MAKING CHANGE
A RETAIL BLOG
Viewing entries tagged
Human Experience Design
This holiday season, “put your money where the movement is and gift black .” Presented by the 15 Percent Pledge , on the corner of Lafayette & Spring Street in Soho stands the Gifteen Holiday Pop-up shop. Showcasing black-owned brands the refined space feels like a shoppable gallery, exhibiting a mix of high-end accessories, home decor, and art.
Bala, known for bringing the ankle weight to the 21st century with their “bangles”, opened a new pop-up to celebrate the launch of their new Balacize online fitness program and expanded line of products. Located on Spring Street across from the Alo flagship in Soho, their temporary space took cues from Glossier’s retail design strategy, creating a pop-up less like your run-of-the-mill store and more like a sculptural interactive installation. Now through September, go check out the space for yourself or sign up for their limited run of classes.
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Westfield Mall in the landmark World Trade Center, lies a quiet respite for passersby to read and share. Welcome to the Stranger’s Project Exhibition.
Strategically situated in the heart of Meatpacking, Instagram’s IRL Shop pop-up showcased its “greatest hit” for spring/summer, celebrating its favorite minority-owned small businesses in the home, beauty, and lifestyle categories.
The pandemic has accelerated our dependence on Amazon’s fast, safe and easy shipment of virtually anything for most Americans. Since they’ve monopolized the home delivery market, they continue to trial and error IRL categories, hoping to seamlessly merge our reliance on their technologies, whether shopping online or in-store. We checked out a couple of their convenience, Amazon Go locations, and their hybrid Starbucks/Go store to see how they're attempting to bring more ease to in-store experiences.
There is nothing more recognizably NYC than hot dog stands, “showtime” subway performances, and bodegas. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen the trend of brands creating their own pop-up bodega to showcase their products. The juxtaposition of mixing high-end designs with the humble corner store aesthetic breeds an authentic and effective experience. Kith takes over a Carrol Garden’s corner store bodega to launch their collab with Kith Treats x Cheerios for one day only.
As we are (hopefully) transitioning to the endemic stage of the COVID era, more states are looking for ways to entice travel & tourism. Florida has notoriously been a travel destination during the pandemic; with its lax lockdown policies and mandates, as of 2022, the state has surpassed its pre-pandemic tourism levels.
The Palm Beaches of Florida, wanting to further their tourism sales, utilized design innovation and social media tactics to host a pop-up, bringing the Golden Age of Travel to Grand Central in NYC.
LEGO's new flagship store in NYC is every LEGO lover's dream. The store’s creators spent over two years developing the design and you will quickly understand why. They spent these years researching exactly what adults and children wanted when they took a trip to LEGO. Because of this initial discovery process, the store was designed with the intent of creating an immersive, more engaging experience for each customer - adding both digital and physical elements.
The Drama Book Shop is a case study of the value of in-person retail — and the critical role it can play in culture. So, as the retail industry grasps at straws to define its next chapter, let’s have a look at the five things we can learn from the Drama Book Shop–and what it tells us about creating value in brick and mortar experiences.
