Each day, millions of consumers and employees filter through countless retail stores, making design paramount to the shopping experience. But while interior design often takes center stage, the products that go into a retail space also play a key role in creating an experience that connects shoppers to the culture of a brand. With the rapid pace of change in the retail industry, how are product designers innovating to keep consumers coming back? Two past winners of the annual GlobalShop Product Design Competition shared their insights with IIDA.
Recognizing the Value of Product Design
It’s no secret that sales in traditional retail stores have been sluggish in recent years, and e-commerce growth is outpacing in-store growth by nearly five to one. But the new dynamic is creating opportunities for product designers.
“The visual impact and presentation of a space is an important part of what brings people into the store in the first place,” said David Naranjo, vice president of creative at Greneker, which was honored as the Best of Competition winner in the 2016 GlobalShop Product Design Competition for RUN Mannequins. “Brands now understand that they need to spend time, money, and talent on their retail locations.”
Ultimately, the bottom line for companies that invest in product design speaks volumes. “Smaller retailers have been hesitant to purchase mannequins due to the expense, but are now beginning to realize the importance of visual display,” Naranjo noted. “They see sales increase and can’t believe the difference remerchandising or redesigning can make.”
Playing a Role in Retail Theater
For retailers, one size does not fit all. Karen Andersen, marketing manager at Sedia Systems, maker of JumpSeat Collection, a fixed-seating solution for retailers as well as other industries, sees customization as the key. “Every store is looking for new and innovative solutions that grab people’s attention,” she said.
Naranjo agreed that retailers now understand that they need to make their spaces a destination. “People need to be wowed and have an experience that they can’t get elsewhere,” he explained. “Creating retail theater has become more important with the rise of online shopping.”
Naranjo knows that when a mannequin embodies a brand (think of a mannequin mid-stride or in the warrior one yoga pose at an athletic store) it creates a sense of excitement and realism.
Participating in the Design Process
The process of a store redesign has become more collaborative as retail companies realize that all aspects of a store—from branding to materials, technology to merchandising, and point of sale to furniture—must be integrated for a cohesive brand experience. “It’s about creating a harmonious environment,” Naranjo added. “We can help designers create the right opportunities for merchandising. Sharing our thoughts about what is needed, expressing that to them, and working together to figure it out is important.”
Having recently entered the retail market with the JumpSeat Collection, which was also recognized as a winner of the 2016 GlobalShop Product Design Competition, Andersen sees the design process as just that—a process. “We have to work together to create a customizable product,” she said. “We want the retail space that the designer has in their head to come to life, so we consult with them.”
Join IIDA at Globalshop 2017
This month, IIDA heads to GlobalShop 2017, the world’s largest annual show for retail design and shopper marketing. There, winners of the GlobalShop Product Design Competition, presented by IIDA in conjunction with Emerald Expositions, will be on display. IIDA will also host a panel of experts for the program “What Clients Want: Emerging Trends in Retail Design,” a thought-provoking discussion about the influence of retail design. The panel will highlight cutting-edge retail design case studies from the recently released “What Clients Want: Essential Conversations about Retail Design.” The latest volume in the renowned “What Clients Want” book series features 16 international retail design projects. For more information, visit iida.org.
