and intends to capture more of a specialised fashion boutique, taking a generic branding approach that reinforces the iconic nature of Harvey Nichols, moving away from a more predictable department store language and the concept of shops within shops.’ Whilst Birmingham leads the way and has set up the parameters for other future Harvey Nichols stores, the idea is not necessarily to establish a fixed identity for all stores but to evolve the design language and adapt the new style to the individual context and requirements of each Harvey Nichols store. ‘The imagery and vocabulary of luxury is changing and the palette and finishes generally associated with the classic spirit of richness and elegance that has always characterised the idea of luxury is becoming wider and more alternative,’ says Virgile. ‘Our scheme was based on a great amount of research on new materials; some bespoke and specially made for the project, but always exploring the concept of contrast and juxtaposition of rough architectural finishes against smooth and elegant materials. It is in this contradiction between concrete or plywood and beautiful marbles or bronze or the introduction of polycarbonate sheets — a very basic material — in the ceiling that the scheme
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project focus found its new luxury image.’ The Mailbox store is presented in a boutique store format, organised mainly as an all-in-one-floor retail layout, combining women’s and men’s fashion as well as beauty. Customers enter the store on level five or directly from the carpark via a lift. A secondary entrance at level seven offers access throught a spectacular sculptural shaped staircase to the store, as well as to the Harvey Nichols restaurant, cocktail bar and food shop in the evening, which is open after store hours. One of the challenges of the Birmingham site was the lack of external windows and the opportunity for featuring fashion displays, usually one of the main communication elements of the Harvey Nichols brand. ‘From an early stage we decided to create a lobby that announces the Harvey Nichols offering and immediately makes visitors feel part of the store environment through a large and rather theatrical display area, strategically located as entering the store,’ explains Virgile. Digital screens in the 12m-long experiential zone create an ‘up and over’ experience, utilising multiple shell surfaces to create fluidity within the space and, using exciting and ever-changing moving imagery, adding an extra dimension and a wow factor from the point of arrival. It is also full of potential for communication and seasonality. ‘The style concierge desk, in the format of a five-star hotel reception, adds the service element and complements the experience,’ he says. There are a number of other experiential retail areas throughout the store. ‘There are many elements of the scheme contributing to the overall store experience. We wanted to achieve a real balance of these various components, where style and technology work together seamlessly. Obviously digital presence and interaction play a key part in the consumer expectations, and the presence of touchscreens as part of the style concierge desk help to engage customers at their first point of contact, placed immediately after experiencing the immersive digital tunnel installation. This sets the unusual tone of the store,’ explains Virgile.
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Then there’s the dressing room lounge area that features a 360 degree interactive mirror, an exciting digital device that shows a delayed image of the customer when trying on a garment, allowing them to see their own image when turning and even forward a photograph or a quick video to a friend, in order to make that final decision on the purchase. The payment process is also transformed through the use of handheld devices whilst customers wait in a comfortable seating area so they don’t have to queue. In fact, Virgile + Partners wanted to ensure basic things like effective Wi-Fi connection and phone recharging are present everywhere in the store. ‘The interesting thing of the new store is that whilst digital technology is very much present in all practical aspects of the store environment, the experience is driven by two timeless and ever present key retail factors: exciting design and customer service in all its forms,’ concludes Virgile.
R_Focus_RH_Wallwasher_Hacel.qxp_Layout 1 19/06/2015 15:52 Page 1
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project focus
MOSCHINO Wooster Street, New York Design: Jeremy Scott Store size: 344 sq m Opening date: August 2015 Following the opening of its Los Angeles store as part of the brand’s US expansion under the leadership of creative director, Jeremy Scott, Moschino has created a fashion playground at its recent opening in New York. The large building was built in 1929 as a four-storey garage that spans the entire distance between Wooster Street and West Broadway. Nestled in the Soho district at 73 Wooster Street, the new Moschino boutique features a broad frontage on the cobblestone paved street and measures approximately 344 sq m in size. The enormous scale of the windows at the retail facade and the clear open space inside are unique for Soho. Recent new additions to the block include Celine, Private Stock and Pas de Calais. The space feels very light and open, with a white colour palette and exposed elements. A black logo stands boldly on the back wall, and the space is illuminated by a white spot and track lighting system. ‘I’ve always loved the idea of taking one thing and turning it into another,’ says Scott. ‘For the New York store I wanted a space that could function like a gallery, so that the store could alter and morph with different collections and special projects. I really wanted to have that Soho gallery loft feeling with the exposed ceiling duct work and piping.’ Scott has had fun with a number of giant items such as a handbag shaped like a shirt, a hat and a pair of killer heels that act as a display for various pairs of shoes. ‘I’m so excited about bringing to life my super-sized shoes and hats as sculptures come display units! That playfulness is something that I feel has been missing from the retail environment and I’m so thrilled to be giving it an injection of fun,’ enthuses Scott. The fun continues in the form of giant coat hangers, upon which garments are hung, as well as a huge female mannequin that watches over the store.
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Photography: Visko Hatfield
project focus
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project focus
SELFRIDGES Exchange Square, Manchester Design: Universal Design Studio Store size: 1,955 sq m Opening date: July 2015
Selfridges Manchester Exchange has unveiled a new designer womenswear floor following a £3m investment. Womenswear on the second floor now offers the very best in luxury fashion, including a number of exclusive boutiques. ‘Selfridges wanted to create a unique shopping experience for a modern female customer who loves and understands fashion,’ explains Sonia Tomic, project design lead at Universal Design Studio. ‘The second floor of the store was to become home to luxury women’s fashion brands that included designer fashion, contemporary fashion and shoes. Along with a separate area dedicated to the Personal Shopping service which Selfridges offers, it was important to create a sense of cohesion throughout the Manchester store while also providing its own unique identity.’ Tomic says the previous design was
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a combination of partial renovations done over time. The result was a floor that had no cohesive identity and was out of step with the overall master plan for the renovation of the whole Exchange Square store. The new design aimed to bring a sense of continuity throughout the floor, to create a fluid landscape. The store is celebrating a new concept for Christian Louboutin. Offering men’s and women’s shoes and accessories collections, the 105 sq m boutique anchors Selfridges’ recently redesigned 278 sq m shoe department, which is the largest women’s shoe department outside of London. The Christian Louboutin boutique combines a variety of signature Louboutin elements with design features that are unique to this new format, and brings together men’s and women’s accessories and shoes, alongside the designer’s beauty collection that launched at the beginning of August. Selfridges has the exclusive rights to sealing the label in the north. This means they are no longer available in Harvey Nichols or even at Selfridges’ sister store in Trafford. The Christian Louboutin boutique has
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been inspired by the elegance of 19th 20th century Parisian architecture such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower. Features include plush red carpets and birdcage-like frameworks. The womenswear floor is also home to a number of other leading designers including Alaïa, Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Victoria Beckham, Saint Laurent, Roland Mouret, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Robert Cavalli and Peter Pilotto. The overall palette was chosen to create a luxurious, feminine and modern interior. Materials for fixtures and furniture were chosen to distinguish each category from one another but to also read together as one cohesive palette. Materials also needed to function as a backdrop for the display of mixed product types and styles, so materiality needed to work in harmony with rather then overwhelm the product. ‘Materials such as random brushed brass, nude coloured polished plaster, arabescato marble, and pale stained oak were juxtaposed with less luxurious materials like stainless steel and reconstituted rubber flooring to create a
sense of surprise and the unexpected,’ says Tomic. ‘We couldn’t be more pleased with the look and feel of womenswear here at Exchange Square,’ says Jane Sharrocks, general manager of Selfridges Exchange Square. ‘We’ve invested £3 million into womenswear to create an international fashion destination. The mix of boutique concepts alongside a carefully selected edit of contemporary and luxury womenswear and shoe brands from around the world — enhanced by unique Selfridges experiences — is first class.’ In 2014, the store saw a 90 per cent year-on-year uplift in spend by personal shopping customers. For 2015, investment in womenswear has included the opening of a new 70 sq m personal shopping space. The VIP space can accommodate groups of 10 - 15, making it ideal for specialist events and bridal parties. ‘A reimagined Personal Shopping space has been an important part of our vision for Exchange — we want our customers to enjoy the very best service and experience in the most luxurious and comfortable environment,’ continues Sharrocks.
