Retail Now: Rethink the Shop Floor

Turning the traditional shop model on its head, the showroom is a space that shifts the focus from selling to showcasing the products. Less stock to manage and no transactions taking place means more space to focus on customer experience to drive brand loyalty.

Is there a better way of testing out a mattress than taking a nap on it? Disruptive brand Casper launched The Dreamery in New York City to give city dwellers the opportunity to take a quick nap in a star-filled sleep pod, transforming the traditional mattress store into a product testing centre. We’ll be looking forward to seeing how Casper adapt their model to tackle the new social distancing and quarantine measures over the next few months.

Appeal to generations who are masters at creating and uploading online content. Consider incorporating spaces and tools to drive influencers into the physical store and expose your brand across their social channels.

Chanel Atelier Beauté customers can create an online profile on their phone to help them keep track of the items they tried and liked. The store also have a ‘content creation’ room; an instagram-able setting which encourages customers to take photos of the products they liked.

Shopping via Instagram and other social channels has reached a peak during lockdown, with stores closed many brands pivoted to offering one-on-one consultations with clients, as well as presenting collections and new arrivals. Entire stores or sections of the shop floor could evolve to become a dedicated space solely for digital, at-home consultations.

In Florence, Gucci have attempted to recreate their in-store shopping experience by launching Gucci Live, a video service which allows consultations between client and sales consultant. Set within an opulent ‘faux luxury store’ with cameras and TV-style lighting, offering a glimpse into the world of Gucci straight from your sofa.

Exclusivity and drop culture will become more prevalent than ever, as a key way to draw consumers into stores is through offering limited edition, hard-to-find pieces. The shop floor needs to become a super flexible space which can host a varying array of launches and activations at short notice.

Lazy Oaf have taken advantage of the ‘white box’ concept, a budget friendly execution consisting of a blank space within the store which can be infinitely customised depending on the launch. They’ve previously collaborated with artists such as David Méndez to create bespoke, 360° immersive spaces.

The adidas flagship London store features an illuminated Hype Wall on the ground floor that showcases a selection of upcoming, ‘hyped’ releases. Shoppers are able to scan the shoes’ code and the drop date will be added directly into their calendars.

Data is becoming increasingly important in tailoring experiences to specific demographics and localities. As shoppers minimise their use of public transport, they will be further inclined to shop locally. Spaces which offer a relevant, meaningful product selection and cultural programming which speaks to local tastes will succeed.

Nike developed a data-driven store concept whose stock was based off the shopping habits of it’s local members. The brand found that LA locals were running, style-obsessed visionaries, and so built their Melrose Place ‘Live’ space catering to this demographic, tailoring the music and product selection to local tastes. The experiential store offered on-the-spot consultations with Nike Experts, a vending machine offering weekly rewards, a fitting room equipped with a treadmill to exhaustively trial products and curbside service.