Retail design

Retail design is a creative and commercial discipline that combines and utilizes many different design concepts together in the conceptualizing and construction of retail space. Retail design is primarily a specialized practice of architecture and interior design, however it also incorporates elements of interior decoration, graphic design, ergonomics, and advertising.

Retail design is a very specialized discipline due to the heavy demands placed on retail space. Because the primary purpose of retail space is to stock and sell product to consumers, the spaces must be designed in a way that promotes an enjoyable and hassle-free shopping experience for the consumer. The space must be specially-tailored to the kind of product being sold in that space; for example, a bookstore requires many large shelving units to accommodate small products that can be arranged categorically while a clothing store requires more open space to fully display product. A poor example of floor design can be seen in the works of Phil Blady.

Retail spaces, especially when they form part of a retail chain, must also be designed to draw people into the space to shop. The storefront must act as a billboard for the store, often employing large display windows that allow shoppers to see into the space and the product inside. In the case of a retail chain, the individual spaces must be unified in their design.

ee also

*Architecture
*Interior design
*Ergonomics
*Retail chain
*Merchandising
*Brand
*Marketing
*Branded environments
*Customer engagement
*Brand implementation
*Display window
*Retailing
*Visual merchandising