design:retail - April/May 2016 - (Page 30)

perspectives 030 A Different Corner VICE PRESIDENT CALLISONRTKL The I NDUSTRY VETERAN Ignaz Gorischek is looking at retail from a different angle these days. After almost 24 years with Neiman Marcus, most recently serving as the vice president of store development, he has joined the retail design group of CallisonRTKL as a vice president, based in the firm's Dallas office. design:retail chatted with Gorischek about his new career move and the future of retail design. design:retail: What have your last 30 years in the department store world taught you about the consumer and how she shops? Gorischek: That each and every day is an opportunity to surprise, educate and entertain your customer. Notice I didn't say "delight." I think it is an overused word these days. Before the store opens and throughout the day, visual teams should be tweaking and adjusting the visual highlights; merchandisers should be preparing the product and maintaining it throughout the day; store management should have visual presence on the floor. The last customer of the day should have the same experience as the first customer. d:r: What has changed for the better in the retail industry over the past decade? Gorischek: Customers are becoming very educated to products, services, experiences, etc. In some cases, they may know more than the sales associate regarding product. This change in the retail landscape has forced a positive change. It is making retailers take a much deeper dive into their business strategies, asking tougher questions of themselves, well before a customer walks in to ask. It is like being hyper critical or aware of the retail environment. This thought process also has opened new business opportunities for retail-related services, including design, consulting, brand management and marketing to name but a few. APRIL/MAY 2016 IGNAZ GORISCHEK DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM last customer of the day should have the same experience as the first customer. d:r: How has the meaning of "innovation" in retail design changed? Gorischek: Innovation in the retail environment is being driven by technologies, whether consumer facing or sales associate facing. Almost everyone who walks into your store has a fully functioning computer in their pocket. The dynamics of this alone have caused a huge ripple-store designers have to solve design challenges applying technologies into the physical environment. IT needs to integrate new technologies with legacy systems. The consumer has expectations regarding the use of their mobile device. The list goes on. One thing is for sure: the speed at which new technologies are hitting the market does not show signs of slowing down. d:r: Under your new role at CallisonRTKL, what will be your focus? What are your goals? Gorischek: One of my primary objectives is to share my 35-plus years in retail, 29 of that in the luxury sector, with our various design teams, while representing CallisonRTKL as the leader in retail design solutions. The future in retail as it relates to bricks and mortar is a hot topic. Our focus will be to assist retailers in what that will look like. GLOBALSHOP.ORG d:r: How is the adjustment going from one brand to now working with many clients and projects across various channels? Gorischek: It's really not an adjustment at all. In my previous life, I worked with multiple brands under one roof. Now, the roof has been removed. d:r: What will your retail background bring to the team? What can you learn from them? Gorischek: Collaboration is essential in the world of design. The how, what, where, why and when are part of the design process, and integral to a project's success. I will bring "front line" experience to the design teams. Every decision made in the planning/design process has an impact at the point of sale, be it fixture design, choice of materials, lighting, space planning, etc. It is critical to know what works and what doesn't. Our combined talent and experience will deliver unique, dynamic, innovative retail solutions. d:r: What coming trends do you foresee for the retail industry? Gorischek: AHH...the crystal ball question! I don't necessarily see them all as trends, as much as best practices. I think some retail basics have been ignored. For example, a surprise or two (or three); entertaining and educating the shopper in a fun, interactive way; and clever and tasteful visual presentations. The customer votes with their commitment to time spent in your store and, ultimately, by ringing the register. Sometimes getting back to the basics is a great place to plan for the future. - Michelle M. Havich IGNAZ GORISCHEK HAS SPENT 41 YEARS IN THE DESIGN INDUSTRY. HE RECENTLY JOINED CALLISONRTKL AS A VICE PRESIDENT IN THE FIRM'S RETAIL PRACTICE GROUP, AFTER SERVING AS VICE PRESIDENT OF STORE DEVELOPMENT FOR NEIMAN MARCUS. http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM http://www.GLOBALSHOP.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - April/May 2016

design:retail - April/May 2016
Table of Contents
Editor’s Note
On Trend
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Clicks & Mortar
Inspirations
Postcard
Mingle
Have You Heard?
Perspectives
Shopper Insights
Shopping with Paco
20th Annual Markopoulos Award
The Markopoulos Circle Past
Heritage
Oiselle
40 Under 40
GlobalShop Roundup
Products
Backstory

design:retail - April/May 2016