In recent years, retail designers have been met with a new challenge: to create shopping experiences that cater to digital-first generations while continuously engaging shoppers who primarily shop in-store. The intersection between digital and physical retail channels has catalysed a multitude of new trends in the retail world, with new technologies being applied almost every step of the way to increase production efficiency and attract shoppers through immersive and exciting experiences. While some retailers pull out all the stops to create memorable experiences for their customers, this is not necessarily the only (or the best) way to connect with shoppers. Before decorating your omnichannel retail strategy with expensive gimmicks, strip down to the basics. Do your customers feel welcome in your store? Does your store foster meaningful connections with shoppers, or are they merely entertained for a few fleeting moments?Where retail design meets hospitalityThe borders between retail and hospitality are increasingly blurring. Looking at the basic principles of hospitality, we know that customers want to feel served and respected. Customers want memorable, personalised experiences in an environment that inspires and transports them. When visitors form an emotional connection with your brand, long-term loyalty follows suit. Traditionally, the physical store is transaction-centred. The focus is thus on the products; all design mechanisms such as spatial planning, shelf layout and product categorisation work towards the goal of yielding maximum profits at maximum efficiency. The experience-based store, however, operates on different principles. Following the example set by hospitality and wellness spaces, this design approach places customer experience at the very centre. Long-term customer relations are therefore prioritised over once-off transactions. There are many ways to achieve this: rethinking the role of the physical store as a showroom, increasing visitors’ dwell-time through additions like an in-store cafe, encouraging community engagement by hosting social events and workshops, and integrating the products into the retail environment, for example, a coffee shop where all the furniture and decorations are also for sale. As retailers are borrowing inspiration from hospitality experiences to create impactful stores that foster connections with shoppers, the retail-hospitality design philosophy has delivered a new wave of remarkable experience-based retail design projects. Let’s look at some of the most inspiring store designs. In-store hospitality offerings: mtl Coffee ShopImages: Studio StofLotte Department Store, which recently opened in South Korea’s Dongtan residential area, created a stunning coffee shop as part of its lifestyle brand, mtl. The bakery cafe is set in a light and spacious 238 square metre terrace and botanic space. Surrounded by numerous other retail brands, the cafe is a multifunctional hospitality and leisure space with imported coffee, a bespoke shop area, and a seminar lounge. The harmony between the various retail and hospitality offerings in the department store’s expansive lifestyle programme creates a convenient and immersive one-stop location where visitors can enjoy quiet moments in between shopping. The design of the mtl cafe adds to the engaging retail experience. Using materials such as oil finished plywood, retro coloured stainless steel, raw concrete panels, anti stucco walls and textured white tiles, the design exudes elegance and tranquillity. The cafe furniture ranges from department store-inspired product shelving to bar-style seating and laid-back lounging areas to cater to a multitude of individual and group visitor scenarios. The touches of greenery throughout the space along with the massive sliding doors that open to the outdoor terrace create a seamless flow between the indoor sanctuary and the urban-botanical landscapes outside. Engaging customer journey: Cactus Fashion StoreImages: Boundary Space DesignHospitality elements in retail are not limited to in-store cafe offerings. CACTUS is a concept clothing store in Xi’an, China with a retro romantic pink theme coupled with inspiration from desert landscapes and Moroccan design. The store is set in a two-storey retail space with a floor area of 40 square metres on the first level and 200 square metres on the second level. The spatial limitations of the existing floor plan challenged the designers to create a strategic customer journey that guides shoppers inside the store and towards the upstairs area.The various pink hues from the ceramic bricks, feature ceiling structure, painted benches and neon wall lighting fixtures are subdued by the concrete flooring, simplistic mid-century modern furniture, and minimalist product displays. A spiral staircase connects the two levels, slowly revealing more of the upstairs space as visitors move up the steps. While the downstairs area encourages visitors to dwell in the lounge and bar area, the upstairs level engages shoppers through a garden-inspired floor layout that creatively connects the different product categories. The apparel products subtly form part of the immersive design strategy, mimicking museum and art gallery displays to facilitate a slow movement with increased dwell time throughout the retail space.Tranquil dwelling spaces: Ginlee StudioImages: DezeenGinlee Studio in Singapore demonstrates the value of inspiring store design to increase shoppers’ dwell-time and foster meaningful connections with the retail environment. Located in a small retail space in a shopping centre in the city, the Ginlee Studio store design maximises spatial potential by combining the brand’s products with an on-site pleated-to-order garment service workshop, as well as an indoor courtyard garden where shoppers can enjoy a quiet escape from the busy shopping centre environment. Visitors can relax in the garden while observing the pleating process at the workstation and waiting for their garments to be completed. The store features a simple layout with light pebble-washed walls and flooring. Curved metal clothing rails