Friday 11th February 2011 / Retail Thoughts

Welcome Best Buy Europe

Groundbreaking way-finding design

It is very exciting for us to welcome Best Buy into Europe, each time I have visited the Thurrock store the staff have been friendly, helpful and informed. The ease of parking and pick-up takes the stress out of shopping and their home delivery service has been spot on.

We have had a close creative relationship with The Carphone Warehouse for some years. Back in 2007 when CPW were in talks with Best Buy regarding joining forces in Europe, we were asked to create the concept design and store plan for a new proposition of The Wireless Warehouse retail shed, here are a few of the visuals for the design we produced in the two week deadline. After all this time we were thrilled to see some of the principles of that design implemented into the Thurrock store.

Large retail sheds can be difficult for customers to navigate, the floor is often used to facilitate customer flow but the ceiling is rarely used to reinforce this, missing the opportunity to create both visual impact and connectivity through to the back of the store. Creating promotional touch points as spin-off platforms throughout the space allows time to pause and reorientate, prevents the customer becoming visually overwhelmed by a sea of gondolas stacked high and the space feeling purely functional.

There is so much potential for the out-of-town format, so lets put an end to the tired, unimaginative, get-me-out-of-here-as-fast-as-possible shed. Best Buy recognise that the customer deserves and demands so much more.