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, Readers Choice Award
Karl McKeever
managing director of Visual Thinking
Retail Focus is pleased to launch the Readers’ Choice Award at this year’s VM & Display Awards. Retail Focus has launched the Readers’ Choice Award for this year’s VM & Display Awards, which take place on Thursday 19 November at The Bloomsbury Big Top in London. This award allows Retail Focus readers to vote for their favourite window display from a shortlist chosen by a panel of industry experts. The judging panel met in August at The Delaunay, London to review all the store windows that have featured in the monthly Retail Focus Window Shopping article from September 2014 - August 2015, and after much deliberation a list of finalists was drawn up. The shortlist now goes to a public vote, which offers Retail Focus readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite scheme via the Retail Focus website and social media. The window with the most votes will be announced at the 2015 VM & Display Awards in November.
Karl is a highly respected retail consultant, improving the customer experience and commercial performance for some of the world’s biggest brands. A regular columnist in Retail Focus magazine, Karl also works in television, his latest role on Alex Polizzi’s The Fixer on BBC 2.
Simon Mitchell
director and co-founder of Sybarite Architects
Introducing the judging panel...
Andy Barlow
design director at Household Design
Sarah Bailey
course director at London College of Fashion — BA Hons Fashion Visual Merchandising & Branding Sarah is course director for the London College of Fashion’s BA Hons Fashion Visual Merchandising & Branding degree course, co-author of Visual Merchandising for Fashion recently published by Bloomsbury Press and a freelance visual merchandising consultant. She has more than 17 years industry experience working for blue chip international fashion and interior retailers such as Debenhams and Arcadia. Sarah also teaches at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design.
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From start to completion, Andy is an expert in leading large creative teams in designing relevant, responsible leisure and retail environments. He is obsessed with creating memorable and delightful shopping experiences. Previously founding director of multichannel environmental design agency Rawfish, Andy’s experience in large multichannel agencies spans sectors including fashion, home, food and supermarket, and consumer electronics and banking, with clients including Amazon, Tesco, Dixons, Luxottica and TSB.
Simon studied at the University of Greenwich in London, gaining his RIBA Part III qualification in 1998. He has a range of practice experience, most notably with Terry Farrell & Partners and Future Systems where he was associate director for several years. His key Future Systems projects include Lords Media Centre, a private house at Druidston Haven, Wales, Commes des Garcons in Tokyo and New York and Selfridges, Birmingham.
Lyndsey Dennis
editor of Retail Focus
Lyndsey has been working in the B2B interior design publishing sector for more than 15 years. She is editor of Retail Focus, the UK’s leading print and digital publication for the retail design community. The magazine covers the latest news, views and insights from the retail sector, as well as an insightful mix of articles, interviews, case studies and product launches.
Readers’ Choice Award
James Shouli
freelance head of creative and visual merchandiser
Finalists...
James is a respected and highly experienced head of creative and visual merchandiser, carving a career in the luxury market. With award-winning work at Aurum, Nicole Farhi and Pringle of Scotland, James has been nominated for and won several awards for his work.
Nathan Watts
design director at FITCH
Nathan has been at FITCH for 11 years and in 2007 was part of the founding team of FITCH India, where he spent three years building a team of designers, delivering world-class design at a local level. Nathan brings a wealth of experience from various sectors within retail and brands.
Debenhams These Autumn 2014 windows were inspired by Chanel’s AW14 supermarket catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week, as well as Anya Hindmarch’s Mini Mart on London’s Mount Street. Each window had a colour theme that worked with the season’s key colours, including Winter Greens, Sweet Pastels, Blue Wash and Lipstick Reds. The concept was created by PLANarama, Rare Basic, Replica and Arty Wigs.
‘It does feel like a direct translation of the Chanel catwalk that happened in Paris. It’s a very bold scheme for Debenhams to do.’ Nathan Watts
Printemps Kenzo took over the windows at Printemps in Autumn 2014 as part of a collaboration with the Paris department store. The displays featured pieces from an exclusive, limited edition collection. The store atrium was also transformed into a playful and experiential pop-up shop.
‘I think this is really fantastic; striking colours and the proportion is good.’ Andy Barlow
Adidas Originals StudioXAG designed and installed linear forced perspective cityscapes in the Adidas Originals flagship stores in London and Berlin for the Adidas Blue collection. Made from cut steel, Foubert’s Place in London incorporated Tate Modern, Battersea Power Station and The Shard in its skyline, while the Berlin store windows included TV Tower and Brandenburg Gate.
‘I love it, it draws you in. I like the 3D and the shapes. The windows aren’t just functional, they’re sculptural.’ Sarah Bailey
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Readers’ Choice Award
John Lewis Selfridges For Christmas 2014, Selfridges celebrated the art of storytelling by nominating what it believes to be the 25 most enchanting stories ever told, and are at least one generation old. The oldest was Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault that’s more than 300 years old. The most recent to make the cut was Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, first published in 1978.
‘You had to guess the fairytale in each window. A high level of detail, colours, textures and storytelling. It entertained you.’ Sarah Bailey
At Christmas the John Lewis Oxford Street and Peter Jones’ shopfront windows featured a colony of model penguins inspired by the 2014 Christmas ad campaign, created by Chameleon Visual. The penguins interacted with key home, fashion and technology products.
‘This campaign was sublime. I stopped to see it and three buses passed by and all the kids were pointing excitedly at the windows.’ Simon Mitchell
Topshop Mannequins strutted their stuff on the catwalk in this Topshop window concept, designed in collaboration with Blacks VM. The concept was to create a high summer playful window, which had a nod to the 70s. Topshop used brights and pastels to form a catwalk-like structure where mannequins could emerge through. There was an element of playing with light; as the sun hit the window the colour from the structures reflected on the mannequins and floor.
‘I liked how this scheme played with sunlight, and the mannequins are boldly walking through the space.’ Lyndsey Dennis
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Liberty Liberty’s Christmas 2014 windows invited customers to sail the festive seas besieged with sparkle and treasure and find inspiration for extraordinary gifts. The concept took inspiration from the origin of the nautical timber used to construct the store in the 1920s.
‘This scheme was a lovely nod to Liberty’s history, with great attention to detail such as the gold coins in the background featuring a ship symbol.’ Lyndsey Dennis
Readers’ Choice Award
Joseph Fashion Harlequin Design created this winter wonderland for Joseph’s festive window displays on Fulham Road, London. The scheme transformed the windows into a pristine white winter wonderland with stalactites and stalagmites coming from every direction and merging into a large ice structure.
‘Fantastic, and brilliant execution. Joseph takes you away — I like the escapism.’ Simon Mitchell
Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue windows for New York Fashion Week featured an installation by Vienna-based artist Eva Petric. The work consisted of large pieces of lace that created intricate yet lush environments. The title of the work was ‘personal UNIVERSEs’ and served as a backdrop for fashion with a romantic/boho/70s slant.
‘Bergdorf has been really clever in how it has composed these windows.’ James Shouli
Penhaligon’s As part of the London Design Festival in September 2014 and the RIBA Regent Street Windows Project, architect Al-Jawad Pike was paired with Penhaligon’s to create this one-off shop window for its London flagship, entitled Heritage. Inspired by the history of perfume making and its origins in distillation and chemistry, this intricate construction of latticed 3D copper piping and glass flasks was reminiscent of the distillation apparatus that was used historically in perfume making. PLANarama produced and installed 16 bespoke schemes across the globe.
‘This scheme drew you in. It reflected the old eccentricity of the brand.’ Sarah Bailey
Dyson at John Lewis Harlequin Design’s scheme for the new Dyson Humidifier at John Lewis was a timely launch for the National Allergy Week in April. The brief was to raise awareness and demonstrate the benefits of the Dyson Hygienic Mist in alleviating allergy symptoms. Harlequin broke the scheme into three segments: Baby Mobile, communicating the message of a good night’s sleep with the reference to counting sheep, rotating around the Dyson Humidifer in the form a baby mobile; Dandelion Installation comprising neon lights in the shape of dandelion seedlings being blown away around the Dyson Humidifer implying the deduction in allergies with the use of a humidifer; and Mist Wall featuring a backlit panel to recreate the hydrated mist projected by the Dyson Humidifer, creating a more hygienic home environment.
