Retail Design Institute 50th Anniversary Design Awards

[00:00:00][Music] [Music] do [Music] all right hello and welcome to the retail design institute's 50th annual international design competition i'm ray escheid international chairman and i'm cynthia ortiz international president of the retail design institute well right we have quite the amazing evening planned for all of you watching via your local watch parties or streaming online at home i'm super super excited that regardless of the global pandemic we've all been living through that challenged us all we can still get together to share and celebrate the power of design as seen in some gorgeous projects from around the world well cynthia you know you are absolutely right all the stories that are showcased this evening now open between january and december of 2020 just as many retailers were actually shutting down now i've been able to glimpse that some of the stores that are going to be sharing with you tonight and i must admit i've been blown away by the creativity the dynamism and quite frankly the adaptability of so many brands as they focus their way through pandemic challenges so have ira and i just want to let everyone out there in on the experience we're going to showcase 25 of those brands as members of the retail design institute class of 2020 along with 12 innovation awards and the ever coveted store of the year award well cynthia let's just back up for a minute and let's recognize all of the rdi members associates and friends of the institute that are out there tonight again watching at parties or maybe even at your own home from all across the world now if this is your first time in joining us let me share with you a little bit about the retail design institute so we do remain the preeminent peer-focused organization that is dedicated to the practice of creating powerful retail design and retail interiors now we work with educational partners and we continue to work with the development of retail design classes and programs through both architecture and design schools again across the country now we do focus education to improve the skill sets of our working professionals and we engage in our local markets through tours through workshops and seminars that highlight new and noteworthy trends and we share those with the retail design community at large so this way we celebrate the accomplishments of all of our members in retail and in retailing so if you are not in a member of the retail design institute make sure you connect with one of your local chapter leaders who if you're watching from a watch party should all be raising their hands right about now to identify themselves to you so you can chat a little bit later joining rdi brings you closer to retail and the amazing people who helped to create the amazing brand experiences like you're going to see on the screen very well and now we're going to do just a little bit more housekeeping for cynthia before we dive in so let's talk a little bit about the international design competition itself now this year was very special for us it was our golden anniversary the retail design institute international design competition is the oldest design competition in the world and it actually stems from work that we originated as part of the institute of store planner so many years ago now the seeds of this competition emerge in today's competition actually prides itself on taking a slightly unusual tactic now although entries are solicited across multiple categories we choose not to limit ourselves to a single winner but rather we focus and work to understand what really is powerful design across every category so we can actually choose multiples to bring them forward towards that last ultimate competition which we call store of the year now all of these environments together we call a class and so therefore this year we're celebrating the class of 2020 and there are cynthia mentioned 25 winners that we're going to be discussing this evening along with some key innovation awards and let's just talk about that for a moment now the innovation awards can be granted for exceptional design in any number of categories and you're going to see things like store planning circulation dynamics lighting design creative material usage or decor and this year entries we saw from teams across the world and the winners we are going to share tonight represent powerful achievement across each of those categories and quite frankly range from everything from pop-up stores to fine dining establishments wow ray that's that's a lot to cover well but cynthia it's certainly not as much ground as our judges had to cover they looked at a ton of individual store environments before selecting the ones that we're going to see tonight you are so right ray this year our judging panel consisted of professional members from across the chapters across the institute so the judges first scored the entries across 10 major attributes to narrow the field and then dove in on what i heard was an incredibly long zoom session to finalize the list we are going to announce soon along with our innovation as well now are we going to start sharing them yet cynthia no no no right okay hold on just a second first we need to recognize and thank our judges for their work and effort in getting this done remember while we were all working from home the institute is a volunteer organization so our judges donated their time their precious time so that we could be here tonight and present these awards to you so i'd like to introduce our judges from the atlanta south east chapter we had catherine patton miller from chicago great lakes maria albalescu from northeast chapter julie reeker from here in new york city diana repkin from northern california laura harsh from ohio kristy kratzer from the pacific northwest astrid garcia luna from our