The Curated Art Of Window Shopping-Delhi

The new AIS Window experience center in Delhi designed by Four Dimensions Retail Design redefines the whole experience of buying window solutions in an immersive spatial narrative that blends storytelling and cutting edge technology.

Retail @ Small Town India: Way To Go?

Even as markets get re-adjusted to a post-Covid reality and retail brands realign their business strategies to shifting market dynamics, India’s tier2-3-4…markets might just be what the retail economy needs to get back on growth track.

Where the police go to shop - RAJKOT

Designed by IKS ARCHITECTS, the Dhiraj Police Store in Rajkot, Gujarat, has been conceptualised to craft a unique retail experience. Located in an urban dense fabric on the ground floor of a commercial building near the old city, the government licensed store is designed to serve the police force and associated dignitaries.

For the love of Laminates… SURAT

The EightxFour Experience Centre by Shivshakti Laminates is an experience centre of a leading laminate and veneer retailer of Surat, created in an erstwhile textile manufacturing unit. Designed by Utopia Designs, the centre’s design focuses on effective display strategies, both tried-and-tested and new, within an industrial vocabulary.

Tyre retailing takes experiential route with Bridgestone Select +

Bridgestone India, one of the leading brands in the passenger car tyre segment, recently launched the country’s first concept store in Pune. Designed by LANDOR & FITCH, the store offers an educative tyre buying and service experience, while redefining the whole retail experience in the category .

When design enables purchases in a hypermart - DELHI

Departmental stores are spaces where the functional aspects take centre stage and design is more a matter of simply enabling product purchases. But Kwality Bazaar, Delhi, designed by Aatika Manzar, accentuates the incredibly important role design and aisle planning play in enhancing the shopping experience and thus maximising sales, in a supermarket environment.

High on hospitality - RAIPUR

Spread over an area of 50,000 sq. ft., and designed by Raipur based Azure Interiors, Clarks Inn Suites,the 52 key suites hotel is all about elevating the experience quotient of the space.

The Design Divas…

It’s the month that celebrates women with the International Women’s Day observed on March 8th. In this edition, we present three women entrepreneurs working in the retail design space who share their experiences and professional insights in an exclusive interaction with VMRD. Read on…

Reformed, restyled & restored - MUMBAI

Mumbai based Miyabi store designed by NACL ( Natasha Aggarwal Creative Living) is a stress-free fashion space that enables customers to browse and shop in a relaxing retail ambience.

A rich narrative with diverse materiality - AURANGABAD

Pehnawa is a three-storey fashionwear outlet in Aurangabad, designed by Portico Design Concepts. Spread across 5,400sq.ft., the space’s striking design adds its own muscle to the showroom experience.

Rustic elegance

Spread across 3000 sq.ft. Calipso Beauty Salon in Indore is a sustainable implementation of functionality in a contemporary setting. Designed by Jagjeet Tuteja Design Studio, the design philosophy of the space creates resonance with the brand ethos.

Royal, traditional & chic

Sunita Shekhawat, a signature jewelry brand from Jaipur that focuses on the traditional practice of ‘Meenakari’, draws on a contemporary sensibility for its new boutique in Delhi, designed by 42MM Architecture.

Icy treats in fairyland

Bengaluru-based ice cream parlour GUD BUD, designed by Acme Designers, is all about recreating the magic of fairyland. The brand aims to transport customers to their childhood even as they savor the taste of the ice creams.

‘Retail design solutions have to tell richer stories, create bolder experiences'

As we gradually move past the uncertainties of 2020, it’s becoming more evident than ever that any brand not leveraging technology will be left behind. At the same time, consumer expectations are at their highest, which is forcing retailers to make operational changes quicker and make wiser, solutions-driven investments, based on lessons learnt in the past. In an exclusive interview with VM&RD, Akhil Jain, Executive Director, Madame, talks about some key takeaways for retail from 2020, their focus areas of investment for 2021, on how retail partners can meet new business expectations, and more.

Transcending the Physical

James Breaks, Associate Director (Design) at rpa:group, London, writes on what makes for an authentic retail experience in the post-pandemic world, one that drives a meaningful brand experience and engagement.