‘This scheme is true to the brand. It prompts curiosity and enquiry. Discretion is its strength.’ Karl McKeever
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Readers’ Choice Award
Debenhams PLANarama helped produce Debenhams’ Tropical Paradise summer windows. Oversized cardboard creatures were created, showcasing the colourful prints of the summer collection. All were produced in printed cardboard, using the various prints at different scales with coloured foil highlights. Items included a 3m-wide parrot, chameleon and toucan set in a jungle backdrop with graphic branches. Alongside, a sole tropical fish was set in an underwater scene.
‘The print stops you and the craft stands out. It’s fun.’ James Shouli
Oasis C Colour produced an international summer scheme to support the retailer’s collaboration with the V&A Museum. The Oasis V&A Collection features original prints handpicked by Oasis from the archives of the V&A. These exclusive prints were the Oasis team’s inspiration for the window scheme. C Colour produced and installed bespoke displays for Argyll St, the brand’s flagship London store, in addition to the scheme being rolled out across all stores internationally.
‘The rolled up towels and foot plate are a great touch. I like the clean, minimal architecture of the frames and then the heavy pattern around them.’ Andy Barlow.
Coach The Wild Beast collection windows at Coach feature giant paws, upon which handbags hang and mannequins pose. The design explores a tongue in cheek take on Wild Beast inspired by Buster, one of Coach’s collection characters and by ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. The retailer has played on scale and the unexpected with the large-scale arm, hand and claws of the beast busting through the window space and cheekily interacting with the mannequins and bags.
‘An integrated scheme that surrounds the range entirely. The windows reflect the collections themselves. It’s absolutely linked to the product and campaign; it’s an integrated story.’
Selfridges These Selfridges windows were dedicated to its Strength campaign, promoting the latest fashion collections that celebrate strength of design and character. The windows were transformed into an evocative exploration of strength through fashion.
‘A definite creative thread runs throughout this retailer. Selfridges is about brains and beauty.’ Karl McKeever
Image: Melvyn Vincent Photography
Karl McKeever
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How to vote
You can vote for your favourite window display at www.retail-focus.co.uk/vote or via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/retailfocusmagazine. Voting is open until 31 October 2015. To find out more about the VM & Display Awards, visit www.vmanddisplay.com
Gender and retail design
BLURRED LINES
Despite men and women shopping in different ways, it seems gender neutrality in-store could be on the increase. Selfridges’ Agender campaign earlier this year pushed the boundaries of gender in retail. Designed by Faye Toogood, the retailer opened the gender-neutral space across three floors of its Oxford Street store, as well as areas in its Manchester and Birmingham stores. With a genderless attitude to fashion and styling becoming increasingly mainstream, Selfridges axed traditional men’s and womenswear departments in favour of three floors that created a ‘celebration of fashion without definition’. Fashion retail in general may be conservative in its approach to gender. The leaders, however, tend to drive gender equality and more recently the growing movement of gender neutrality. ‘UNIQLO takes an uncompromising gender equal approach to store design. It may separate male and female garments onto different floors, but the look and feel of the areas is identical and the window displays are always an equal gender mix,’ says Mariann Wenckheim, director at retail design consultancy 20.20. She believes part of this movement is also driven by the rise in unisex clothing collections. Dame Vivienne Westwood recently launched a range that can be worn by men or women, and Rad Hourani also unveiled the first unisex couture collection on the catwalk last year. ‘When it comes to our children, however, we don’t necessarily want to shoe horn our old fashioned gender specific opinions on the next generation. Toy manufacturers and retailers can no longer simply divide their stores in pink and blue,’ continues Wenckheim. ‘At Early Leaning Centre, for example, products are grouped into categories such as Action Adventure, Let’s Pretend and Education. Children are able to make choices based on their interests regardless of gender. ‘In recent years, several high profile toy retailers have declared gender neutrality, including M&S, The Entertainer, Toys R Us and Sainsbury’s. It shows signs that we want to raise future generations without the limitations previously set upon us by marketing pressures, societal attitudes and cultural norms.’ 20.20 recently collaborated with Mothercare on a new concept
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at its Sprucefield store in Northern Ireland. It was designed to make parents, not just mums, fall in love with Mothercare again. Mothercare’s new stores capture a new spirit of parenting. ‘The new Mothercare brand is fashionable, exciting and much more innovative,’ says Wenckheim. Nigel Collett, CEO of rpa:group, also notes UNIQLO’s store format: ‘Brands like UNIQLO are now thinking more in terms of a holistic retail environment where there is a good deal of gender blending or blurring, where you find women on the right and men on the left throughout all floors of a store.’ He says with this brand in particular, signage doesn’t reflect gender and the only clues that you are in the right or wrong section are given by the mannequins, which are obviously either male or female. Colourways are the same, fixtures and fittings are the same and, as in many other stores now, changing rooms are unisex. ‘But UNIQLO doesn’t reflect all of retail or our society and culture generally. A great many clients still want to merchandise their product in a discreet one sex environment that has its own POS and in some cases its own bespoke fixtures and fittings, and this will be the way forward for most brands for the forseeable future,’ believes Collett. There are several factors to consider when designing for male and female areas, as David Dalziel, group creative director at Dalziel and Pow, explains: ‘We know for example men prefer a more intimate environment, with large spaces broken down into boutique spaces. They don’t like to be seen to be shopping, preferring that more controlled space. Small intimate spaces like the Club Monaco or J.Crew London boutique formats provide
Gender and retail design
Main image: Dalziel and Pow’s work for John Lewis uses the same basic construction methods for each gender but is merchandised very differently, making spaces functional and flexible, but also personal and expressive.
exactly that reassuring personal shopping experience. Women in contrast are social shoppers, shopping in groups of two or three and always looking around for hot spots in-store where the crowds are gathering. For women, shoppers attract other shoppers and the opposite may be true for men.’ Dalziel says men typically shop with a targeted mission, e.g. a replacement pair of jeans — same brand, same size; a new pair of trainers — same brand, new shape; a new polo shirt — same fit, new brand. The variants are limited. Products are typically more planned by category rather than style. ‘However, women are more open-minded, searching for the perfect item that they didn’t know they wanted. There is joy in the journey. They like the treasure trove approach to store layouts, epitomised by concepts like And Other Stories. Products are typically merchandised by style rather than category.’ Mark Neilly, creative projects manager at visual merchandising company, Lucky Fox, believes the rules concerning how to handle menswear and womenswear for a lot of retailers are increasingly blurred. ‘Selfridges’ recent Agender pop-up, which aimed to create a genderless shopping experience, is a prime example of that. We are seeing a lot of the same features being used across both menswear and womenswear to push more of a brand message than a gender one. However, there are some tried and tested layouts that are gender specific, and there are differences between
mannequins down the centre of a store. This is partly influenced by how accessible online catwalk footage is to everyone now, not just fashion insiders. These catwalks feature an army of identical mannequins wearing various outfits from the same trend, evoking a tribe. Alternatively, they might be styled quite eclectically, representing a wide reach of their customer base.’ The way men and women shop and how they like to spend their time in stores is hugely important. Neilly believes both men and women appreciate a more comfortable environment where they can relax or congregate and use technology and social media to share what they’ve found in-store. ‘These spaces can be achieved around the fitting rooms where social media can play an important part in the selection process. Here, female shoppers can post images of their choices to friends looking for feedback or opinions. For men, typically technology can be used in the product selection process, where customisation and personalisation is becoming more popular, and dedicated areas in stores can be taken over for this,’ says Neilly. Lucky Fox’s most recent work with Ben Sherman takes a very masculine approach, with men’s umbrella motifs featuring heavily to highlight the retailer’s autumn/winter collection. Traditional menswear props such as umbrellas, along with bowler hats, were also used when the premium brand, Hackett approached Lucky Fox to design a scheme for its Mayfair store launch. The team created bespoke male mannequins fencing with umbrellas, framed within a bowler hat window aperture. In contrast, an example of a much more feminine scheme by Lucky Fox was designing and manufacturing modern boudoir furniture pieces for lingerie retailer, Ann Summers earlier this year. High gloss and mirror materials were used to create a contemporary feel, with some softer more feminine upholstery to complete the look. As women and men shop in quite different ways, gender neutrality in-store may well depend on location and brand. While some shoppers will be happy to use unisex changing rooms, others may feel uncomfortable. One thing is for sure, there is more of a social aspect about the in-store environment, especially around the changing room areas. And for some, such as UNIQLO, gender neutral environments work well.
