Outstanding Store Designs

There’s a paradigm change in the shopping environment with rapid evolution of retailing. Today’s retailers know that to engage the customers in the store the shopping experience has to be one of indelible impression. In such a context, a brilliantly done store design ensures that the customer spends a quality time in the store, and the more a customer spends time, the more probability of sales conversion. Retailer has selected nine such stores which stand out for their immaculately done store interior that conforms to the high quality services they offer. The feature highlights the brilliant design aspects of each store.

In this issue of Retailer, the focus is on Delhi and NCRs. For the city’s high GDP and spending trend, and Delhites’ love for lifestyle living, the region is always the lucrative destination for the luxury brands. Out of three metros – Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore – Delhi occupies the foremost position in the luxury market. The presence of the luxury mall DLF Emporio has enabled numerous luxury brands to open their doors. In this feature we have picked up luxury brands and most of them are nestled in this particular luxury mall.

Retail embraces multiple verticals, so the stores are selected from a plethora of product categories, such as apparel, footwear, home furnishing, kitchen wear, automobile, bedding, sanitary ware and CDIT.

Luxury store design creates an unparalleled store environment, where every element in the store, be it bespoke furniture, fixtures, lighting and music, conveys the brand’s unique vision matching up with brilliance of the products and services.  The essence of luxury is captured through a limited number of priceless merchandise positioned elegantly to draw the maximum attention in combination with fabulous artifacts and décor. Space plays a key role in store designing, and in case of luxury stores, the empty space is adeptly turned into an essential component of the store’s beauty with the use of rich material.

“In an Indian context, there is just so much indigenous craft and such rich craft traditions that can be complemented even with new materials. This could be an edge to Indian luxe design.

From an experimental perspective, neither the merchandise nor the space should overwhelm the customer. Rather, every piece must have a special conversation with the guests/visitors/viewers to turn them into customers.”

“While designing a store for an international luxury brand a strict guideline on the brand aesthetics has to be followed.  But always there is a scope for making it relevant to the Indian market. Every aspect of the customers’ journey in the store environment does not completely change but certain degree of adoption is done, especially in the space of lighting and shelf display. But, it has to be marginal because of the well-set guideline. Designing a luxury store from the scratch is challenging in terms of translating a brand personality into retail space. The beauty of luxury space lies in the blend of opulence with minimalism.”

“Retail design in India is only now beginning to get serious. Retail design is much more than designing interiors and is all about bringing brands to life in an environment where customers can interact with them. An understanding of the brand-customer interaction is vital to create memorable engagements at the retail point.”

 

Embracing Superb Fashion

The Italian fashion designer from Florence, Roberto Cavalli’s  stand-alone store at DLF Emporio is any fashionista’s paradise.

Roberto Cavalli store reflects the persona of the world-famous fashion designer. The VIP lounge takes you to a fairytale world where linen, fabric and fur will change the way you look at fashion.

Store Insights

Store Size: 2,000 sq ft

Location: DLF Emporio, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Store Design: Roberto Cavalli and Manav Gangwani

Visual Merchandising: Manav Gangwani

Store Branding: Manav Gangwani

Lighting: Formia International, Italy

Fixtures & Fittings: JC Passion Srl, Italy

Tiling and Flooring: Gruppo Ceramiche Ricchetti, Italy

Led-lit frame: The lighting in the store is special in terms of the lighting placement. The product is wonderfully showcased in LED lit racks. Light, instead of focusing on the bags, seems to be celebrating their coveted presence.

The luring entrance: Through the glass doors at the entrance one can have quite a deep view of the store. Two mannequins place at the entrance create a sense of cat walking on the ramp.

Speaking Mannequins: The striking sculpture like mannequins are placed in a way that leaves a perception that two equally stylish ladies are speaking to each other and are trying to throw a statement of supremacy. This adds an animated ethos to the surroundings.

 

Bathing beautified

Barwood’s luxury sanitaryware brand, Queo, has traversed a long way to reach Indian consumers and make them experience luxury in bathing.

What sets Queo apart is its strong visual language in shades of grey, aqua blues, and white, which create a sense of purity and peace.

Store Insights

Store Size: 4000 sq ft

Location: Gurgaon (NCR)

Store Design: HSIL in-house design team

Visual Merchandising: Romano Adolini
and Fedirico Tombilini

Lighting: HSIL in-house design team

Fixtures & Fittings: HSIL in-house design team

Subtle White: The subtle shade of white denotes luxury and amplifies the tranquility and sophistication of the store and products.

