By now most of us are familiar with those small square boxes that look like a pixilated bar code on communications ranging from advertisements to business cards.  If you own a smartphone, you probably have a QR-code-reader app to decipher messages embedded in the black-and-white maze.

Retail innovation

The latest innovation in QR (Quick Response) codes in retail stores involves first enticing customers to use their smartphones to scan the code.  By doing so they can view video, audio, images, and text, which present special offers, direct product purchasing capabilities, entertainment, interactive product information, advice, how-to guides, fashion and home decor tips, localized promotional offers, and interaction with social media.

During the past two years, retail marketers have made a concentrated effort to bring stores directly to customers, and a new era is upon us.  According to Mobio Identity Systems, QR-code scanning worldwide increased by an astounding 772% in 2010 and 1143% during the first six months of 2011.

 
   
Tesco’s virtual store at the Seonreung subway station in Seoul, Korea
 
Buy your meat at the train station

The British retailer Tesco has taken virtual marketing to a new plateau.  Realizing that Korean customers were time pressed by the workday and long commutes, the company used the tried-and-true merchandise presentation technique of “billboarding” to attract attention and sell over 500 supermarket products via QR codes in Seoul’s subway stations.  Here the “merchandise” is literally a photo billboard with QR codes embedded next to each product.  Customers can scan the QR codes using the Tesco Homeplus app on their smartphones and get their purchases delivered right to their doorstep.  The Tesco video describing the virtual store is worth watching.

    
Calvin Klein billboard                                               Brookstone ad

Fashion shows, social media connection, store window promotion, consumer research

QR code applications are increasingly becoming more varied and creative.  To promote its fall advertising campaign, Calvin Klein Jeans replaced three of its billboards — two in downtown New York and one on Sunset Boulevard in LA — not with images of sexy models, but with a bright red QR code under the words “Get It Uncensored.”  Passersby can’t resist using their smartphones to take a photo.  They are rewarded with an exclusive video ad featuring top male and female models displaying the new jeans collection.  After the spot plays, viewers can then share the code with their Facebook and Twitter networks.

This year, Brookstone, began a test of QR code usage in 30 of its New York City-area stores.  The test involves placing QR codes next to products and delivering real-time customer reviews, product videos and a link to Brookstone.com.  The unique home products retailer’s Rockefeller Center store was used to promote the test in shop windows via big-screen TVs that mimic the Apple iPhone.  The screens show consumers what they will see when they scan a code.

The Home Depot’s national communications strategy, launched in March 2011, featured QR codes in its nearly 2,300 stores, on in-store signage and in direct mail pieces.  The company’s technology has the capability to edit the codes as new content is available and retrieve customer demographic and shopping-pattern insights.

Restaurants get code creative

Restaurants are also finding a variety of marketing opportunites with QR Codes. A few examples include using them to promote loyalty programs, daily specials, bouncebacks, nutrition facts, coupons, take out ordering, table top signage, and to make reservations. Customers waiting for a table? Invite them to scan the QR code for the menu or restaurant information. Want to know how you’re doing? Add a QR code to the check holder with a customer survey. Entertain and inform the customer by inviting them to watch food being prepared by adding a QR code to the menu linking them to a video of the chef creating that specific menu item.  Cincinnati, Ohio based Skyline Chili is currently running a QR code scavenger hunt through SCVNGR where customers can earn points and unlock rewards like free cheese coneys, fries and drinks.

Not just for the big guys

Project 7, a non-profit consumer goods retailer based in Southlake, Texas, sells products such as bottled water, gum, mints and coffee to create sustainable revenue streams for worthy causes.  The organization uses QR codes on signage to promote biodegradable water bottles.

A newly opened surf-and-skate shop, Friction, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, installed QR codes on each clothing rack which, when viewed via smartphone, reveal custom mobile sites delivering coupons, information on product lines, and product-related videos.

