"Lifestyle Centre"​... Just another word for shopping centre?

The International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) defines a Lifestyle Centre as a “specialised centre” that has “upscale national-chain specialty stores with dining and entertainment in an outdoor setting”. A quick glance around your major city shopping centres, and you'll quickly note this is an apt definition.

We live in a technology rich society where online shopping is easier than ever before, and will only continue to expand. But humans will always crave community, something that online shopping simply cannot replicate. It’s no shock to retail developers, retailers and designers, that good retail design is the key to attracting consumers to physical stores. When you consider that we all visit shopping centres potentially multiple times a week, these spaces have the privileged opportunity to make a lasting impression on us. These spaces serve not only a business agenda, they influence a vital community service as people meet, work, eat and create shared experiences there, becoming Lifestyle Centres. In this context, Retail Design is fundamental to the development of the community we so desperately crave.

If you want to ensure your business prospers in this new reality of shopping centres, you need to work with a retail design solutions company that sees the retail stores as a whole, encompassing the business and community, not only as a physical space.

Get in contact with us to see how we can help you.

Consistent + Scalable+ Intelligent

Mergers + acquisitions offer companies the prospect of boosting performance and firing up long-term growth. However, these deals, whether large or small, involve several steps and success often requires artfully balancing competing business interests. The recent proposed merger of API and Sigma Health Care, like the 2016 merger of Terry White Chemists and Chemmart, are testament to the rate of these developments in the Australian pharmacy industry. In a process like this, some brands may disappear but others rise after the fusion of strategies and infrastructure.

At Project Duo, retail is what we do. We invest in future proof, agile tools perfectly aligned to take these brands to the next phase of their retail journey. Our global alignment strategies consistently ensure strong brand recognition. We’re creating dynamic and smart retail spaces for your unique customer. See more of our consistent, intelligent + scalable solutions at designdesign.biz

#consistent #intelligent #scalable #problemsolving #design #retaildesign #designthinking

Barbers – Artisans of hair

AN EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY IN IN THE HAIR & BEAUTY RETAIL MOVEMENT

Globalisation, advancements in technology, and ever-present social media platforms have increased awareness around personal grooming and beauty services. The likes of Instagram, Pinterest & Snapchat, provide a constant barrage of opinion and attitude from not just celebrities or fashionistas, but from friends, to complete strangers across the globe.

Expectations on women to be beautiful and immaculately presented, have existed forever. But with the popularity of print magazines such as Men's Health or GQ, promoting change, we know that men are looking for more than simply meeting the minimum requirements for presentation and grooming. There is a genuine cultural shift across the world that's made image consciousness more acceptable.

ONCE LIMITED TO A NO-FRILLS BARBER ‘SHORT-BACK-&-SIDES’, A SHAVE & ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS, A SPLASH OF OLD SPICE, MALE GROOMING STANDARDS AND BEAUTY ROUTINES ARE BEING REDEFINED.

Men are spending more than ever on their appearance, investing in stylists, vitamins and even make-up. According to a recent survey by Mozo.com.au, one in five Australian men are now getting manicures and pedicures. Men no longer deny themselves the luxuries women have long enjoyed understood, like hair colouring, hair removal and skin care treatments.

From a retail perspective, this is a booming business amidst the misery of the majority of the retail industry. As a service provider that can never be replaced by online shopping, hair salons, and particularly Barber Shops are in the ideal position to grow in confidence. Hairdressing is, and always has been, considered a necessity of personal grooming. Demand for haircuts and styling is irrepressible, even during times of economic uncertainty.

Capturing a segment of this $6.5 billion market, is not as simple as just opening the doors and hoping they’ll come. We know that the priority skills for those in the health & beauty industry are active listening + speaking skills and service orientation, but these must be backed up by the ‘luxury’ we see in social media. We want our lives to reflect those we see in the media and the facades our ‘friends’ allow us to see on social media. That means being seen in the right space. For a new breed of men and boys seeking vanity, that’s the barbershop.

For some men, the barber shop provides a connection to community. The local High St barber provides a relaxing environment for a casual catch up on the local gossip (AKA weekend sports results) and camaraderie. Barber House in Brazil provides the ultimate destination for men to gather, for a bachelor party no less. Providing everything from packages for groups of men to share their grooming experience over a beer, to matching bride & groom tattoos. Stanford Barbers in Perth have cornered their target hipster market with the branding their space as a “Grooming Lounge”. For Pickings & Parry, their market includes the whole gamut of health & beauty and fashion in one. From the antique boy’s toys cleverly integrated, to the old school coffee and blue jeans, this epitomises the modern mancave destination.

When it comes to design in Barber Shops, all are not equal. If you’re looking to launch into this booming market, or perhaps upgrade your current portfolio of barbers, you’re going to need a qualified retail design team on your side. Get in touch with us now and we’ll show you what a great barber shop looks like. 

Retail Design : Impacting on society

Much has been written about the social role that art and design play in our communities, but few have focused on Retail Design and its relevance. Design plays a major part in our everyday lives. We are surrounded by objects produced as a result of someone else’s designs. Whilst the general public might not consciously know it or value it, we as designers see the real impact. Retail Design is no different to any other design discipline when in comes to people’s perception, but it is highly relevant to the economy and the general success of modern society.

The retail industry exists to provide goods and services necessary for needs of all kinds. The industry is responsible for a huge portion of employment and financial interests. According to Shopping Centre Council of Australia, as at May 2018, 10.2% of the Australian workforce was employed by the Retail Trade sector, two thirds of these were working in shopping centres. Roy Morgan Research predicted that retail spending during the 2018 Christmas season would be $51.5 billion (1). This means there are millions of us spending each and every day. What a powerful opportunity each of those consumers could bring to the industry if we executed our role as designers effectively.

We live in a technology rich society where online shopping is easier than ever before, and will only continue to expand. It’s no shock to retail developers, retailers and designers to know that good retail design can be the key to attracting consumers to physical shops. When you consider that we all visit shopping centres potentially multiple times a week, these spaces have the privileged opportunity to make a lasting impression on us. These spaces serve not only a business agenda, they influence a vital community service as people meet, work, eat and create shared experiences there. In this context, Retail Design is fundamental to the development of the community we so desperately crave.

As curators of these integral spaces, we need to be doing more than simply enhancing the mood and bolstering impulse buys. Designers and retail developers need to be accountable for creating engagement, safety, comfort, community, compassion, success for the consumer as well as the business. We can’t be self-aggrandising with this function & responsibility. More and more people are looking to shop with retail brands who support charities or use responsible sourcing & manufacturing. The customer wants to buy into the environment they shop in. This is further evidenced in @Scentre Group’s new developments around the simplest of designs for thoughtful coffee cup disposal, recently highlighted in an earlier linkedIn post.

We can use our designer superhero powers to enlighten the customer to these wonderful possibilities!

Whether the consumer knows it or not, they will continue to be influenced by the design around them. Design’s vital role in creating spaces that drive consumers, to be compassionate, empathetic, just, and proud, will continue too. A great retail designer is more significant, and more relevant than ever. Your business might be worth $1,000 or a $1,000,000,000, but your need for a great retail designer is equally important…a retail designer committed to strengthening an authentic society.

 (1)     http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7803-roy-morgan-ara-christmas-2018-sales-forecast-201811160424