Facing page bottom: Selfridges’ Agender campaign pushed the boundaries of gender in retail. Left: UNIQLO uses the same fixtures and fittings in male and female areas, and has unisex changing rooms in many stores. Below: Lucky Fox helped create an ultra feminine feel at Ann Summers earlier this year; 20.20’s new concept for Mothercare in Sprucefield is designed to make parents, not just mums, fall in in love with Mothercare again.
how these are presented across the high street and more luxury brands.’ Neilly says category or blocked departments such as T-shirts, shirts and denim continue to work well for menswear, as male shoppers have tended to be on the hunt for one thing at a time. ‘They may also want to find it as quickly as possible — if they want a new shirt they want to be simply navigated to the shirt wall. Here you will have a captive audience and they may even be tempted to pick out several options to try. Topman, River Island and Ben Sherman are great examples of this masculine approach, with the latter christening it the Shirt Bar, with a large counter in front and multiple options and styles to choose from. He says women’s retail environments are more geared towards outfit building and co-ordination. ‘Something that is becoming more important across all levels of women’s retail is the catwalk of
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lighting
BRIGHT
FUTURE With the likes of the John Lewis Partnership rolling out LED lighting across all its properties, the future looks bright for LED technology within retail. Before the end of 2015, the John Lewis Partnership will have installed more than 110,000 LED luminaires into its estate. The retailer has been working with Philips, GE and Edge Lighting to implement its LED plans. ‘At first it was about ensuring that LED could perform to the same level as traditional lighting,’ explains Tony Jacob, head of construction, engineering and environment for the John Lewis Partnership. ‘But now we’ve reached a place where LED outperforms traditional lighting at every level, so it’s about what’s next? What are the opportunities and possibilities for LED that traditional lighting could never offer us? That is what’s exciting.’ In 2010 the John Lewis Partnership began a programme to reduce its carbon emissions. At that time, store lighting in Waitrose accounted for approximately 25 per cent of the total electricity costs of a branch, so the company started to look seriously at LED lighting as a way of increasing efficiency. Following a rigorous four-year programme of research, in-store testing and evaluation, the company is now committed to the installation of LED lighting in every new building and the progressive
replacement of traditional lighting with LED in all existing buildings. The economic benefits were also key to switching to LED lighting. LED is a low maintenance technology, requiring less replacement of lamps and therefore saving time, money and allowing the business to deploy maintenance resources elsewhere. ‘In a relatively short space of time, LED has improved massively,’ says Toby Marlow, engineering manager for John Lewis. ‘The development that Philips has put into LED has helped us to convince our business
that LED should be the preferred option. The light is crisper, the technology is more reliable and the capital costs are now lower than traditional lighting on a like-forlike basis.’ The in-house teams continue to work with Phillips and Edge Lighting to develop even more refinements that will bring even further efficiencies. ‘LEDs aren’t perfect but they are now pretty much the only show in town,’ says Mark Ridler, lighting director at architectural practice, BDP London. ‘Linear fluorescent
Main: Before the end of 2015, the John Lewis Partnership will have installed more than 110,000 LED luminaires into its estate. Right: Paul Nulty Lighting Design created a dramatic lighting design for Yauatcha in Broadgate Circle, complementing the darkness of the interior design.
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lighting
still stacks up in some environments but its days are numbered. The issue that clients still need to know though is that an LED is not a lamp and when it fades below useful life often the entire luminaire will need replacing. This is not being communicated often or clearly enough.’ Ridler says on-board data is the latest hot topic in the lighting world. This involves luminaires harnassing data via ultra small cameras, thermometers, bluetooth, WiFi, etc and emitting data to smart phones and the like. ‘This puts lighting firmly in the heart of the Internet of Things. To an extent it is a technology looking for an application but these applications are beginning to come in thick and fast — e.g. Target’s stores — and because of the Big Data implications companies such as Google are becoming interested. It could revolutionise how we think about lighting and control it. As lighting designers it’s a bit ancilliary to our normal primary concerns but it’s important that we stay connected to this debate so that we can remind everyone that the primary job of luminaires is to provide high quality light not data.’ Paul Nulty, owner of Paul Nulty Lighting Design, says LED technology is continuing to develop in terms of efficiency and quality of light output, and its combined use with digital technology is turning light into a powerful and creative marketing tool. ‘What is really exciting about this is the ability to create on-board sensing with LEDs. This means that the lighting can react to pedestrian movement or an iPhone app. Imagine using the lighting in the ceiling of a store to help you find a particular product by having it flash to indicate where it is. This concept is not so far away; digital technology is really starting to creep into the lighting world and together they are a powerful tool,’ enthuses Nulty. He has been specifiying LEDs in retail schemes for a while and feels they are up to the job, although there is still a premium to pay for a good quality LED product, so short-term retail projects struggle to justify the additional capital expenditure. ‘I still worry that the quality of ‘sparkle’ given from an LED isn’t quite up to that of traditional sources,’ notes Nulty. So, does fluorescent lighting still have a role to play in retail? Nulty believes it still has a place. ‘We still like to use fluorescent lamps, albeit their use is becoming more niche. Ultralife fluorescent lamps have the
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same life expectancy as LED and the quality of light is much less directional than LED, so if a simple diffuse quality of light is required then fluorescent is great. That’s why we used them to great effect at John Lewis with the Breaking Wave installation. LED would never have given the softness of light that was required.’ Noel Cox, UK head of specifications at JCC Lighting Products, says there has never been a better time to review your estate lighting philosophy and consider the added benefits of converting to LED. ‘Coupled with the retail sector looking at more creative ways to differentiate their brand on the high street in local shopping areas and shopping centres than simply just being brighter than their neighbour, the LED fixture lumen package is increasing. ‘The other big benefit for me in retail is the reduction in heat that is produced by an LED lighting scheme compared to a tungsten halogen, metal halide or even fluorescent. This reduction in heat has a further impact not only on the profitability of the business but on the shopper. How many times have you left a retail unit because you were too hot?’ Cox says in general terms you can do with a fluorescent fitting what you can do with LED, but with added benefits. ‘One of the areas in retail that fluorescent is used more than LED is under shelf. The
common approach to replace fluorescent in these areas is LED tape, which is often not the best solution and often proves to be unreliable.’ JCC has successfully installed and has many trial areas in retail space using the Skyblade to offer an innovative design solution to this problem area. By engaging early on in the design process with the lighting manufacturer, retailers can achieve the perfect balance to illuminating a retail space, improving customer footfall, reducing operating costs and helping brands minimise their environmental impact.
Top: JCC’s spotlight range includes a variety of commercial track and spot lighting that offers 50 per cent energy saving against halogen. The range has expanded to offer high performing spotlights. Below: In conjunction with The Harris Partnership, who provided the interior design, BDP Lighting redesigned the feature and functional lighting elements at Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield.
