Masterpiece Theatre – Retail Edition

This is the fourth in a series of exploratory posts by some of CallisonRTKL’s resident design experts on how design impacts the guest experience—from hotels to workplaces, retail stores, hospitals and everywhere in between—and the common elements and strategies we leverage to create spaces that are people-centric, experiential and memorable.

As retail designers, there’s nothing we love more than putting a smile on a shopper’s face or seeing the dwell time stats tick up exponentially as people take time to explore the environment we’ve worked diligently with the brand to create. And nothing is more impactful than creating those unexpected moments—the ones that delight and surprise us, that make us excited to try a product or engage with a particular brand experience.

Expect the unexpected: it’s far from a new adage, but it continues to be employed in innovative and delightful ways that are hugely impactful for the guest experience, as well as the retailer’s bottom line. And while we’re just slightly biased toward the inspiring examples that can be found in a retail store, it isn’t limited to retail; in fact, we create some of our most intriguing work when we blend the best of disparate design disciplines.

In a nutshell, it’s about injecting the theatrics back into design—not in a way that’s over-the-top for shock value’s sake, but in a manner that is true to the brand ethos, deepens the level of engagement and helps to ensure return visits.

THE STAGE

In our combined years of experience in retail design and display, one thing has held true: a successful design creates a strong visual story and captures a moment in time. In that sense, it’s not all that different from a scene in your stage play or feature film, and store displays and layouts are not unlike mini-stage sets. The goal is to stop the shopper in her tracks, or at least slow her down, inviting her to engage in the storyline in front of her. It stimulates the senses and stirs the emotions. After all, this is the one key advantage bricks and mortar has over its online counterpart: the sights, the sounds, and the ability to touch and get a taste of the product.

THE SCRIPT

While visuals set the stage, it’s the dialogue that really tells the story. Traditionally, it’s been a one-way exchange between the retailer and the consumer, and the product was the only thing in the spotlight. But in today’s dynamic, rapidly evolving retail landscape, the script is getting flipped: the consumer is an elevated part of the equation, and the actual product being sold is only a small part of the big picture. From employing advanced technology that helps streamline the shopping experience, embracing the power of social media and enlisting passionate brand ambassadors to interact with customers on a more meaningful level, everyone gets an equal opportunity to be part of the conversation.

THE PRODUCTION

Many of the rules of retail we have taken for granted for years are now obsolete. Merchandise adjacencies, square footage allocations, and the physical size and layout of a store are all up for reinterpretation. We’re demanding a lot from the built environment, and the top requests on the rider are aimed at education and customization, which requires flexible spaces that are first and foremost experiential zones. Whether that means blending food and beverage, art and music with pop-up shops and local retailers, it helps if the main offering is personalized and participatory. Think of it as immersive theater, where the audience is a part of the action.

It’s no secret that times have been tough for brick and mortar retailers, but it’s also one of the most exciting times for a retail resurgence. Here at CallisonRTKL, we’re dreaming big—nothing is impossible, and it’s all hands on deck when it comes to creating the next masterpiece for our clients.