Design isn’t everything! Strange words coming from a designer? Let’s be real though – there’s more to retail than store design. As a designer, part of me dissects and critiques the design of every store I enter. I believe that a well-designed, branded experience is the key to successful retail – but there are other factors at play. I recently visited Floorplay Socks, a wonderful little store that opened on Queen St. West, Toronto last summer. Although it has a charming storefront and a quaint functional interior, there’s really nothing to it design-wise. It won’t be winning any design awards[…]
Customer Experience: The web, evolution & where we are now
As the 25th anniversary of the web passed last week, I considered how the retail world had morphed since 1989. Aside from the obvious birth of e-commerce and the eventual dawn of omnichannel retailing, what fundamental change did the web incite in retail? With the ability to source information (& products) from virtually anywhere in the world, the consumer became more knowledgeable, sophisticated and in-touch. Their expectations were raised to a new level and retailers needed to respond. For retailers, what emerged was an era focused on customer experience. In their book, The Experience Economy – Work is Theatre & Every[…]
Customer Experience that hits the mark!
For months I had walked past the construction site of the Nespresso Boutique Bar in in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. Having admired the minimal designs of their coffee machines I was curious. Yet, I was skeptical. The size and location of the space seemed over the top – even for an “experience” store. Really, it’s just coffee isn’t it? But, I was won over. I entered the space in a customer mind-set, to fully immerse myself in the experience – from the double volume café in the front where I was greeted by the hostess, to the retail space[…]
Can a storefront make or break the brand experience?
There was a time when a retailer’s storefront created the important first impression. Essential in attracting attention, it allowed the experience to begin outside, setting up the customer’s expectations of what was yet to come. With e-commerce and social media channels becoming powerful initial brand touch points, the storefront’s role has evolved. It may not be the first impression, but it remains an important expression of a brand. Abercrombie & Fitch use their storefronts to full effect, bending traditional rules of retail, concealing sightlines in to their space. The target demographic is not dissuaded by the uninviting statement while others[…]
Retail is alive and well
Retail is a living breathing thing that is constantly reinventing itself, morphing to meet the needs of an increasingly savvy consumer; a consumer that has now become a collaborator rather than a mere customer. From Harry Selfridge in the early days of the 20th century who transformed shopping from a menial chore into an engaging social activity, open to all classes, to Steve Jobs who has redefined the customer experience, creating a tribe of Apple brand advocates, retail is in a constant state of change. At its heart, successful retail, through all of the changes, has always been about emotionally[…]