As 2017 ends we wanted to look back on our favourite projects that have tickled our senses this year across our specialist sectors in Retail Design, Interiors, Point of Sale, Point of Purchase, Marketing, Events and Exhibitions. The retail game is changing, stores of brick and mortar are responding to changing consumer habits and technology advances, in doing so dramatically evolving brands into pioneers of the retail industry. The development of concept stores and focus on the experiential collision between consumer and product, has marked the mighty success of online retailing and show-stopping retail solutions.

Take a gander at our 2017 highlights, which includes some outstanding work from our clients.

Instagrammable Store Design

Kat Von D, Debenhams

Global retail design agency Sheridans&co created a unique aesthetic, taking inspiration from Kat Von D’s rebellious tattoo style to develop a retail identity that stands out amongst other cosmetic shopping environments.

Missguided, Westfield Stratford City

Dalziel and Pow’s award winning Missguided store, undoubtedly stole the show this year. A full size bright pink monster truck gave like-hungry millennials an endless amount of photo opportunities worthy of an Instagram post or two. The store targeted their consumer’s obsession with technology and amplifying the brands identity to create an interactive retail environment with personified mannequins, defining the future of store design and visual merchandising.

Magical Visual Merchandising

Oasis, Agyll Street

Environmental awareness became a huge trend this year, in which plenty of brands jumped on board. Oasis fashion’s collaboration with Zoological Society of London gave retail design agency Harlequin the opportunity to create a magical window display featuring plants and animals from a jungle paradise.

Keihls, Kings Road

In keeping with the celebratory attitudes towards our planet, ‘Floral Safari’ was named this year’s theme for the Chelsea Flower Show. Chelsea in Bloom extended the event into the local neighbourhood inviting King’s Road stores to take part. Prop Studios designed and built the mesmerising flower installation showcasing one of Kiehl’s botanical products, incorporating 670 flower pots all of which were available to take home by the public and customers.

Retail Interiors

TagHeur, Meadowhall

Overcoming prior technological store restraints, the new TagHeur boutique in Meadowhall possesses a sophisticated concept encapsulating the brands identity, lifestyle and heritage to create a dynamic retail interior.

Dr Martens, Camden

Winning the award for Best use of Design with Technology In-store at Retail Week Interior Awards the ‘experimental’ new flagship by Dr Martens proves to be a true representation of the brands ethos and history. The 19^th century grade 2 listed building reflects the brands industrial factory environment, aided by a Virtual Reality station that takes a tour of the original workspace. Commissioned artwork, live music setups and Dr Marten customisation areas help to define a full interactive brand experience.

Innovative Exhibitions

To celebrate our 20th birthday, we had our very own stand at Retail Design Expo 2017. Working with a number of our retail design agency clients to develop the stand, we chose a ‘Cirque du Straco meets retail’ theme. As many companies collaborate to bring a retail store to life we wanted to step into our client’s shoes and design an engaging shell scheme that tapped into the talent we have within the industry. From working with our clients, we understand the importance of creating engaging experiences, we wanted consumers walk away with something to remember and that’s exactly what we have set out to do at Retail Design Expo.

Unforgettable Events

Nike’s Breaking2 is set to leave a legacy. The unique live event was an attempt to break the sub 2-hour marathon record whilst driving athlete innovation, brand identity and customer experience. Exclusive access to a non-elite pair of Zoom Fly trainers were available to runners able to cover the 5k distance in under 25 minutes. Digital strategy and social integration were key elements of the event as the hashtag #Breaking2 was used to market the campaign.

Refurbishments

Expansion and refurbishments have also been very popular this year across the industry. Our local retail hub, Meadowhall Shopping Centre has seen a dramatic £60million refurb this year with future expansion plans further proposed for 2021 to become the fourth largest indoor mall in the UK. JD Sports also upsized their Silverburn shopping centre store, nearly doubling in size over two floors.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our 2017 Review, see you in 2018.