Opening the doors to the future of stores

Creating successful store concept designs has never been an easy task, today though is more complex than ever. Evolving technologies, advancing brand competition and ever-growing consumer expectations challenge brands to look for new ways to reach to their customers wherever they are to offer a seamless brand experience. Technology is a key driver behind new store concepts and as the traditional brick and mortar is becoming more phygital, architectural design plays a significant part in keeping the balance.

History has shown that although e-commerce grew during the pandemic it did not manage to overthrow the power of the physical instore experience. A store offers a holistic approach where customers interact with the product or brand with all their senses. In the new phygital world conceptual design gives the customer space to enjoy both worlds equally and simultaneously. Smart screens, click and collect, AI technology add to the overall experience offering convenience, personalization, and opportunities for more instore gamification, but keeping the balance is key, if a design overstates branding, technology, or entertainment a store may end up looking more like a showroom rather than a selling point. Design is responsible in integrating different stimuli in the right mix to create a single and clear brand experience for the visitor.

Ιs innovation triggered by technology or design?

The answer is none of the above. Purpose-driven innovation is triggered by customer expectations. Personalization, customizable services, convenience are driving change both in technology and design. New consumer trends and insights lead to better mapping, customer expectations drive innovative space design and digital applications. The customer defines the future of the market, the informed customer raises the standard both for technology and design.

Trends versus budgets

In conceptual store design bringing to life environments, well executed with quality build, deliver them on time and within budget to operate profitably is a challenge. The era of digitalization asks for more fluid solutions and divergent thinking and processes. Divergence enables us to find different approaches that include new ways to engage our audiences. Most brands turn to experienced partners with robust experience in conceptual store design and rollout to ensure an effective development strategy that secures best quality results within given budget and timeframes.

Flexus has over 30 years of experience in architectural concept design and development trusted by a wide spectrum of clients from different industries. Having created more than 1.400 touchpoints gives us a head start in the retail transformation.

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