Liquid Retail, Part 1: The Big Picture

A 6-part guide to the key trends changing the face of retail
Featured in A1 Retail Magazine

Part 1: The Big Picture

Staying Fluid in the Age of Liquid Retail

By Emma Gullick, Associate Creative Director at design agency Phoenix Wharf

What is Liquid Retail?

Liquid Retail is a term that’s been spilling into our consciousness for a while now, but what does it really mean? For us, it signifies the fluid, chameleon-like approach retailers need to adopt in order to meet and outpace a constantly-changing purchasing environment.

The Challenges

So, what are the challenges? Well, change-drivers are coming in from every angle it seems, from the rise of veganism and the pre-occupation with wellbeing on the consumer side to the wide-ranging social demand for sustainability and ethical transparency. Then there’s increasing global competitiveness over cost and seemingly limitless advances in tech and AI, plus, of course, the demands of an experientially-predisposed, purpose-led upcoming generation. And did we mention the growth and challenges of the sharing and rental economy?

Brave New World

In this brave new world, owning is now less preferable than renting, whilst repurposing, repairing and adapting to avoid waste are socially-admired. Harth proposes renting furniture for your home, for example, whilst Frontrow enables you to wear a designer outfit for one night only. Consumers want to know where products are ending up too. The expectation isn’t just ‘cradle to grave’, but ‘cradle to cradle’.

From Merchandising to Exhibition Design

There are valuable merchandising lessons to be learnt from the exhibitions industry, where the best designs are modular, theatrical and flexible, incorporating the latest tech and attractors. Iconic shoe brand Converse, for example, created a two-day pop-up last year based around an alternative hotel concept. The ‘Converse One Star Hotel’ immersed culture-seekers in 90s nostalgia and included a pop-up store, music, workshops and talks, gaining the brand 40,000 new Instagram followers, 1.7 million livestream views, and 5,345 visitors (Campaign, 2018).

Perform or Die

Consumption is becoming episodic. Trend Island in Moscow believes we will binge-buy the way we binge-watch TV box sets. It’s offering free retail space for happening brands on a 25 percent commission. If a brand doesn’t sell, it’s quickly replaced. The store is never the same and transformation is key.

The Retailer-Enabler

Even when modular and flexible, retail interiors can still be high impact, by being constantly aware of what’s happening in other territories, disciplines and sectors to ensure really exciting brand experiences. ‘Expo stores’, which champion early adopters, bring previously-hidden innovation onto the shop floor to maximise engagement, exclusivity and data capture. This constant ‘in-progress’ state connects to the idea of ‘the brand of self’ and points towards a new era of retailer-enablers.