Retail of tomorrow

The online boom has certainly changed the way in which consumers shop. The question is how should we change the way we design for retail stores? There is no doubt that if retailers don’t engage consumers with a memorable experience then the price comparison, convenience and comfort of an online store will dominate the rapidly changing market.   

The role of the retail space is changing. The role of the retail space is changing. In the past year, shoppers have clicked and spent $10 billion to $12 billion online, about 5 per cent of total retail sales of $250 billion. The executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, Russell Zimmerman, says about half the online figure was spent offshore (Helen Greenwood SMH 2011). 

Distribution channels have broadened and business models have had to adapt to a shift from traditional retail methods. While retail has customarily been seen as competing with online business customers ultimately care about their needs being met - service, convenience and value. This has seen many retail stores attempt to combine the shopping experiences with one of customer service, in order to encourage impulse purchases and offering the facility of online monetary transactions.    

National Geographic Store, Singapore.       

Brands such as National Geographic have embraced this theory encouraging a more experiential and educational retail experience in their stores (Singapore store featured below). Their stores are highly curated and offer high levels of attraction and entertainment in order to expand their market from a lifestyle publication into a TV channel, website and museum to redefine their brand to compete during this transitional stage of retail. 

In a competitive and transitional market place, brands need to be memorable and powerful. They need to tell a story in order to sell their products, particularly in the digital age. Consumers need to know what they are buying and why. This is part of the reason that retail stores are looking to correlate a physical space with an online store as a powerful tool in marketing their products and services. Retail design needs to embrace and nurture this theory as spaces become transitional and flexible for the evolving needs of consumers.  

 Call omgprojects today for advice on your retail brand + shop fitout (02) 9262 7254 or email us enquiries@omgprojects.com.au