The “crowded house” mentality of retail design is a thing of the past. Moving forward, retailers want to offer environments that are less distracting for consumers. As a result, say leading designers, “streamlined,” “tidy” and “uncomplicated” are among the buzzwords that will define design in coming years. “Some of the largest design issues are centered on simplicity and clarity,” says Bob Welty, vice president and creative director at Chute Gerdeman, the Columbus, Ohio-based retail design, planning and branding firm.
Even before Sept. 11, consumers in all segments of retail felt somewhat overwhelmed by various burdens — from tough economic pressures to busy schedules to information overload. In response to these increasingly stressed-out shoppers, many retailers now want to simplify their business models from top to bottom. They're changing product mixes, marketing strategies, store layouts — anything to reduce clutter and clarify the message. “I think the issue is not about less inventory, but about simplifying the story retailers are trying to tell,” Welty says. “The customer can only comprehend so much. And if retailers want a product to come through, then they need to scale back.”
For starters, Welty advises retailers to reduce the amount of merchandise in displays and to use more white space as a rest for the eye. Wider aisles, better site lines and more flexible fixtures are all givens.
Great modern retail spaces by Found Associates. I grabbed photos from a few projects due to the diversity of styles. From Industrial Modern to Ultra Modern and then back to Natural Modern they do all of these very well. They have a very nice site too, more pics after the jump.
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