st louis chapter beth florsick from our toronto chapter marty and jaffe and certainly not the last least not least or last jeez you know you had to know that was coming exactly from twin cities reggie reyes don't worry reggie we love you thank you to all of our judges thank you so much well you know activate i'm super glad that our toronto chapter was mentioned and part of the judging mix and quite frankly i know that you're all enjoying your watch party tonight because i peeked ahead and actually there are three award winners tonight from the gto as well as another three from all across canada i saw that as well ray and if you're doing any travel planning you might want to invite your friends right here to new york city where another four of our award-winning stores are located it's kind of amazing i think sometimes cynthia and i should do our own travel log because we certainly spent a lot of time traveling together both here in the states and across the world taking a look at the work from our rdi colleagues and there has been some absolutely dynamic things that we've seen now i know last year set us all back just a bit but actually seeing the winners this year i'm seeing some powerful trends that are starting to emerge and we are chatting a little bit about this that i think they're going to be very intriguing so if you're keeping score at home please notice some of the following things that we've seen a focus on flexible spaces for classes and demonstrations hands-on spaces for product demonstrations and the continued use and focus really upon graphics especially in ways that are powering brand experiences and ray how about the way that store fixtures continue to evolve and demonstrate even more ways to create powerful branded spaces well i knew you might bring that up so absolute power cynthia i completely agree so let's go ahead and start getting this show wrapped up for all of you who are out there watching we've grouped the winners tonight alongside similar archetypes that will actually allow you to see how each winner stacks up now sometimes there may only be single stores in these groupings other times they're going to be larger groups but for every store you see in competition tonight these are all going to be eligible for that ultimate prize of store of the year now unfortunately we here are not able to share the awards with you in person but rest assured every winner will be receiving their own crystal trophy to demonstrate the power of retail design so let's get started with an amazing shop and shop project from a brand some of you out there might consider an old friend joe fresh and the berta phillip design team created an interior concept that with bold strokes represents the popular fashion brand's evolution a row of orange screens the joe fresh signature color greet customers at the entrance to the more than 6 000 square foot store and begins the transition between exterior and interior inside concrete planes are juxtaposed against high gloss and matte surfaces allowing the hanging and folded garments to pop warmer materials found on custom wood tables and displays along with the recycled rubber flooring create visual harmony and balance the team incorporated modern technologies including interactive mirrors and fitting rooms and self-service checkout points one judge said wow such a great example of how great design need not be at great cost this project received an innovation award for brand integration now cynthia that's certainly a way to get us started right absolutely now that's a brand that most people think they know and yet it does continue to keep evolving what's remarkable to me is that's actually a shopping shop inside of a grocery store amazing all right ray let's keep things moving our next grouping features two department store projects that are making me want to travel again the el palacio design team and tpg architecture collaborated on a remodel of a 275 thousand square foot suburban mexico city store and parasure the resulting design is bright thanks to a four-story atrium while architecturally clean and colorful with a strong local connection interior architecture pays homage to the nearby el pedro gal neighborhood conceived by mexican modernist architect luis baragon the materials palette of concrete marble wood and metal grills is used in combination with a clear circulation plan individual shop fronts are framed in geometric grill work that recall a mid-century aesthetic other graphic elements reference the olympic games held in mexico city in fact lance wyman the original designer of the 68 mexico olympics iconography was commissioned to create laser-cut steel screens that clad atrium columns customers are guided through the store by sales associates so signage branding and wayfinding are minimal the store seeks to engage visitors at every turn through interior architecture and visual merchandising one judge declared bringing in the original graphic designer for the 68 games for some of the interior elements was a nice touch of authenticity [Music] the original ogilvy montreal store opened in 1912 and was modern for its time thanks to loft spaces and continuous windows facing st catherine and avenue montane the location soon became an important cultural landmark and was known as the store of light over the past 109 years various renovations eliminated most historic detailing and features in the 250 000 square foot store the whole renfrew oglebee team and its consultants at jeffrey hutchinson and associates work to bring back the spirit of the original store the team decided to turn the original internal columns found on each floor into a major design statement that would provide reference to the building's history by reopening as many windows as possible and introducing minimal interior rooms and enclosures customers experienced the store's