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SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST Kristina Hetherington, founder and managing director of design firm Design Clarity, says evolve or get left behind. As everyone knows, Darwin’s theory of evolution is based on the survival of the fittest. Animals that are the best adapted to their environment succeed over animals that are less suited and, over a period of time, animals have evolved to suit a variety of circumstances. In business, evolution can also be seen in the way companies adapt to changing customer needs. Businesses gain competitive advantage over other businesses or even whole industries to increase their market share. The retail business — particularly specialty retail — is no different, and for some time now the design industry has been watching and in part causing the ongoing evolution of retail environments. Now, nearly over the hump of the second decade of the 21st century, never has this retail Darwinism been so noticeable. Companies that operate retail spaces are looking to change the way in which they interact with customers. Unfortunately some are falling short and without adapting to new shopper attitudes and behaviours they may well end up like 95 per cent of the earth’s species — extinct. A classic example of the way retail has evolved can be seen in retail banking. Not so long ago banks were like functional safes with visible high security, uncomfortable chairs and stuffy bank managers. Now banks aim to communicate openness, friendliness and look to remove the friction from customer service. They consider what the digitally connected, savvy and sometimes capricious customer of the 2010s is looking for. The core function of a retail bank branch has changed, and so banks have evolved to meet these new needs. Now lets consider the humble high street travel agency. Little has changed over the years, but the travel industry around it has shifted hugely. With the level of online travel purchasing, a travel agency retail space should now be more of an information hub rather than a travel vendor, yet it seems very little has altered in the design of high street travel agencies to meet this new customer need. To evolve and survive, travel agencies should embrace their new role as information providers and allow people to experience destinations from a retail space. Instead, customers are still sitting and looking at the back of a computer monitor whilst a consultant offers them prices that they will find better online. Retail Darwinism is coming… The internet has allowed retailers to connect with potential customers and express their brand in entirely new ways, and physical stores have become a part of their communication and sales strategy instead of being the only way to reach consumers. The new customer is connected and educated on a product or price before they enter the store. They now want to have a meaningful interaction with a company to help explore their options or validate their choice, rather than go through a
meaningless sales process. Some retailers are embracing this, others are not. What is going to be next for retail Darwinism? We saw the effects on music bricks and mortar retailers by the birth of digital music. It’s not implausible to say that unless they evolve, bookshops might be next. As retail interior design specialists, we at Design Clarity look to offer retailers a better way of using space to interact with their customers. True, bookshops hold lots of books, which allows customers to browse but in the digital age, is the space used effectively? Does the customer get to connect with what others think about a book? Are their emotions evoked by the experience? Can we access more information if required? Is customer service considered throughout the customer journey? Just like evolution in animals, retail Darwinism is an unstoppable force fuelled in this case by ever-changing consumer needs and driven by the profit of commerce. All retailers must think: how can I evolve to meet the changing demands of my customers? The future is coming and we must all change to meet it.
www.designclarity.net
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products
LIGHTING RIDI Lighting RIDI Lighting has launched the KARO spotlight, a futuristic square LED spot suitable for contemporary retail or exhibition spaces. With excellent light output performance and full 360° rotation of the light, RIDI has created a versatile luminaire that can be utilised in both large and small lighting applications. The spotlight provides a comfortable 2,500 or 3,500 lumens from its uniform formation to create a flattering effect that will suit any modern commercial environment. T. +44 (0)1279 450 882 E. enquiries@ridi.co.uk www.ridi.co.uk
Design LED Products Design LED Products’ Edinburgh shelf solution is an ultra-slim luminaire design. Edinburgh provides a cost optimised and energy efficient lighting solution with no glare or multi-shadow artefact. With a thickness of 6mm, it offers high quality product illumination and an efficacy of 105lm/W. The luminaire is easy to install in lengths of up to 10m driven from a single ECG with a dimming option available. T. (0)1506 592 310 E: info@designledproducts.com www.designledproducts.com
Commercial Lighting This high output track/surface mounted spotlight is just one of the latest exciting products in the Sovereign range of high performance, British designed and built LED projectors from Commercial Lighting. This fitting is specially designed around the very latest high efficiency LED modules and is supplied with a fully compatible integral driver for optimum performance and longevity. It’s the ideal replacement for 70W or 150W metal halie units and is available with a wide range of accessories including barn doors, louvers, coloured filters and spreader lenses, as well as a range of BS/RAL colours available, making this unit ideal for any display application requiring high quality light with minimal energy consumption. T. +44 (0)1489 581 002 E. sales@commercial-lighting.co.uk www.commercial-lighting.co.uk Twitter: CLSlight
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Hacel Lighting A display of understated elegance, Infinitas by Hacel is a refined LED system. Sleek and slender in its design, the system is precision extruded and offers continuous lines of uninterrupted uniform lighting. Optional accent luminaires further enhance the versatility of Infinitas. Available in surface, suspended or recessed, in both bezel and bezel-free formats, the flexibility is further enhanced by uplighting variations and completely illuminated corners. T. +44 (0)191 280 9911 E: sales@hacel.co.uk www.hacel.net Twitter: Hacel1
products
LED Eco Lights LED Eco Lights has introduced its G5 LED luminaire as the 21st century replacement for inefficient and energy hungry fluorescent tubes. Designed and developed to meet the requirements of the most challenging commercial and industrial environments, the new G5 combines versatility and cost effectiveness. Available in 2ft, 4ft and 5ft lengths, the G5 LED luminaire provides ‘instant on’ illumination, super brightness of 110Lm/W and a 50,000 hours lifespan. T. +44 (0) 1276 691 230 E. sales@ledecolights.com www.goodlight.co.uk Twitter: Goodlight_LED
arken POP Designed to be incorporated into the interior of retail environments and create a striking feature, the arken Purelite LED panel can be used in a wide range of applications, particularly to provide illumination within freestanding displays, shelving or counters. The Purelite panel’s aluminium construction is finished in a powder coated white, fully assembled, and is supplied to a maximum of 3m x 1.2m, which enables it to be used to create a large wall of light, if required. The Purelite LED panel is a cost-effective means of providing illumination for almost any application within the retail space. T. +44 (0)1638 565 656 E. info@arken-pop.com www.arken-pop.com Twitter: arkenPOP
Venture Lighting Europe Venture Lighting Europe has opened its new showroom in Castle Donington, displaying its wide range of advanced VLED products. The showroom also hosts full conference facilities and is open for sales meetings and customer product training. As a leading manufacturer of metal halide lamps, Venture Lighting has since seen a successful transition to include solid state lighting (SSL) and has devised a range of LED luminaires to be even more effective. T. +44 (0)1923 692 600 E. sales@venturelighting.co.uk www.venturelightingeurope.com Twitter: VentureLighting
Megaman Vito from Megaman is a fully integrated, recessed, adjustable LED downlight that offers excellent energy saving solutions and performance in retail applications. Vito is part of the new Megaman UK fixtures range. It is suitable for Tecoh RDx modules (4100 to 5100 lumens) and provides an ideal replacement for metal halide lamps up to 70W. Easy to install with standard cut out sizes, Vito offers up to 50,000 hours life and incorporates Megaman’s new Perfect White technology which intensifies and brightens white tones and enhances colours. The gimbal design allows for multi-directional tilting and focus to provide flexible illumination for any retail application with perfect results. Vito is CE Certified and is available in either a white or silver casing with a three year warranty. External drivers (non-dimming, dimming or DALI) are sold separately. T. +44 (0)845 408 4625 E. sales@megamanuk.com www.megamanuk.com Twitter: MegamanUKLtd
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DESIGN LED CONTINUOUS VINYL FLOORING
A unique addition to the Expona Family Introducing the latest edition to the Expona family of floorcoverings, Expona Flow is a collection of 50 commercial vinyl sheet products encompassing authentically reproduced natural materials and innovative, eye catching designs. Contact us for your free copies of the new brochure and fully sampled presentation book.
