design:retail - September 2015 - (Page 22)

designer picks 022 Nostalgia for the Future JEAN-PAUL MORRESI PARTNER, CREATIVE WATT INTL. jmorresi@wattisretail.com O [1] UR AGENCY, Watt Intl., will turn 50 next year. As important as the past might be, there has never been a time when it's lived so comfortably (and quickly) in the present. A generation born into the presence of ubiquitous technology is coming into its own, and has no problems conflating high and low (culture, price or anything else) altruism and personal success, or yesterday and tomorrow. The creative possibilities of this reality excite us, so in that context, we'd like to offer the following observations: 1. Retail 101 In the midst of this technological frenzy, it's worth remembering that without a grasp of retail 101, no amount of technology will do any good. To deliver an effective, integrated retail experience, you need to know who your customers are, what they think of you and how they buy what you're selling. In response to its customers' changing needs, Price Chopper is rebranding as "Market 32." 2. Who Have You Been To Me Lately? [2] Every retail business needs to have a strong sense of what's at their core, but listening has never been more important. In order to stay relevant, you need to evolve at least as fast as your audience, and successful retailers are experimenting with products, formats and unique engagement models more than ever before. 3. Expect More to Expect More Once raised, consumer expectations have a funny way of staying there. Where Target's "cheap chic" could once differentiate, Zara, H&M and others have made it a table stake. Retailers concerned that style and curation will intimidate risk irrelevance. Even discount can feel luxurious, as seen here at Mexican hard discount department store Coppel. [3] [4] 4. The Currency of Heritage Authentic heritage and origin stories continue to carry real weight, establishing credibility and reinforcing expertise. The desire for the real and the meaningful (even if real-ly artificial) continues unabated, and brands that are true to their roots continue to be rewarded. 5. Ali-boa-zon.com While many in the West have had a glimpse at Alibaba and Taoboa, distance, language and trust and have generally limited Western exposure and access. An emerging industry of personal brokers and cross-cultural marketers may soon start to challenge that, setting up an interesting and game-changing future. FROM HIS EARLY DAYS AS A VISUAL MERCHANDISER ON THE SALES FLOORS OF CLUB MONACO, THROUGH HIS EDUCATION IN ARCHITECTURE AND GLOBE-CROSSING PROFESSIONAL CAREER, JEAN-PAUL MORRESI HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ESCAPE HIS FIXATION WITH RETAIL FOR WHAT IS APPROACHING 30 YEARS. [5] SEPTEMBER 2015 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM Photos courtesy of WATT INTL. http://www.Ali-boa-zon.com http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - September 2015

design:retail - September 2015
Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Talk
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Clicks & Mortar
Postcard
How’d They Do That?
Have You Heard?
Perspectives
Shopper Insights
Shopping with Paco
2015 Portfolio Awards
Retail Design Luminaries
Retail Design Infl uencers
Retailer of the Year
Best Store Designs of the Year
Design Firms of the Year
Best Visual Merchandising Programs
Retail Superlatives
Backstory

design:retail - September 2015