Repurposed magic

Here’s one more from Project Eve, a window made of reused props from the brand’s older window executions.

Reliance Trends' winter fest

‘Leading fashion brand Reliance Trends’ new window displays are all about snowy white Christmas and the season’s spirit.

Mission 2021 @ Retail

2020 will easily go down in history as the year fraught with most uncertainties and anxieties. Economy across the world went for a major overhaul and retail being a mirror of the economy is quite naturally impacted by the shifting tectonics. So from this point of time, what does 2021 look like for retail? What trends can we expect next year? Presented in this story are some pointers for retail in 2021 based on VMRD’s research and conversations with retail brands, retail solution providers and store designers. Read on…

Project Eve's minimalist festive story

The window display reflects the brand’s philosophy of being simple, modern & minimalist, and has been introduced across 13 prime stores in country.

Brewing the perfect tale of Mr Green - BIRMINGHAM

South Asian street food café ‘Chai Green’ at Birmingham, designed by AWB Interiors, is a perfect example of nature-inspired aesthetics. The brand through its innovative store design aims to give consumers a unique outdoor experience while they are inside, while setting itself apart from the emblematic street tea stalls.

Festivities galore

The recent festive season saw shopping malls go all out to keep up the spirit. Here’s a look at two malls who went the extra mile with their celebratory installations.

Best of 2020: A retrospective design gallery

Finally a challenging year, unprecedented by most standards, comes to a close. Most years have their ups and downs. But 2020 has been unique in that many of us have had to really scramble to see the ups. Retail, being a mirror of the economy, showed all that the pandemic could do to market sentiments. And yet there were store openings, store expansion and store design projects. Hats offto the men and women who brought forth their creativity despite the pall of gloom around. As a tribute to the grit and tireless zeal of everyone involved in the retail eco-system, we present a retrospective gallery of the best from our coverage of Indian and international store design projects this year. All of them may not have been executed this year but they have all made their appearance in our pages this year…so go ahead and enjoy this retrospective visual treat presented in the order of the months in which they got featured.

Window To A Festive Spirit

It’s that time of the year once again and whatever we may have experienced this year, nothing can stop us from rejoicing in the spirit of festivities that this time of the year brings on. And no better place than retail to witness it. Here’s a look at some shop windows that have gone out to dispel the pandemic gloom and kick in the spirit of the upcoming festivals.

Can Technology Truly Deliver On The Business Front?

That technology will increasingly become an indispensable part of retail operations and experience is a no-brainer. But what does it really mean for the retail business, especially at a time when a global pandemic has ushered in never before economic challenges and caused further squeeze on margins? Well, contrary to what one might imagine, investing in cutting edge technologies in retail, particularly front-end retail, is not about having futuristic, jazzy and cool stuff inside the stores. On the other hand it’s about being well integrated across all aspects - the store layout and design, VM, lighting, fit-outs, staff performance, inventory, customer interactions and the overall store operations. And all this in a manner that delivers a smooth and seamless shopper experience leading to higher store stickiness and sales. It also means allocating budgets and resources in a way that technology becomes an integral part of all the business processes. Here’s a look.

All things DIY, punk & omnichannel!

This is a classic example of omni-channel engagement, wherein a brick and mortar store was used to drive digital interactions for a brand. Brand Vans wanted to promote its Vans Family app at its London flagship store. So Is Instore, the UK based multidisciplinary design agency, transformed the ‘decompression zone’ at the store’s entrance into an engaging and visually striking brand awareness campaign. The activation, that evoked the feel of a clubhouse space celebrating summer, in a playful and contact-less experience, was launched at Vans Oxford Street London in August and was live till the end of October.

OPIUM: High on optics!

Top-notch lifestyle eyewear OPIUM’s new store at Mumbai airport, designed by Renesa Architecture Design Interiors Studio, illustrates the spatial element set against the grid of time and space in the most idiosyncratic way.

A journey back through time...

With a theme of traditional Jaipuri elements, Tamraa jewelry boutique, transports you back in time. Designed by Ahmedabad based Amogh Designs, the space evokes the opulence of the past in a harmonious way.

How smart fitout can redefine the business of selling packaged foods

Despite the assumption that the consumer today lives online, in-store engagement remains just as relevant as ever and an integrated phygital system is the need of the hour. Some brands are already adopting this in their store operations. A recent example is the brand ‘Handful of Health’ which sells dry fruits and healthy snacks. The brand collaborated with Mumbai-based pre-designed shopfitting manufacturer Insync Shopfittings and leveraged their ‘ENGAGE Fit N Light’ phygital fixture as the shop fitting solution to deliver a better shopper experience.

Regal and chic

Designed by Nikhil Jain Architects, ethnic wear boutique Panchwati Silks captures traditional essence in a modern environment. The space aims at drawing the Indian ethnic wear lovers by reiterating the brand’s heritage based positioning.

A toast to smooth blends

Luxury liquor store The Scotch Club redefines the liquor shopping experience with a new store format that breaks through the taboos associated with it and caters to shoppers in style. The store has been designed by Delhi based Bora Da` Design Studio.

A charming abode for the ethnic and stylish

Ethnic wear brand Neeru’s new store in Coimbatore, designed by the multidisciplinary design firm Future Research Design Company (FRDC), is a space that evokes heritage in a warm, immersive and contemporary setting.

