During a challenging time for the retail industry, we are now more than ever aware of the necessity to be agile and responsive, culturally, socially, and economically. No business is the same or necessarily has the same objectives it had 12 months ago, but too often retail environments are of the moment. Designed to last 5+ years with little consideration into how it may adapt and change to technology, future trends, products, and the marketplace.

Luxury fragrance, jewellery, and leather brand Byredo’s opened its most recent retail offering in Los Angeles. Ben Gorham, creative director expressed that he wanted a space that could ‘change and morph over time, as well as express the collaborative nature of the brand’. As a result, the space offers flexibility with a gallery like feel to it and encourages customers to use the retail environment as a more communal space than retail. Byredo often collaborates with artists and designers allowing them to exhibit in the space, further adding to the ever-changing landscape of its design.

Knowing the hungry and growing appetite for its consumers, Diesel last year made some significant changes to their retail offering. Diesel analysed their store obsolescence which was time framed between six and eight years from opening and over the last couple years moved down to four years. The aim was to feed consumer demands without having to change the entire store. Diesel wanted a system that would allow the store to be easily refreshable but at the same time be commercially viable. Diesel deployed a new concept in their Copenhagen store, that could be easily adjusted to accommodate changing promotions, the ability to modify the ways in which product are displayed easily. Digital screens are placed within the store to allow brand messaging to be changed effortlessly. The concept allows the store layout to change based on trends, seasonality, and activations. A partnership was also made with street artists to ensure the store front can be ever changing and updated. A true chameleon store concept!!!

This concept does not only have to apply to retail, spaces we like to think the same philosophies should apply to any spaces that we heavily interact with, for example the workplace. This office space is Japan has an interesting approach to flexible workspace. Originally a lecture hall, the Shuhei Goto Architects converted the space into a flexible environment that allows space for multiple activities. By executing a tiered approach to the space, it allowed a number of people to sit close but actually create a sense of distance, allowing people to work in their own environment. The space also has multifunctional uses and can host events, allowing the tiered concept to provide a stage and seating. Much like retail, workspace needs to have the ability to flex and adapt to its user.

This year Designer Virgil Abloh opened his first multipurpose space in the heart of Miami’s Design District for his Off-White brand. Abloh with an architect designed the space himself, his approach was not to dedicate himself to x square meterage purely committed to retail space. Instead, together they designed a space that can adapt whenever it needs to. Knowing his consumers, Abloh wanted to provide a place for monetary transactions for products but more importantly to him, is the ability to create an environment where his customers can have a sense of fulfilment and engagement with his brand., in whatever form he wants. We love it!