Small town India will spur organized retail growth

Value fashion and lifestyle products retailer V-Mart Retail recently opened four new stores, three in Uttar Pradesh and one in Jharkhand. As part of its expansion plans, the retail brand continues to target the under-served tier-2 and 3 markets and plans to scale up its outlets in the next fiscal. In a special interaction with VM&RD, Vineet Jain, COO, V-Mart Retail Ltd, shares his views on why retailers are flocking to tier II, III towns, on the key game changers for Indian retail this year, and more.

Charming confluence of the classic & contemporary

Spread across 8000 square-feet, the Beyond Designs flagship store in Delhi has been designed as an amalgamation of timeless appeal and contemporary sophistication.

A space to harness flowing energies …

Situated at Worli, Mumbai, the niche health centre AquaCentric Therapy designed by figments EXPERIENCE LAB, is not a conventional rehab space. It is a space conceived to provide holistic wellness and rehabilitation for people suffering from orthopedic and neurological disorders and helps them rediscover their energy.

A spatial dance of the feathers

With ‘experiential’ being the operative word today, it’s not just retail brands who are seeking to convert their customer touch points into spaces for aesthetic engagement. Pune-based real estate brand Kekarav, for example, has tied up with Ratnsorb Architecture and Design to craft its sales office cum experience centre into a space that reflects the beauty of its muse - Kekarav or peacock.

A green haven for bibliophiles

The Champaca Library and Cafe in Bangalore designed by the city-based Office of Cognitive Design (OCD), is a sustainable ode to books and book lovers.

Why Virtue Is The New Cool!

Among other things, the pandemic of 2020 has necessitated the need to align businesses with values such as transparency and social responsibility. Brands that genuinely champion causes are likely to resonate better with the socially aware millennial consumers of today. Ian Johnston, Founder and Creative Director at Quinine, a world-leading retail experience consultancy known for its research-driven user-centric design approach, explains why virtuous brands have an edge today, and how retail space and experience can best reflect a brand’s values and virtues.

‘R&D and originality: The need of the hour'

Saleem Merchant is a man of few words. He would rather let his business do the talking. Yet, as the founder of a business that has traversed a long journey of 30 years in the shopfitting industry; he has many rich insights to share.

‘2021 will be all about business sustenance'

B.S Nagesh, a retail industry veteran and Founder of the Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN), who has over the years, championed the cause of the lesser privileged workforce in retail and is a leading voice on retail empowerment, shares his views with VMRD on what 2021 looks like for this industry.

Food for the senses

Conceptualized as a boutique outlet, Almond House, Kondapur was designed to reflect the booming café culture in the city of Hyderabad. Combing the theatrical and the glamorous, the space blurs the lines between contemporary retail and aesthetically designed cafes.

Quaint charm meets rugged chic

With a sprinkling of design influences from around the world, Inhabit’s new store in the capital evokes a quaint charm. Located at the Delhi Design District on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, the store follows the signature style of Neeta Kumar, Founder of Inhabit, with its classic values woven into contemporary mores.

Ethnic fizz in a trendy space …

Fizzy Goblet’s first physical store in Bengaluru, designed by The Office of Cognitive Design, began from deliberations on how the vibrant essence of the brand and its ambitious goals could be captured and expressed in a charming space.

Crafting charming space optics

Optics Express in New Delhi, designed by Sync Design Studio, is a space that meets the brand purpose with a careful amalgamation of ethnic, functional and contrasting elements.

Five Best Retail Innovations From Across The Globe In 2020

Matthew Brown – Retail Futurist, Echochamber London, picks out these five innovative retail concepts globally, which stood out even in the midst of a pandemic induced gloom and uncertainty.

‘Have a technology partner who can anticipate your needs'

Leo van de Polder, MaRC- Global Development Director for Shop! the global trade association dedicated to enhancing retail environments and experiences, who has a demonstrated history of working in the retail marketing and advertising industry for many years, shares more insights on the status of the global retail industry today in this second part of his exclusive interaction with VMRD.

The 3 R's fest @ Central

Known for its elaborate window displays, Central, the multi brand departmental store chain from Future Group, drew inspiration from the design theme ‘Resurface Repaint Refinish’, combining recycled props with bright colors & vibrant design for its new festive windows.