Mrs Keen, what are the most important trends that you currently see in shop fitting?
In our estimation, there are three major trends that shape new store concepts:
We now offer all projects with a ‘green’ option. For us, this means the clients have the flexibility to choose more environment-friendly materials and methods. Also, the option to ‘fresh up and reuse’ is a popular one; more of our projects will now last longer and be reused for campaigns in the future – removing waste from the consumer cycle by thinking about long-term sustainability.
Experiences are key in-store including sensory experiences and the use of technologies such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, apps in-store and linking digital to online. Also, for creating a space that is more than a selling floor we see a trend towards areas of rest, space where customers can just hang out in-store without being sold to.
As well as providing experiences to engage, technology can also be used to educate. The combination of education and entertainment in-store for customers is being implemented more and more into new store concepts from the word go, for example as endless aisles, smart mirrors in place of fitting rooms, and additional product detail on command.