How can you unleash the power of QR?  This slide presentation by CDG Interactive gives an 11-step “how-to” approach to reaching customers with QR code.  Click here to view.

Davis Wince, Ltd. is an Architecture firm with locations in Powell, Ohio and Denver, Colorado.
Learn more about us by scanning our QR. 

Remember when mystery meat, instant mashed potatoes, and canned vegetable medley were a standard in your higher education dining hall?  Those days are gone!  Campus dining services operators in higher education are listening to students and finding that they demand non-fried, transfat-free, low-calorie foods, healthful options to burgers and fries, lifestyle choices including vegetarian and “flexitarian” (choosing meat occasionally), and sustainable food supporting local farmers.

Today’s digital-savvy college students are culinary literate and expect authenticity in their eating options.  They are particularly well versed in international and ethnic cuisines, with an appreciation for how these dishes should look and taste.

Innovation in form and content

How are these student demands being met?  At The College of New Jersey’s Eickhoff Dining Hall, renamed The Atrium at Eickhoff, a $5.8 million update of the 1992 vintage dining hall increased transactions by 29% and sales nearly 22% since the opening of the new facility. Faculty and staff alike have contributed to an increase of 17% in voluntary meal plan purchases.

The Atrium offers ten options in a diverse destination-dining arrangement that permits students to enjoy a trayless dining experience.  A unique design, naming, and branding distinguish each dining area.  Digital signage and kiosks placed throughout the foodservice area enable student diners to check out the daily menu offerings and access a database of nutritional information for the foods served.

Green Farm Salads offers fresh vegetables, proteins, dressings, and flavored oils to create a healthful side or entrée salad, and three hot soups daily including a vegan chili.

91.3 Wokery with seating in the style of a traditional Asian eatery incorporates the call numbers of the student radio station.  It has two woks dedicated to vegetarian cooking.

Gen Y – sophisticated tastes, environmentally attuned

Campus dining services at Philadelphia’s Villanova University, influenced by students’ requests for healthful, freshly prepared food, has converted an entire dining hall to a “Cooking with the Stars” program, in which university chefs prepare dishes from a select cookbook.  The cookbook program includes recipes from Mark Bittman, The New York Times food writer known for healthful, minimalist recipes.

Cal Dining at the University of California, Berkeley offers Korean barbecue in a bar format with such dishes as kimchi, lettuce or other leafy greens, various sauces, and a short-grain sticky rice.  A Korean specialty, kilbi short ribs, are cooked in small batches, constantly refreshed to ensure that the delicious aromas spread throughout the dining area.

What does the future hold?

Convenience!  Many higher education foodservice operations are increasing the number of on-campus dining options and extending open hours at existing dining halls. Ohio University  in Athens, Ohio recently decided to remain open for dinner service until 8:30 p.m. rather than closing at 7 p.m.  The University of Massachusetts takes the convenience concept even further by providing meal-delivery services and a food truck.

U Mass’s food truck gives new meaning to the concept of “meals on wheels.”

Experts in the field of higher education campus dining predict that special dietary needs, self-imposed or due to health issues, combined with more food choices relating to variety and evolved taste, grab-and-go options, and sustainability will be among the key influences of campus dining halls of the future.

Davis Wince, Ltd. Architecture has offices in Powell, Ohio and Denver, Colorado and provides comprehensive architectural, design, and branding services for the healthcare, restaurant, retail, commercial, and higher education industries. For more information visit daviswince.com, or contact Jennifer Bobbitt at jbobbitt@daviswince.com.

Since the completion of a building project is a maze of planning, regulations, guidelines and financial considerations, partnering with a local architectural firm can add value in many ways. A local architect will have good working knowledge of local building industry conditions, resulting in eliminating stress, saving you money, and reducing construction time.

