Fabric lightbox shelving concept
Retailers are demanding more from the spaces their stores occupy as the rise of online shopping has lead to an inevitable decrease in customer footfall. At Peerless we have seen an increase in customers demanding modular and multi functional solutions; our clients need to make their spaces work for them. As the way consumers shop changes, the way we display our merchandise has really yet to see any major advances.
I've written about the importance of pop-up shops before (here), their increasing popularity, why they are so successful and what we could learn from this as designers. In 2014 a study conducted by EE, reported that pop-up shops contributed £2.1billion to the UK economy that year and provided employment to over 23,000 people. It came as no surprise to me then, that a company which was clearly building for the future off the back of a joint venture involving Orange and T-Mobile, were about to pioneer the mobile network in-store experience with a little help from fantastic retail design agency 'The One Off'. The stores utilise screens and lightboxes throughout, which allow for regular graphic alterations to match new offers, seasons or even news.
I was out visiting one of my local branches which is somewhat smaller than the average store, when I imagined a brief concept I believe could improve the versatility of the environment. Still at concept stage I decided to play around with a few sketches and render a very quick example of what the finished solution could look like.
The product is a mitered aluminium lightbox which utilizes a silicon edge fabric system, all housed within a powder coated tubular steel frame. Two hinges connect the lightbox to the outer frame and lock off inside at a right angle. When the graphic is not in use, the in-store team can easily fold down to create a simple shelf for displaying miscellaneous items.