spaciousness the judges were united in their verdict the mix of modern and historic elements is clean chic and timeless [Music] so ray what did you think of those well you know i think department stores continue to find new and more energizing and powerful ways to rethink those experiences as they go through now i'm imagining this category is going to continue to become more and more powerful absolutely now let's take a dive into two more projects that represent awesome ways that the brands can engage their customers with pop-up locations i think you're going to be blown away by these experiences sleep number operates more than 600 freestanding stores it's also a believer of being where the customers are for its pop-up at the consumer electronics show the sleep number center point team divided a 2 000 square foot exhibit space in half to present two new products to attract attention from nearly every vantage point on the trade show floor the team designed an illuminating ceiling grid with triangle-shaped elements recalling the sleep number logo icon to educate visitors to product benefits large format digital content projected onto a sleep number 360 bed creates a 3d effect in under two minutes visitors could understand key benefits of the bed in a personalized way as the attendee viewed digital content on the overhead mirror it also presented the perfect selfie opportunity said one judge go big or go home should be the subtitle for this installation [Music] spray ground gained attention with radical styling for backpacks and duffels in 2010 and quickly became a fashion disrupter for its american dream pop-up store the gh a spray ground team wanted the 900 square foot space to call out to passing shoppers the red leopard print storefront punctured by sprayground's trademark sharktooth creates an opening for show window displays inside products are clearly and cleanly presented on walls the project generated buzz from the jurors talk about getting creative on a budget this absolutely unique interpretation speaks directly to the spirit of the brand this project received an innovation award for the storefront hey i mean cynthia i don't know if i want to take a nap now or i want to get out a can of spray paint i'm absolutely impressed by those locations i kind of think i need one of those beds right i'm afraid to show my kids the store this playground store for fear they're going to take spray paint to my living room well i think we'll go ahead and put the spray paint away and we're going to take a look now at four grouping four stores in this next grouping that actually are the four winners across various specialty hard lines ipolita is an italian jeweler known for wearable works of art the jeffrey hutchison and associates ipolita team designed a 500 square foot flagship at 900 north michigan avenue that breaks all the typical jewelry store rules first nothing is under glass so customers can touch feel and interact with the works made of gold silver and precious stones by thinking inside the box the team created a customer experience that felt as if they had stepped into a jewelry box magnetic felt wall panels allow for flexible merchandising using floating displays making items easily accessible for customers to touch and try on the judging panel found the store warm inviting and luxurious they specifically cited the magnetic walls as an innovative approach to an often stale design category this project received an innovation award for fixturing [Music] snow peak is a japanese company known for outdoor apparel and gear last year it entered the u.s market with a 14 000 square foot combination headquarters and flagship store in portland working with skylab architecture the team turned a non-descript 1980s era building into a multi-use facility for functions ranging from retailing food service offices and events natural materials abound from the hand-traveled concrete loose river rock wood paneling and custom wall coverings to encourage visitors to embrace the outdoors century-old douglas fir beams were milled and stacked into a fixture system as a contemporary american-inspired nod to traditional japanese wood building methods judges noted everything about this space feels inviting and relaxing you are transported into a different state of mind when looking to expand family owned strictly cycling collective chose to open close to new york's high line the strictly cycling tpg architecture team envisioned a high-tech environment to echo the local surroundings custom wood seating inspired by the high line pays homage to the neighborhood while staff created graffiti art installations throughout add quintessential new york city grit to the space the shop offers immersive technology 3d motion captures technology provides riders with data about their physique which helps to fully customize their cycling equipment strictly cycling brings together three top cycling brands the team worked with each brand to create personalized zones while staying on track with the overall look and feel of the space the judging panel found the project a well-designed space that brings the cycling community together to shop connect and socialize the calluson rtkl and the tempur-pedic team channeled multi-sensory experiences for a new 3100 square foot store in new york city the interior is visible from the exterior the location takes advantage of its storefront using nature photography much like a window to a landscape beyond inside visitors are greeted at the engage zone the first of a series of zones designed to assist their product discovery and to spark casual conversations leading to deeper discovery a pillow wall invites customers to try and to find their favorite feel once a pillow has been selected the store's product experts can suggest testing the pillow on a bed in the experience zone within the experience zone