For the flowing water: Queo symbolises the harmony of flowing water and open blue skies. The fittings placed on the wall are coherent with the surroundings, which Queo has created.

Unparalled luxury: The quoted walls speak and bring in connect between the brand and customers.

 

Dream kitchen’s stories well told

Magppie store in Defence Colony is a customer indulging store, offering international kitchen and kitchenware designs to choose from.

Magppie is one of India’s leading brands offering high-end kitchens and kitchenware. The store speaks a lot about how kitchens should be, offering complete kitchen, bar and closet stories (the experiential concepts). This further creates an emotional connect with every customer that walks into the store.

Store Insights

Store Size: 3200 sq ft

Location: Defence Colony, New Delhi

Store Design: 1st floor - Stefan Diez (Germany); 2nd floor - Remi Bouhaniche (France)

Visual Merchandising: Magppie Design Studio

Store Branding: Magppie Design Studio

Lighting: Remi Bouhaniche

Fixtures & Fittings: Magppie Factory

Store Staff’s Uniform Design: Magppie 

Time of project completion: 8 months

Investment in the project: Rs 3.5 crore

Garden Area:This kitchen story offers a very international and relaxed look to it as it extends from a kitchen to an open garden area where one could relax in leisure time, read a book and eat as well, while during parties it could be a great space utiliser.

Rack: The customer is welcomed by the small racks and shelves stacked on a wall, giving a special attention to every kitchenware product kept on them. The shelves are a beautiful mix of wood and steel.

Rotating Bar: The bar story has something unusual to offer wherein the whole bar console can be turned 360 degrees offering a better space area for the user and also gives an equally appealing look to the bar area.

 

Rugged black gold

The only Diesel Black Gold store in the world at Emporio, the luxury mall, is making a style statement which is dirty, rugged and in contrast to the sophistication endorsed by any other luxury brand.

Brand owned by Diesel group, Black Gold is the high-end luxury unit of the brand. It is mostly present in shop-in-shop format in almost all other Diesel stores unlike this one which is an exclusive stand-alone store. The first impression of the store gives a rugged and carelessly maintained look but within seconds you can realise the supremacy through fabulous store layout beneath  the deliberately maintained casual look.

Store Insights

Store Size: 1000 sq ft

Location: Emporio,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Store Design: Diesel IDD

Visual Merchandising: Diesel India

Store Branding: Diesel IDD

Lighting: Ansorg

Fixtures & Fittings: Shark Shop-fit

Product placement: Conforming to the rule of a luxury srtore, it has been left with minimal number of apparels leaving lots of space, and there is a centre table which showcases the products enabling them to grab the attention of the visitors.

Torn-carpet: To support the theme of contrasting sophistication, the store has a blue carpet in the centre of the hall, which is imported from Italy and is torn to support the theme. Adding to the ambience, a couch with jute and cotton popping out, appeals to the carefree nature of the target youth.

Wooden welcome door: In the first sight, the store offers a very elegant antique wooden welcome door which gives a feel of a luxury wardrobe hall, good enough for your legs to step in.

 

Artistic flair

The Aston Martin dealership has an understated and elegant look where the car is actually ‘framed’ by a window design.

An Aston Martin is more than a car; it is a work of art. Its retail architecture reflects Aston Martin’s tradition. The retail design programme creates a sense of interior and exterior space for cars and customers. The car is placed as the distinctive centrepiece of the showroom.

Store Insights

Store Size: 5000 sq ft

Location: Mathura Road, Delhi

Store Design: Imagination

Visual Merchandising: Imagination

Lighting: Reggiani

Fixtures & Fittings by: International labels

Customising panel: Customers can customise their own car starting from the colour of the car to the colour and materials used in the car’s interior. Placed in an exquisite panel, it adds an element of newness to the concept of customisation of cars.

Exquisite display: The Aston Martin merchandise is displayed in a panel just beside the car, making a statement of complete Aston Martin experience.

Luxury accentuated: The feeling of luxury is exuberated by the materials used, integrating marble, glass and aluminium with classic, yet still contemporary furniture. The paintings add to the feel of luxury the brand portrays. The merchandise in the classy glass caskets is another attraction for the customers.

 

The Ferragamo museum

The Italian shoe maker, Salvatore Ferragamo,  was patronised by Hollywood superstars in 1920s through originally owned ‘The Hollywood Boot shop’ and later opened his own store by his name. He died in 1950 but his name lives on as an international brand, known for exquisite hand-made footwear, which has expanded its operations to include luxury shoes, bags, eyewear, silk accessories, watches, perfumes and a ready-to-wear clothing line.