POLYFLOR LTD. PO BOX 3 RADCLIFFE NEW RD WHITEFIELD MANCHESTER M45 7NR TEL: 0161 767 1122 FAX: 0161 767 1128 E-MAIL: INFO@POLYFLOR.COM WWW.POLYFLOR.COM
products
FLOORING + SURFACES International Decorative Surfaces For an insight into what’s next in surface materials and the key trends shaping the future of design, Spanish surface materials specialist FINSA and UK distributor IDS are presenting FINSA’s latest international Trendbook 2015-2016 at an exclusive interactive event at the Saint Gobain Innovation Centre, 95 Great Portland Street on Wednesday 21 October. There are four key design stories of Embrace, Nurture, Pioneer and Construct that will be presented with an interactive sensory experience. The event is by invitation only so to register your interest for one of the sessions, please email a.bainbridge@finsa.com T. +44 (0)8457 298 298 E. info@idsurfaces.co.uk www.idsurfaces.co.uk Twitter: idsurfaces
Forbo Flooring Systems Forbo Flooring Systems has relaunched its website, providing a definitive online interface for specifiers, installers and clients that offers useful tools, design inspirations and in-depth technical resource across all market segments. Now, visitors to www.forbo-flooring.co.uk will find a site that is visually inspiring, easier to navigate, with access to both ‘how to’ YouTube guides and downloadable information just a few clicks away. The new Product Finder is designed to help those who are unsure of what floorcoverings best suits their needs or to pick out colour co-ordinated finishes across different product types. T. +44 (0)1773 744 121 E. info.flooring.uk@forbo.com www.forbo-flooring.co.uk Twitter: ForboFlooringUK
Armourcoat Armourcoat’s Rusteel metal rust finish has been shortlisted for the National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) Design Partnership Awards 2015, which take place on 24 September 2015, in conjunction with 100% Design. The Armourcoat finish offers an authentic rusted iron or patina effect, creating an aged, weather-beaten, metal surface. This time-worn finish - similar to weathering (or Corten) steel - is created from a water-based paint with metal particles which naturally tarnish when activated. A sealer coat is used once the desired effect is achieved and provides a further protective layer. T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E: sales@armourcoat.co.uk www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat
Polyflor Vinyl flooring from Polyflor’s new high design and high performance Expona Flow range has been installed in the refurbished visitor centre at RSPB Bempton Cliffs nature reserve near Bridlington, East Yorkshire. Around 240 sq m of Expona Flow heavy commercial sheet vinyl flooring in Honey Beige was installed throughout the visitor centre’s exhibition area and gift shop by Paul Hood & Son flooring contractors of Hull. The Expona Flow PUR collection of heavy commercial sheet vinyl floorcoverings includes 50 wood, stone and abstract designs in a 2m-wide sheet format with a 2mm gauge and a 0.7mm wear layer. The Honey Beige design is from the Infinity collection in the Expona Flow range and was chosen to complement the surrounding coastal environment of Bempton Cliffs. Beige, gold and brown tones have been blended together to create the effect of endless wood. T. +44 (0)161 767 1111 E. info@polyflor.com www.polyflor.com Twitter: Polyflorltd
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products
TECHNOLOGY ONELAN ONELAN has announced the latest update to the Reserva Room Booking range. To support corporate and education users, who have already migrated or plan to move their calendaring system to the cloud, Reserva now offers integration with Microsoft Office 365. It also includes integration with Scientia timetabling systems used in universities worldwide. The Reserva range has also been improved to better support enterprise customers who wish to run the Reserva Connection Manager software on Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 and VMWare platforms. T. +44 (0)1491 411 400 E. sales@onelan.com www.onelan.com Twitter: onelan_ltd
Futura Retail Solutions North Devon-based lifestyle brand Saltrock has gone live with a new EPOS and head office retail management system from Futura Retail Solutions. The new system will help the brand drive performance across an expanding store network nationally and at the same time support strong UK and international online sales. Futura’s Web Services provide seamless links to Saltrock’s third party warehouse solution and to its website, helping to improve management control and streamline stock allocations and merchandise planning. CRM functions within Futura, together with improved customer data capture at the till and Futura gift card functionality, will all add to the shopping experience. T. +44 (0)1189 841 925 E. sales@futurauk.com www.futura4retail.co.uk Twitter: Futura_retail
Futura Retail Solutions 73 Retail, a UK franchise partner for Timberland and others like Havaianas, The North Face and Happy Socks, can now offer digital receipts to customers at stores across the south of England, thanks to the yReceipts application and integration work completed by Futura Retail Solutions. 73 Retail has standardised on the Futura lifestyle retail platform since 2011 and currently uses Futura’s EPOS across 10 stores alongside its head office management solution that includes buying, merchandising, stock management and reporting functionality. yReceipts makes shopping easier and ensures better customer data capture and feedback. T. +44 (0)1189 841 925 E. sales@futurauk.com www.futura4retail.co.uk Twitter: Futura_retail
Mitsubishi Electric Mitsubishi Electric’s range of photo gift kiosks are affordable multi-touchscreen digital photo gift solutions, designed for retail stores, copy shops, pharmacies and forecourt shops. In-store customers can easily upload photographs from their mobile devices to instantly create full-colour prints and beautiful personalised photo gifts such as calendars, greeting cards and collage style albums. The new Compact kiosk incorporates the gift product display shelving of the Plus, whilst requiring the minimal floor space of the Flex, making it ideal for smaller areas. T. +44 (0)1707 278 684 E: printer.info@meuk.mee.com www.mitsubishielectric-printing.com
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products
selection GEZE UK GEZE has enhanced its Manual Sliding Wall (MSW) system, eradicating the need for a swing door end panel so all the leaves can be hidden from sight when not in use. The company has developed SmartGuide technology, which allows the leaves to glide easily around corners and be stored away, making it ideal for creating large open entrances or for spaces that need temporarily dividing. MSW offers a solution that’s both aesthetic and functional and is designed for use in high traffic, public locations such as retail environments, airports, offices, conference rooms, hotels and restaurants. T. +44 (0)1543 443 000 E: info.uk@geze.com www.geze.co.uk Twitter: GEZE_UK
PEL Music + Media PEL Music & Media has added sound system design, supply and installation to its array of services for The White Company, The retailer has PEL MusicStore hard drives installed into 47 of its stores and the playlist of 1,200 tracks is updated by 20 tracks per month. In existing stores the music is played through the in-situ sound systems, whilst in the latest stores to open, PEL was appointed to design, supply and install the sound system itself; these include Norwich and Meadow Hall, Sheffield and the redeveloped Glasgow and Kings Cross, London stores. T. +44 (0)333 123 2100 E: studio@pel.co.uk www.pel.co.uk/audio-visual Twitter: PELservices1
DORMA As part of Fire Door Safety Week 2015, DORMA is encouraging anyone responsible for the specification or installation of fire doors to ensure that all individual elements of the doorset have been third party accredited and certified. DORMA is looking to highlight best practice and actively encourage greater investigation into test certificates from manufacturers. Graham Hulland, product marketing manager at DORMA, commented: ‘Fire doors are often the first line of defence in a fire and it is incredibly important for our business to support Fire Door Safety Week. The event is the ideal platform to remind anyone responsible for the specification, installation or maintenance of fire doors, hardware and ironmongery of what is legal and what is considered best practice to ensure compliance and the highest levels of safety.’ DORMA has produced a practical and straightforward guide for anyone looking for further guidance when it comes to specifying door closers, which can be downloaded from the DORMA website. T. +44 (0)1462 477 600 E. info@dorma-uk.co.uk www.dorma.com Twitter: DORMAUK
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Panache Display Panache Display has added even more to its Nouveau collection of male and female mannequins. With raw and industrial style finishes still being very much on trend, the new additions include complete mannequins, raw fibreglass, papier mâché torsos as well as vintage style linen covered torsos. These finishes can be mixed and matched to create a bespoke mannequin to suit that is unique to the retailer’s brand. T. +44 (0)020 8752 2520 E. info@panachedisplay.co.uk www.panachedisplay.co.uk Twitter: PANACHEDISPLAY
Retail Focus Aug 15_Layout 1 11/08/2015 10:30 Page 1
Vintage Displays by morplan
QUALITY YOU DEMAND. PRICES YOU ENJOY. SERVICE YOU EXPECT.
Call now for your FREE catalogue
0330 44 55 023 morplan.com Visit our regional stores
products
BARTHELMESS Show your strength CNL from Barthelmess UK produces a great range of male and female ACTIVE SPORT mannequins including running, jogging, cycling, hiking, climbing and yoga. Priced from £200 ex works, these high quality, affordable mannequins are available in both fibreglass and recyclable polyurethane in a huge variety of styles and finishes. With a focus on innovative design, CNL mannequins offer significant cost savings without compromising on quality. Torsos and busts are available from £59 ex works, backed up with full UK customer service. Barthelmess can customise a range of mannequins and forms unique to your brand, free of design and prototype costs. The company offers custom design mannequins, free protyping, free samples, fast turnaround, roll-out specialist, quality at competitive prices, a wide range of materials, polyurethane, magnetic arm fittings, custom measurements, innovative finishes, worldwide logistics and UK customer service. T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E. info@barthelmessuk.com www.cnlmannequins.com
FORMed by your imagination
VM inspiration
CNL from Barthelmess UK offers great value, quality, tailormade busts and accessories from £59 ex works. All unique for your retail brand, you choose the finish and fabrics. With the largest mannequin manufacturing capability and in-house sculpting studio, the company can develop and deliver your project with a fast turnaround, for delivery on time and within budget. Beautiful hand tailored busts and accessories backed up with full UK customer service.
