THE BIG QUESTION

DESIGNING THE HIGH STREET.

Chris Gwyther contributed to ‘Question Time’, an article within Architecture Magazine which asks ‘How do we re-generate our retail architecture to face the demands of the future?’

The biggest question right now in retail architecture is less to do with architecture per se and more to do with retail itself. More specifically, it’s about what form bricks-and-mortar retail will take in the future. Physical retail will certainly survive, in spite of the glut of current high street closure headlines, but what it will look like is hard to predict, given both the speed of change and the number of drivers affecting retail, of which sustainability is of course a major one – though only one of many.

We are essentially social creatures and shopping is a social pursuit and will survive for this reason. Humans will always trust three-dimensional products more than 2D representations, not to mention the involvement of other senses in physical shopping, including smell, touch and sound. Impulse shopping is a much more powerful tendency in bricks and mortar too, as retailers know full well, with so many more ways to seduce the customer – provided of course they turn up to start with.

Retail is undeniably in flux and retailers, architects and designers all need to respond with a fluid, chameleon-like approach. What’s certain is that shoppers are looking for an increasing percentage (research says as much as 40%) of physical retail floorspace to be dedicated to experiences, because where the actual purchase takes place is changing, meaning stores are partly now living magazines, dedicating to showcasing the new. There are valuable lessons to be learnt here from the exhibitions industry, where the best designs are modular, theatrical and flexible, incorporating the latest tech and attractors. Expo stores, for example, championing early adopters, are bringing previously-hidden innovation onto the shop floor to maximise engagement, exclusivity and data capture.

For architects, the sustainable frontline for new-build shells is the same as with any other of building – but sustainability is also affecting what happens inside. The consumer appetite for sustainability goes way beyond phasing-out single-use plastics. There’s a growing interest in self-sufficient retail models in the form of factory stores, where the whole supply chain may collapse down to the point of sale, with products even being made in-store. The self-sustaining store of the future might include roof allotments for growing ingredients, a factory or 4D-printing equipment on site and an in-house design team to customise products on-demand. Zero-waste packaging will absolutely be the norm.

Shopping destinations of the future will be free-range browsing spaces. Physical retailers will need to incorporate more experiential elements into their stores, introduce more wonder products and change their store’s look and feel more frequently to attract consumers, as well as making stores feel more personally meaningful, offering up community experiences and celebrating local brands. Sustainability will be both a quantifiable fact and a driver for innovation. In this age of transformation, standing still will not be an option – for retailers, retail architects or designers. The only thing we can be sure of is change.

First featured within Architecture Magazine.

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