Design4Retail has designed a new boutique concept for premium active apparel retailer, The Sports Edits, which opened at Coal Drops Yard on Friday. The concept creates a clear identity and positioning for the brand, which sets it apart from traditional sportswear retailers and fits perfectly with the innovation and ethos behind London's latest and most intriguing shopping destination.
Located at the heart of Kings Cross, Coal Drops Yard (CDY) is a vibrant new shopping district that will offer visitors a whole new shopping experience. Whilst new as a shopping destination, the historic location is imbued with a rich heritage and history. Once acting as a large coal store for the capital, its stunning build and classic cobbled streets have been transformed and reinvented by Heatherwick Studios to create a stunning retail location for brands and consumers alike.
As a retailer dedicated to quality, performance and careful curation, it seemed more than fitting that Coal Drops Yard was chosen as the location for The Sports Edit's flagship boutique. 'Industrial Luxe' quickly became the golden thread inspiring the design of this flagship boutique, merging the brand's aesthetic with the architecture of CDY.
The storefront is framed by the grand arches, characteristic of the site. Within this framework 'The Sports Edit' is clearly introduced on the fascia with the brand's sleek logo, with their abbreviated TSE logo featuring in the store's projecting signage. And whilst the window bay features a playful 'podium,' allowing for the presentation of the brands latest women's and menswear collections and accessories, the windows are otherwise unadorned, providing clear views into the store.
Inside, exposed brickwork and corrugated panels give the store its industrial feel, enhanced by mesh metalwork, which also provides a nod to the sports locker room. This is complemented and contrasted by warm timber tones, soft neutral shades and the inclusion of foliage, all of which create a sense of wellbeing and give the store a luxe aesthetic, reflective of TSE's product range.
Menswear is displayed in its own distinct space at the front of the store, whilst women's collections are arranged by product assortment and by brand, with simple signage allowing clear and easy navigation to TSE yoga and Pilates, running, training and leisure wear. Embracing a broad audience, the store's product selection has been designed to appeal to both practitioners and those who just enjoy wearing the best collections of athleisure brands available.
The brand's online tone of voice and philosophy, helped D4R create an in-store customer journey that highlights TSE's point of difference as both a supplier of athleisure wear and knowledgeable 'voice' for an empowered lifestyle, resulting in a concept that not only tells their story, and showcases their collections, but creates a sense of community within their boutique at CDY.
Photos: Courtesy of Design4Retail