Walk into many retail spaces today, and a sense of déjà vu is common. The same minimalist aesthetic, the same industrial-chic fixtures, the same predictable layouts – it can easily feel like a “sea of sameness,” as Dr. Elisa Servais describes it, that threatens to drown out individual brand identities.
Are you creating a truly unique retail experience, or are you inadvertently blending into the background?
This article addresses the “differentiation crisis” in retail design – the challenge of staying current with design trends while remaining true to your brand’s unique essence and connecting with your target audience on a deeper level.
Drawing on the expert insights of Dr. Elisa Servais, a leading PhD in retail design, you’ll discover common pitfalls that lead to generic design and, more importantly, practical strategies for creating retail spaces that are both on-trend and authentically you.
Brand differentiation in a World of Copycatting
Walk into many retail spaces today, and you might see the same predictable layouts, fixtures, and minimalist aesthetic. Dr. Elisa Servais, a leading expert in retail design with a PhD focused on in-store experience, is calling out this lack of differentiation and the long term risks associated with it.
This syndrome, she explains, is the result of an overreliance on fleeting trends and a neglect of the fundamental principles of brand-driven design. Dr. Servais’s research, along with her extensive experience working with major brands, highlights a critical issue – many retailers are losing their unique identities in the pursuit of what’s “hot” right now.
They’re chasing trends without considering whether those trends align with their brand values, their target audience, or their overall story. As she pointed out in our interview, many mass-market brands, in their quest for premiumization, have ended up looking remarkably similar, sacrificing the very distinctiveness that once set them apart.
The core problem, according to Dr. Servais, isn’t trends themselves. Indeed, for her, the premiumization of the mass market makes complete sense in today’s context: both to meet customers expectations and to address ecological issues. What causes issues is the uncritical adoption of those trends, the failure to filter them through the lens of brand relevance. The question, then, is how do you create a retail space that feels both current and timeless, on-trend and uniquely you?
Best Practices for Staying Unique in Retail Design
Avoiding the pitfalls of generic design, Dr. Servais emphasizes, requires a proactive and strategic approach. It’s about consciously cultivating brand uniqueness and infusing it into every aspect of the retail environment. Here are three essential best practices, as outlined by Dr. Servais:
1. Start with the Brand identity (The “Why” Before the “What”)
Before you even think about floor plans, fixtures, or finishes, Dr. Servais advises, you need to be crystal clear on your brand’s unique DNA. What is your brand’s mission? What are its core values? What makes it unique in the marketplace? And how is that translated into a uniquely differentiated brand story in the omnichannel communication strategy? This narrative should be the foundation for all your decisions starting from higher level strategy all the way down to physical store design.
Dr. Servais advocates for designing a space that translates this story and creates an emotional connection with the customer. The pivotal point here isn’t just about slapping a logo on the wall – it’s about creating a holistic experience that communicates your brand’s essence at every touchpoint.
This, she explains, requires a thorough understanding of the brand’s unique identity, its overall omnichannel strategy (both as stated above) and its target audience. This holistic vision will then allow you to generate a clear storytelling-based concept specific to each individual store design. And from there, every design choice, from the materials you select to the lighting you use, should be a deliberate expression of this unique concept, a truly reflected upon translation of the brand’s unique identity.
2. Find Inspiration, Don’t Imitate
Staying on top of design trends is important, but, as Dr. Servais cautions, it’s equally important to avoid being fooled by them. The goal, she suggests, is to be inspired by trends, not dictated by them. This requires a conscious effort to critically curate your inspiration sources and to look beyond the obvious.
Dr. Servais recommends not limiting yourself to browsing retail design blogs and magazines. Seek inspiration from a wide range of sources: art, architecture, nature, travel, and even other industries. Attend retail and design events, but also explore other outlets your target customers may themselves consider: other news platforms and written publications, visits to museums and art galleries, social and cultural gatherings. The key is to expose yourself to a diverse range of influences and then filter those influences through the lens of your brand identity and its target audience.
She encourages critical and “out of the box” thinking. Ask yourself: How can I adapt this trend or other source of inspiration to fit my brand’s unique personality? How can I reinterpret this idea in a way that feels fresh and original? Could this be beneficial as an add-on to my customers’ experience?
3. Design for Your Specific Audience
Generic design often stems from a failure to truly understand the target audience. A space that appeals to one demographic might completely alienate another. To avoid this, Dr. Servais advises, you need to go beyond basic demographics and delve into a deeper analysis of your customers – their values, lifestyles, aspirations, motivations but also their knowledge and expectations as regards your brand.
Dr. Servais recommends developing detailed customer personas that represent your ideal customers. The more detailed they are, the more useful they will be as a tool in your process. They will allow you to anchor your decisions and most importantly design customer journeys using empathy techniques where you may be able to project the personas in the space – in more accessible terms: you will be able to walk in their shoes.
Personas aren’t enough, however. The same customer may visit your store for very different reasons and in quite different moods at various times. Looking into shopping motivations is thus important. There are two axis to consider: fun vs. task, independent vs. assisted. Which one will you need to integrate to match your brand vision and to meet your customers’ expectations? And how will you prioritize them?
Remember, you’re not designing for “everyone”; you’re designing for a specific group of people with specific needs and behavioral preferences, and your design choices should reflect that. The better you understand your audience, she concludes, the more effectively you can create a retail environment that truly connects with them.
Design with Purpose, Design with Brand
In a retail landscape increasingly dominated by sameness, as Dr. Servais has highlighted, brand differentiation is your most valuable asset.
By avoiding the common pitfalls of generic design – the temptation to follow trends, the neglect of brand values, and the failure to truly understand your target audience – and by embracing the best practices outlined by Dr. Servais, you can create retail spaces that are not only visually appealing but also deeply meaningful and resonant.
Ready to move beyond generic design and create truly unique retail experiences?
Connect with Conor McCabe, Managing Director of 2MC Retail, on LinkedIn to discuss your specific brand challenges and explore how 2MC Retail’s 3D visualization services can help you bring your brand story to life.
Or, email conor@2mc247.com with a description of your current design process and your goals for brand differentiation, and we’ll provide feedback within 24 hours.