retail focus june 2015

Experts in Christmas design

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Global Manufacturing and LogisticsCNL bespoke designed Mannequins and FormsChristmas Factory Decorado off the shelf decor and props

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8 Diary

13-15 News

17-18 WindowshoppingInspiring window displays from around the globe.

20 TopofthePOPS

23 KarlMcKeeverKarl reflects on the power of windows after a recent trip to San Francisco.

www.retail-focus.co.uk

25-32 ProjectFocusMulberry: Lush: TOMS

47 OpinionDavid Wright, group marketing director of Dalziel and Pow, says the time is ripe for beauty brands to reassess what they are offering male shoppers.

48-56 ProductsProducts and services for the retail industry.

66 Q&AMatt Crew, senior creative manager at Topshop, chats about his career, favourite windows and his passion for design and VM.

10 ClerkenwellDesignWeek

44Departmentstores

Features35Travelretail

ChelseainBloom 58 Focuson:Fixtures&fittings40

TOMS has opened a new UK flagship in Foubert’s Place, Carnaby, offering a unique hybrid of retail and community space.

Solepurpose31-32

15thAnnuAl

8 - 9 September 2015Business Design Centre, London

THe beST speAKeR LIne-UP In 15 YeARs

www.terrapinn.com/customer-rf

(1713) Europe's Customer Festival 2015 AD 216-303.indd 1 5/27/15 4:11 PM

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EditorLyndsey Dennis

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Retail Focus is published 12 times a year by

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address all enquiries to the editor at the above address. The

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©Retail Focus Promotions Ltd 2013.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show last month was a great inspiration for retailers and their displays. Harrods took this one step further, creating a stand at this year’s show. The Knightsbridge giant collaborated with award-winning garden designer Sheena Seeks to produce The Harrods Fragrance Garden, a celebration of perfume through the medium of flowers. Taking the art of perfume making as its theme, the concept garden reflected the cross-fertilisation of nature and science, as well as traditional floral perfumes. Chelsea in Bloom gave retailers the chance to think outside the box and jazz up their store fronts with the theme of fairy tales. Retailers in Kings Road, Sloane Street and Duke of York Square joined together in celebration of all things floral. We review some of their creative concepts on pages 40-41. Exciting times are ahead for travel retail, with a multitude of rail and airport developments taking place to meet the growing needs and numbers of passengers. John Lewis has a great concept at St Pancras, aimed at the commuting convenience market. Products ordered online from home before 8pm are delivered to the store the next day and can be collected after 2pm on a person’s way home from work. On pages 35-37 we look at how this growing retail sector is evolving. The department store is another area of continual evolvement. More than just a store with many brands under one roof, they offer experiential retail, places to dine, pop-ups, events and even a place to learn such as the Liberty Sewing School. As Gregor Jackson, partner at gpstudio, says: ‘Playing safe, or simply a shell to house brands, will not be enough, and the future department store needs to wave the creative and entrepreneurial flag.’ Turn to pages 44-45 to find out more about department stores.

Lyndsey DennisEditor

June ‘15

instagram.com/retailfocus

8

diary

Europe’s Customer Festival Business Design Centre, Islington, London8-9 September 2015

Europe’s Customer Festival looks at

the customer’s journey point of view,

understanding the whole journey from start

to finish. The event will see more than 70

expert speakers take to the stage, from

organisations including Yahoo!, Direct

Line, Nissan, Deutsche Telecom, Lego,

Swarovski and Mercedes-Benz. Visitors can

get involved in focus sessions, round tables

and interactive workshops, and choose

from six different conference streams:

Loyalty, Big Data, Omni-Channel, Total

Payments, Engagement and Experience.

customerss

www.terrapinn.com/conference/customer-festival/

100% DesignOlympia London23-26 September 2015

100% Design is the largest and longest

running contemporary design event

for industry professionals in the UK. For

2015 the show will move to a new venue,

Olympia London. The show is defined

by four key industry sections: Interiors,

Workplace, Kitchens & Bathrooms and

Design & Build.

designlondon

www.100percentdesign.co.uk

London Design FestivalLondon, Citywide19-27 September 2015

First staged in 2003, the London Design

Festival is one of the world’s most

important annual design events. The

festival programme is made up of more

than 350 events and exhibitions staged

by hundreds of partner organisations

across the design spectrum and from

around the world.

@L_D_F

www.londondesignfestival.com

POPAI AwardsLancaster London Hotel, London3 September 2015

The POPAI Awards return this September

at the glamorous setting of the Lancaster

London Hotel. Judging takes place in

June, and nominations will be announced

on 1 July at a new POPAI Awards

Nominations Showcase event at 30 Euston

Square, London.

popaiuki

www.popai.co.uk

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Design Freedom through Emulation

10

CDW 2015: A SOURCE OF INSPIRATIONHighlights from the sixth edition of Clerkenwell Design Week.

Clerkenwell — the perfect location for a design festival. The area is

home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile

than anywhere else, making it one of the most important design

hubs in the world.

It’s no surprise that this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week

attracted record numbers of visitors on its opening day last month.

Now in its sixth year, the event brought together a huge showcase

of leading UK and international brands in a series of showroom

events, pop-up exhibitions and special installations across this

design pocket of London.

This year’s event celebrated the transformation of London’s

public spaces in a city that is rapidly densifying. As part of CDW

Presents, a number of street installations were situated across

Clerkenwell to explore this theme; from GRUPPE’s temporary

structures inspired by an ancient Roman city and children’s

building blocks (in partnership with EQUITONE), to a jewel-like,

multi-coloured glass pavilion by London-based architects Cousins

& Cousins (with Gx Glass) and Monotype’s vinyl graffiti depicting a

panoramic 19th Century view of London on an old prison’s wall.

Four focused exhibitions — Design Factory, Platform, Detail

and Additions — showcased the latest innovations from a diverse

mix of companies, alongside leading showroom partners in the

neighbourhood. The ever-popular talk series, Conversations at

Clerkenwell, was held on the top floor of Design Factory boasting

a star-studded line-up of speakers from the architecture and

design world.

Johnson Tiles unveiled a spectacular reflective 3D wall of

colour entitled Verve, transforming the entrance to the Design

Factory. With mirrors cleverly placed behind rows of tiles emerging

from the wall, it produced an array of reflections, evolving shades

and playful visual effects, interacting with passers-by and the

Clerkenwell Design Week

From top:Johnson Tiles’ 3D wall;

Lintex at Design Factory;

Icon’s House of Culture;

Renault, sponsor of

Clerkenwell Design Week

Far left:Glaze by Cousins & Cousins

in collaboration with Gx Glass

surrounding buildings.

A celebration of manufacturing and design, Clerkenwell

Design Week is a worthy date to put in the diary for some

creative inspiration and to keep an eye on the latest trends. We

look forward to seeing what next year’s event has in-store, and

recommend plenty of time to make your way around.

©Sophie Mutevelian

©Sophie Mutevelian

©Sophie Mutevelian

©Sophie Mutevelian

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FINISHES OF THE FUTURE.

13

In celebration of the RHS Chelsea Flower

Show last month, Harrods came up with

its Pop-Up Flowers campaign. Part of this

was a collaboration with award-winning

garden designer Sheena Seeks to produce

The Harrods Fragrance Garden for the

show, a celebration of perfume through the

medium of flowers.

Taking the art of perfume making as its

theme, the concept garden reflected the

cross-fertilisation of nature and science, as

well as traditional floral perfumes. Inspired

by the 19th Century artisan tradition of

enfleurage, a technique whereby the scent

news

Harrods creates stand for RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Zara has opened a new flagship at the

east end of London’s Oxford Street, taking

the number of Zara stores in the UK to 67,

five of which are on Oxford Street itself.

Designed by Elsa Urquijo Architects,

the 4,500 sq m site is spread over four

floors and includes all of the brand’s

clothing collections — women, men and

kids. This site is one of the largest Zara

stores in the UK, known as the brand’s

Soho flagship. On the outside, the new

flagship stands tall with a glass and steel

frontage, allowing lots of natural daylight

to flood into the store.

Extensive regeneration is currently

taking place at the east end of Oxford

Street in preparation for Crossrail. Zara has

joined the likes of Primark, Accessorize

and Office.

The design of the store aims to

incorporate Zara’s global store concept,

which combines beauty, clarity,

functionality and sustainability within

a dynamic urban space. The store is

designed to reflect the younger, more

dynamic area around Tottenham Court

Road, using a mix of modern industrial

touches such as brushed concrete and

exposed ceilings. Space between the

of flowers is captured in wax, on one side

of the garden flowers appeared enclosed

in oversized laboratory beakers and test

tubes, whilst on the adjacent side they

reappeared, transformed into giant paper

blooms. Incorporating digital innovation,

the garden also featured augmented

reality images on giant screens dividing

the garden, which leapt into life when

viewed through a phone or tablet.

As part of its advertising campaign,

Harrods created a scent-emitting bus

stop at Hyde Park Corner. During May, the

bus stop emitted floral scents to emulate

Pop-Up Flowers and encourage visitors to

experience the full in-store campaign.

rails reveals the building’s glass exterior

to connect the store with the movement of

the street outside. Lighting and a neutral

backdrop help the garments to take centre

stage. The new store also boosts a number

of energy saving credentials. This Oxford

Street site is fully sustainable, with 30 per

cent less energy consumption than a

conventional store.

Zara opens fifth store on Oxford Street

14

news

14

In brief...

At its AGM on 13 May, the Shop and Display

Equipment Association (SDEA) elected

Alan Pegram, managing director of Global

Display, as president and Bob Garton of

Glencourt Associates as vice president.

Trinity Leeds has been award the 2015

Best of the Best VIVA Design Award at

ICSC’s annual RECon Conference in Las

Vegas. The Land Securities shopping

centre, which opened in March 2013, was

recognised for its outstanding architecture,

as it continues to set the benchmark for

market leading, modern centres, both in

the UK and abroad.

A new concept store named Costa to

Go is being trialled by the coffee shop

in locations across London. The express

format is currently being tested in selected

transport hubs across the capital. There

are currently two stores formats, one in

Holborn and the other in Moorgate.

BFP Executive Recruitment is celebrating

25 years of finding talent for retail design

and marketing. The company started life

in 1990 when Brian Ford Powell established

the business in Leicester in 1990. Where

BFP began as a recruiter solely to the POS

and POP sector locally, the firm, under

new leadership since 2012, now works as

a trusted advisor to an international client

base of designers, suppliers, retailers

and brands.

14

Marks & Spencer has unveiled a

new flagship store on Avenue de

la Toison d’Or in Brussels, Belgium.

The 5,000 sq m store encapsulates

the very best the retailer has to offer

across three floors.

Designed to inspire and delight

customers with its new premium

boutique shopping experience,

M&S Toison d’Or will showcase more

than 2,500 quality styles across

womenswear, menswear, lingerie

and kidswear, as well as over 840

homeware products. The store will

also offer more than 3,000 lines of

M&S food and wines, as well as its

first ever in-store bakery and M&S

Café in Belgium.

Marks & Spencer unveils new Brussels flagship

Starbucks introduces its first express format store in New York

Starbucks has opened its first express

format store at 14 Wall Street, New York.

Most Starbucks stores are designed in

layers, integrating community gathering

spaces, working environments and

immersive coffee experiences, all in

one location. This new express format

store will be one of the most streamlined

experiences in the company’s portfolio.

