When it comes to retail design and construction, it’s important to stay ahead of the latest fashions – not unlike the merchandise or products you sell. The right design is integral to how customers interact with your store. A store’s physical design can do anything from enticing people to enter it to how much time they spend exploring it and their likelihood of making a purchase. Here are five trends currently “in style” in Los Angeles area retail construction and remodeling.
Going Retro/Vintage
They say fashion cycles come and go. You can never really predict what era’s style will be back in vogue at any given moment. Currently the iconic fashions of the 1930s and 1940s are trending.
In women’s fashon, this translates to full vintage 1930s-style skirts, 1930s-style hats, and Houndstooth fabrics.
In men’s fashion, we’re talking things like leather, tweed, and pocket watches.
Whether your store sells vintage clothing or not, slight changes can be made to its decor to reflect this current trend. Product displays or mannequins can incorporate some subtle retro-inspired touches. Vintage furniture, jewelry, props, and accessories can also be added.
Utilizing More Natural/Earthy Materials, Colors & Textures
Natural wood and stone veneers, tiles, and slabs are trending in both modern offices and retail at the moment. Especially in urban areas like Los Angeles where people don’t necessarily come into contact with nature as much as they’d like. Natural materials create an earthy feel. Not only is this visually appealing, but it’s also relaxing, calming and uplifting to customers as well.
Creating Hang-Out Spots
Once upon a time, retail owners would hate people loafing or hanging out at their store. Today, given the popularity of online shopping, you want anyone actually walking through your doors to stick around for awhile. The mindset is the longer you can get them to hang out, the more inclined they’ll be to make a purchase. This is why more stores are adding comfortable seating areas, free Wi-Fi, coffee or smoothie bars, and power outlets for people to charge their phones or work from their laptops for a bit. Not only does this keep people in your store longer, with the hope they’ll eventually make a purchase, but it also keeps your store looking super busy and popular even if the checkout line isn’t long.
Keeping Design Simple & Functional
This trend is inspired by Nordic/Scandinavian simplicity. Any furniture or displays in the store should be unfussy and centered on efficiency, comfort, functionality, or visual appeal.
Embracing the Digital World
To remain competitive with e-commerce, brick and mortar retail spaces need to incorporate elements of their online presence with their physical location. More stores today are incorporating touch screens for a more interactive customer experience. Their in-store color schemes may match that of their website. They’re promoting Twitter hashtags and encouraging customers to Check-In on social media.