the team designed immersive bed pods that suggest stepping into a warm cabin with windows revolving scenes of nature beyond each window inspire the refreshing and transformative power of sleep judges found the customer journey through the store and the segmentation well thought out digital integration is outstanding especially how it takes customers through different times of the day and night the store evokes a sense of calm and luxury which is what we all want this project received two innovation awards one for materiality and a second innovation award for digital integration now cynthia such great work right i mean imagine those new experiences for everything from a brand that's rarely been seen in the united states to a new way to sell a classification like jewelry yeah right i am so impressed by how these brands have taken challenging categories and made them approachable and exciting i mean come on this is the second project tonight that makes buying a bed an actual experience all right so what about our next grouping well this group also aligns with specialty retail but takes softline's approach let's check these next three winners out showroom or office creative studio or fashion runway vip event space or warehouse this 1000 square foot space is all of the above the christopher bates and dk studio architects team created a flexible multi-function home for a rising canadian designer central to the concept is a glossy right one way framed by a three-dimensional logo wall customers try on clothes then hit the catwalk and snap a selfie experiencing the synergy of fashion and architecture brand and design while blending and blurring function judges found the flexible design allows for easy future changes while minimizing waste the on point concept speaks to the evolution of new formats of what retail design is today rs number nine carnaby is part gallery part retail and part event space and the ultimate fan experience designed to immerse customers in all that is the rolling stones the gh a team wanted to respect the landmark building's facade choosing to paint it black while adding small blade signs and tonal lettering passersby will see an art installation of a sound wave representing the first verse of the stone's 60s hit paint it black thanks to the full height windows the rolling stones experience starts at the entrance with clear vistas all the way to the back video wall the team retained the glass floor that allows a view to the floor below the muted pallet continues throughout the 2500 square foot environment with tiles wood and metal accented by pops of rolling stones red the exposed ceiling is painted out while the concrete floor creates drama and serves as a neutral backdrop to the product visitors can shop exclusives including one-of-a-kind collaborations and limited edition art they can take the perfect selfie at the tongue sculptures or in the mirror room on the lower level judges called rs number nine a great mix of design fashion and culture the rgla solutions design team set out to craft a unique and authentic retail experience for the raiders football organization at allegiant stadium las vegas the raider nation will find a sleek and modern eighteen thousand five hundred square foot space that takes its architectural cues from the newly constructed stadium the team store offers plenty of traditional and custom merchandise from caps to jerseys and tailgating supplies at the entrance the raiders iconic shield welcomes fans for their first chance at a photo op more advanced technology plays a role in educating and entertaining fans about the past and the present a hall of fame wall with memorabilia pays tribute to past players and coaches inducted into the pro football hall of fame elsewhere visitors can access throwback moments using qr codes embedded into large format graphics highlighting historic plays from the raiders past games fans can learn about current players and their stats at an interactive touch point wall judges commented on the project's strong team branding graphics and material selection that elevated the product and engaged fans now cynthia i can certainly see what you mean but you know in that last grouping of stories i want to point out that each one of them seems to demand that you take a selfie i mean right you got the lips you got the runway you got the football mannequin and you know we're on stage so we're gonna do the same thing all right now look for this later we're actually going to be posting that up on the retail design institute website so make sure hashtag retail design institute i want each of you to be putting your own images out there right now for your watching parties so please enjoy all right ray that's enough with the selfies now did you happen to peek ahead you know our next grouping is telecom check out these three amazing new stores that shift the conversation around communication the a t experience store is a 5 000 square foot flexible retail space dedicated to helping customers better understand and engage with at t products and technology along with warner media content a t's in-house team with an assist from gensler designed a theme space where 75 percent of the space is devoted to experience and 25 percent to retail product product screens show content related to displayed devices via custom interactive digital guests also have exclusive access to high-end and unique items that can't be found in all at t retail stores changeable merchandising tables and walls embedded with power sources are designed to adjust to a variety of display options cubes designed to convert from open spaces to pegged walls to enclose storage provide a variety of merchandising options since opening the store has been reset more than 10 times to focus on product and tent pole activations judges found the store a great concept as well as a truly