At a compact 49 sq m, this pilot project

is tailored for customers on the go who

want high-quality Starbucks products in a

beautiful environment, coupled with the

efficiency that comes with knowing what

they want, quickly. Simply put, this format

is the ‘espresso shot’ version of the store

experience Starbucks is known for.

Moving through the space, to the

right of the entry, customers see a digital

menu board displayed on four low glare

monitors. A set of menu options, which

have been tailored for New York customers,

rotates on the screens. This display

also serves as a form of art at night with

glowing images of coffee farms shining

through the front window.

‘It was a small space so it was

important that we keep it as open as

possible,’ explains Starbucks’ senior

architectural designer John Park. ‘The bar

is low and the kitchen framed wide, like a

show kitchen, so our partners are able to

interact with customers from every point in

the space.

‘We carefully considered every

component from a design and

environmental perspective. Not only have

we created something beautiful but we

have built it to our green building LEED

standards,’ says Park.

Prada’s global expansion programme

continues, with several new stores opening

worldwide this year.

It’s new 250 sq m store in Alter Markt

(Old Market Square) in Salzburg was

curated by architect Roberto Baciocchi

and is sympathetic to preserve the image

of the 14th century Steindl building. Prada

collaborated with the Austrian Department

of Fine Arts and the City of Salzburg to

preserve the soul of this historic site,

aligning the brand’s image with the histroy

of the Steindl Haus, the elegant fashion

boutique and local landmark.

Innovation, heritage and Prada’s

historic reference elements are perfectly

balanced. The chequerboard floor

in black and white marble of the first

Prada store, opened in 1913 in Galleria

Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, as well

as the precious chandeliers, stucco

work, mouldings and detailing. Also, the

leather goods, steel display cases, with

glass shelves and backdrops in studded

parchment, are perfectly integrated into

the context, reinforcing the magnificence

of the store. The countertops in polished

steel and chairs in wood and leather

complete and embellish the atmosphere of

the ground floor.

Expansion plans for Prada

Do we understand good retail design in the UK?

AH: People are more design savvy than ever before. TV’s countless property programmes have helped us appreciate the power of great design and what we are capable of creatively.JM: Now the public is more discerning, the retailer has had to lift their game, which they undoubtedly have. Innovation in technology, materials and lighting are all coming together to give us a rich diversity of retail environments.

What are the top design trends right now?

AH: For me it’s about generating activity in-store. The cross selling of services that can’t be purchased online e.g. hairdressers/nailbars/cafes, etc. in stores such as Topshop and Benefit boutiques. The customer must visit the physical store to access these services and will then make additional purchases.JM: For me there are three important areas:

Narrate — consumers want to buy into products that mean something to them. You have to show the customer where products are from and how they were made.

Curate — less is more. More devalues the quality of purchase experience. You can’t bombard the customer. They have to trust ‘your’ selection.

Celebrate — retail as an event. Fashion shows, DJs, product launches. They all add excitement. It’s what the customer wants. When they’re excited they’ll say; ‘I want that! I am that! I want to be that ...to make it all better!’

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on recently?

AH: Avon was a fantastic opportunity for us to flex our creative muscles. This was the first time the brand had explored physical retail and it trusted us with translating its brand ethos into a store environment. JM: The result was a true showcase. We created an aspirational experience that challenged preconceptions, whilst preserving the values of openness, friendliness and homeliness that made the brand great.

How has technology impacted retail?

AH: It’s both a blessing and a curse. Technology has the potential to greatly improve the retail experience. But, if you’re not careful, it can ruin it. Apple does technology very well. It’s an invisible part of the experience. It never jars.JM: This is in stark contrast to the self-service tills in supermarkets, which create complexity and in many cases frustration for the customer.

What does the future hold for retail design?

AH: Forward momentum. We are in a good place but have to be careful not to slip into blandness. Over diversification, having everything under one roof, like you do with Tesco, and Walmart has the potential to suck the life out of environmental design.JM: Focusing on a niche is much better. Brands that can tell the story of where their product has come from and how it’s been made will build a following.

sponsored column

T. 020 7833 4032

www.umbrelladesign.co.uk

1515

news

What makes UK retail design great

Last month, EHI and Messe Düsseldorf awarded the EuroShop

RetailDesign Awards to the stores with the best design concepts.

For the first time, the ceremony was held during the EuroShop

subsidiary, C-Star, which celebrated its debut in Shanghai.

This year, 79 projects from 23 countries were submitted — a new

participation record for the awards scheme. Once again, the crucial

winning criterion was a holistic store concept with a clear message

about the product range. The international jury selected this year’s

winners from the 28 finalists.

To emerge as a winner from the competition, entrants

once again had to appeal to their customers with a successful

mix of store architecture, colour, materials, lighting and visual

merchandising, and convey a clear message about their product

range. The three winners were:

• Hershey’s Chocolate World, Las Vegas, USA — designed by JGA• Jablka Adama (Adam’s Apples), Poznań, Poland — designed by Modelina Architekci• Replay The Stage, Milan, Italy — designed by Roman and Williams Interior.

EuroShop RetailDesign Awards recognise the best store concepts

The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland has launched

a new retail format at Piccadilly Circus Underground. The

pop-up showcases a range of The Estée Lauder Companies’

brands through a rotational programme of retail, service

and experience.

Botanical hair and beauty brand Aveda kicked off the

year-long residency with its first ever pop-up. For three months

the brand will offer an express experience where commuters

and guests can fix their hair on-the-go as well as pick an edited

offering of the season’s must-have products.

‘As a consumer inspired company we wanted to create an

offering that would speak to our consumer’s needs for a retail

experience that fits around their busy lifestyles. With more than

41 million journeys made via Piccadilly Circus Underground

each year, by bringing The Estée Lauder Companies’ wide

offering of premium brands to Piccadilly Circus we are able

to extend our high-touch service to reach consumers in a new

and unexpected format,’ says Jo Dancey, executive director of

Retail Operations and Property Services for The Estée Lauder

Companies UK & Ireland. A selection of pop-ups from the

company’s other brands will follow.

The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland launches new retail format at Piccadilly Circus

In the first of a three-part series, we talk to Umbrella’s senior designers, Adam Hewitt and John McCarthy, to find out what they feel makes UK retail design great and the ideas that are inspiring them.

harlequin-design.com

twitter.com/HarlequinLondonfacebook.com/harlequindesignlondon

+44(0)20 7253 6238

Harlequin Design (London) Ltd.4th Floor 26/27 Great Sutton Street,London EC1V 0DS

Retail concepts.Window designs.Instore environments.Prototyping.Prop sourcing.Global production.Logistics.Distribution.Installation.

C

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Harlequin Ad A5.pdf 9/6/15 12:59:18

Window

17

visual merchandising

shoppingInspiring window displays from around the globe

Harvey NicholsHarvey Nichols has made a real spectacle of its circus-themed

windows, as Janet Wardley, head of visual display, explains: ‘Daredevil

mannequins, stylishly dressed in the likes of Christopher Kane, Phillip

Lim and Jimmy Choo fearlessly trapeze, tightrope walk and interact

with each other in a clever three-dimensional display, which gives the

windows depth to evoke the feeling that you are an audience looking in.

The scheme uses rich colour combinations with bold patterns and hints

of metallic as a continual thread across all of our windows, and calls

on elements such as fire and water to create a stylish extravaganza

inspired by the circus.’

Banana Republic In collaboration with Harlequin Design, Banana

Republic has launched a new green campaign,

recycling bottles and cardboard for use in its window

displays. Think Outside The Bottle uses bottles that

have been thrown away each day. Banana Republic

is littering its windows instead of the planet and has

turned these bottles into art.

During Fortnum & Mason’s

Sensorium campaign, its Duke

Street windows were themed

around the relaunch of the

second floor, with perfume

bottles, beauty products and

luxury loungewear displayed in

abundance. One window showed

scarves framed like pieces of

art hanging on the walls. The

windows on the Piccadilly side

highlighted the deliciously

bonkers pairings that shouldn’t

but do work, chosen by the

retailer’s in-house buyers. Large

hands hold various pairings

taken from different parts of the

store, such as cheese and fine

fragrance or flowers and wine.

Fortnum & Mason

18

visual merchandising

DebenhamsPLANarama has helped produce

Debenhams’ 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 include 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.

Roy Roger’sIn Italy, Arte Vetrina Project has

created the Roy Roger’s spring/

summer window campaign at its

flagship stores in Milan, Florence,

Forte dei Marmi, Rome and

Naples. The mood created for the

windows comprises a mix of white

chrome, pictures on the wall, a

white wooden floor and carpets,

big cactus plants, sun glasses and

sneakers. This evokes a beach

environment and surfy scenario

such as the Hamptons during this

period of the year for a young

denim jeans collection.

See more window installations on the blog:

www.retail-focus.co.uk/blog

HarrodsIn celebration of its Pop-Up Flowers campaign,

Harrods was taken over by all things floral during

May. Millington Associates collaborated with the

retailer on its Pop-Up Flowers campaign, creating

giant sculted flowers over the two main entrances

on Brompton Road. Created by Tenn, Dior’s

window broke away from Jessica May Underwoods

illustration as it had a heritage of paper crafted

floral displays. Dior also has a Les parfums book

which looks back over the brand’s fragrance

history. Tenn designed and made a replica book

at one and a half times the scale of the original.

Charlotte Tilbury at FenwickPropability worked across both

in-store props and windows for

the launch of the Charlotte Tilbury

cosmetic counter at Fenwick. The

ultra-glamour Hollywood style window

scheme was dressed from floor to

ceiling in luxury velvet curtains and

featured 3D illuminated fairground

style lettering, super bright neon,

highly polished vintage spotlighting

and flashing vintage paparazzi

cameras to highlight a dressing table

any beauty queen would be proud to

feature as the centrepiece.

T: 01945 420 068 | E: [email protected] | @VMDISPLAYAWARDS | VMANDDISPLAY.COM

THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2015 AT THE BLOOMSBURY BIG TOP LONDON

TA B L E S & T I C K E T S

Recognising & celebrating the work of our innovative and talented industry, the 11th VM & Display Awards will this year be

held on the 19th November 2015 at the exclusive Bloomsbury Big Top in London.

It’s a great opportunity to attend an event at this very special location. But tables and tickets

sell out very quickly so please contact us as soon as possible.

E N T R Y S U B M I S S I O N S

Your chance to join the industry Hall of Fame. Projects are free to enter and can be submitted by retailers or suppliers.

All projects dated between 1st August 2014 and 1st August 2015 are eligible. The deadline for entries is 14th August 2015.

See the full list of categories and requirements on our website.

A N N O U N C I N G

POP

POPStopCompanyIPOS Design

ClientSkechers

LocationSchuh, Oxford Street, London

The briefTo create a premium and luxurious retail

window display to showcase the new,

comfortable and light Skechers Kelly Brook

Memory Foam collection.

The resultFollowing up on the theme from Skechers’

recent Kelly Brook TV campaign, IPOS

Design was tasked with creating a replica

of the giant white bed, complete with

duvet, branded memory foam pillows and

the illusion of a number of smaller floating

pillows to illustrate how light and comfy

the new shoes are. The bed headboard

included an LCD TV showing the Kelly

Brook Skechers Memory Foam commercial

alongside a promotional video by Skechers

US Ambassador Demi Lovato. The store

side of the bed included shelving units

to showcase the latest collection. The

Skechers UK Marketing Manager says: ‘The

Skechers Memory Foam display for Schuh is

another great example of how IPOS Design

bring our amazing marketing campaigns to

life in-store.’

www.ipos-design.co.uk

20

of the

WE ARE IPOSA retail design and brand communications agency.

