Interior architecture
Store design
In retail, the measure of the design is how long the customer stays inside. A shop where people buy off the shelf and a store people come to by appointment cannot be built on the same plan: one is governed by circulation, the other by seating. In the project below we set out how that distinction works.
There are 1 projects on this page.
What we settle in this kind of space
Planning by length of stay
A customer who leaves in five minutes wants circulation; one who stays two hours wants seating. If a store has both, the plan separates them; if not, you choose which customer it is built for at the outset.
The surface behind the product
A product takes its colour from the wall behind it. If the product itself is pale, the surface behind it is kept neutral and colour is moved above eye level. It is the cheapest decision that bears directly on the sale.
The companion is a customer too
In long sales the decision is not made alone. When the person who came along is given nowhere to sit, look and talk, the meeting shortens and the decision is postponed.
Frequently asked
- What is the first decision in store design?
- How long the customer will stay. In a short stay the circulation route, product density and till position govern; in a long stay it is the seating, the fitting area and privacy. A store drawn before that question is answered serves neither type of customer well.
- Should a store be divided into closed partitions?
- Beyond the fitting room, usually not. Closed partitions shrink the space and make it harder for staff to keep an eye on the room. Where privacy is needed, an arched opening, a half wall or a change of level is used: the view softens, sound passes, and the store still reads as a single volume.
- Are these drawings or photographs?
- Drawings. We prepared the three-dimensional visuals for the store ourselves; they are not photographs taken on site. The credits say what stage the project is at, so you know what you are looking at.
Let’s talk about your space.
The dimensions of the shell and what you sell are enough. Tell us how long a customer stays inside and we will build the plan around it.