Retail IS Change.... and Retail Is Changing

My dear friend Sue Kirby has a tagline that I love: 'Why Do when you can OVERdo?!' (and you really have to hear Sue say it in her own inimitably enthusiastic way to appreciate it!). When it comes to visual impact, I'm in total agreement. Go big or go home. Go Overboard. Retail is Theater - Entertain them. We've heard those mantras for years....

But in the midst of our changing economy and retail landscape, there is a debate underway. It has to do with how far retailers should go to either scale back and slim down their approach to selling OR ramp it up and encourage spending. The author of a retail blog on the Visual Merchandising & Store Design (VMSD) web site, Kristen D, Godsey, addresses the question of what direction retail design should be heading:"Muted and serene, or financially obscene?"

In her opinion, "The design landscape needs both."

It's a very interesting subject with two vastly differing viewpoints. Ms. Godsey presents them in perfect balance... check out her post here. Great reading for designers and retailers alike, as the basic concepts discussed here extend beyond retail store decoration, and should get you thinking about what products to carry and how your customers are shopping, decorating, and living these days. Ready for another mantra? 'Knowledge is Power'.

Photo Credit: Image from Anchini Retail, of L.A. Store