TRANSFORMING RETAIL_ FROM MONOCULTURE TO HYBRID PLACE

ANDREAS WEIDNER, Knoblauch Design GmbH

English Version

The rapid spread of smart phones and tablets around the world has changed consumer behaviour dramatically, forcing the retail industry to reconsider its sales channels in the process. Everything can be bought, compared, ordered and evaluated at any time in any place. These developments have spawned completely new concepts for living and shopping which in turn represent new possibilities and opportunities for retailers.

The new Consumer

The lives of the new consumer generation, regardless of age, are a balancing act between fast fashion, the capitalist consumer behaviour of the free market economy on the one hand, and a ethical sense of responsibility as demonstrated by members of Generation Y and Z on the other. This situation has had a catalytic effect on companies and industry, driving new, value-oriented developments and solutions.

Awareness for sustainability, environmental protection and human rights is clearly growing. Across generations, trends and movements are developing (strongly driven by the social media) which are compelling companies and brands to seriously and genuinely consider these aspects in the manufacture of their products, but also when developing new retail concepts and to act accordingly. High tech and ecology, commerce and mindfulness, economic efficiency and social conscience are no longer at odds with each other, indeed, they are forcing companies to offer innovative, future-oriented solutions.

New consumer communities are emerging in the digital world and through the rapid global dissemination of the topics close to their hearts, they act as a kind of “lever“, placing them in a stronger position than ever before. Customers expect companies to manufacture their products responsibly and that the places where they are sold are designed accordingly. The term “sustainability“ is therefore meanwhile to be found in most briefing documents of the fashion industry for the development of new retail concepts.

More and more companies are also keen to have their stores certified for sustainability. For a store in Berlin, Marc O`Polo had this done by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) in partnership with the shoopfitters Knoblauch while Swarovski received the international Platinum LEED certification for a store in Amsterdam. These certifications document that the companies are serious in their efforts and that they are responding to the concerns of the new customer generation.

The longing for transparency, for the true and genuine is the logical consequence. Examples such as bread shops (e.g.Zeit für Brot) which allow a glimpse of the bakery through a glass front fascinate adults and children alike, building trust between customer and company. The same applies to the production of store furnishings. At Knoblauch on Lake Constance, private store owners or business customers can also gain an insight into the production. While they are seated in a meeting in conference room or office or wandering through the furniture exhibition they can watch the store furnishings or fixtures being crafted.

The new ?Store“

All this meant that the term “store“ had to be redefined. It is no longer a space which is statically equipped with presentation elements for goods, mid-floor furniture, wall modules and specialist shelving, but is becoming a “place of relevance“. Based on the brand and the product portfolio of the company, the idea is to define a concept approach which covers the various customer needs through offers which complement one another. This also involves rethinking target groups and finding new ways of reaching them.

Inspiration for the new generation of stores has been taken from the catering business and hotel industry where hospitality and storytelling have been combined into themed experiences for some time. The new store generation is, however, not merely inspired by other areas of life, it even merges with them: shopping, work, catering and leisure can take place in shared places, in various constellations.

The new Opportunity

What is called for is a holistic, cross-sector approach. Consumers/guests are still the focus, however not only to satisfy their needs, but also to fulfil their dreams and desires. This task involves creating previously unfamiliar cross-connections between companies and brands, using networks, setting up and facilitating collaboration. It is all about generating new experiences which have a real meaning.

The goal is thus to create curated, experiential places for shopping, working, catering, culture and leisure, all rolled into one. Precursors of this type of hybrid space were the concept- and flagship Stores, showrooms and Pop-up concepts. However, they tended to provide inspiration and impulses, and are only comparable to the new experiential places in some respects and can be seen as an intern step.

When brick-and-mortar retailers and retail brands use the opportunities their arise boldly and creatively, the resulting hybrid places represent a truly new retail generation. And the real experience for all the senses that they have to offer mean that they have nothing to fear from the omnipresent online trade.