We create exceptional marketing campaigns across every aspect of retail point of sale throughout UK, Ireland and Europe.

Come and see what we do at ipos-design.co.uk

iposdesign

IPOS: Unit 2d, Heapriding Mill, Ford Street, Stockport SK3 0BTLondon: IPOS, 63 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DJ

[email protected] | 0161 477 8501 | ipos-design.co.uk

Call: 0845 680 7405 to advertise

22

The new SDE A Retail Display Directory

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Q & A

23

Windows of opportunity?

Outside of Christmas and the Olympics, it’s not often that I get to

discuss windows these days, and so I was pleased to notice some

window innovation when working with clients in San Francisco

last month.

The first, H&M, is running a major recruitment drive for store

management, visual and sales associates in its San Francisco

flagship store and other branches locally. Small scale, apologetic

window displays these aren’t; they’re full-on recruitment campaigns

created in a truly brand appropriate way. The window struck you as

you walked by, using highly impactful black and white photography

with stylish images of the store team alongside emotive graphics

and wrapped up with the strapline ‘Power of Possible’. It delivers a

strong graphic campaign and it’s only when you stop and read the

message that you understand what is being communicated. Once

instore, H&M carries on the drive with a recruitment desk within the

entrance lobby, where people can apply for a role there and then.

Certainly for recruiting VM people, the shop window could be

the ideal mechanism. Using the power of windows to attract the

right and like-minded people to join the business should in theory

be a success — a self-fulfilling prophecy that gives retailers a better

chance of delivering great VM going forwards. For this reason, for

me, H&M’s windows are delivering powerful key messages about

the business, making it more likely for it to find the right people with

the right skills to contribute the most effective future performance.

It’s often said that window displays can be a 24/7 advertising

billboard, and in San Francisco this could become the new thing.

Today, we are often told to focus on online advertising, but for me

the billboard has to be here to stay — yes, it’s now probably digital

and interactive with consumers in some cases, but the impact

of a 48 sheet can’t be ignored as you simply often can’t miss it.

Even more so on the high street or in a mall, where the people are

largely only there to look into shop windows.

In a way this is a kind of conservative guerilla marketing

campaign, as people expect to see clothes and goods in a shop

window not a recruitment campaign from a retailer. But this is

exactly why it should work, as there is interest in the curiosity

factor. It’s not what people expect to see, with the only examples

Karlof windows, which don’t feature products, being those blocked

out with POS for sale campaigns. These are not quite as obscure

an advertising method as benches painted as Kit Kats, the

Copenhagen Zoo snake bus advert, or the McDonalds fries on a

pedestrian crossing, but they will be noticed.

Banana Republic is also using its windows in a bold new way,

only this time the theme is a serious attempt to show environmental

credentials and increase public awareness of important issues.

The message here is designed to urge us all to help save the

planet. One window is awash with recycled water bottles reminding

us to recycle, whilst another uses recycled cardboard for props

instead of fancy, expensive displays. In another store, some of the

windows had actually been blanked out and the lights turned off,

with the strap line Lights Out, followed with an explanation..

The cynic in me would argue that Banana Republic’s

environmental message is simply about attracting consumers,

as opposed to a wholesale change in its thinking about the

environment. I say this as there was little to suggest a drive towards

sustainability or reducing its environmental footprint in-store. This

campaign is the product of the new creative director who has

recently joined the brand. It has taken her some time to find her

feet, but now she is seemingly loosening up the previous corporate

approach, and this experiment into the world of recycling may

or may not resonate with Banana Republic’s core consumers.

Certainly in California with a more receptive audience, there is a

chance that this may work, but will this be the case for the ‘harder

edged’ metro areas or urban cities?

It’s always been fairly common for big brand retailers to utilise

their windows for campaigning stances, or to advertise particular

messages. Many of you will remember The Body Shop in the 1990s,

which was renowned for this kind of ‘conscious raising’ marketing.

The difference here for me is the fact that, unlike some British

brands which have done this with a very selective or secondary

message, these international brands’ windows are 100 per cent

given to promoting the internal needs or causes aligned with their

brands, at the expense of promoting any goods or services.

I like this, it’s an interesting experiment, especially within such

corporate and normally ‘on message’ brands. Only time will tell if it

catches on and becomes a trend on a wider scale. As anyone who

has been in the industry long enough should recognise, the most

successful retailers, like Apple, win out because of their ability to

recruit not just people but genuine brand advocates with a passion

and commitment to the name. As a result, harnessing the power of

store windows as a medium for recruiting tomorrow’s VM and

in-store champions surely makes sense?

If the purpose of window displays is to stop you in the street and

attract your attention. then both H&M and Banana Republic have

achieved their primary objectives. But like everything else in retail,

the ultimate success of window campaigns will be judged on their

sales performance — be that through the ringing of tills today, or

acting as catalysts that enable retailers to keep the message fresh

and ring the changes in their brand promotion in future.

column

McKeever

Karl McKeever is creative director of visual merchandising and brand delivery consultancy Visual Thinking.

Email Karl at [email protected]

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25

project focus

Design: Universal Design StudioOpening date: April 2015Size: 297 sq m

MULBERRYRue Saint-Honoré, Paris

Mulberry has changed locations on luxury

shopping street Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris,

now taking up residency at number 275.

Unlike most Mulberry stores, the new

Paris store was organised as a series

of three boutiques; the first showcasing

accessories, the second focusing on

bespoke service and the third housing

ready-to-wear and dressing rooms. These

areas have been defined by a multi-tonal

herringbone stone floor.

The brief given to Universal Design

Studio was to create a destination concept

store for Mulberry in the capital of fashion

from which to showcase all product

categories including accessories, ready-to-

wear, shoes and jewellery. ‘The interior was

to emphasise the personality of the brand

and represents the best of British craft and

design,’ explains Hannah Carter Owers,

director at Universal Design Studio.

The interior has been designed to

create a calm atmosphere through a

combination of pale oaks, marble, luxurious

leathers and limestone flooring. Lighting

plays an important role in setting the look.

The lighting changes the ambient mood

over the course of the day and evening

through the use of clever uplighters that

respond to the light outside.

‘Responding to the brand’s core values,

our concept and choice of materials is

inspired by Mulberry’s heritage and roots

in the Somerset landscape where it has

been manufacturing premium luxury leather

goods for more than 40 years,’ says Carter

Owers. ‘The concept palette is largely

built around limestone in varying tones

and textures available from Somerset,

untreated oaks and natural leathers with

accents of brass to warm the palette and

reference the products’ hardware. In the

Paris store we introduced a broader mix

of more colourful marbles, textured with a

leather effect, and at the rear of the store

the dressing room area is carpeted in green

referencing Mulberry’s fascination with the

British countryside. The palette creates

a warm, neutral and textured framework

within which to showcase the often brightly

26

project focus

coloured product.’

The design studio commissioned a

number of British specialist designers

to bring certain elements to the interior.

London-based textile artist Genevieve

Bennett has created a bespoke leatherwork

tile design called Tudor Rose that is used

for wall panels, inspired by a Medieval

floral motif carved into ornate stonework in

Somerset’s Wells Cathedral. Award-winning

designer Lee Broom created a feature

chandelier for the new store.

Personalisation is currently key to luxury

and Universal Design Studio created an

area for Mulberry’s new Paris store to offer

a bespoke monogramming service for

leather goods. At the heart of the store is

a circular stone and glass personalisation

bar, which will be a focus for customers to

see examples of personalisation as well as

French and British icons that are exclusively

available at the Paris store.

The Ready-to-Wear Room is located at

the rear of the store and offers customers a

more luxurious dressing room environment

to browse items. The sage green carpet,

soft fluted walls, upholstered furniture and

chandeliers come together to create an

atmospheric contrast to the open, external

feel of the accessories areas.

The store’s first window installation was

created by British floral artist Rebecca

Louise Law and featured a huge array

of 12,000 delicately pressed delphiniums

suspended on copper wire.

‘The opening of our new Paris store is

a major milestone for Mulberry. We look

forward to bringing the spirit of British luxury

and our traditional craftsmanship to new

customers in the city. The arrival of Johnny

Coca as our creative director in July will

mark the start of an exciting new era for

the Mulberry brand,’ says Thierry Andretta,

CEO of Mulberry.

The new store joins Mulberry’s portfolio

of international stores that includes New

Bond Street in London, Madison Avenue in

New York and Harbour City in Hong Kong.

The brand has recently opened stores in

Hamburg, Frankfurt, Las Vegas and Dallas,

and has 122 stores worldwide.

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LUSH

project focus

Design: In-house and Design TimeOpening date: April 2015Size: 882 sq m

Oxford Street, London

29

project focus

In it’s 20th year of business, Lush has chosen 175 Oxford Street as

the site for its new flagship, its largest shop in the world. The new

store is the ultimate brand experience. Spread over three floors, the

882 sq m store offers customers an experience like no other.

It’s home to more than 200 products, a Gorilla Perfume gallery,

regular events and classes, and the Lush Spa, a haven in the

chaos of London. The Lush Spa has four treatment rooms including

a double treatment room for those special pampering days. The

shop introduces new concepts for the first time, including a Hair

Lab where customers can try products before they purchase, large

fountain sinks for experiencing products, and a dedicated events

space that will be brought to life with an array of regular expert

talks, workshops and activities.

‘The brief was to bring the complete Lush experience and

theatre to one of the busiest high streets in Europe,’ explains Katie

Tabram, store design at Lush.

The store fit-out boosts a number of environmental credentials.

Lush Oxford Street is being assessed using the Ska Rating tool for

sustainble fit-outs, which is operated by the RICS. The choice of

materials used were inspired by the sustainable ethos of the brand

and to create a platform to showcase the product without being

over powering.

All wood used in the construction is FSC certified. Reclaimed

wood and vintage buys have been used in much of the furniture

and any that isn’t reclaimed is also FSC certified. An LED lighting

scheme, Fermacell wall linings and Zero VOC Eco lable print are

used throughout the scheme. Energy efficiency is maintained by

the use of lighting timers and sensors, stock lighting and trading

lighting levels installed throughout. An energy efficient HVAC system

has been used in the store, including pipework insulation and

ceiling and wall void insulation. There are acoustic installations

throughout the spa. The wall and floor tiles are made with 50 per

cent recycled content. A Site Waste Management Plan was carried

through both phases of the project with the current percentage of

recycled waste and materials diverted from landfill at 100 per cent.

So, what sets this store apart from other Lush stores? ‘Size being

the obvious one, with many large scaled demonstration areas to

get really involved and hands on with the product spread over

three floors,’ says Tabram. ‘Lush Oxford Street also has over 200+

new, exclusive products that will filter down to our existing stores

over time.’

31

project focus

Design: In-houseOpening date: May 2015Size: 148 sq m

Californian footwear brand TOMS has

launched its UK flagship at 5-7 Foubert’s

Place in London’s vibrant Carnaby. The new

store offers the full TOMS experience, selling

the largest collection of product available

in the UK and also includes a cafe selling

the retailer’s own brand of coffee, TOMS

Roasting Co.

