RETAIL BY DESIGN
by: TERRY WATERHOUSE
Terry Waterhouse is one of the founding
Directors of Red Goodss Ltd. a multidisciplinary
design consultancy based in Hong Kong
specializing in Retail Design. In 2017, the
company merged with Diadem and Terry
became Diadem’s Director leading the
Hong Kong/Asian office of fourteen
multi-disciplined designers and project
managers.
“We hope to redefine the airport retail experience and customer
journey with a comprehensive brand profile presented in an
interactive and engaging environment. Our aim is to deliver the
ultimate shopping experience to a diverse audience in one of
the most robust travel markets in the world.” and Hong Kong Disneyland, providing Shilla immense value. As part of Diadem’s
project management responsibilities, we were required to pre-select, procure
and contract suppliers to meet the project’s commercial parameters, and
reduce lead times to meet the program requirements. By its completion Diadem
engaged and managed 14 contractors and consultants for construction, joinery
and fixture manufacture, fire services, audio visual, IT, security, engineering and
lighting.
--Alice Woo, MD, Shilla Travel Retail It was over the initial eight-month period of planning and design, that the
development of the transition strategy was developed, informing the many
design and critical production related decisions as well as programming and the
selection of suitable contractors. This strategy is what ultimately enabled the
successful and on schedule construction of the stores, which in the early hours
of December 12, 2017, the store transitions were successfully executed within
the designated six-hour window and trading commenced as planned.
The Shilla Duty Free, one of
the world’s leading travel retail
companies, has unveiled their new
retail stores “Beauty&You” at Hong
Kong International Airport following
a successful six-month soft launch
period. Korean-headquartered and
a subsidiary of Samsung, the six
Beauty&You concept stores offer
the ultimate one-stop shopping
destination featuring 200 beauty and fashion accessory brands.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is ranked one of the top ten busiest
airports in the world with over 72 million passengers passing through, en-route
to 220 destinations around the globe.
In line with experiential retail trends, Beauty&You offers curated hospitality
with high-end product offerings for a seamless retail experience. Conceived by
UK retail designers GP Studios, this experience includes professional beauty
and fashion advisors offering personalized recommendations, situated in
engagement zones throughout the stores.
The Beauty&You concept symbolizes the brand’s commitment to deliver a
comprehensive beauty retail experience and be at the forefront of experiential
retail where customers may explore their own beauty preferences by
experimenting with combinations of multiple brands and experiences.
Incorporating digital elements such as virtual makeup apps to try on looks from
various brands, with animated features such as “Get the Look” and “Magic
Mirror” are designed to communicate the most updated beauty and fashion
trends, promising fun and informative tips.
A strategic transition
Whilst there are many design and operational challenges working in airports,
the most significant challenge for
this project was the requirement for
staging multiple overnight transitions
from existing DFS stores to
Beauty&You, with minimal disruption
to trading. As lead project manager,
Diadem assisted Shilla in preparing
for operational readiness, activation
and the transition plan for DFS to
move out of the stores and handover
to Shilla simultaneously.
Covering a combined area of
3300 sqm, Diadem was engaged to plan, design and manage the phased
implementation of six stores over a fifteen-month program. Diadem (previously
Redgoodss) has extensive experience with the unique nature of airport retailing,
having previously worked at HKIA for Nuance Watson, Nuance Dufry, Fortress,
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Immersed in 200 Brands
The design vision for Beauty&You is for an immersive retail experience, with
professional advisors in engagement zones throughout the stores, which is
further enhanced by significant digital elements including VR and interactive
displays, including 50 screens across store
fronts and curved digital screens cladding
columns, making it possible to facilitate
the merchandising of the 200 different
brands.
Managing two hundred fashion and
beauty brands was a large undertaking
in itself. To aid this exercise, a significant
part of Diadem’s design process was the
development of generic brand guidelines
for the incorporation of the multitude
of brands. This was of significant value
to Shilla and Diadem’s project team
as a means for managing all of the
brand representatives and facilitate the
adoption of the brand guidelines for each.
An example of the magnitude of these
guidelines in practice is evidenced in the design, site phasing and installation of
300 display counters across the stores.
To ensure the design quality as well as the workmanship fulfilled expectations,
extensive prototyping was undertaken leading into and during the 6-month
construction period. Key features such as the ceiling decoration, lighting and air
conditioning vents as well as select store facades and signage were prototyped
off-site for refinement and approval.
Merchandising Display fixtures including floor and wall bays were also tested
for suitability and brand application and approval by the independent brand
managers. Critically, digital LCD screens were carefully sourced and selected for
suitability and impact within the store design.
The end result is a truly engaging retail experience for travelers. Diadem was
able to provide Shilla an experienced and dedicated project team, which helped
maintain focus on the project vision whilst taking care of the endless and
immense detail. The millions of passengers who transit through Hong Kong
International Airport can enjoy the personalized shopping, and access over two
hundred brands at any of the six Beauty&You stores situated throughout the two
terminals.