You may not have heard of Katelijn Quartier but chances are that you’ve experienced her influence in some way simply by visiting the high street. Quartier is a professor, author, and one of the world’s leading experts on retail design. She has written extensively on the topic of store aesthetics, as well as detailing its history, and, recently, stated that retail design has now entered its third wave.
The first wave of retail design, or Retail 1.0, was beholden to the manufacturer and sought little other influence. This was followed by a second wave, in which the retailer itself took charge of design, often seeking and implementing the expertise of interior designers and retail focused architects. Now, however, the high street has entered a third wave of retail design that is influenced by the customer.
Unravelling this conception may seem tricky but it can be summarised as such. Retail 3.0 is about placing greater emphasis upon the connection between a product, service, or brand and their customer, an idea that can manifest itself in a number of ways. Primarily, however, it appears as interactivity or, as we have discussed before, experiential shopping. Retail stores are moving away from simply being spaces with products placed neatly on shop shelving and are, instead, becoming agile, modular, photogenic environments.
For stores that might still identify with the description of being ‘spaces with products’, it is certainly worth reconsidering reevaluating your design intentions as a number of stores across the UK are beginning to transition and transform into more versatile, exciting retail experiences.
It is important to note that this shift in design is not entirely due to demand from customers. In fact, a number of influences, including technological developments and residual lockdown circumstances, have prompted an even hastier retail redesign. Technology, for example, has brought about greater efficiency in online shopping, making it more difficult for entirely offline retailers to compete with online vendors. This is why forward-thinking retailers have sought to balance their digital and physical operations.
A brick and mortar shop that incorporates eCommerce into its operation benefits in numerous ways, though largely from the reduced need for stock. Since customers can be encouraged to make purchases online, whether at home or using in-store portals, space can be saved by reducing the number of products available inside the retailer’s shop. This extra space can then be dedicated to branding, displays, or experiences, such as cafes.
Beauty stores, for example, are moving away from clinical shop shelves with slatwall panels stocked full of various products. Now, they are filling their stores with plants, offering massages, and styling their decor as if they were a spa. This leads to customers seeking the experience of shopping with them, promoting the brand’s association with health and wellbeing, which encourages loyalty in new and old customers alike.
There’s still a long way to go as retail moves away from the entirely transactional design but it is certainly heading in that direction. As customers across the UK continue to demonstrate an eagerness to return to their high street following months of isolation and lockdown, it seems that it may happen sooner than many retailers think.
