Retail Design International – serie

The increasing trend towards digitisation seems to be spurring on the bricks and mortar retailers. Hybrid spaces communicate with the customers as a matter of course on all levels: online, offline and on site. Beyond conventional retail formats, this has spawned surprising concepts which combine aspects from different areas of life with each other. Clever hospitality offerings, curated showrooms as well as flexible co-working and event spaces complement established retail locations. At the same time, many malls and shopping centres have seen better days and have been completely refurbished. The new standard work about the sector presents the most recent developments in worldwide retail design with articles from experts working in interdisciplinary teams and innovative reference projects. Text in English and German.

Hybrid systems not only revolutionise our mobility but also provide a fresh breath of air in retailing with the layering of various functions. Large-format building structures such as department stores and shopping centres are revitalised in line with climate optimisation and supplemented with small-scale mixed uses. Shared spaces for young start-ups and established brands offer greater variety and the opportunity to liven up too extensive spaces with new experiences and inspirations. Retail sharing has developed into an effective recipe against decreasing frequenting. Text in English and German.

The processes of change throughout the retail sector has rapidly gained dynamism through the COVID-19 pandemic. In an unprecedented situation, social distancing has fuelled the integration of digital shopping functions and at the same time the yearning for real places of encounter. Retail Design International addresses these shifts and presents over 40 brave concepts that drive the retail shift forwards.Text in English and German.

What’s next? The question of whether future retail design will be analogue, digital or hybrid has long since been answered. It is now interesting to ask what synergy effects result from this and how these can contribute to the resilience of our built environment. Especially the mature inner cities are facing enormous innovation pressure. Smart alliances are being formed and daring retail concepts are being tried out that add value in the urban space. The new yearbook shows solutions that accompany us worldwide into the “new normal”.Text in English and German.

Through the connectivity of different cultures, technologies and living environments, the retail sector is increasingly varied and experimental. At the same time, the uncertainties of the last two years have shown that free international trade between nations and continents is a fragile asset. Retail chains have been severed and the availability of energy and raw materials is limited. Creative stopgaps, as well as analogue and digital elements that appeal to all our senses, give new impulses for urban retailing. On the way to a retail metaverse, high-touch meets high-tech.Text in English and German.

Whether it is about the revitalisation of entire districts or the seasonal restructuring of individual sales spaces, the topics of reuse and “further development” of existing buildings are becoming increasingly relevant throughout the retail industry. The creative repurposing of empty department stores and parking blocks makes use of space and resources. Exceptional concepts are presented in this yearbook. Text in German and English.