‘We wanted a space that feels

like TOMS has come to life in London;

somewhere for locals to meet like-minded

people in the heart of the city,’ explains

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS.

TOMS London represents the brand’s

global One for One movement and

strives to host a deeper conversation with

supporters and community alike. ‘All TOMS

locations are meant to serve as Community

Outposts. It’s a unique hybrid of retail and

community space that welcomes locals

to work remotely, utilise complimentary

wireless internet, plug in laptops, connect

with like-minded individuals and dream up

big ideas together,’ says Mycoskie.

The flagship stocks a selection of men’s,

women’s and children’s products including

footwear, sun and for the first time in Europe

optical eyewear and the newest One for

One product, handbags.

The store is spread over two floors

TOMSFoubert’s Place, Carnaby

32

project focus

representing TOMS’ global, artistic aesthetic

with some subtle local touches. The front

entrance leads visitors directly to the cafe,

where its very own TOMS Roasting Co.

coffee is on offer at the full barista bar.

A secondary entrance opens directly onto

the retail section and can be accessed

through Kingly Street.

The first floor has been intentionally

designed to offer space for special TOMS

events, with a lounge area where customers

can learn more about the company’s giving

programs and interact with built-in iPads

that share in-depth giving stories.

‘The store’s design embraces a range

of influences. We tried to keep it timeless

and multicultural. We used a collaboration

of hand painting, reclaimed materials and

locally sourced furnishings. At TOMS, we

like playing with ethnic fabrics and colours

inspired from TOMS giving locations, mainly

from countries in South America like Peru,

Argentina, Guatemala,’ says Mycoskie.

TOMS London is the brand’s second

European flagship store. The first flagship

opened in spring 2014 in Amsterdam at

Runstraat 13. TOMS is opening a space at

Bicester Village on 1 July for 10 weeks, but no

other permanent sites are planned.

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35

travel retail

Exciting times are ahead for travel retail, with a multitude of rail and airport developments taking place to meet the growing needs and numbers of passengers.

TRAVEL RETAIL:

FLYING HIGH

We’ve all done it; got to the airport and realised we’ve forgotten

to pack our toothpaste or a particular item of clothing. We spend

time walking round the shops before our flight and end up buying

another pair of sunglasses, that perfume that’s on offer and an

extra pair of flip flops. Some of us even choose to pack light so we

can buy holiday outfits at the airport. It’s all part of the build up to

the holiday experience.

‘Travel retail is a very exciting growth industry within the retail

sector and many stores are using travel hubs to showcase new

ideas, using fresh technology to cross over retail and bricks and

mortar shopping channels to provide convenience to commuters as

they pass from home to work and back again,’ says Doug Barber,

managing director of Barber Design.

Following its first foray into travel retail at London Heathrow’s

Terminal 2, John Lewis opened its first click and commute store at St

Pancras in October. The 278 sq m store provides convenient service

for commuters, enabling them to shop online and collect their items

as they pass through the station. The store is its first ever to be

located in a railway station, aimed at the commuting convenience

market. Products ordered online from home before 8pm are

delivered to the store the next day and can be collected after 2pm.

The store is also a pull for tourists and international travellers going

on the Eurostar. Longer opening hours is another bonus.

‘Our customers show us that they want different ways to shop

that are most convenient for them. John Lewis St Pancras is our

latest shop format innovation to meet our customers’ evolving

needs serving the station’s travellers,’ explains Maggie Porteous,

director of selling at John Lewis.

New openings at St Pancras include Gant, Curious Pig and

Barzetti, with Cath Kidston and Thomas Pink having recently refitted

their stores. The station’s retail sales figures from April - May 2015

are up eight per cent on the same period last year. Speaking of

expansion, Wendy Spinks, commercial director of HS1, says: ‘St

Pancras Station has attracted some of the biggest names in retail,

including John Lewis, Fortnum and Mason and Hatchards, with

Gant our most recent store opening. We place great value on our

partnerships with retailers at the station and are constantly looking

at ways to both support our existing retailers and deliver new

consumer services to offer the best possible experience to station

users, many of whom are not even catching a train.’

Crossrail will deliver a high frequency, high capacity service to

40 stations, linking Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield

and Abbey Wood in the east. The retail offering at Crossrail Place

Canary Wharf station is now open. The seven-storey station has

been built in the North Dock of West India Quay with four of the six

station levels forming the new retail destination. Arup led the design

team for Crossrail Place, developing an engineering solution

that allows future changes to Crossrail Place to be undertaken

without any disruption to the operation of the station below. Arup

has worked closely with architects Adamson Associates, Foster +

Partners, and Tony Meadows Associates and the client, Canary

Wharf Contractors, since the firm was appointed eight years ago.

The four levels of retail, a roof garden, pavilions and station

entrances are unified by a complex timber roof, which wraps

around the building like a shell. The retail area covers 10,683 sq m

of space, the upper three floors of which opened in May 2015 and

include a mix of leisure operators such as Everyman Cinema, Sports

Bar & Grill and Poncho 8.

‘The roof garden is designed to evoke a ship laden with

unusual and exotic specimens from around the globe. The

architectural language of the roof responds to the design of the

garden — designed by landscape architects Gillespies — through

the timber lattice roof that wraps around the building like a

protective shell. The roof opens in the centre to draw in light and

rain for natural irrigation and opens along the sides and at either

end to allow views of the water and surrounding streets,’ explains

Ben Scott, partner at Foster + Partners. As a result, the roof garden

offers a comfortable environment for people to enjoy all year round,

as well as providing a gentle microclimate for some of the plant

species that first entered Britain through the docks.

‘The opening of Crossrail Place is a defining moment for

Canary Wharf. The area is constantly evolving, providing a diverse

range of options and addressing the increasing demand for social

and leisure facilities. With the arrival of Crossrail in 2018 and the

recent launch of Canary Wharf Residential, residents and visitors

to the area will be able to enjoy the estate as a place to live, work

and relax,’ continues Scott.

Stuart Fyfe, head of retail leasing at Canary Wharf, agrees:

‘Crossrail Place represents a key milestone in the ongoing evolution

of Canary Wharf into a truly mixed-use destination that will soon

be a place for people to live. It will boost the already high levels

of footfall at Canary Wharf; currently over 800,000 people come to

the area every week, including 55,000 on Saturdays and 45,000 on

Sundays. Furthermore, it will add diversity and a further 10,683 sq m

of leisure and retail outlets which will bring the total amount of retail

at the Canary Wharf estate to around 92,903 sq m.’

Render by Methanoia © Zaha Hadid ArchitectsAbove: The proposed design for Beijing Airport Terminal 1

36

travel retail

Network Rail recorded strong retail growth in the last quarter

of 2014. These results point towards the changing consumer buyer

behaviours within both the retail and food & beverage sectors.

Passengers and station users are increasingly seeking travel hub

convenience and spending time in stations as they continue to

become destinations in their own right. Samantha Turner, head of

retail at Network Rail, says: ‘The results show Network Rail is giving

passengers the brands and convenience they want at stations.

Around 214 million people passed through Britain’s biggest stations

between October and December 2014, almost 10 million more than

in 2013, and our figures show people are spending, with more than

one in three visiting a retail unit — that’s over 72 million.’

At Euston, new food and beverage units are opening.

Construction is well underway on a £12.5m project to create more

space and choice for passengers and the local community. More

than 71 million travellers who pass through the station annually will

soon be able to enjoy an increased and varied retail and dining

offer along with a more user-friendly layout. The Euston Station

Balcony Development Scheme will include more than 1,021 sq m of

food and beverage space with a new balcony level opening up

the station and providing passengers with an area to relax and eat

away from the busy concourse.

Grand Central Birmingham at New Street Station is on schedule

to open this September. The first half of the new station opened

in 2013. The project has already won its first award, Excellence in

Sustainability at the Chamber of Commerce Awards. When the

project is completed later this year, the station will be enclosed by

a giant atrium, allowing natural light throughout the station and

the 12 platforms. The redeveloped Pallasades shopping centre,

relaunched as Grand Central Birmingham, will boast the biggest

John Lewis outside of London measuring 23,225 sq m. The centre

will provide 18,580 sq m of retail space for over 40 new premium

fashion and lifestyle shops and more than 20 new concept cafes

and restaurants.

‘Grand Central Birmingham will offer a very different shopping

experience to what people have previously been used to in the city.

Being situated above the magnificent New Street train station, the

busiest station outside of London, it will offer a unique shopping

experience which has something for everyone,’ explains Richard

Brown, Grand Central development director. ‘There will be 60+

premium shops, restaurants and cafes, and one of the largest John

Lewis department stores in the country, all surrounding a stunning

atrium. People can visit for a quick bite to eat while on the go or for

a longer day of indulgence.’

Phase two of Stansted’s £80m terminal transformation is now

complete. The departure lounge development is home to a mix

of cafes, bars and restaurants and designed to offer passengers

a wide range of options depending upon budget, appetite and

taste. The latest milestone follows on from the opening of a bigger

security area, a new World Duty Free store and first phase of the

new shopping areas in summer 2014. ‘Over 70 tenders were received

for the 12 cafe, bar and restaurant units available as part of phase

two of this multi-million pound development. Narrowing down the

strong competition to deliver a menu that provided a wide variety

of choice based on taste, appetite and budget for our passengers

is one of the best headaches I’ve ever dealt with, and a scenario

that clearly demonstrates the exciting step change taking place

at Stansted, with so many leading brands wanting to secure their

involvement,’ explains Beth Brewster, director at airport operator

MAG Retail. ‘With many airport firsts, brand new concepts and the

first celebrity chef appearance for Stansted, this really has been an

exciting development.’ These include the first ever James Martin

Kitchen and first airport-based Harris + Hoole.

The departure lounge has been extended by more than 60

per cent, with 70 per cent more seating and the installation of

Above from top: The Prague Outlet is nearing completion at

Václav Havel International Airport; New food and beverage units

are opening at Euston station. Below: John Lewis opened its first

click and commute store at St Pancras lat year; Phase two of

Stansted Airport’s £80m terminal transformation is now complete.

Facing page from top: Grand Central Birmingham will boast 18,580

sq m of retail space including the biggest John Lewis outside

of London; The retail offering at Crossrail Place Canary Wharf

is now open; Fortnum & Mason opened a champagne bar

opposite its new store at Heathrow Airport in January, designed

by Universal Design Studio.

37

travel retail

flight departure screens along all main thoroughfares and in all

shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, so that passengers can relax

in the knowledge they are never far away from the latest flight

information. Harris + Hoole is located immediately after security by

the entrance to World Duty Free, the flagship entrance to the new

departure lounge experience, giving travellers the opportunity to

stop and relax after security before continuing their journey. Once

through World Duty Free, passengers are led on an intuitive path

that guides them with ease to either browse and experience the

retail offer at leisure or continue onwards with their journey. All the

new beverage and food outlets alongside general seating are

strategically located in one dedicated area near the exit points to

all departure gates.

In December 2014, London Gatwick celebrated its fifth birthday

under independent ownership, and to mark the occasion it

announced a planned £1bn investment to transform the airport.

Plans include a bigger departures area and revamped retail

space. £21m will be invested to create a new departure lounge in

North Terminal comprising more space to make room for future

growth, while 2,787 sq m of new retail and restaurant space will

provide passengers with greater choice. This includes a new World

Duty Free opening in 2017 to match South Terminal, which was

the world’s largest World Duty Free store when it opened in 2012.

