Apple stores are known for glass facades and airy retail design — a reputation that was not well received in Washington, DC’s Georgetown shopping district. Georgetown has a style of it’s own. Governed by the Old Georgetown Board and listed as a federal historic landmark, Georgetown adheres to a strict architectural aesthetic. All of the buildings are either over 100 years old or made to look like they are. Buildings along the several miles of shops are uniformly three stories tall with 12 inch high signs. But it’s not as spartan as it sounds. Color variations in the brick facades, creative store windows and architectural elements characteristic of the 18th and 19th century make a visit to Georgetown seem like a journey down old main street.
Although old-fashioned, Georgetown has a hip inventory of retailers — Ralph Lauren, Bebe and Urban Outfitters to name a few. It’s a direct hit on Apple’s demographic. The problem is that Apple’s signature retail style does not fit in the Georgetown scene. According to the Bloomberg article, this isn’t the first time Apple has encountered that sort of backlash. A store proposed for a Boston neighborhood was rejected on the basis that the design “didn’t have a sense of place.” Apple redesigned the store and it opened last year.
This begs the question, what is the relationship between retail design and the community ? How much should you customize a store design to match a location? How do you preserve the brand in the process?
In October we wrote about a unique Target store that was designed to coordinate with it’s Bloomfield, Michigan neighborhood. Target even has a “unique stores” team that designs stores with the community in mind. Right now retailers are looking for ways to build deeper relationships with the consumer –beyond price. Integrating the spirit of the community surrounding a retail location into the design could be an avenue.
Martin Lindstrom puts forth the “smash your brand” theory which postulates that some brand elements are so strongly identified with a product that, presented on their own, the customer can still make a connection with the product. For instance, the Coca-Cola contour bottle, Tide orange or Carolina blue are unmistakeably linked to their brands. Consider this idea at retail. Smashing your brand at retail could create the freedom to build unique spaces that connect with whole communities on an emotional level while maintaining brand elements that are undeniably yours.