Barthelmess is an award-winning design agency and manufacturer specialising in visual merchandising. The company’s creative laboratory, in the form of a 2,000 sq m showroom, presents the latest trends in 3D for spring/summer 2016. Barthelmess provides customised, tailor-made staging of your retail brand, department store, super store or shopping centre and all you need for your individual visual merchandising project. With the largest manufacturing capability in Europe, it delivers your project on time and within budget.
T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E: info@barthelmessuk.com www.barthelmessuk.com Twitter: buk_vm
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T. +44 (0)1438 724 065 E: info@barthelmessuk.com www.barthelmessuk.com
POP + display
focus on: POP + Display POP and display systems can help reflect a brand and create stand out for products. This month we browse a variety of display systems and POP schemes that attract attention in-store and help shoppers to make the ultimate buying decision.
Sporty number Ahead of the Nike Women’s 10km race, Seen Displays was commissioned to deliver the retail campaign creative, including windows and in-store displays at four of the capital’s Nike outlets. Inside Nike Town in London, products appeared to float in mid-air from invisible threads and within see through bubbles.
www.seendisplays.com
Under armour This store rebrand at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff was created and installed by IPOS for the launch of the new Wales Rugby Union home kit. The install was carried out during the first half of the Wales Vs Ireland game and opened to the public during the interval. Bright, clean print proved simple yet eye-catching displays for shoppers.
www.ipos-design.com
Scents and sensibility Tenn worked with Christian Dior for the Fève Délicieuse launch in Selfridges, the latest fragrance in La Collection Privée. The promotional site combined robust surfaces of black gloss and lamellux with prism light diffusers and delicate side illuminated flowers to complete the look and feel of the site. The design had two vitrines that were illuminated around the perimeter to help highlight the launch bottle. The product was decorated with paper flowers, which working with the vitrines’ lighting helped give a strong and delicate callout. The vitrine was illuminated with LEDs and an acrylic prism diffuser, which gave the whole site a sparkle.
www.tenn-ltd.com
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POP & display
Small but perfectly formed HL Display has added the Mini HYL floorstanding merchandising display to its Optistand range. The Mini HYL is sleek, compact and robust, meaning it can fit neatly into smaller spaces such as within aisles and can even be used to merchandise heavy products. Constructed from plastic, the HYL is ideal for both permanent and semi-permanent solutions. It is height adjustable and offers a myriad of possibilities in terms of shelf space. Gravity feed displays are also available within the new Mini HYL range.
www.hl-display.com
Bring to life Volanti Displays has helped to bring to life a Michael Kors vitrine at Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, California, incorporating the latest in digital video display technology. The custom fabricated display features a mannequin wearing the latest Michael Kors line along with a large video display in a styled book effect enclosure that rests neatly upon a pyramid of various books. The book shows the pages of a catalogue as they ‘magically’ turn from cover to cover. The display is accented with flying butterflies and a perched parrot to add to the enchantment of the scene.
www.volantidisplays.com
Feel the power Creative Instore Solutions (CIS) produced this gondola end display for Panasonic Energy Europe to create an in-store beacon for its energy products. The display unit, which is featured in B&M stores, is a bold and informative category management solution to prompt shoppers to remember battery purchases. The unit communicates core brand messages to consumers, including anti-leak protection, whilst showcasing calls to action close to the till.
www.creativeinstore.co.uk
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Europe´s largest retailer and wholesale supplier for
Visual Merchandising
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...TO MAKE A RETAIL FABRIC LIGHTBOX 61
Directory
Retail Supplier Directory, find the specialist retail products and services you are looking for from leading suppliers around the world. Retail Supplier Directory Visit the Retail Focus online directory at www.retail-focus.co.uk to discover a comprehensive list of the UK’s leading retail suppliers. Each listing contains indepth company information together with inspirational images, video footage and informative press material. You can also link through to company websites and connect with suppliers through Twitter and Facebook. The Retail Supplier Directory is divided into a number of categories, such as design agencies, point-of-purchase, lighting, props and surfaces, to make the site easy to navigate. To feature in the online directory, contact Terry Clark on 0845 6807405 or email terry@retailfocus.co
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Directory
Aluminium Fittings
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry. Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service. T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Axis design, develop, manufacture and install bespoke retail display solutions. We’ve worked with the biggest names on the high street, but approach every project in the same way, with the maximum thought for your brand, products and sales environment.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
T, 020 3260 3888 E. info@axiseurope.com W.www.axiseurope.com/retail S. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
Design Consultancies
H Squared Limited are display specialists in creating brand presence at the point of purchase. Through a holistic approach to the development of display... strategic led creative design and cost effective manufacture, supply and installation, H Squared are able to offer clients an experience to nurture an idea as well as the capability to realise and deliver these ideas. T: 01530 814200 E: studio@hsquared.co.uk W: www.hsquaredltd.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.
Original suppliers of display fabrics, textiles, PVC and polycarbonates for retail displays and exhibition stands since 1934 Backgrounds have been our background since backgrounds began and B Brown have more than 400 in stock.
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
Aluminium Fittings
Bespoke Display
Bespoke Display
Brochure Holders
Design Consultancies
Design Consultancies
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.
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.
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: 0 01422 310767 E: sales@wbelland.com W: www.wbelland.com
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
T: +44 (0)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
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
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Directory
Display
Are you looking to increase your product sales, re-brand or launch a new product? If you’re not already talking to us, you should. Our group offer an unprecedented level of experience coupled with a comprehensive range of products and services. Our aim is to make your products sell and your service the best on the market.
T: +44(0)113 265 0093 E: sales@concept-data.com W: www.concept-data.com S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
Display
Internationally acclaimed, award winning unique magnetic wall system offers instant flexibility & creative choice to architects, interiors & store designers. Since launching the magnIQ system in 2006 the response has been quite phenomenal. To date the system has won 13 prestigious awards and is now internationally recognised justifying the many years Rare Basic spent on research and development. T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: mail@rarebasic.com W: www.rarebasic.com S: www.twitter.com/rarebasic
Display - Digital
Furniture
Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
Furniture
Display
Display
Display - Digital
GDP display, manufactures, delivers and installs world-class retail environments, store fixtures, displays and visual merchandising equipment. GDP is truly Global, through its activities in many parts of the world. We have supplied high-end displays and furniture to successful retail brands throughout Europe, North America, South Africa and South East Asia.
Spur Creative Workshop deliver unique visual merchandising solutions for retail brands. Boasting a wealth of experience in high quality prop making we create display concepts for window staging, POS and brand awareness campaigns.
We provide total end to end solutions encompassing all aspects of designing, implementing, managing and supporting multi-faceted marketing technology concepts and Digital Screen Media networks.
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: +44 (0)1582 433 771 E: info@gdprojects.eu W: www.gdprojects.eu S. www.twitter.com/GDProjects
T 01892 890608 E: phil@spurcreative.co.uk W www.spurcreative.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative
T, +44 (0)845 481 8020 E. info@screenmediatechnology.com W.screenmediatechnology.com S. www.twitter.com/ScreenMediaTech
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Display
Display
We are IPOS. A creative design agency whose extensive and impressive client list speaks volumes for the professional services we offer. We design, produce and install all aspects of our client’s POS. From instore graphics, window vinyls and 3D bespoke window displays to full multi location campaign roll outs.
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
EPOS
Offering an extensive range of EPOS hardware from world class suppliers such as Star Micronics, Honeywell and Posiflex, DED offer the complete EPOS hardware solution alongside a unique rewritable loyalty system.
T: 01797 320636 E: sales@ded.co.uk W: www.ded.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/dedltd
Finishes
Display
Display
Impulse POP specialises in Point of Purchase display systems for the Retail sector. We offer many years of experience in all aspects of retail design, with in house manufacture - including quick turnaround prototypes, or overseas manufacture, delivery, installation and retail merchandising.