Gatwick train station will also receive a makeover. The £120.5m

redesign will transform the station and passenger experience, with

work scheduled to start in 2017 and complete in 2020.

Passengers have voted Heathrow Airport as the Best in

Western Europe at this year’s World Airport Awards. As well as

this new accolade, Heathrow was praised for the quality of its

shops, restaurants and terminals and received the Best Airport

for Shopping for a sixth time and World’s Best Airport Terminal for

Terminal 5 for a fourth year in a row.

The last 12 months have been a big year for Heathrow. Since

2003, Heathrow has invested £11bn across all of its terminals.

When Terminal 2 opened last year, Heathrow became the first

airport in the world to have its own personal shopping lounge,

two restaurants created by Michelin starred chefs — including The

Perfectionists’ Café by Heston Blumenthal — and a John Lewis shop.

Following an investment of more than £40m and 18 months

worth of work, January 2015 saw the reveal of Terminal 5’s latest

luxury shopping re-development. Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Rolex,

Fortnum & Mason and Bottega Veneta joined the line-up at

Terminal 5, cementing the airport’s fashionable reputation amongst

frequent flyers. The terminal now has a collection of 22 fashion and

luxury brands, each of which has been beautifully redesigned to

echo the store’s flagship location.

A worldwide first, Heathrow’s Terminal 2 features a dedicated

Personal Shopping Lounge where passengers can browse, try and

purchase a specially curated selection of products in a comfortable

and private consultation suite. Heathrow’s exclusive personal

shopping service gives customers access to more than 140 brands

bringing together Chanel, Gucci, Dior and more, all in one place.

The lounge also has free wi-fi and an information display screen so

passengers are kept up to date with the latest flight details.

Over in Beijing, airport developer ADPI has collaborated

with architect Zaha Hadid to design the world’s largest terminal.

Following the 2011 international competition bid, in October 2014

the Beijing New Airport Headquarters created a joint design team

bringing together ADPI and Zaha Hadid Architects with competition

consortium group members Buro Happold, Mott Macdonald and

EC Harris to collaborate on the optimised concept design for the

Beijing New Airport Terminal building. Opening in 2018, the plans for

Terminal 1 will see 696,772 sq m of space that will process 45 million

passengers a year. The six-tier design features a central open

communal space and is designed to minimalise walking distances

for customers and increase connectivity. At the moment, plans for

the retail offering haven’t been revealed, but going on the fact that

the terminal will be almost double the size of the world’s current

largest terminal — Heathrow’s Terminal 5 — there will no doubt be

some great shopping experiences for travellers.

This year, Prague has been listed as 14th in the Retailer

Attractiveness Index, beating the likes of Vienna and Brussels.

The Prague Outlet is set to open next to Prague’s Václav Havel

International Airport and will include airport facilities such as

on-line check in, luggage hold, departure and arrival boards

and shuttles to and from the airport. The Prague Outlet is being

positioned as a high-end outlet centre, something which is currently

missing in the Czech market, and a tenant mix is being assembled

accordingly, with premium European brands in the middle and

upper segments being a large focus of leasing efforts.

More and more retailers are looking at the benefits of having

sites at train stations and airports. Increasing pressure on funding

for public transport and the need to keep rail fare increases as low

as possible mean that rail and transit authorities need to maximise

their revenue from other sources. Realising the full potential

of station retail and commercial development around stations

provides vital additional funding to support the development of

rail infrastructure.

Visual Merchandiser offer a boutique style service where every one of our clients is treated with the utmost attention and respect. Our professional skillful team have a wealth of experience, giving us the ability to understand your bespoke requirements first time, without hesitation. We offer many services, all of which can support your visual goals and aspirations. We know what it means to stand back and smile!

A boutique style service

VISUAL MERCHANDISER UK PARTNER OF EURODISPLAY

0844 800 9305 | [email protected] | visualmerchandiser.co.uk

40

Chelsea in Bloom

Retailers celebrated the 10th Chelsea in Bloom with a creative selection of fairy tale schemes.

FLOWER POWER

Smythson — Highly Commended Sarah Chapman — Best Floral Display

Kate Spade — Innovation Award and People’s Champion

Hamptons International

Mary Quant

41

Chelsea in Bloom

Produced by the Cadogan Estate during

the Chelsea Flower Show, in association

with the Royal Horticultural Society, Chelsea

in Bloom transformed the streets of the

London borough. With a theme of fairy

tales, the event also included a Mad

Hatter’s Tea Party on Duke of York Square

and a Fairy Tale Forest on Sloane Square.

Retailers on King’s Road, Sloane Street,

Cadogan Gardens and Duke of York

Square interpreted the brief in their own

unique way, some choosing Cinderella and

Snow White while others opted for Alice in

Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty as the

theme for their displays. A mix of princesses,

fairies, butterflies and mushrooms featured

in the schemes.

The winners of Chelsea in Bloom 2015: Sarah Chapman — Best Floral DisplaySmythson — Highly CommendedKate Spade — Innovation Award and People’s Champion

Moyses Stevens Brunello Cucinelli

Brunello Cucinelli

Fendi

Browns


43

44

department stores

With an array of events, campaigns and pop-ups, department stores are a great destination for experiential retail, constantly evolving in their offerings to attract customers.

DEPARTMENT STORES: COMPLETE EXPERIENCE

There’s no denying department stores have changed the way we

shop. The convenience of having everything under one roof, and a

wide selection of brands and goods to peruse. Many department

stores also host regular events and pop-ups to keep the shopping

experience fresh, exciting and reasons to return to the store.

Selfridges, which has been named Best Department Store in

the World for a third consecutive year by the Intercontinental Group

of Department Stores (IGDS), has this perfected; there’s always

something happening at the store. It’s Work It campaign ran from

22 April to 6 June and ranged from de-stressing evening workouts

to learning a new skill at one of the retailer’s workshops. ‘Everything

that touches the way our customers live their lives is of interest to us

as it influences the way we speak and engage with them. With work

being such a huge part of people’s daily concern, we felt that this

year, more than any other, the time was ripe for a look at some of

the trends that are currently reshaping both the workplace and the

retail space and champion ‘me time’ as a way to reclaim a better

work-life balance,’ says Linda Hewson, Selfridges’ creative director.

Selfridges’ Big Beauty Lunch Breaks concept allowed workers

to visit the beauty hall and return to work feeling refreshed, relaxed

and radiant after a lunchtime beauty experience. Makerversity

Workshops allowed guests to take part in a series of immersive

workshops, including creating personalised stationery.

John Lewis is planning new stores for Birmingham this year,

the Victoria Gate area of Leeds in autumn 2016 and Westfield

London and Oxford in 2017. A new flexible format store will open in

Chelmsford’s new Bond Street development in 2016. The format sits

between the full size department stores and the ‘at home’ shops.

John Lewis has also developed an international expansion

programme that sees it open shop-in-shops within 11 branches

of SM department stores and Our Home stores in the Philippines.

Due to open this summer, the shop-in-shops will build on the

success of John Lewis’ existing outlets in seven branches of South

Korean department store Shinsegae and follows the retailer’s

recent announcement to open shop-in-shop departments in three

branches of Singapore department store Robinsons.

‘SM Retail and Robinsons are the perfect partners to help

bring the John Lewis brand to a new Asian customer base. We are

actively looking for more international partnerships and expect to

make more announcements about our international plans in the

next year,’ says Andy Street, managing director at John Lewis. ‘While

our move into the Philippines and Singapore will give us access to

a new emerging talent, our focus for physical remains firmly on the

UK, with eight new shops scheduled to open in the next few years.’

Currently on gpstudio’s drawing board are projects for John

Lewis in the UK, Shinsegae in South Korea and Avanti in the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ‘The department store is currently going

through a considered introspective process, one leading to an

exciting strategic springboard. Considering its relationship with the

brands that it hosts, how it behaves, its omnichannel offer, its look

and feel, food, and its role as curator (whether that be by brand,

vm, entertainment or education),’ says Gregor Jackson, partner at

45

department stores

Facing page (clockwise): Harrods’ Flower Wall by SFD; John

Lewis has eight new UK stores planned for the next few

years; gpstudio is working with a number of department

stores including Centria in the Middle East; Selfridges has

transformed its rooftop into the Vintage Salt restaurant and

bar for the summer. Above: Harrods Little Green Men created

by JUSTSO; Fortnum & Mason has unveiled its new beauty

floor, designed by Waldo Works; Millington Associates created

giant flowers for Harrods’ Pop-Up Flowers campaign.

gpstudio. ‘I feel department stores will remain the flagship temples

of retail — commercially and aesthetically — yet we will see them

morph into different shapes and sizes, offers and collaborations.

Playing safe, or simply a shell to house brands, will not be enough,

and the future department store needs to wave the creative and

entrepreneurial flag.’

In celebration of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, flowers

could be seen everywhere throughout Harrods during its Pop-Up

Flowers campaign. Customers were invited to experience a Flower

Wall created by SFD, where each individual flower contained

a prize. As part of the Pop-Up Flowers campaign, Millington

Associates created giant sculpted white peonies above the two

main entrances on Brompton Road. For foodie fans, The Tea

Room on the second floor served floral afternoon tea, while the

Chai Wu restaurant on the fifth floor presented a botanical themed

menu. The Harrods Food Hall also got involved with tastings, flower

adorned treats and samples of food and beverages.

In April, the department store utilised the power of social media

to engage with customers to win prizes. The event invited fans to

take photos of the famous Harrods green man in an imaginative

location; people could either pic up a cut-out in-store or download

one from the Harrods website. People had to upload their photos

to Instagram using the hashtags #MyGreenMan @ Harrods

#VogueFestival. Crowd Reactive was asked by TimeBased to create

the activation for Harrods. JUSTSO was responsible for the artwork

design for the paper cut-outs. It also created premium wooden

green figures of the doormen for the store’s top clientele.

Fortnum & Mason has been exploring the use of our senses

to create a complete experiential retail experience. Its Sensorium

campaign essentially set the scene for the relaunch of the store’s

second floor, its new fragrance and beauty space. The Bamford

Haybarn spa has also launched on the second floor, offering

consumers a peaceful haven from the busy streets of London.

Waldo Works was responsible for the second floor redesign,

the concept of which is based on the idea of the Georgian

salon in which ladies selected items on a one-to-one basis. The

design approach also reflects the heritage of Fortnum & Mason,

established in 1707, with an elegant deportment combined with

moments of folly and whimsy. Emphasis was on creating an

environment for consultation — a place to dwell, interact with

staff and learn about the products in these specialist sensorial

departments. The space has been furnished with rarefied materials

and semi-precious stones such as pink rose quartz and Amazonian

malachite through to fine veneers in figured sycamore and bird’s

eye maple. Illustration has been used throughout, taking inspiration

from the store’s archives.

Famous for its afternoon tea, Fortnum and Mason has partnered

with The View from The Shard to offer Sky-High Tea experiences

on level 72, bringing the experience out of store. It placed a giant

hamper at the base of The Shard to create intrigue, finally revealing

plans for its Sky-High Tea experience the next day. The image

of the iconic F&M hamper was shared on social media with the

hashtag #SkyHighTea — a great marketing campaign to get fans of

both the department store and The Shard engaging.