The double storied store has separate men’s and women’s sections with a museum like ambience and each category has a different corner to enjoy.

Store Insights

Store Size: 4,400 sq ft

Location: DLF Emporio, New Delhi

Store Design: Massimiliano Giornetti

Store Branding: In-house team
from Milan HQ, Italy

Lighting: Mega Print KH Ltd

Fixtures & Fittings: Mega Print KH Ltd
and Curves and Designs India Pvt Ltd

Store Staff’s Uniform Design: Italian suits deigned at Milan HQ, Italy

Museum arcade: The store is designed to give a look akin to a museum with the use of bronze nets as a backdrop. Well-lit shelves for the shoes give them a special space for an exclusive feel.

Lighting effect: Background-lit shelf brings out the character from each of the product piece and allows them to match the premium lifestyle.

Personal cabinet: The fixtures and furniture shelter the products just the way they will find a place in a wardrobe.

 

Luxe living

The La Sorogeeka Lounge, created with a royal yet a very contemporary flavour, boasts of  luxury home interior offerings in every detail.

The showroom is designed in black and platinum with the accent colour as deep aubergine. The lounges are divided into three looks with wood interwoven in silver leather and Swarovski clips creating semi partitions. Created from wood with gun metallic finish, the centre table top rotates open. The seating arrangement is comprised of two circular sofas in croco embossed fur velvet in smoky grey.

Store Insights

Store Size: 1200 sq ft

Location: Emporio Mall, New Delhi

Store Design: Anjali & Kashish Goel

Visual Merchandising: Anjali & Kashish Goel

Store Branding: In-house

Lighting: In-house

Fixtures & Fittings: In-house

Window exudes the royal look: The window boasts of a royal look that fits in well with the majestic feel people wish to encompass in their homes.

Imperial tone:

The classic bolster sofas are done in oval bolsters and ended in hand carved silver foiled ornamentation. It is complemented with a one side armed chaise and a regal chair with a wooden crown and an embellished button in the back. The crystal chandelier in the centre completes the magnificent look

Accessorised: Metal artifacts are also on display which adds the needed finesse to a concept!

 

The art of sleep

There are very few companies in the world that have been around for 150 years and are still owned by the same family that founded them. Hastens is one of them. Their passion is sleep and to deliver the best sleep, they claim to create the best bed since 1852.

The store and the products are identified by checks. The store lighting and bedding placement is thematically highlighting the iconic checked fabric.

Store Insights

Store Size: 2500 sq m

Location: DLF South Court, New Delhi

Store Design: Hanna Tellskog

Visual Merchandising: Gunilla Skyman

Store Branding: Hastens Team

Lighting: La sani design studio

Fixtures & Fittings: La sani design studio

Digital Signages: La sani design studio

Project Completion Time: 9 months

It’s all of natural materials: The raw materials used in these beds are all natural – horsehair, flax, wool and cotton. Sample of each is kept for touch and feel for the customer in the store.

Concept bedroom: The store is segmented to give a look of a bedroom. The hammock and wall paintings leave you with an idea for your bedroom.

Vividus: The best bed Hasten’s has to offer is world’s most expensive bed. Hastens’ Vividus, a Latin word meaning vigorous or lively, is hand-made craft exquisite in every detail, which is accomplished with great passion for perfection.

 

At the edge of Imagination

Bang & Olufsen was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current when most radios were run from batteries. This Danish company from there on has covered all the way from making radio to the best audio products, television sets and telephones.

Bang & Olufsen have a philosophy that puts design at the centre of the business. Based on that philosophy, the store design enhances the appeal of the product’s design by placing them at the right place amongst the right colour and contrast. Use of grey in the store flooring allows the jade black colour of the products to stand out forming a classic pattern.

Store Insights

Store Size: 850 sq ft

Location: DLF Emporio

Store Design: B&O design team

Store Branding: B&O design team

Lighting: B&O design team

Furniture and Fixtures: Sourced from Denmark

Theatre experience: A unique feature in the store which sets up the experiential factor for the consumer. Seven-in-one home theatre, which has the best audio and video system in the world, will take the movie experience beyond imagination.

Design philosophy: Each of B&O products attains a distinctly superior level not just technologically but also from the design aspect. The red coloured speakers with inverted cone with corners well serve the aesthetic purpose.

Dream palate: A mini architectural piece kept in the store helps you visualize your dream home with the perfect placement of the products. An experiential guidance to the customers.