RETAIL DESIGNING

Retail design is a creative process of designing using commercial discipline for the design and construction of retail space. Retail designing is a specialised practice for both architecture and interior design. However, elements such as interior decoration, industrial design, graphic design, visual merchandising, ergonomics and advertising.

Currently, retail design is heavily demanded due to it becoming a promoting strategy. In order for the products to sell well to the consumers, the spaces must be design in a way where it promotes a good retail experience to the consumers. In designing a retail space, it must be specially designed for the category of products that is being place in the space. 

Retail spaces must be designed in a way it will attract people into the space to stay longer and possibly shop and also the facade must act as a attractor for consumer to enter the store. 

Interesting facade of a retail shop

HISTORY

Retail design started in the middle of the 19th century and began to grow as stores such as Bon Marche and Printemps started to pay attention to their retail designing in Paris. These early progression of retail designing later continued with the creation of chain stores

Bon Marche in Paris

ROLE

A good retail experience must be created by the retail designer for the consumer. The space must be able to entertain and give the functionality of sales to the consumer - the consumer needs to be able to interact with the space and product. It is stated that the level of success of the designs is not measured by the design critics but it is determined by the records of the store compared to the foot traffic against the overall productivity. Retail designers must be able to identify that the store and the designs are the image and background to the merchandise. Therefore, retail designing are created to represent those elements and be able to reflect the products to the consumer. 

DESIGN ELEMENTS

The standard design elements are as follow ; alterations to the perspective of the structure of the space, entrances, circulation systems, light, sound and materials. By exploring and enhancing the elements and applying it to retail design, consumer will receive a thematic retail experience that will possibly excite them in the space. It is also important that the understanding of permanent and non permanent features have to be taken into count when designing the space as season and products changes.