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Apart from the new international retail and clothing brands entering South Africa, such as, Spanish retailer Zara (opened earlier this year in Johannesburg) and Gap (opened two independent stores in March this year), consumers are being introduced to new store layouts designed to create a more exciting in-store experience and respond to consumer shopping habits, particularly in sports and lifestyle retail.
Last month, The PUMA Canal Walk store in Cape Town re-opened after undergoing a remodel in line with PUMA International's new Retail 2.0 store design.
After launching in early 2011 in Berlin, the new system has rolled out in all major global markets, with the PUMA Canal Walk store being the first in Africa to undergo this latest facelift.
“The PUMA Store in Canal Walk was the first PUMA Store to open in South Africa back in 2006, therefore it was only fitting that it would be our first PUMA Store to be rolled out with the new design,” says Ryan Anley, the Country Retail Manager for PUMA South Africa.
Anley adds that “The store was designed according to PUMA`s unique product sports and lifestyle offering as well as customer shopping habits.”
One drawback of introducing international store layouts to South African consumers is that they may not easily relate to the new design, defeating the purpose of creating an optimal shopping experience.
But Anley disagrees with regards to the PUMA Canal Walk store, saying that “South African shoppers are exposed to many international brands these days as well as the high standards of local retailers, so South African consumers easily relate and understand the design elements.”
The re-modelled PUMA Canal Walk design makes a clear distinction between products for men and women, and sport and lifestyle merchandise within the store, highlighting its core footware offering. The main centre piece of the new design is the footwear “catwalk” that leads the consumer in and through the store.
A lightweight wooden pole wall structure has been used to allow for zoning flexibility. The store’s façade is based on its new Brand Wall and has become a key feature in attracting new and existing consumers.
Anley adds that, “in line with our sustainability principles, there is less material used in the fixtures as well as less fixture items in the store.”
While the PUMA Canal Walk store draws consumers in with its re-modelled layout in Cape Town, PUMA fans in Johannesburg can look forward to the retail brand’s first street location store in Braamfontein, which will boasts a number of design surprises.
Modern retail store design is no longer about a string of random elements used to create an aesthetically-pleasing environment. Instead, it has become increasingly deliberate, where a store is purposely designed to create an optimal environment to drive consumer engagement and sales.
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