Conditions and strategies for localising retail design for global brands

Abstract

The thesis investigated the topic of localised retail design. The problem was to gain an understanding of the conditions and strategies for localising retail design for global brands.

Localised retail design is the design of physical retail stores that respond to their location. When localising retail design, the conditions of retaining global brand consistency and mediating global brand and local authenticity require consideration. These have been partially addressed in the discourse. Although several global brands practice localised retail design, there is limited documentation of these design strategies within the discourse. This demonstrates a gap between the theory and practice of localised retail design. The study aimed to address this by developing conditions and determining strategies for localising retail design for global brands. The research objectives were to clarify the ways in which global brand consistency can be retained when localising retail design; identify areas in which global brand and local authenticity may be mediated when localising retail design; and determine strategies for localising retail design for global brands. Semi-structured interviews with 18 retail designers and a documentation of 20 artefacts of localised retail design for four global brands were conducted and analysed using the constructivist grounded theory method.

The study findings were: The conditions for retaining global brand consistency are consistencies in designer choice; consistencies in approaches to localising retail design; and creating global brand manuals with scope to localise retail design. The areas for mediating global brand and local authenticity are in authorship; informants; and inhabitation of retail design. The strategies for localising retail design for global brands are local creative collaboration; locally responsive design; and local consumer relevant experience.

The study contributes new knowledge through developing conditions and determining strategies for localising retail design for global brands. This has implications on the theory and practice of retail design.