Design4Retail

Established in 2003 by Chris Baker, Tim Howitt and Jon Vinall, the founders of D4R have combined their design and management talents to grow the consultancy to a team of over fifty.

With its early foundations in point of sale and concessions for a host of global brands, the company quickly grew its offer to provide a full service for its clients undertaking everything from the research, strategy and concept, through to implementation on an international scale and with projects ranging from POS, windows, pop-ups and concessions through to full store concepts graphics and branding.

Probably best known for their work in the beauty sector they can count brands ranging from Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Too Faced, Clarins, Shiseido and Etude House amongst their clients, with projects that range from concessions and pop-ups to flagships, and one-off execution to roll-out.

With the digital native consumer in mind D4R introduced content from the Etude House’s online into the playful aesthetic of the brand’s Seoul store to provide a truly omnichannel experience in the capital of K-beauty. With the heightened importance personalisation in today’s market, it’s great to see this brought to life in-store through the inclusion of play-tables and the interactive skin scan and foundation mixing station, with products delivered to you by robot.

The health and wellbeing sector continues to flourish and CBD brands like Cannobotech are seeking to reach a broader consumer through stores that break down barriers, educate and build confidence amongst consumers. D4R have created just that. By using a range of different analogue and digital methods to convey information, without being overwhelming. customers can enjoy a self-guided exploration of the store or engage with staff for further advice and consultations.

Their sound knowledge of materials and production methods is also highly valued, and this can be seen in their work for brands like Adidas who are working towards ambitious sustainability goals. It’s here where we’re seeing brands extend their sustainable values beyond their products and into their fixtures, whilst maintaining both practical standards and aesthetics commensurate with the brand.

Alongside the large number of brands that they have worked with, their wealth of experience delivering pop-ups and concessions has meant that they also have strong collaborative working relationships with a gamut of retailers from Selfridges and Harrods to Sephora, JD and Flannels.

The last decade has seen D4R go from strength to strength as the consultancy combines pragmatism with a high level of creativity.

Reach out to Vanessa Keen to find out more.