How Smart
Retail Design
Can Increase Your ROI
Successful retail brands understand that a well-executed architectural design can help them reduce costs, meet business objectives, and supercharge growth. Here’s how they do it.
Insights by
Richard Avery
Director of Design
Industries
Financial
Retail
Hospitality
Expertise
Workplaces
Prototypes
Rollouts
Renovations
WHAT THE WORLD’S BIGGEST RETAIL BRANDS UNDERSTAND
You know what it’s like to enter the retail hellscape of the no-name gas station convenience store. It’s crowded, undifferentiated, dirty, and brighter than an operating room. But compare that to a retail experience we at NewGround know well: Starbucks. When you see the green mermaid, you know what to expect: earthiness, warmth, and everyday luxury. You’ll breathe in a rich coffee aroma complemented by sights of wood, leather, and textured fabrics. And you’ll experience tasteful lighting augmented by as much natural light as the space can offer.
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”IN RETAIL DESIGN, FUNCTION COMES BEFORE FORM”
To paraphrase architect Drew Ranieri,
“If a plan works well, you can make it beautiful. But you can’t use aesthetics to make a bad plan work.”
He’s right. Your operations plan comes first.
Oil Changers came to us with a proven operational model, so we didn’t touch this side of their design. But Blue Nile was still translating their online store into an in-person experience and didn’t have an operational design. So, we asked Blue Nile’s operations team, “How do you want to sell your product?” They told us they needed:
- A variety of informal seating areas
- Ease of access to both sides of the jewelry counter (for employees)
- A build-your-own bar to customize jewelry
- Zones for different kinds of merchandise
- Private rooms for larger transactions