Woodwood Group –Tx Frame UK are a specialist in tension fabric display systems and LED light boxes. We are able to deliver the highest quality service with a friendly but professional approach to ensure you receive the spectacular results you deserve.
Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.
T, 01767 682756 E. sales@impulsepop.co.uk W.www.impulsepop.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/impulsepop
T, 01376 295 016 E. sales@txframe.co.uk W. www.txframe.co.uk
T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E. sales@armourcoat.co.uk W. www.armourcoat.com S. www.twitter.com/Armourcoat
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Graphics
Graphica Display print, produce and install retail graphics including till point graphics, window graphics, LED lightboxes, cut & printed vinyl and much more. Nationwide & Euorpean delivery and installation.
T: 0845 3730073 E: info@graphicadisplay.co.uk W:www.graphicadisplay.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet
Graphics
We create bespoke tailored solutions for retail, interiors, exhibitions, museums and 3D and we know one size does not fit all. Our teams are always ready for the challenges, big or small.
T: 01923 800666 E: info@stylographics.co.uk W: www.stylographics.com S. www.twitter.com/hellostylo
Directory
Slatwall
Interactive Displays
Permanent POS
POP/POS
Crystal Display Systems is already a leading UK designer, distributor and value added reseller of flat panel display solutions. We have a vast array of media players, interactive displays, videowalls and shelf edge displays. Our knowledge and expertise has also led to us being one of the European leaders in transparent LCD.
> In house design and manufacture of permanent displays > Powder coated steel, stainless steel, plastics and print used in any combination > Rapid prototyping and batch manufacture > Confidentiality assured > Let us help you improve your product sales` Find out why our customers keep returning for more………
> In house design and manufacture of permanent displays > Powder coated steel, stainless steel, plastics and print used in any combination > Rapid prototyping and batch manufacture > Confidentiality assured > Let us help you improve your product sales` Find out why our customers keep returning for more………
Specialist Stockist of Aluminium Extrusions and Mild Steel Fittings for the shopfitting industry.
T: 01482 345067 E: sales@jcrpos.co.uk W: www.jcrpos.co.uk S. @JCR_POS
T: 01482 345067 E: sales@jcrpos.co.uk W: www.jcrpos.co.uk S. @JCR_POS
T: 01273 582241 E: info@d-i-a.net W: www.d-i-a.net S. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin
T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025 E: info@crystal-display.com W: www.crystal-display.com S. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays
Lighting
POP/POS
LED Solutions are a specialist LED lighting supplier who can offer you a wide variety of bespoke lighting solutions for the sign, shop fitting and display industries.
Custom made, 20mm deep LED Edge lit ‘Diamond’ light boxes, and 8mm deep ‘Garnet’ light panels for retail display, signage and advertising.
T: 0116 262 5933 E: sales@ledsolutions.co.uk W: www.ledsolutions.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/ LEDSolutionsUK
T: 0333 123 0345 E: Sales@ways2display.com W www.artillus.com Web: www.ways2display.com
Literature Display Solutions
POP/POS
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 specialise in Point of Sale (POS) and Point of Purchase (POP). We design, manufacture and fit retail fixtures and store displays and we’re good at it. For over 55 years Axiom has been designing and producing exciting and innovative retail displays for well known brands and retail groups.
T: +44 (0)1473 229250 E: sales@brochureholders.co.uk W: www.brochureholders.com
Maintenance
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.
T 01922 455523 E: info@aircontrol.co.uk W: www.aircontrol.co.uk S: www.twitter.com/AirControl123
T: +44 (0)161 681 1371 E: info@axiom-displays.co.uk W: www.axiom-displays.co.uk
POP/POS
We are IPOS. A creative design agency whose extensive and impressive client list speaks volumes for the professional services we offer. We design, produce and install all aspects of our client’s POS. From instore graphics, window vinyls and 3D bespoke window displays to full multi location campaign roll outs. T: 0161 477 8501 E: info@ipos-design.co.uk W: www.ipos-design.co.uk S. www.twitter.com/iposdesign
POP/POS
From small, lightweight point-of-sale display turntables for short term use, to larger turntables designed for durability and reliability over many years, Movetech UK has a turntable to meet your needs.
T: 01204 537680 E: display@movetechuk.com W:www.movetechuk.com S. www.twitter.com/movetechuk
POP Install
100% provides services in the UK & Europe covering: • • • • • •
Display Installation POS Updates & Maintenance Store Audits Transport & Warehousing Project Management Online Reporting
T: +44 (0)161 929 9599 E: dan.williams@100percentgroup.com W: www.100percentgroup.com S. www.twitter.com/ 100percentgroup
Retail Consultancy
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
Extensive stock held of: *Slotted uprights *Aluminium slatwall *Perimeter Sections *Corner sections *Design and bespoke service.
Slatwall
MicroSlat is a strong versatile 25mm fine pitched aluminium slatwall system. With a bespoke range of components it can be used to build unique and interesting displays or add value to existing designs.
T. 01325 351 276 E. sales@microslat.com W. www.microslat.com S. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat
VM
MTFX Winter Effects artificial display snow range includes all you need to give your displays the crispness of a winter setting or the chill of a frosty Christmas.
T: 01452 729903 E: info@mtfx.com W: www.mtfx.com
VM - Training & Tools
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
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Q&A
As the son of an architect and grandson of a silk pattern designer, Andy Barlow has design running through his veins. Here he chats to us about his role as design director at Household Design, his inspirations and the company’s focus on customer experience. RF. How did you get into the design sector? AB. I’m the son of an architect and my grandad was a silk pattern designer, so I guess I’ve been around art and design my whole life. After art school I did a degree in Three Dimensional Design followed by a Masters in Interior Architecture. I set up my own design agency Rawfish in Manchester at the age of 25, and that lasted for 16 years before the recession helped me to seek out pastures new. Can you explain what your role as design director at RF. Household Design involves? AB. Design directors help form and then drive through the creative direction of a concept, running multi-disciplinary teams across a broad cross section of clients, from supermarkets and banks to hotels and high-end fashion retailers. At Household Design we are completely focused on customer experience through insight into the customer, the market and defining new opportunities for the brands we work with. As design director, I will lead the day to day delivery of a design, from outline concept through development and into final delivery on site, collaborating closely with the client team and external partners to achieve this.
is to receive feedback from both our peers and the general public. Having the opportunity to vote gives a democratic response to what we consider to be the best solutions to our clients’ requirements. It sets the benchmark for innovative and creative window displays, inspiring and challenging others in the industry to create equally compelling work.
What’s on your drawing board at the moment? RF. RF. What trends do you see accelerating in the next 12 months? AB. I’m currently involved with projects on different sides of the world, from Amazon in Seattle to the Norwegian supermarket chain, Meny in Oslo, as well as others in the UK that I can’t yet divulge. RF. What’s been your most ambitious project to date? AB. I think helping to transform TSB into a local, human face of banking at a time when banks have lost the trust of ordinary working people. Household was tasked with the job of delivering transparency, calm and the demystification of a bank with a branch concept that delivers ‘Local Banking On Demand’. The result has been a phenomenal success. Customer feedback has been extremely positive and the branch’s Net Promoter Score is up 40 per cent. The number of customers taking out mortgages and loans in the redesigned branch has increased substantially too, up by 30 per cent. RF. You were recently a judge for the Retail Focus Readers’ Choice Award. How important do you feel it is for the industry to vote for their favourite window scheme? AB. In my opinion, the only way that we can learn as designers
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AB. Everybody is always talking about digital, but I think that the key trend over the coming year is just the right response to a touchpoint on a customer journey. This may well be a digital solution and Household will be right there to deliver this, but equally it could be analogue and in fact, in an online world where the store focus is around experience, the solution may well be human. RF. Who or what inspires you? AB. My inspiration is always around the real, the authentic and the honest. People and their behaviours fascinate me. I genuinely like people and their differences, quirks of character, hopes and dreams. Tapping into these through design is my inspiration. RF. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in design? AB. This is a life choice, it’s not just a job. You need to love it, live it and be passionate about it. Set out to change the world and take it from there.
www.armourfx.com
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