exciting and experiential space [Music] spazio lenovo is a 9 600 square foot place where visitors can read work get information or enjoy a meal at the in-store bistro it's also the place in milan to obtain the latest technological innovations for gaming and telecommunications the two-level flexible space designed by alessandro luciani can host events workshops briefings and business meetings additionally there are areas dedicated to lenovo's partners and a co-working area bold colors and lighting contribute to the dramatic but spacious setting a series of columns made of live plants exemplifies the green philosophy that guided the design where technology and nature come together in synergy the judges found harmony commenting on the balance between different materials color and lights is spot on from a brand perspective the new t-mobile store in plano markets the evolution from a transactional to an experiential format the interior architects team carried out t-mobile's desire for a more human and welcoming brand by offering choices of how to shop the team created zones focused on the shopping occasions of discovery service community instant gratification and convenience the living room at the center of the store offers a more relaxed experience with clusters of lounge seating flanked by bookcases showcasing t-mobile's t-vision and home tech offerings the launch pad is an area of discovery and play where customers are introduced to the latest tech products the service workshop at the rear allows for more hands-on assistance here wall cabinets display the full offering of phones tablets and devices for easy comparative shopping the pass lane zone is designed as a flexible grab-and-go area with convenient access to all small wears fixtures are purposely designed with a plug and play modularity allowing for ever-changing visual merchandising opportunities judges found the store user-friendly the subtle addition of t-mobile magenta brings joyfulness but is not too distracting to allow digital elements and merchandise to be the star of the show okay ray that's enough with selfies now did you get my joke there yeah i did i did um did you notice that the last store might have been a little bit familiar well i i certainly am going to admit that the t-mobile store was our work but you'll also notice i was not one of the judges so i assure you there was no undue influence oh i know that i'm going to give you fair warning for the next grouping if you are out there watching and you haven't eaten dinner yet you might get a little hungry the next four stores are going to possibly give you the munchies inspired by the imagery of a bakery the new 2000 square foot dallas location of buff city soap displays raw oral natural ingredients and soap making tools to create a level of transparency in the soap making process buff city soap channels farmers market nostalgia in the theater of in-store creation a green ceiling and walls define the experiential zone where the soap makery sample sink and laundry are housed for customers to test discover and customize products baker's racks are used throughout the store to cure soap and for additional storage and product display commented one judge this store put a smile on my face the space branding and fixturing all felt clean while tapping into the brand tenant of nostalgia this project received two innovation awards one for environmental graphic design and a second innovation award for visual merchandising [Music] in just three months the design team at api plus and lowe's food knocked out knock knock spirits this new liquor store concept for the grocery chain debuted as a 568 square foot store formerly a shopping cart vestibule that takes inspiration from the speakeasy era of 1920s prohibition the use of dark colors for fixtures and wallpaper contrasted with brass accents and white marble helps set the prohibition era vibe illuminated fixtures help feature and elevate merchandise and there's a jazz music soundtrack to set the mood the narrow space has been transformed into the highly efficient liquor store through clever space planning and detailing to remain within budget the design team used existing utilities and mechanical systems the judges cited the project's great execution in a short time frame and overall brand expression from all aspects the project received two innovation awards one for brand activation and a second for concept krispy kreme was ready to launch its brand in times square the meeting place for cultures across the world they turned to shoot gerda men for assistance the overall space is inspired by a donut factory building on the heritage of the brand story but fit for times square bigger than ever before this krispy kreme is home to the world's largest hot now sign located atop the building customer journeys allow guests to fully immerse themselves into the brand from a krispy kreme hat dispenser to a donut theater viewing experience with the famous glaze waterfall judges commented a humble donut becomes a fun experience good job of using the brand colors red and green as part of the design without making it feel like an afterthought [Music] suite 7 cannabis companies pilot store occupies a contemporary corner storefront inside a vintage waterloo brick building striking high contrast signage is clean and eye-catching written in the brand's signature colors of yellow and black inside the dk architect's design team opted for an open layout curved shapes and brightly colored signage to assist both first time and repeat customers so they can easily navigate product offerings product groups are identified by vibrant colored signage in each individual sensation pod gently curved fabric canopies and directional lighting create a cocoon-like sense of intimacy and encourage close-up engagement judges found the concept bright and fun with a store layout