Project R-15700

Is taking into account a retailer's brand DNA in store design the key to success? (Research)

The academic literature on preparing brick-and-mortar stores for the future has typically been approached from two separate disciplines: retail design and marketing. Retail design focuses on creating well-designed stores, while marketing assesses the effectiveness of store redesigns. However, these perspectives have not been integrated, resulting in a gap in understanding how to create both effective and well-designed stores. This research project aims to bridge this gap by combining insights from both disciplines to advise on designing stores that are both well-designed and effective for consumers and store performance. The project seeks to understand how designers can incorporate a retailer's brand DNA into store design and measure its impact on consumer responses and store performance. The study comprises two main goals: understanding how to design a retailer's brand DNA stores and assessing the impact of these designs on consumer responses and store performance. The research methodology involves qualitative studies with designers and consumers to understand the translation of brand DNA into store design and empirical studies to measure consumer responses via surveys and store performance via sales data. Ultimately, the project aims to provide guidance for designers and retailers on creating effective and well-designed brick-and-mortar stores that align with a retailer's brand DNA.

01 September 2025 - 31 August 2029