The popularity of shopping as a leisure activity took off in the nineteenth century with the rise of a British phenomenon: the department store. For the first time, huge arrays of products were available under one roof. Before the department store, shops were highly specialized and expensive, resulting in low turnover and high overheads for non-food purchases. Drapery retailers began to realize that the rationale of indoor food markets could work for the textile industry, supplying products to a mass market.
Design of Department Stores
The layouts were constantly changing and expanding as new lines were added, transforming stores into the rambling spaces we experience today. Later, buildings were purpose-built and designed in a range of impressive architectural styles. Today, the concept of the department store is still successful, housing lifestyle merchandise from fashion and accessories to haberdashery, home goods, and specialty food.
In-Store Experience
The department store is first experienced from the pavement, with impressive facades dominating the high street through their grand exteriors and full-height glazing. Window displays are evocative and regularly updated, showcasing the season’s latest fashion and must-have items. The department store often has several entrances, making it more accessible. The journey into the store typically begins with a central entrance foyer and atrium, featuring stairs or elevators that rise to each floor.
The atrium is often impressive and spacious, serving as a meeting point or starting place for navigation around the store. Traditional staircases were curved and ornate, influenced by Parisian stores, but escalators are now more common, with lifts also accessing each floor. Walkways are wide and clearly signposted, with strategically placed payment areas and fitting rooms throughout.
Layout and Navigation
The shopping experience concludes with space to eat, meet, and refresh. Contemporary department store buildings still follow traditional layouts, focusing on the central circulation space and concession schemes. These buildings remain monumental landmarks and places for social interaction.
Concession Systems in Department Stores
The selling space in a department store is divided into concessions, meaning each space is leased to a different retailer. This arrangement allows fashion labels to sell alongside each other in one establishment, making the department store a one-stop shopping destination. Each retailer’s design team implements concessions, ensuring that the space aligns with the retailer’s brand and maintains a clear and constant identity.
Each concession requires its own cash counter, display elements such as gondolas, tables, and wall fixtures, while also considering the adjoining junction to neighboring retailers and walkways. Graphics and signage are crucial for distinguishing each concession and advertising the brand’s strength, aiding in customer navigation. Retailers are often grouped together based on product type and relationship to one another, which can enhance the department store’s appeal to the desired client base.
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