along with similarly curved seating benches in the garden area and contours in the ceiling frame and lighting fixtures function as a creative extension of the pleated garments that are created in the store. Multi-sensory product discovery: Teema TeahouseImages: YatofuIn Helsinki, Finland, Teema Teahouse is an experience-centric retail and hospitality concept space. Visitors can enjoy premium tea tastings while learning about the origins of the various teas and engaging in community events such as workshops and educational sessions. The conscious design of the teahouse creates a playful yet approachable dwelling space for customers to engage with the brand and make lasting connections with contemporary tea culture in the Nordic lifestyle. The design of the 860-square metre retail space is inspired by the rich history and culture of tea. The use of uneven, raw materials such as brick, clay, timber and iron serves as a reference to the rawness of tea as an ingredient. The craftsmanship and weathered, earthy tones displayed in the furniture and fixtures evoke a strong connection with the tea products. Further to this, the selection of materials and textures is a nod to those used in the tea-making process, thereby creating a consistent narrative between the retail products and the customer experience embedded in the physical store environment. Immersive design: The Red RoomImages: DezeenThe striking design of The Red Room bar in London’s The Connaught hotel mirrors the interior of an art collector’s home. From the eclectic selection of furniture and prestigious art collection to the theatrical architecture of the walls, windows, doors, pillars and fireplace, the bar is a retail hospitality space like no other. While the retail offering of the bar is no new concept, the distinctive design inspires a warm and welcoming atmosphere that can only be achieved by the successful integration of hospitality principles. A welcoming and immersive customer experience can thus be facilitated through creative design elements by establishing an engaging shopper journey through the retail space and interchanging product displays with inspiring, calming moments along the way. Design that makes an impression on visitors further sparks engagement by motivating customers to interact with the space and share their experiences online. Visual appeal is a key aspect of hospitality retail design, particularly when targeting the social media-focused Gen Z and millennial shopper demographics. Greater Group is a multi-disciplinary global retail design agency. We have been creating award-winning retail spaces, customer experiences and workplaces since 1989, utilising our combined expertise to deliver high-impact, high-return design, fit-out and manufacturing solutions and provide clients with one point of contact throughout.Learn more about our design and build services, hospitality design and design agency today!Contact us at contact@thegreatergroup.com to discuss how we can elevate your brand through innovative, future-proof retail design solutions. Share :
In recent years, retail designers have been met with a new challenge: to create shopping experiences that cater to digital-first generations while continuously engaging shoppers who primarily shop in-store. The intersection between digital and physical retail channels has catalysed a multitude of new trends in the retail world, with new technologies being applied almost every step of the way to increase production efficiency and attract shoppers through immersive and exciting experiences. While some retailers pull out all the stops to create memorable experiences for their customers, this is not necessarily the only (or the best) way to connect with shoppers. Before decorating your omnichannel retail strategy with expensive gimmicks, strip down to the basics. Do your customers feel welcome in your store? Does your store foster meaningful connections with shoppers, or are they merely entertained for a few fleeting moments?Where retail design meets hospitalityThe borders between retail and hospitality are increasingly blurring. Looking at the basic principles of hospitality, we know that customers want to feel served and respected. Customers want memorable, personalised experiences in an environment that inspires and transports them. When visitors form an emotional connection with your brand, long-term loyalty follows suit. Traditionally, the physical store is transaction-centred. The focus is thus on the products; all design mechanisms such as spatial planning, shelf layout and product categorisation work towards the goal of yielding maximum profits at maximum efficiency. The experience-based store, however, operates on different principles. Following the example set by hospitality and wellness spaces, this design approach places customer experience at the very centre. Long-term customer relations are therefore prioritised over once-off transactions. There are many ways to achieve this: rethinking the role of the physical store as a showroom, increasing visitors’ dwell-time through additions like an in-store cafe, encouraging community engagement by hosting social events and workshops, and integrating the products into the retail environment, for example, a coffee shop where all the furniture and decorations are also for sale. As retailers are borrowing inspiration from hospitality experiences to create impactful stores that foster connections with shoppers, the retail-hospitality design philosophy has delivered a new wave of remarkable experience-based retail design projects. Let’s look at some of the most inspiring store designs. In-store hospitality offerings: mtl Coffee ShopImages: Studio StofLotte Department Store, which recently opened in South Korea’s Dongtan residential area, created a stunning coffee shop as part of its lifestyle brand, mtl. The bakery cafe is set in a light and spacious 238 square metre terrace and botanic space. Surrounded by numerous other retail brands, the cafe is a multifunctional hospitality and leisure space with imported coffee, a bespoke shop area, and a seminar lounge. The harmony between