that's simple and easy to navigate yeah you know cynthia i don't think that was quite fair we've been on stage now for the last 38 minutes and i'm starving and actually i think i want to tell knock knock joke too well ray i did tell you to eat beforehand i don't know what you were thinking i don't know all right so i got i've got a joke that actually references one of our favorite new york chapter members so ready ready knock knock who's there lena lena who lean a little bit closer to me and i'll tell you about the next grouping of winners all right i'm not sure lena lim is gonna appreciate that joke uh so why don't we take a look at the next beautiful winning project representing apothecary clean market asked hitler houston architects to create an elevated yet approachable wellness destination within new york city's brookfield mall located on the second floor corner suite the 2700 square foot clean market is perched over the winter garden atrium from this location with views overlooking greenery and the hudson design of the extensive storefront seeks to emphasize connection natural materials can be found in public spaces and treatment rooms the team carefully utilized the mall's attributes to reinforce that clean market is different judges said from a storefront to the use of materials the whole project works [Music] [Music] so are you feeling better now my dear uh maybe a little bit um but i am looking forward to dinner later although i think i'm gonna be in trouble actually because the next door that we're gonna be sharing tonight is actually a spectacular fine dining restaurant it's an amazing space so let's take a look you seafood is an established restaurant in the toronto market for its second location the owners again turn to dialogue 38 this site features more than 10 thousand square feet of dining space over two floors the main floor houses a t-bar with a take-out service for pastries while the second floor restaurant area includes a patio large dining room and two vip rooms that can be joined to accommodate large groups design elements reflect traditional and modern aesthetics the space incorporates natural finishes to create a warm and inviting atmosphere a striking marble bar introduces texture into the space by evoking the imagery of brush strokes these dynamic elements are balanced by lighting and designed to create a soft and layered calm atmosphere that highlights the food on every table judges found the space immersive and moody and cited its creative use of lighting and layering materials this project received an innovation award for lighting now that's a beautiful restaurant last year was so hard on restaurants whether fine dining or fast casual it's amazing to see such beautiful spaces open up despite the challenges and to find a way to provide exceptional experiences i completely agree now so our next member of class of 2020 is actually also a restaurant however now we're going to be looking at an amazing re-imagination of a classic quick service restaurant that probably many of you are very familiar with let's take a look originally founded in 1953 as future forward concept sonic wasn't intended to be nostalgic it just never changed the design team at changeup was asked to reimagine a modern brand identity that winks at the brand's equity and creates new space for it for this location the scope included drive through and drive in customer touch points a blue glass tower featuring a brightly lit cherry a nod to the 9 million cherry limeades that sonic sells each year elevates the drive through and stands out at night it also allows for a peek into the new kitchen layout the bold new logo design has a charm and quirkiness that's all its own with a punched up color palette iconography and fresh food and lifestyle photography judges called it a great refresh of an iconic brand this project received an innovation award for graphics now that's a brand i've known for years and it's so great to see them recognize their past and yet move towards a dynamic future i completely agree cynthia it's really exciting to see now i think we're getting down to just a handful of stores that are left in the class of 2020. so what's up next well ray we're going to take a turn into a grouping of grocery stores that have really shifted the way consumers look to engage with this essential category let's take a look fresh street market asked king retail solutions to create a store design that would not only function operationally to serve vancouver residents living nearby but would become an immersive food experience drawing in customers from the wider area because the exterior walls of the fifteen thousand square foot space were more than two-thirds glass a standard case layout wouldn't work the design team used lighting to showcase key areas such as produce and cheese but also piqued the interest of people walking by the goal was to tap into the quirkiness of the office tower location to add an urban twist to fresh street market's farm to market offer the design gave a nod to the area's industrial routes while highlighting the diverse choices in the freshly prepared food and grocery area judges citing the limited footprint found the design team created a space that works looks inviting and fun whole foods market asked dl english design to create a dynamic new look for its sherman oaks location the 56 000 square foot store replaces two existing whole foods stores in the area by upgrading and enlarging the square footage and offerings in the new location the design team hoped to transform whole foods presence in the community from first generation crunchy health food store to a 21st century version of the whole foods market designed for this location is a playful retelling of la valley streetscape and culture car centric wide boulevards 60s drive-throughs gas stations billboards backyards