Shoppers Stop's festive saga

Shoppers Stop continues with its festive windows fest across India - Diwali (North, West) Pujo (East) & Dasara (South), paying a tribute to the country’s rich traditions

RBL unfurls the celebrations

Here’s a sneak peek into the festive window installations from the Reliance Brands stables, all eye candies in their own right.

Can Smart Store Fit-Outs Enable Better Business?

In the times that we live in, with unprecedented challenges and economic dynamics at play, the retail business needs prudent investments and calculated risks to get back on the growth path. Investments in technologies such as smart fixtures, if done right, could be one sure fire way of getting there.

‘Wanted: Tech solutions that are affordable & easily adaptable for retail'

Bengaluru based startup ReCast Technology recently launched a browser-based web-app ‘MallStreet’ to bring popular stores to consumer homes via live video. The platform integrates the sensory & social gratification of in-store shopping & houses prominent stores across diverse categories. In a special interaction with VMRD, Jayesh Chakravarthi, CEO and Co-Founder - ReCast Technology, shares how MallStreet helps retailers deal with retail bottlenecks and speaks about technology trends that will reshape future of retail and more.

Italian Renaissance comes alive

Russian designers Mors Architects designed the factory showroom for Italian furniture company LAS, by drawing on the spirit of Italian Renaissance, and in the process expressing the persuasiveness of art that the brand showroom symbolizes.

‘Physical stores will become hubs for knowledge sharing & brand credibility'

Furniture and home décor mall Creaticity recently launched its first e-commerce portal www.creaticityonline.com - in the home & decor Segment. Seamlessly combining both physical and digital aspects of shopping, this marks the mall’s inclusive foray into omnichannel retailing. In a special with interaction with VM&RD, Mahesh M,CEO - Creaticity, shares how phygital journey can help grow businesses, and offers some key advice to retailers adopting omnichannel solutions.

The art & business of recycled aesthetics

Rotterdam, Netherlands based company Plasticiet specialises in processing large volumes of plastic waste, and transforming it into a sustainable material for various applications. Plasticiet was founded in 2018 by designers Marten van Middelkoop & Joost Dingemans, two Rotterdam based designers with a passion for sustainable material development. The idea for Plasticiet was in fact born during a visit to India on a field trip. In India the designers saw various micro-economies popping up based on local demographic waste streams such as cotton clothes, plastic bottles and metal parts. They saw how local craftsmen in India were able to translate these waste materials into something functional with added value. They also saw how these products were made available for other local industries resulting in revenues for other craftsmen, thus keeping both industries thriving. The designers decided to follow this approach in their work and thus was born Plasticiet. The company was recently involved in an interiors project for eye wear brand Ace&Tate, for their store in Antwerp, Belgium. The store interior project involved re-purposing tonnes of local plastic waste streams for creating something beautiful. Here’s a look.

Is Retail Restart finally kicking off?

There has been closure. There has been fear. There has been delay. There has been a great deal of loss for retailers during the past few months. As pandemic broke out and lockdown measures took hold, the retail industry underwent a radical transformation. Again & again, there has been a challenge, and retailers have come through it.

The ‘XCiting' selfie destination…

Crafted by Jumping Goose, the Mumbai-based Tata’s Landmark Xcite store is an out and out destination for Gen Z photophiles and Insta-friendly selfies .

Of chocolates and the senses…

The new flagship store of Godiva, the chocolate maker, in Dubai is an eclectic mix of art that seduces the senses. Designed by The First Ferry, international premium design house, the store personifies what chocolate stands for - a complete sensory indulgence!

Farm fresh in rustic elegance

‘Organic Mandya’ designed by Bengaluru based ARCLAIN Design studio, is an amalgamation of sustainability and modernity, aimed at driving home the value of organic food delivered straight from the farm.

Flavours of a sweet experience

Aimed at creating an artful and delightful spatial experience, Anand Sweets, Bangalore, infuses the essence of human experience into the space design. Designed by Delhi-based architecture and design studio RMDK, the space merges the lines dividing contemporary retail and luxury dessert cafes.

All That Glitters Is Now Virtual!

Taking jewellery buying into a new realm of experience is VirtuLab, a new foray by Design Desk. The ‘Virtual Jewellery Showroom’ solution conceptualized by VirtuLab enables Jewellers to host fully immersive 3D showrooms, while being able to display designs & collections, in the process creating a brick and mortar like user experience. Buyers can see all the options displayed on windows, podiums & catalogues – simulating the real world showroom browsing experience. By clicking on a particular piece, visitors can also access its detailed information & closeup photographs. Simultaneously, the buyer can also connect with the sales team through multiple options like chat, video call or Whatsapp from inside the virtual showroom. Rohit Saraogi, CEO - VirtuLab, shares with the VMRD more on the initiative and about the role of technology in retail going forward.

How London's Oldest Tea Shop Became An Immersive Story

Twinings’ reopened historical flagship store, designed by creative agency Dalziel & Pow, is an experiential ode to the brand’s rich heritage, innovation, wellness, lifestyle and ethical sourcing. It is also a tea aficionado’s delight.