Liberty is currently hosting the Liberty Sewing School in the

Heritage Suite on the third floor. There are a number of special

craft, knitting and sewing workshops that people can book.

Attendees also receive 20 per cent off at Cafe Liberty — another

incentive to spend in-store. The retailer has a number of beauty

events and treatments such as massages planned for the summer.

House of Fraser’s new Chinese owner, Sanpower, is planning on

expansion both in the UK and overseas. Sanpower has given the

go-ahead for the retailer to invest £150m in the UK over the next four

years in store redesigns and developing its online presence.

House of Fraser holds a number of in-store events and various

pop-ups that run nationally and regionally. ‘House of Fraser has a

wonderful regional presence that allows us to build tailored events

that are specific to the locality, not just big national campaigns.

The largest of late has been the (BAFTA) British Academy Television

Awards, which we were title sponsors to and which gave us lots

of in-store opportunity — red carpet masterclasses, photo booths,

occasion wear exclusive pop-ups and beauty tutorials,’ explains a

spokesperson from the department store. ‘We’ve also introduced a

dedicated Edit pop-up that showcases the best of seasonal fashion

buys collated and presented by our dedicated design team, which

advises customers of the season’s most directional trends. Celebrity

public appearances are also important, most recently with Michelle

Keegan and Millie Mackintosh. We are currently working on PAs

with Barbara Hulanicki, founder of BIBA, which we stock exclusively.

‘In-store events help to create retail theatre, which in turn drives

footfall, brand awareness and ultimately sales and most importantly

sets House of Fraser apart form our competitors. Creating an

exciting atmosphere and retail buzz through events helps entertain

and deliver exclusivity for customers who look for enjoyable and

creative shopping experiences.’


46

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47

opinion

BEAUTY,S MENAISSANCEWith consumers’ attitudes to masculinity in flux and men spending more than ever on grooming and wellbeing, David Wright, group marketing director of Dalziel and Pow, says the time is ripe for beauty brands to reassess what they’re offering male shoppers.

The beauty industry has traditionally been geared towards

women. But as we explored beauty brand innovations for our

Beautiful Convergence report it became clear to us that this

is changing. Male salons and barbers are flourishing, while

dedicated e-commerce sites like The Motley and Mankind are

curating the growing variety of men’s skincare brands, extending

as far as Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs’ men’s make-up lines.

Two new barbers have popped up on my local high street

in Hertfordshire. One is a hipster-inspired space, the other a

more traditional Turkish barber — an offering that was previously

non-existent. The raft of beauty salons in this commuter town

now have men’s luxury pamper packages on their treatment lists,

demonstrating a shift in male spending habits outside of London.

The very notion of masculinity is blurring and diversifying;

just look at Selfridges’ Agender concept, launched March 2015,

especially among Millennials. According to Mintel*, US sales for

the men’s personal care market hit $4.1 billion in 2014, up 6.7 per

cent from 2012, and it predicts sales will grow to $4.6 billion by 2019.

The male groom boom is indicative of a far wider shift

happening right across consumer facing industries, from fashion

(Verdict** predicts the UK menswear market to grow 29.2 per cent

over the next five years) to groceries (51 per cent of men are now

the primary food shopper in US households, according to NPD

Group***), driving brands to rethink how they cater to men.

A room of his ownMintel’s study reveals that men are spending on a gamut of

grooming services: 25 per cent of those aged 18-34 have had a

manicure or pedicure, and 38 per cent a facial or body treatment.

Smart brands are therefore creating holistic ‘man caves’ with just-

for-him services and advice.

In London, The Refinery offers laser hair removal, anti-ageing

facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, plus retail products;

Hackett and Liberty both house Murdoch-branded barber shops

in store; Ted Baker has seven standalone Grooming Rooms across

the city; and Aveda opened a men-only destination in September

2014, offering treatments ‘all from one chair’.

In LA, men’s hand and foot grooming salon Hammer & Nails

boosts dwell-time with personal TVs, complementary drinks and

a library of lifestyle books. And, while not exclusively for men,

London’s Barber & Parlour provides a blueprint for hybrid retail,

with a barbershop, juice bar and cinema under one roof.

Considering that some men won’t be comfortable seeking

grooming advice, brands should also offer trusted expert advice —

whether via in-store touchpoints, an associated app or online.

Curate for convenienceConvenience was a key trend in Beautiful Convergence, and

highly streamlined, personalised formats such as monthly

subscription boxes are equally as relevant for time-pressed

professional men as women. Examples include Birchbox Man

($20/month — four deluxe samples custom-tailored to skin and

hair type plus accessory), Dollar Shave Club ($1-$9/month for four

cartridges plus razor handle) and Luxury Barber Box ($25.99/

month for nine sample-sized and one full-size product).

I also predict we’ll see a growing number of quick-fix, Uber-

style apps. Launched in November, New York app Shortcut lets

users book out-of-hours barber appointments to their own home

or workplace between 8am to midnight from $75 a session.

Branding male beautyWhile some opt for type-heavy, heraldic packaging, the new wave

of men’s skincare brands largely favour no-frills branding with

clean lines and monochrome packaging. One of the pioneers was

UK label Bulldog that wanted to stand out against the big brands’

‘blue and brights’ packaging. Men’s grooming brand No and Büro

System both exemplify this new spirit simplicity, where masculinity

is no longer something overt or forced but open to interpretation.

Blurred linesTaking neutral branding a step further, unisex products are

gaining ground among Millennials. Look at Swedish skincare line

Sachajuan, unisex fragrances from US perfumers Smoke Perfume

and Le Labo, or the unisex anti-ageing moisturiser from luxury

skincare brand TwinLuxe. House of Fraser’s website has a unisex

filter in its beauty section. And, with US haircare giant Redken

selecting transgender model Lea T to front its global Chromatics

campaign in 2014, once more we’re seeing the industry start

to purvey a more inclusive message and overturn traditional,

restrictive beauty ideals.

Looking forwardWith gender neutrality on one hand and dedicated man caves

on the other, it would seem beauty brands are at a crossroads,

with two alternative pathways to pursue. As always, they’ll need

to attune to which approach resonates with their specific target

audience. But one thing is clear — beauty brands need to put men

firmly on the agenda.

*Mintel International Group Ltd, 2014. Men’s Toiletries, UK October 2014. Available at:

http://store.mintel.com/mens-toiletries-uk-october-2014

**Verdict, 2015. Menswear Market Forecast, February 2015. Available at: https://service.

verdictretail.com/verdict/sectors/clothing-and-footwear/menswear/market-forecast/

article20212.ece>

***NPD Group, 2014. Primary Grocery Shopper Report. Available at: https://www.npd.com/

latest-reports/grocery-shopping/

www.dalziel-pow.com

48

products

FLOORING + SURFACES

CD (UK)CD (UK) has supplied DuPont Corian to enhance new Wood

Street offices for investment company PGI. Architects M Moser and

fabricator Manufacturing By Design worked to a brief from the

client to transcend the 11,400 sq ft space, maximising flow while

preserving privacy and flexibility for its workforce. DuPont™ Corian

in Venaro White was the material of choice, providing an organic

shape and standout colour contrast, enabling the design team to

mould the reception desk to the seamless shape they wanted.

T. +44 (0)113 201 2240 E. [email protected]

www.cdukltd.co.uk Twitter: cdukltd

ArmourcoatArmourcoat’s new decorative metal rust finish Rusteel has

been shortlisted for the Mixology’15 Product of the Year —

Surfaces Award. The Rusteel 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.The finish is

available exclusively through the ArmourFX modular panel

system. The ArmourFX range of panels has evolved from

Armourcoat’s renowned applied seamless wall finishes. The

company’s specialist designers and artisan plasterers can

create integrated custom wall panel systems or design

statement single artwork pieces.

Photo credit : ©Apache Studios

Wingback chair — James UK

Hooked 3.0 Nude lighting — Buster + Punch

T. +44 (0)1732 460 668 E: [email protected]

www.armourcoat.com Twitter: Armourcoat

GradusGradus has extended its primary barrier matting collection with

the launch of Esplanade 8500, a heavy duty mat suitable for

use in the most demanding environments. Esplanade 8500 has

been specially developed for use in both interior and exterior

environments subject to heavy foot and wheeled traffic, such as

shopping centres, supermarkets

and railway stations. The matting

is available in 12mm and 18mm

thicknesses, in open and closed

construction, and comprises

rubber wipers and silver anodised

aluminium linking strips.

T. +44 (0)1625 428 922

E. [email protected]

www.gradusworld.com

Twitter: Gradus_World

ModuleoLuxury vinyl flooring manufacturer Moduleo has unveiled its

new Click with LockXpress to the UK market. The upgraded

product has been engineered for an increase in strength

and is available now from all Moduleo-approved stockists.

Manufactured with the latest patented push down technology,

the Click with LockXpress system simply locks into place

without any adhesive. Click with LockXpress is available on all

Moduleo products, including the brand new additions to the

company’s Select and Transform collections, and its innovative

Impress range.

T. +44 (0)1332 851 500

E: [email protected]

www.moduleo.co.uk

Twitter: ModuleoUK

PolyflorSimpLay loose lay vinyl floor tiles from Polyflor have added

the finishing touches to a refurbished Vodafone store in

Birmingham. They were installed by AFB Flooring Solutions of

Lancashire, for retail and commercial fit out specialist Audas

Project Management. Suitable for retail and commercial

environments, SimpLay tiles and planks have been developed

for loose lay installation without the use of adhesive, so they can

be fitted quickly with minimal downtime required. The SimpLay

range features eight authentic wood plank designs, six natural

stone tile effects and two weave pattern tiles. The Rich Walnut

2504 shade complements

Vodafone’s signature red

and white colour scheme.

T. +44 (0)161 767 1111


www.polyflor.com

Twitter: Polyflorltd

49

Formica GroupThe newly launched Formica Collection introduces 113 new

décors. With a total of more than 600 decorative laminate

solutions, this versatile collection is ideal for all environments,

including retail. There are nine new Plain Colors to present

a comprehensive palette of 120 colours. Plus Color, a unique

toolbox, features 30 colours in eight exclusive surface finishes

with 240 combinations. New patterns are based on capturing

the authenticity of fabrics, natural and man-made materials,

including the introduction of Twill pattern in four colours, eight

True Scale marble décors, and four metal and engineered

stone patterns. New textures include Linewood, Puregrain,

Hammered and the award-winning Plex.


www.formica.com Twitter: FormicaGroupEU

Doro Tape UKTo add to its already extensive portfolio, Doro Tape UK has introduced a new Illustra

range of patterned window decoration film, each with its own design guaranteed to bring

individuality and style to any establishment. Manufactured by ASLAN in Germany, these

films come in three attractive styles; Polka, Linen and Snow. Suitable for long term exterior

applications, they offer excellent scratch resistance, have a dry apply adhesive for ease

of application, and as an added bonus are digitally printable.


www.dorotape.co.uk Twitter: doro_tape

products

3MDecorative surface finishes from 3M have been used to

refresh service counters as part of a Post Office Network

Transformation Project involving 6,500 main and local

category outlets. An estimated 5,000m of easy-to-apply and

highly durable DI-NOC Architectural Finishes have been

installed by Sign 2000 to refurbish all of the service counters

at these sites rather than having to meet the high cost of

replacement, thereby enabling savings to be made by the

Post Office.


www.3M.co.uk/innovativefinishes Twitter: 3MgraphicsUK

Venture Lighting EuropeVenture Lighting has partnered with Hertz Electrical Distribution

to supply more than 250 of its latest LED technology luminaires

to one of the largest electrical management specialists in the

UK. Two warehouses have been installed with Venture’s VLED

Midibay Elite wide beam luminaires as an energy efficient

alternative to the previous high wattage lamps, whilst also

benefitting from the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA)

programme. Installed at 9m and 7m heights, the new lighting

scheme replaced 270 400W Highbay and 250W Lowbay

metal halide fittings in the

warehouses, saving over 60

per cent in energy costs.

