A collection of thought pieces, observations and opinions on the evolving retail landscape

All consumers desire great value, but value is a perception. It’s a feeling measured subjectively. However, what is recognisable to all consumers is experiencing great value unexpectedly; when they feel...

Recently our Founder and Creative Director, Ian Johnston was joined by John Giacomazzi, VP of Retail Merchandising and Store Design at Xfinity (part of the Comcast Corporation) to deliver a...

The impact of diversity and inclusion on your physical store strategy

The Quinine team attended GlobalShop’s Retail Exhibition and Conference in Chicago to get involved in the key discussions and debates on the latest trends and technologies that are affecting the...

Here, we will examine ‘escapist’ customer missions, where people shop for the sake of it, or just to be immersed into the retail landscape for a few hours. We’ll unpick...

Here, we will investigate ‘entertainment’ customer missions. These are curated events or participation opportunities in store. Using examples, we will demonstrate how the Retail Experience Framework can help retailers to...

Why transforming an existing retail format might be a better idea than starting from scratch

In the next episode, we will tackle ‘educational’ customer missions. These are retail experiences that also offer self-improvement or learning opportunities. We look at how they work and their value...

Place and Customer Journey. Here, we will explore how getting the basics right first is key to any in-store experience and customer journey. This relates to how the store works...

People, Place and Time. In the first of our episodes, Ian and Alex dissect the industry catchphrase of the moment, ‘experiential retail’. What is it, and why is everyone talking...

A retail design theory that we often get asked about, especially here in the UK, is the ‘Right Turn Preference’. Also known as the ‘Invariant Right’ this is a principle...

The Social Experience. In our fourth episode, we will consider ‘social’ customer missions. These are about making face-to-face connections and using shopping to feel part of the community. We’ll look...

Many features of the everyday objects and environments we encounter lead to us making quick judgements about them, sometimes without even realising that we have.

Most people will tell you that this type of engagement is a waste of time and money, for both client and agency. So why do companies continue to use such...

The Golden Ratio references a proportion that we as human beings have a strong preference for.

The Functional Experience. In the third episode, we take a deeper dive into ‘functional’ customer missions. This is where it all started… with people going to a shop to achieve...

The customer is king, and they sit centrally of our thinking, but you need to look through various lenses to create a successful retail strategy.

The best retail designers are not only great ideas people, they’re also highly skilled at explaining and selling in their concepts.

A well-designed store, one that takes into account the staff perspective, can raise staff morale, increase productivity and loyalty, and ultimately create a better customer experience.

A site specific theatre experience is immersive, engaging, and gets you physically involved. It was a very powerful experience — one that should be used far more in retail environments.

Having a brilliant idea is only part of the designer’s challenge. A vital and often overlooked aspect of the job is how we communicate that vision to clients, collaborators and...

Successful retail design is about far more than mere look and feel. Environments should have a positive impact on the customers and staff who use the space.

Priming is an effect based on the activation of ideas, principles and concepts in ones memory.