Retail Design ─ Theoretical Perspectives

The late twentieth century saw rapid growth in consumption and the expansion of retailing and services. This was reflected in the number and type of stores and locations, from regional shopping malls and out-of-town superstores to concept and flagship stores. Retail design became an essential part of its success by creating distinctive brands and formats. However, the economic recession in the developed world and competition for consumer goods from the developing world has led to a re-assessment of the growth-led conventions of the retail industry. In addition, the rapid advance of e-commerce and online shopping has created new challenges for physical stores and the communication and distribution of retail brands. The book will provide students, researchers and practitioners a detailed assessment of retail design, taking a distinctive global approach to place design practice and theory in context. Chapters are devoted to key issues in the visual and structural contribution of design to retail brands and format development, and to the role of design in communication. In the course of the book, the authors engage with problems of convergence between retailing and other services and between the physical and virtual worlds, and also changing patterns of use, re-use and ownership of retail spaces and buildings. Retail Design concerns designers and organisations but also defines its broader contribution to society, culture and economy.

Ann Petermans holds a Ph.D. in Architecture and is affiliated to the Faculty of Architecture and Arts of Hasselt University (Belgium). Her PhD focused on the translation and investigation of the principles and practices of the ’experience economy’ within the discipline of interior architecture in general, and retail design in particular. In her PhD, she investigated what ’experiences’ in retail environments entail, and which research methodologies can be used to gain insight in experiences in retail stores. Since her PhD, her research scope on experience and wellbeing has widened to not only involve retail environments any more, but diverse sorts of environments wherein people reside, live, work, function and aim 'to feel well'. Next to research on experience, well-being and happiness in interior architecture, Ann also teaches on these subjects in the Master’s in Interior Architecture at Hasselt University. Anthony Kent is Professor of Fashion Marketing at Nottingham Trent University. He completed a PhD from the University of the Arts London for his research into the locational contexts of fashion retail stores, their built environments and interior design. Previously he undertook a funded MBA, specialising in retail, and holds a BA (Hons.) in Modern History from the University of Oxford where he received two awards. He has worked as a product planner for a footwear company and retail management in the Buying and Merchandising function. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the Higher Education Institute, and sits on the Committee for the Marketing Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management. He is a member of Design Management International and a non-executive Director of Cybercard Ltd.