swimming pools barbecues and lots of sunshine judges liked the socal valley vibe and the team's commitment to carry out the concept you know cynthia it's kind of amazing to think that whole foods is already a mature brand that needs to adapt itself and change to these new dynamics of the industry but that space is a dramatic shift from the whole foods that i certainly grew up with absolutely ray in general it's exciting to see where grocery is going and that they finally realize that experience as a driver to keep their brands and their consumers engaged all right so i think we are down to our last new inductee into the class of 2020 and i'll note that it's actually a big box store so let's go ahead and take a look walmart and fitch now landor and fitch team to design a new look and feel focusing on a digitally enabled shopping experience for its 180 000 square foot store in springdale upon entry a store directory points customers to departments oversized blue signs encourage customers to down the walmart app and use item finder for a quicker more seamless shopping experience the design team focused its effort on creating navigation that was bold purposeful intuitive and put the customer in control inspired by airport wayfinding directional arrows and more frequent signage quickly point customers to their destinations by integrating walmart's app navigation into each end cap the team created consistent placement and a clear aisle numbering system by applying user interface principles to physical spaces the design team leveraged the existing walmart app which did not require any new investments in technology judges welcomed walmart's design that integrates physical and digital experience for its value-based customer this project received an innovation award for digital integration and um how do we all right so that cynthia is the last of our award winners uh now spread across the class of 2020 we've seen a huge variety of stores this evening we've seen stores on different continents urban environments suburban environments all with amazing characteristics that really define their brands now all of you out there we want you to stay tuned we're not going to reveal the story of the year yet but you're going to have to hold on for just a little while because we do want to actually take a little bit of time right now and stop and reflect upon what's happened to all of us over the course of the last year now many of you out there certainly have been affected very powerfully by the current pandemic and we'd like to actually recognize those people out there who have lost their lives unfortunately over the course of the last year and a half this personal battle with covet has certainly affected all of us in many ways cynthia thanks ray some of you may know that our past international president and chairperson claudia carchara passed away earlier this year one of the victims of this terrible pandemic each of you likely knows someone close to you who was touched by kovit we'd like to take a moment to reflect upon those people and to remember our dear friend and colleague claudia claudia was born and raised in marda plaza in eastern argentina she graduated from the national university in 1986 with a degree in architecture and city planning shortly after she moved to orlando florida in 1994 claudia moved to cincinnati where she landed her first job working in retail design as a project manager for frch with more than 20 years of retail experience and planning and merchandising claudia brought a depth of expertise to our industry she led the macy's team but also liverpool and a few projects for hudson bay she was a trailblazer and a mentor to women in our industry we asked people who knew claudia best to describe her in one word generous brilliant determined committed honest pepe loyal principled perspective and the word that came up most passionate claudia joined the retail design institute's ohio chapter in 2008 she was a valued and dedicated member who served first as chapter secretary vice president and then president before coming international president in 2017 she served as international chair until october 2020.

[00:55:17]claudia left behind her sister sylvia her husband alcides and her step children and grandchildren so both cynthia and i had an opportunity over the course of the last several years to work directly with claudia both as an rdi member and certainly in our overall professional lives now we do miss her her spirit lives on powerfully in the work and the enormous success quite frankly of the ohio chapter and in her continuing influence to this day in the work that her institute has played across the institute claudia we salute you and we certainly remember all of those contributions now right the time has come to talk about our two new fellows of the institute um first i would like to say that um our first inductee for fellow of the institute is being awarded posthumously to claudia carchara her dedication and her time that she gave to the institute and to retail design is really unmatched and we we wanted to take this time to recognize claudia as a fellow so she is our first inductee of the evening our second inductee is coming up but first let me tell you a little bit about being a fellow exactly becoming a fellow is recognition for significant contribution to both the institute and the practice of retail design this is a high bar and tonight's honorees have exceeded that threshold so next i'd like to talk a little bit about george homer george is founder and ceo of gh and associates retail strategy and design firm with offices in brazil and in the united states at ghn associates george oversees creative teams responsible for creating and implementing store branding retail environment analysis and setup training and retail performance design projects for clients such as carrefour