T. +44 (0)1923 692 600


www.venturelighting

europe.com

Twitter: VentureLighting

51

Spectral LightingPart of the RIDI Group, Spectral Lighting’s STORA LK luminaire

has taken pride of place at the revamped Swindon Designer

Outlet Centre. STORA LK is an ultra-efficient LED pendant ring

luminaire that creates a striking lighting effect. An elegant

and timeless design, it offers continuous direct LED lighting,

with its aluminium body acting as a thermal control to ensure

a constant temperature and optimum output. STORA LK’s

clean lines are accentuated by the drop suspension wires that

cleverly integrate power cabling. The project also utilised RIDI’s

EDLR downlighters, which provide highly efficient LED lighting

ideally suited to retail, commercial and educational spaces.


www.spectral-lighting.co.uk

ShelfstoreShelfstore has been used throughout the West Somerset Railway gift

shop in Minehead. The store team wanted to reconfigure the space

in the shop with a library-style shelving system. With Shelfstore, the

books are well supported and they don’t need separators to stop

them falling over. The adaptable nature of Shelfstore allows the owner

to change the look as and when they like. The gift shop is an old

traditional building and the lightness of the wood enhances the airy

feel of the space and gives a more traditional finish than metal.

T. +44 (0)1628 782 642 E: [email protected]

www.shelfstore.co.uk Twitter: Shelfstore

products

SELECTION

Sharp UKSharp UK has launched a new integrated chip and pin

solution for its Electronic Cash Registers (ECR) ERA421 and

ERA411 that offers increased speed of service and improved

accuracy for customers in retail and hospitality. Sharp has

partnered with Chip & PIN Solutions to provide integrated chip

and pin capabilities with entry and mid-level cash registers

enabling automatic, accurate and fast data feeds between

devices. The solution is now available for UK customers from

all authorised Sharp ECR/EPoS resellers.

T. +44 (0)208 734 2222


www.sharp.co.uk

Twitter: Sharp_Europe

52

products

VM + DISPLAY

T.C. Millwork, IncSMARTWALL is a state-of-the-art retail display system that incorporates

energy efficient, high quality LEDs into lightweight shelves that are wireless

to the end user. This gives the retailer the opportunity to rearrange the

shelves anywhere along the wall standards without having to connect or

disconnect wires. Installation is quick, clean and easy, with no special

expertise needed. A 40ft linear section of SMARTWALL can be powered by

one standard duplex outlet. You can choose from an endless selection of

films that are applied seamlessly to the miter folded shelves.

T. +1 215 245 4210 E: [email protected]

www.tcmillwork.com Twitter: TCMillwork

arken POPThe super thin profile (38mm deep) on arken’s new Fineline

slide-in light box allows the poster message to do all the

talking. Bright and vibrant LED illumination creates the wow

factor, lighting the image evenly and additionally ensures

that they are very economical to run, using 65 per cent less

energy than traditional tubes. Changing graphics is quick

and easy by simply sliding in via slots in either the top or

side of the frame. Ideal for brand category signage in store,

these light boxes help increase shopper awareness and

enhance the brand image or retail message. Made to order

at arken’s Newmarket factory, any size up to 1.2m wide can be

accommodated, alongide any colour to suit.


www.arken-pop.com Twitter: arkenPOP

Graphica DisplayGraphica Display is a design-led, large format display printing

and signage company producing anything from window decals

and retail display through to hoardings, promotional printing

and point of sale. At the VM & Display Show in April, the company

invited visitors to use Graphica Display large format printing to

become stars of the high street. The company created the amps,

guitar and a piano, and even produced a 3D-printed microphone.

T. +44 (0)845 373 0073

E. info@graphica

display.co.uk

www.graphicadisplay.co.uk

Twitter: graphicatweet

NorbordCaberwood MDF Pro from Norbord is a premium grade MDF

with a uniform density across the board. It is ideal for creating

bespoke, versatile shopfittings for any space and is a great,

cost-effective alternative to moisture-resistant alternatives in

terms of strength. Suitable for straight forward machine and

surface finishing, and available in six standard sizes, it offers

all the benefits of timber without the natural defects. It is also

designed to look good and is ideal for most high quality paint

and surface finishes including the application of paper foils

and veneers to suit individual tastes.

T. +44 (0)1786 812 921

www.norbord.co.uk

Twitter: NorbordEurope

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54

products

technology

Axis CommunicationsAxis Communications, a specialist in network video, strengthens its offering

for small systems with the launch of AXIS Surveillance microSDXC Card 64GB,

a memory card optimised for surveillance applications, and AXIS Camera

Companion 3, a major upgrade of the multiple award-winning surveillance

solution for small systems. For optimal storage of video content, the new AXIS

Surveillance microSDXC Card 64GB combines the market and technology

know-how from SanDisk, a global leader in flash storage, with the extensive

security system expertise of Axis.

T. +46 46 272 18 00 E. [email protected]

www.axis.com Twitter: AxisIPVideo

PEL Music & MediaPEL Music & Media has opened Tech Suite, a new

demonstration facility at its offices just off the A40 in Northolt,

North West London, to showcase what customers can achieve

using its specialist extensive audio visual capabilities. Tech

Suite features one of the widest selections of videowalls

in action in the UK, as well as single and multi-screen

ensembles from NEC, Samsung and Sharp. These have

been set up by PEL in a variety of example configurations to

showcase the many options available to customers, including

portrait and landscape formats, as solid 3 x 3 and 1 x 3

videowalls and as a contemporary fragmented wall array.

Each individual screen, including those within the videowalls

and LED displays, has been fitted with a BrightSign Digital

signage player to enable PEL to demonstrate an extensive

array of digital signage ideas to customers, using videos, full

HD, MJPEG etc.


www.pel.co.uk/audio-visual Twitter: PELservices1

ONELANInvestec in Dublin wanted to enhance its reception area and

selected a 4K Video wall driven by a ONELAN 4K digital signage

player to achieve this. Playing a mixture of full 3,840 pixels wide x

1,440 pixel high bespoke animated content across all six screens

to create full brand impact, the bespoke content includes live

TV, live market data and promotional HD brand videos. With the

ONELAN 4K player Investec was able to seamlessly switch from full

wall content to a mixture of content types across multiple screens.

Emotion Media, a ONELAN Accredited Content Partner, worked

with Digicom who provided

the video hardware and

carried out the installation.

T. +44 (0)1491 411 400


www.onelan.com

Twitter: onelan_ltd

ONELANONELAN has provided a communications solution for Barnetts

Motor Group, which has multiple car showrooms and sites in

Dundee and St Andrews. The company wanted a solution to

deliver internal and showroom external marketing messages

and information to create customer excitement and staff

awareness electronically. The flexibility, immediacy and

exciting video content capable of being deployed through

digital signage made this a natural choice for a dealership

at the cutting edge of technology and process control. A four

screen showroom ‘horizon’ deployment will be followed by

other showroom applications and staff areas with around 20

screens planned.

T. +44 (0)1491 411 400


www.onelan.com

Twitter: onelan_ltd

confidential and independent help for personal and work problemswe are here 24hrs, 365 days

we are here for you

Or get in touch via: Text HELPLINE to 88010 | [email protected] | www.retailtrust.org.uk

retailRIGHTproviding people for retail

retailEAPleading wellbeing for all

whetheryour

problemsareBIGor

small

retailTRUSTimproving lives for all involved...yesterday, today, tomorrow

Retail Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1090136) and in Scotland (SCO39684)Company No 4254201 (Company Limited Guarantee) Registered in England and WalesRegistered Office: Marshall Hall, Marshall Estate, Hammers Lane, London, NW7 4DQ

call our free helpline

0808 801 0808

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56

products

DESIGNS IN ALUMINIUM

Aluminium panel systemsDesigns In Aluminium offers a variety of aluminium slatwall panels. This

one shown right is a standard panel with a 25mm pitch, which accepts

standard euro hook accessories. Powder coating to any RAL colour or

anodising gives the aluminium panels an unrivalled contemporary look.


www.diagroup.co.uk Twitter: DesignsinAlumin

Horizontal systemsThis system pictured above is designed to hold 6mm thick

material. Also stocked are extrusions to suit 3mm, 8mm

and 10mm glass or acrylic, creating a platform for optimum

presentation. The horizontal system can be adapted with the

use of arms and accessories for merchandising.



Slotted upright systemsThis recessed slotted upright system is strong and versatile,

and the accessories can be manufactured to suit the client’s

merchandising requirement and design. For more information

visit the company’s website where you can view a selection of

case studies.

T. +44 (0)1273 582 241


www.diagroup.co.uk

Twitter: DesignsinAlumin

Socket systemThis socket system is created as an alternative to the

horizontal and vertical system, This system is the ideal

choice for minimalist displays.



58

fixtures & fittings

focus on:

Fixtures and fittings are a crucial element of a store, bringing together the look and feel of a display system, with flexibility and easy set-up key factors. We explore a range of solutions, from WBC’s Kingsley X-frame made from reclaimed floorboards and distressed metal to D75 illuminati’s Hank system that combines a light source and hanging rail in one nifty design.

FIXTURES + FITTINGS

On the shelfCooke Brothers has introduced

two new shelving strip options in

addition to its shelf support range

of products. Made from lightweight

anodised aluminium, they’re

available in various finishes and

popular profiles including both

surface-mounted or rebate fixing.

Further requests for shorter lengths

of shelving strip has led to the

company supplying Shelving Lite in

new standard lengths of 1,140mm.

A further addition is the option

of solid stainless steel patterns,

which are now available across

the company’s two most popular

profiles, flat (7470) and raised (7472).

www.cookebrothers.co.ukLet there be light Handmade in steel by Swedish craftsmen,

the Hank system from D75 illuminati

combines a light fitting and clothes hanger

in one. The fixture is available in several

colours and finishes including cumulus

white (pictured), curb grey, new denim

blue and raw steel. The custom LED source

produces 600lm per metre, with a lifespan

of more than 30,000 hours.

www.d75.se

Vintage feel Andy Thornton has developed an extensive

range of industrial style shop fixtures and

fittings via its comprehensive Urban Vintage

range. Andy Thornton offers a full line of

visual merchandising retail display fittings

including shelving units, display tables,

trolleys and carts. Whether you are looking

for an impressive apothecary display

cabinet or just a simple garment rail, the

company has something for everyone. The

company has a pipeline of new products

coming to market with new pieces being

launched from its website weekly. As well as

offering its range of standard products to an

ever growing list of high street brands, Andy

Thornton is also regularly commissioned by

retail designers to develop bespoke pieces

that are exclusive to each customer.

www.andythornton.com

59

fixtures & fittings

Flexible friend DesignAgency has created an appliance

showroom for Appliance Love in Toronto

using a rigid rebar grid system, which

divides space and brings down the scale

of the almost 4.8m-high ceilings while still

maintaining visibility and connections

throughout the showroom. The design

company also produced a plywood

box module for merchandising smaller

household items such as kettles, toasters

and pots. The boxes can be plugged in

anywhere in the grid, enabling the space to

be changed and evolve as needed.

www.thedesignagency.ca

The X factor With summer here, many retailers

are taking their fixtures and fittings

outdoors. WBC’s new Kingsley

X-frame is ideal for retailers,

pop-ups, window dressers, market

traders and exhibitionists alike.

