retail is my life!

this is how it all started…

As a retail designer and retail enthusiast, I have lived and breathed retail for over 30 years. Not only have I spent my career working with clients to bring their brands to life and customers into their spaces, but I’ve also spent much of my personal time seeking out the new, thought-provoking, compelling and inspiring in the world of retail.

For me, it started as a child. I was simply fascinated by retail – the product, the space, the experience, the joy, the wonder — so much so, that I yearned to live somewhere where shops, cafes and restaurants were abundant. And as an adult, as I moved to Toronto, studied design and started my career in retail design, that feeling continued. 

Even as a designer, it was never just about how a space appears and functions, but rather how the experience feels: what my visceral reaction was and what response I could evoke. At times, it was easy to lose sight of that.

Now, as I reflect on my long career and love affair with retail, I’m reacquainting myself with what touches me, what connects with me, and what draws me to certain shops, spaces or experiences. 

Not long ago, I was reminded by a younger design colleague, that spaces can have souls. And in a world of social media and AI, where it is increasingly more difficult to discern what’s real and what’s not real, soul matters more than ever. 

It is these experiences that really speak to me: retail experiences that are born out of chasing the next trend, the next whatever have their place, but there is something utterly compelling about an experience that makes you feel.

In the past, I have shared observations, insights and my perspective, both in this space and on Instagram, sometimes critiquing and sometimes celebrating retail experiences. 

Now, I’m pivoting to sharing not only how I see retail — but also how I feel retail!