On the 5th and 6th September 2012 – The Marketing Store celebrated 25 years in retail and brand marketing by opening ‘Everything Must Go?’ a pop-up shop on Shoreditch High Street, aimed giving visitors an exclusive look into the future of retail. The exhibits and seminars appear to addressed a number of themes and raised some interesting points and ideas
The death of RRPIn the next 25 years it is possible we will see the death of fixed pricingThe merging of shops, shopping and shoppers‘Everything will be for sale everywhere and by anyone thanks to technology.’ Personalised, time-sensitive and location-based shopping discounts are expected to become a common strategy used by retailers to encourage on-the-go impulse shopping.A move from high street to ‘try street’The high street will become the ‘try street’. As routine and habitual shopping is taken care of by online, then other shopping will likely be driven by an emotional, social and adventurous recreation. The retailer will become entertainer, curator, expert, event organiser.The rise of metailIn 25 years’ time retailers will be masters of the technologies and data that will help them cater to every consumer’s unique desires and preferences – delivering the true reality of metail.
I really love the list of 12 things to watch out for in 2012 by marketing agency Idea works shown in the last message. So I thought it would be nice to illustrate it by a slide show with examples.
Many are interpretations of what I think suits the point others are already being mentioned by Idea works.
For the the list and explanation of all points click here
Starbucks seems to enter a new stage in their recycle design experiments. In the company’s hometown Seattle the coffee chain is opening its’ first store made of used shipping containers. The containers are actually the discarded ones being used to import tea and coffee.
In the New York Times Starbucks says that the eco-friendly concept may lead to more shipping container stores, but keeps the possibility open that it can also be a one of a kind experiment. The store is drive-up and walk-up only with no space to lounge inside. Just another experiment that makes the brand, that almost felt victim to blandness, interesting again.
My stats show me that people are always very interested in predictions of the future. Thinking about the future is significant, but bare in mind that our capability to think about it is limited by our knowledge of today. Disruptions in technology and culture can make a prediction of the near future totally ridiculous or very old fashioned in retrospect.
The Internet is a recent example that changed retail in ways we never expected and not long ago thought impossible. Mobile is already doing the same in a very short time. And if the technology is in some sort of way quite accurate than cultural and social changes makes the prediction almost comical or satiric.
Culture but also economy and politics are the other big driving forces of change that can be so unpredictable. The (spending) power of women, global migration and recently the economical crisis’s are generators or catalyser of change.
I gathered some cool, funny and remarkable examples of predictions about retail from the past. Some are almost spot on, others are falls or completely ridiculous.
Stunning prediction of on line shopping but in the future classic role models are still going strong in household according this short film.
This high tech department store from the 80’s wasn’t promoted because of the Technophobia in this decade.
“On-line shopping isn’t possible!” Was one of the opinions back in the 80’s of last century.
It is a trend already going on for a few years, retailing brands that are hooking up with art and artist. The need to be more than a brand selling products and the call for a transcendent brand story is often found in art. Especially the luxury brands are dissolving the boundaries between the world of art and their retail activities. They have partnerships with artists and presenting art and products as one of the same. In-store galleries are part of the shopping experience. Their global flagship stores are even of museum architectural allure. The new Louis Vuitton store in Singapore is one of the newest examples.
To blur the line even more the luxury brands are not only hosting artists like museums but are occupying or even start museums themselves. The most recent example of this is the Gucci museum in Florence. In this museum the product stands central as if it is an uber exclusive window-shopping experience. At the end there is the possibility to buy a piece of all this luxury porn in its own shop. It is just a matter of time that this museum is going to travel around the world and enrich the shopping experience in all Gucci’s flagships.
What to do if the temporariness of pop up is losing its exclusivity? You take this, ones super hip now uber mainstream phenomenon, more select. No better you make it SECRET. Sports giant Adidas has recently come up with a brilliant sales strategy that sparks a new incentive.
Adidas will launch 6 pop-up stores that are open only for a short time in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The invitations with the opening dates and venues are spread via social networking sites to a select group of people. The urban style stores of 40 to 90 sqm large are furnished with super simple steel tubes furniture. This allowed it to be put up within one day on site with one hex key. Its quick instalation makes the surprise even bigger!
Hello again! It were hectic weeks for me, so I took it easy on the blogging. I made it myself comfortable by only tweeted the things I found interesting. But I know I can’t wait to long with posting some new stuff. Before you know it you’re forgotten. So here is a new post. This time it is not something hot and new. I decided to make a compilation of pictures I collected in the last 12 months. Some photos caught my eye, others reflect tendencies in branding and design but above all they are all about retail.
All people who fly intercontinental flights know you can get bored very easy. After 5 hours flying your Ipod, book or in-flight entertainment system isn’t much of a help against boredomanymore. You wish to leave your seat too but it feels a waste of time unless you have to stretch your Stiff legs or empty your full bladder.
But now there is finally a good reason to leave your seat and kill that airborne time. Korean Air has unveiled a unique feature on board in the form of the number one hobby of most people. They introduced sky shop a luxury duty free shops on board of their 380 super jumbo jets.
The boutique built by cosmetics firm Lancôme consists of five specially designed units. The sections are designated to liquor, cosmetics, luxury jewellery or advertising space for these products. The in-flight duty free store takes up a total of 13 passenger seats, and although this means a loss of passenger revenue, Korean air is confident that the sale of high-end duty free products and product advertising space will more than make up for the revenue lost from these seats.
The first of Korean Air’s 10 A380 aircraft goes into operation on 10 June 2011 between Seoul and Tokyo, followed by Bangkok, Hong Kong and North American routes.
Do you want to decorate your house like a real roman family in 100 AD did? It is now possible at IXEA, the roman equivalent of the Swedish furniture giant. The store recently opened its doors in the Limburg museum in the Dutch town of Venlo. The museum sells handmade furniture modelled after pieces excavated from roman rubble.
But don’t expect IKEA prices and quality, these pieces are handmade with equal prices and superiority. But not all you can find here is a replica, they also show authentic roman artefacts found in the region. And if all the inspiration makes you hungry, after your visit to the store you can always eat some roman meatballs at their restaurant.
The store/exhibition is open from 26 march 2011 till 6 januari 2012 in Limburgs museum Venlo, Venlo The Netherlands
Brand Retail and Design 