ralph lauren el titan central department stores groupo roble and cinesystem george's early retail career included 13 years with map in stores which was founded in 1913 as brazil's first department store george has spoken at conferences and organizations including icsc nrf finalco abf cndl and iads additionally george has contributed to academic solutions institutions such as fit in new york and fgv fdc and faap in sao paulo amongst many others in south america and asia george has been a member of the retail design institute since march of 2008 and very shortly after that in june of 2008 he founded our sao paulo brazil chapter amazing he has served as both chapter president and is currently serving as chairperson of the chapter george on behalf of the retail design institute we welcome you as a fellow let's share george's acceptance in his own words today is a special day as i am honored to be named an institute fellow throughout the years that i've been involved with institute i have met some wonderful people and built so many good relationships i hope to continue being part of this community thank you so much all right congratulations george it is amazing work an absolute lifetime of dedication that you've given the institute and really your focus on retail design is without peer we very much appreciate your contributions and we look forward to working with you both at the institute and again professionally in the years ahead all right now cynthia i want to thank you for sharing both of these fellowships this evening obviously both george and claudia remain important contributors to the retail design institute and i personally again have been glad that i've been able to spend time with them both cynthia is it time i think it's time to share the store of the year oh well i also agree i think it is absolutely time so now every year the retail design institute shares one project that the judges feel has really gone above and beyond really it's the best of the best we span every one of the categories we look at every one of the groupings and we look at the store that the judges feel has really exceeded the mark it's powerfully met its messaging it's moved forward in a tremendous way and actually really creates something brand new for the customer or for the client of that environment now the story of the year was drawn from the slate of 25 projects that you saw this evening are you ready oh i'm ready are you ready for this i am ready right so the store of the year is [Music] so the big question for us was how do you create an experience that's relaxing and natural at one of the busiest intersections in all of manhattan the approach that we took on the digital side was to combine live video shot in some of the most beautiful environments in the world with three-dimensional virtual environments that were created in the unreal game engine we're able to do this work in-house where we can put this together and create an interactive environment between the two so for example you can come into a space it's got a beautiful beach behind it as you approach it it goes to a sunset and as you lie down on the bed and try that out clouds appear above your head this immersive interactive environment is a great way to sort of take the edge off the typical digital environment and create something that's very soft and very gentle and completely immersive it's presented on this enormous 20k video array that we have here where we had to go to great lengths to be able to create enough pixel depth to be able to create a really great image the retail showroom was really focused on blurring the lines between hospitality and retail and creating a comfortable space for people to come in learn about the product and feel comfortable exploring we situated the pods so that they would present privacy without feeling too enclosed but we did want to make sure that it didn't feel like you were laying down in a bed in the middle of manhattan we created this large ethereal white wall full of pillows that are beautifully lit so that's really the first thing that the customer sees when they enter the store we connected to the local design community by thoughtfully curating the furniture selection with a mix of the tempur-pedic brand but also showrooms nearby so it feels like a neighborhood aesthetic [Music] what an awesome project ray it really shifts the dialogue on what keeps retail relevant i know you can do a lot online but you have to visit a store like that to truly get immersed in the brand congratulations to the entire team at tempur-pedic and callison rtkl for their work on this amazing project your work is really fabulous and our judges absolutely loved it well you know i couldn't agree more cynthia so now let's thank the judges one more time uh and we'd also like to thank all of you that have joined us out there in your viewing parties or again from the comfort of your own home now we do hope to soon sometime hopefully very shortly we're going to announce our 2021 competition and we look forward to seeing many of you in person as events and activities across each of the chapters of the retail design institute start to kick up again and hopefully next year during this wonderful time we'll actually see you in person here as well so that we can absolutely celebrate the power of design once again in person from ray and myself thank you all for celebrating retail design and thank you for being here with us tonight signing off from new york and don't forget our sponsor oh absolutely we have to have special thanks out to our sponsors and a great big shout out to media players and the triad theater for without them none of this would be possible um mediaplace has been an amazing partner to the retail design institute over the years and we thank you thank you thank you absolutely and with that we say good night everybody you