the various retail and hospitality offerings in the department store’s expansive lifestyle programme creates a convenient and immersive one-stop location where visitors can enjoy quiet moments in between shopping. The design of the mtl cafe adds to the engaging retail experience. Using materials such as oil finished plywood, retro coloured stainless steel, raw concrete panels, anti stucco walls and textured white tiles, the design exudes elegance and tranquillity. The cafe furniture ranges from department store-inspired product shelving to bar-style seating and laid-back lounging areas to cater to a multitude of individual and group visitor scenarios. The touches of greenery throughout the space along with the massive sliding doors that open to the outdoor terrace create a seamless flow between the indoor sanctuary and the urban-botanical landscapes outside. Engaging customer journey: Cactus Fashion StoreImages: Boundary Space DesignHospitality elements in retail are not limited to in-store cafe offerings. CACTUS is a concept clothing store in Xi’an, China with a retro romantic pink theme coupled with inspiration from desert landscapes and Moroccan design. The store is set in a two-storey retail space with a floor area of 40 square metres on the first level and 200 square metres on the second level. The spatial limitations of the existing floor plan challenged the designers to create a strategic customer journey that guides shoppers inside the store and towards the upstairs area.The various pink hues from the ceramic bricks, feature ceiling structure, painted benches and neon wall lighting fixtures are subdued by the concrete flooring, simplistic mid-century modern furniture, and minimalist product displays. A spiral staircase connects the two levels, slowly revealing more of the upstairs space as visitors move up the steps. While the downstairs area encourages visitors to dwell in the lounge and bar area, the upstairs level engages shoppers through a garden-inspired floor layout that creatively connects the different product categories. The apparel products subtly form part of the immersive design strategy, mimicking museum and art gallery displays to facilitate a slow movement with increased dwell time throughout the retail space.Tranquil dwelling spaces: Ginlee StudioImages: DezeenGinlee Studio in Singapore demonstrates the value of inspiring store design to increase shoppers’ dwell-time and foster meaningful connections with the retail environment. Located in a small retail space in a shopping centre in the city, the Ginlee Studio store design maximises spatial potential by combining the brand’s products with an on-site pleated-to-order garment service workshop, as well as an indoor courtyard garden where shoppers can enjoy a quiet escape from the busy shopping centre environment. Visitors can relax in the garden while observing the pleating process at the workstation and waiting for their garments to be completed. The store features a simple layout with light pebble-washed walls and flooring. Curved metal clothing rails along with similarly curved seating benches in the garden area and contours in the ceiling frame and lighting fixtures function as a creative extension of the pleated garments that are created in the store. Multi-sensory product discovery: Teema TeahouseImages: YatofuIn Helsinki, Finland, Teema Teahouse is an experience-centric retail and hospitality concept space. Visitors can enjoy premium tea tastings while learning about the origins of the various teas and engaging in community events such as workshops and educational sessions. The conscious design of the teahouse creates a playful yet approachable dwelling space for customers to engage with the brand and make lasting connections with contemporary tea culture in the Nordic lifestyle. The design of the 860-square metre retail space is inspired by the rich history and culture of tea. The use of uneven, raw materials such as brick, clay, timber and iron serves as a reference to the rawness of tea as an ingredient. The craftsmanship and weathered, earthy tones displayed in the furniture and fixtures evoke a strong connection with the tea products. Further to this, the selection of materials and textures is a nod to those used in the tea-making process, thereby creating a consistent narrative between the retail products and the customer experience embedded in the physical store environment. Immersive design: The Red RoomImages: DezeenThe striking design of The Red Room bar in London’s The Connaught hotel mirrors the interior of an art collector’s home. From the eclectic selection of furniture and prestigious art collection to the theatrical architecture of the walls, windows, doors, pillars and fireplace, the bar is a retail hospitality space like no other. While the retail offering of the bar is no new concept, the distinctive design inspires a warm and welcoming atmosphere that can only be achieved by the successful integration of hospitality principles. A welcoming and immersive customer experience can thus be facilitated through creative design elements by establishing an engaging shopper journey through the retail space and interchanging product displays with inspiring, calming moments along the way. Design that makes an impression on visitors further sparks engagement by motivating customers to interact with the space and share their experiences online. Visual appeal is a key aspect of hospitality retail design, particularly when targeting the social media-focused Gen Z and millennial shopper demographics. Greater Group is a multi-disciplinary global retail design agency. We have been creating award-winning retail spaces, customer experiences and workplaces since 1989, utilising our combined expertise to deliver high-impact, high-return design, fit-out and manufacturing solutions and provide clients with one point of contact throughout.Learn more about our design and build services, hospitality design and design agency today!Contact us at contact@thegreatergroup.com to discuss how we can elevate your brand through innovative, future-proof retail design solutions. Share :