It can be used as a fixture in an

interior space or to merchandise

a space outside. With its roots

back in the Middle Ages, the

humble tressle table is still as

reliable, functional and practical

as it was back then. Kingsley is

made in the UK from reclaimed

floorboards and distressed metal.

The collapsible design makes it

ideal for temporary displays and

then it easily stores away after

use. Retailers can figure their own

design or choose from a variety of

ready-made kits.

www.wbc.co.uk

Freedom of movement ALU’s Autopole is one of the best-selling

fixtures in the retail sector. In November

2009, MoMA New York added both the

ALU Autopole and Super Clamp (far right)

to its permanent design and architecture

collection. Autopole is a telescopic

freestanding pole, secured between floor

and ceiling with a simple lever movement.

ALU’s Mobile rotating system (right) has

been revamped with a new willowy design.

Elegant and light, it is formulated to create

sophisticated and eclectic environments.

Introducing new angles, the reinvented

Mobile allows the sleek curves of the

product to create new geometries of

freestanding, wall-mounted units and

tables. Tenn is the UK authorised reseller —

www.tenn-ltd.com.

www.alu.com

Directory

62

Retail Supplier Directory, find the specialist retail products and services you are looking for from leading suppliers around the world.

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 in-

depth 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 [email protected]

DirectoryDirectory

Retail Supplier Directory

Directory

63

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.

DirectoryDirectory

T: 01273 582241 E: [email protected]: www.d-i-a.netS. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin

Aluminium Fittings

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 276E. [email protected]. www.microslat.comS. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat

Aluminium Fittings

T: 0 01422 310767E: [email protected]: www.wbelland.com

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.

T, 020 3260 3888E. [email protected]/retailS. www.twitter.com/AxisEuropePlc

Bespoke Display

Bespoke Display

Bespoke Display

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.

T: +44 (0)8450 944 699E: [email protected]: www.ksf-global.comS: www.twitter.com/KSFGlobal

Bespoke Display

Bespoke Display

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 01892 890608E: [email protected] www.spurcreative.co.ukS: www.twitter.com/ spur_creative

Bespoke Display

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 814200E: [email protected]: www.hsquaredltd.co.ukS: www.twitter.com/HSquaredLtd


IGNITION is an independent creative companyOur multi-disciplined team work together to deliver exceptional retail and commercial environments, global exhibitions and brands.

T, +44 (0) 1179 725168E. [email protected]. www.ignitiondg.com


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, +44 (0) 1858 414275E. [email protected]. www. twovisual.co.ukS. www.twitter.com/TWO_Visual

Display

Original suppliers of display fabrics, textiles, PVC and polycarbonates for retail displays and exhibition stands since 1934Backgrounds have been our background since backgrounds began and B Brown have more than 400 in stock.

T, 08705 340 340E. [email protected]. www.bbrown.co.ukS. www.twitter.com/luvbbrown

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

T, 01494 774376 E. [email protected] W. www.b-loony.com

Balloons & Bunting

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: +44 (0)1638 565656E: [email protected]: www.arken-pop.com

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.

T: 0 01422 310767E: [email protected]: www.wbelland.com

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.

With over 24 years experience and knowledge within the industry, we pride ourselves on offering a tailored service for retail solutions such as Mannequins, LED Lighting & magnIQ our patented magnetic wall system.We work with many different sectors, including; Designers, Stylists, Architects and Visual concept team buyers.

T +44 (0)20 8348 9888 E: [email protected] W: www.rarebasic.comS: www.twitter.com/rarebasic

Brochure Holders

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 in-store graphics, window vinyls and 3D bespoke window displays to full multi location campaign roll outs.

T: 0161 477 8501E: [email protected]: www.ipos-design.co.ukS. www.twitter.com/iposdesign

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.

T: +44 (0)1473 229250E: [email protected]: www.brochureholders.com

Directory

64

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 0093E: [email protected] W: www.concept-data.comS. www.twitter.com/GDProjects

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.

T: +44 (0)1582 433 771E: [email protected]: www.gdprojects.euS. www.twitter.com/GDProjects

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.

T, 01767 682756E. [email protected]. www.twitter.com/impulsepop

Display

Display



Display

Display

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: [email protected]: www.stylographics.comS. www.twitter.com/hellostylo

Display

Display - Digital

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.

T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025E: [email protected]: www.crystal-display.comS. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays

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.

T, +44 (0)845 481 8020E. [email protected]. www.twitter.com/ScreenMediaTech

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 320636E: [email protected]: www.ded.co.uk

S: www.twitter.com/dedltd

Display - Digital

EPOS

Finishes

Armourcoat is the world’s foremost supplier of polished plasters, sculptural effects and innovative surface finishes.

T. +44 (0)1732 460 668E. [email protected]. www.armourcoat.comS. www.twitter.com/Armourcoat

Furniture




T: 01923 800666E: [email protected]: www.stylographics.comS. www.twitter.com/hellostylo

Furniture

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 3730073E: [email protected]:www.graphicadisplay.co.ukS. www.twitter.com/graphicatweet

Graphics


T: 01923 800666 E: [email protected]

W: www.stylographics.comS. www.twitter.com/hellostylo



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: [email protected] W: www.rarebasic.comS: www.twitter.com/rarebasic

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.

T, 01376 295 016E. [email protected] W. www.txframe.co.uk

Directory

65

Interactive Displays

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.

T: +44 (0) 1634 292 025E: [email protected]: www.crystal-display.comS. www.twitter.com/CrystalDisplays

Lighting

Literature Display Solutions

Metal Display

Permanent POS

Custom made, 20mm deep LED Edge lit ‘Diamond’ light boxes, and 8mm deep ‘Garnet’ light panels for retail display, signage and advertising.

T: 0333 123 0345F: 0333 123 0445E: [email protected] www.artillus.com

POP/POS

POP/POS

POP Install

SlatwallPOP Install

POP Install

Retail Consultancy

Slatwall

VM

VM - Training & Tools

Our aim is simple: To provide GOLD STANDARD Installation and Merchandising of Display Equipment at competitive prices.

T: 0161 941 2239E: [email protected]: www.plan2install.co.uk

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 537680E: [email protected]:www.movetechuk.comS. www.twitter.com/movetechuk



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.

T: 0116 262 5933E: [email protected]: www.ledsolutions.co.ukS. www.twitter.com/ LEDSolutionsUK

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 9599E: [email protected]: www.100percentgroup.comS. www.twitter.com/ 100percentgroup

POP/POS

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 729903E: [email protected]: www.mtfx.com

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 276E. [email protected]. www.microslat.comS. www.twitter.com/MicroSlat





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)161 681 1371 E: [email protected]: www.axiom-displays.co.uk

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: [email protected]: www.d-i-a.netS. www.twitter.com/DesignsinAlumin

T: 01482 345067E: [email protected] W: www.jcrpos.co.ukS. @JCR_POS

> 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………

T: 01482 345067E: [email protected] W: www.jcrpos.co.ukS. @JCR_POS

> 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………

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.

T: +44 (0)1473 229250E: [email protected]: www.brochureholders.com

Q & A

66

Matt Crew, senior creative manager at Topshop, chats to Retail

Focus about his career, favourite windows and his passion for

design and VM.

RF. What’s your career background?

MC. After studying a visual communication degree specialising

in illustration, my career began at Selfridges in Birmingham.

I worked as a visual specialist across all floors. From there I

made the quick jump to London to work for Harvey Nichols as

display supervisor where I had the chance to work on some of

the most innovative windows. After nearly three years I moved

to Armani as European assistant VM manager, which gave

me an insight into the luxury market and a chance to see

European markets. In 2010 I was lucky enough to get the job I

had been waiting for — creative manager for Topman Oxford

Circus. A love for the brand and its fast paced environment has

kept me under the Arcadia umbrella, moving to Topshop as

creative manager and finally senior creative manager.

RF. Have you always wanted to pursue a career in visual

merchandising/creative?

MC. It wasn’t my initial intention to fall into a creative/VM career

but I always knew I wanted to be associated with design. After

starting at Selfridges I quickly realised that a creative/VM

career encompassed many of the areas I was interested in and

so it was a natural progression for me.

RF. Describe a typical day in the Topshop creative department.

MC. No day is ever the same at Topshop. As a person who can

never sit still, this is the perfect environment for me! I am

constantly busy from reviewing commercial layouts on the floor,

reacting to sales, brainstorming new season windows and

interiors, meeting suppliers, installing new creative concepts,

working on fashion launches or just simply spending some time

with the team. I am also very lucky to be able to travel to get

inspiration so we always keep on top of our game.

RF. What’s your favorite Topshop scheme you’ve worked on?

MC. My favorite scheme I have worked on so far has to be

Christmas 2013. The store was transformed by pink cherry

blossom trees that created an unconventional magical feel

for the festive period. Topshop was lucky enough to win Best

Christmas Interior at the VM & Display Awards for this. The

window had a contemporary slant on the cherry blossom

theme and was made up of more than 200 moving petals

powered by air. It was an intricate and beautiful build. On

another level was the last Kate Moss launch, this was epic.

RF. What scheme are you working on at the moment?

MC. At the moment myself and the team are focused on AW15

windows and interiors, where we will transform the store once

again to keep the consumer excited. We are also finalising

ideas for Christmas 2015 as well as working on a number of

secret projects — watch this space!

RF. What trends have you been seeing in visual merchandising

and display recently?

MC. At the moment I think the high street is going through a period

of change. Many retailers are paring back their creative

and VM solutions in favour of clean windows and minimal

product placement. For me its important to keep the consumer

excited about the shopping experience, whether through

windows, technology or great VM solutions. I want people to

walk through Topshop Oxford Circus and feel energised and

excited about the product and the environment.

RF. Which other store windows do you admire?

MC. There are many windows I admire. One that continues to

inspire me is Heatherwick Studio’s collaboration with Harvey

Nichols where they managed to marry the windows and

exterior of the building as one. This was in 1997 and still

continues to wow me. I also love what Topshop Topman do as

a brand not only in the flagship but all stores and international;

its amazing how far down the chain we can push the creative

elements. I also admire many independent shops like Rossana

Orlandi in Milan. A fantastic and intricate store stuffed full of

fashion, design and art.

RF. Do you ever collaborate with artists and designers on your

schemes, and if so how important is this?

MC. Yes, many times and something we love to do. It’s important

to see other perspectives on a theme you have worked on.

We have collaborated with lots of designers and artists on

windows in the past, some of these being ‘live’. For Halloween

we painted dripping roses all over the glass over a period of

four hours. Topshop has lots of collaborations with innovative

designers from Ashish to Meadham Kirchhoff, where we work

together to create an impactful launch. For me I love working

closely with designers and suppliers to see an idea evolve and

then be enjoyed by customers and staff alike.

retail focus june 2015

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