Store Design

Physical retail is fracturing into specialized formats. Some locations function as micro-distribution centers processing online orders. Others prioritize in-person engagement and product discovery. The shift isn't cosmetic. It reflects a fundamental change in why shoppers visit stores at all. Instant availability has become the baseline, and retailers are reconfiguring entire networks to match that expectation.…

After over a decade of conversation about the decline of brick-and-mortar retail, the current state of the market is proving the industry’s resilience, with retailers fighting for physical space. The demand for well-located, quality retail space exceeds the available inventory, intensifying the competition for valuable real estate and driving rents up. Clever retailers have become…

Target has given its store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood a new look, reports CNBC. The one-of-a-kind concept store, which opened Tuesday, will have rotating merchandise, curated displays chosen by celebrities and influencers, and other kinds of special programming, Chief Guest Experience Officer Cara Sylvester said. The Minneapolis-based retailer is in the middle of…

As retailers prepare for the holiday rush, all focus is on speed, convenience and conversion. However, there’s another metric that deserves attention this season: inclusion. Accessibility isn’t just about compliance anymore; it’s about building loyalty, trust, and a retail experience that works for everyone. I’ve spent more than two decades helping brands, from large household…

The retail sector is defined by the need for speed, whether launching a new concept or rolling out a store across a region. As you seek to establish new flagship stores, distribution centers, or regional headquarters, the seemingly simple step of permitting can quickly become an unexpected and costly roadblock. Traditional permitting — a complex…

When Kohl’s brought Sephora into its stores it signaled more than just a cosmetic expansion. It highlighted a growing strategy in retail real estate: the store-in-store model. Store-in-store partnerships are redefining how retailers think about space, remodeling, and long-term planning. The model isn't new, but its rapid rise reflects changing market forces and the need…

CVS is focusing on the health side of its business by launching a handful of pharmacy-only, smaller format stores, multiple news outlets reported. The dozen or so stores — expected to open later this year in select, unnamed locations — will come without the snacks, greeting cards and other consumable staples found in traditional CVS…

Between the never-ending headlines, back-to-back meetings, constant social media alerts, and demands of family life, few are ever meaningfully alone with their thoughts. This habitual overstimulation can make solitude feel lonely and isolating, rather than restorative, and so the cycle continues. The need for rest and recovery has driven many to embrace "alonement" to break…

Whether at your favorite big-box store or stopping to pick up some groceries, it’s hard to ignore the shopping carts scattered haphazardly around parking lots these days. The return of shopping carts to their designated spots or back inside the store has become somewhat of a test of morality in recent years. However, returning shopping…

Whole Foods Market, the Austin-based grocery store chain owned by Amazon.com, announced Monday it was introducing a new, smaller, "quick-shop" store format "designed to provide customers in urban neighborhoods a quick, convenient shopping experience with easier access to fresh, high-quality offerings," according to a company press release. The new format, called Whole Foods Market Daily…