Covid-19 has left a major mark on landlords and retailers. Whilst e-commerce has undoubtedly propped up retailers, it is not a long- term sustainable solution. Physical retail is still the best way for brands and customers to connect, especially in fashion and apparel.
At Northbanks Design we’ve created exciting retail environments for global clients such as Ralph Lauren, Lego, Vivienne Westwood, Converse and Alfred Dunhill to name a few. With over 25 years of experience, we know exactly how to create retail environments that best reflect an ever-changing society.
Physical retail is not dying. In fact, many of our clients and other global future-forward brands such as Nike and Burberry are heavily investing in in-store innovations. A shop is the ideal environment to communicate the brand or retailers’ personality and unique authentic story that people now crave. It is a curated insight into the ethos of the brand. This is hard to achieve in a crowded digital world. With our expertise, we know a store, with its soft selling approach to product merchandising, window displays, life style decoration, characteristic shop design and assisted shopping with fellow humans we can relate to, are indispensable ingredients to a successful brand.
We have all seen retailers with stores having to cut back, limiting their physical footprint. However, online sales are not sure to fill that gap. Digital first retailers are perhaps in the best position but they have known that a physical presence is important to connecting to their customers, which is hard to do online. But, committing to a long-term lease is much less viable now.
We see in the new normal brands may be less likely to take out a typical five-year lease, shorter pop-up stores are going to be more appealing. Cost effective pop-ups can appear anywhere – and go where your customers are! Retail space, train stations, piazzas…the ability to be agile and ‘pop-up’ in locations or even different cities is a really exciting solution to reaching a wider customer base. This allows brands to test new markets and product launches, personalise buyer experience and ultimately sell more.
Temporary retail creates physical spaces that deliver a cohesive brand message that ties into marketing campaigns. A pop-up builds brand awareness, attracts positive PR and puts your brand in front of new shoppers. With that in mind, a real focus for Northbanks is creating pop-ups that provide landlords and retailers that needed flexibility. We create pop-ups that maximise the buying opportunities to ensure the customer gets the best brand experience.
Let us help you find the right solution for your retail needs, whether you are a landlord, shop owner or brand wanting to immerse customers in your brand. Get in touch!
Give us a call on +44 (0) 2079 938066 (we’re really nice!)
Or email [email protected] if you’re feeling shy!
With over 25 years of global experience in retail design and visual merchandising for global giants such as Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and Alfred Dunhill, John joined Northbanks in 2017 following a hugely successful 5year stint in Shanghai where he was Visual Merchandising professor at Mod’Art and then Creative Director at Design Overlay, a similar agency to Northbanks.
John is passionate about using his experience to help brands develop and implement or improve their retail brand identity.
John is also on the board of advisors at Save the High Street and a council member at the British Display Society.