Smooth start, seamless execution
At Davis Wince, Ltd., we have learned that our design teams’ complementary and experienced relationships with local general contractors can add significant value to a project.  This is especially true in the food service industry. In restaurant work, local health department requirements can vary greatly.  Having a local architect with an understanding of local jurisdictions and relationships with local health officials can greatly reduce time and administration of health department review and approval on a project.  This can not only get the project started sooner, but also keep the momentum going smoothly throughout the duration of the project.

Cost-saving sourcing
A local architectural firm will have knowledge of economical materials- sourcing and labor rates. The architect is more likely to be able to reduce project costs by taking your design standards and suggesting labor sources and “equal” substitute finished materials from the local building market.  Davis Wince, Ltd.’s knowledge of local building climate and finish materials helps us provide accurate project costs estimates through our extensive regional project experience.  We can accurately forecast and control your budget because of our extensive financial knowledge of the local building industry and potential pitfalls.

Local building department relationships
While most building departments use 2006 or 2009 International Building Code regulations, each local jurisdiction has its own requirements as well.  Using a local design team can speed the building permit review significantly, leading to added value in reducing permit and construction time and project cost savings.

Relationships with local General Contractors
Davis Wince, Ltd.’s relationship with numerous local general contractors can bring value and cost savings to the project.  Our team- based approach ensures we will work together with owner and contractor to quickly resolve issues without conflict and delays.  We can also assist in creating a competitive bid format of expert general contractors to provide a competitive pricing atmosphere, while insuring a quality construction product.  

Davis Wince, Ltd.’s clients benefit from our team based approach to the regional market.  We have established our client relationships based upon successful on-time, on-budget project delivery.

Click on the photos below to learn more about Davis Wince, Ltd. registered Architects in your area. 

By Tom Davis, AIA LEED^® AP

Trend-setting restaurants such as Elway’s, Venice Ristorante, TAG, and soon-to-open Charcoal  in Denver are using the time-tested merchandise presentation technique of mass display with accent lighting to excite, entertain, and suggest purchases to their clientele.

For most people, a fine dining experience is incomplete without the right choice of wine to accompany the meal.  The best restaurants have trained staff to provide information on the complicated task of sending diners home with pleasant memories of wining and dining, but now restaurant design is facilitating the wine selection process.  What is behind the rise of this trend?

Charcoal in Denver’s Golden Triangle

Suggestive Selling

Davis Wince recently created Charcoal, a new restaurant concept based on adapting traditional bincho-tan charcoal-style cooking to contemporary European cuisine.  The European fusion menu is complemented by a minimalist, yet warm dining interior with a reserved focus on concealed light sources and natural materials.

The restaurant’s design features an open kitchen with the bincho grill in the center.  At the grill is a seated bar, similar to a Sushi bar, where one may observe the food preparation.  A bar and bar lounge area are separated from the dining room seating area by a transparent wine wall which is visible from both the lounge and seating area.  The wine wall is multi-functional as space divider, light fixture, display element, and dominant representation of the wine menu.  No matter where seated, diners are constantly reminded of the opportunity to have wine with the meal.

Another dimension of the wine soft sell is the wine area at Venice Ristorante, also in downtown Denver.  Like Elway’s the dramatic display is visible in all areas of the dining area, but here the presentation is more than a wall.  It is a walk-through library of fine wines where wait staff can escort clientele and educate them on the qualities of various wine choices.  With a selection of 800 Italian wines and 300 international varieties, the wine vault is a potent selling tool that also adds to the visual pleasure of an evening out.

Venice Ristorante, downtown Denver

Market Positioning    

Denver’s TAG, a place where the young and hip meet to be part of the scene, offers up an incredible selection of unconventional dishes such as sushi tacos, Korean pork belly ssam, and duck-fat French fries.

                       Tag restaurant in Denver’s LoDo area

The owner aptly refers to the menu as “Continental Social Food.”  In this establishment the wine wall is part of the entire ambiance package of polished wood natural brick and burnished metal, gleaming with warmth, and arranged so that the restaurant feels crowded and alive even on a slow night.  The wine wall is part of an environment that attracts the city’s young cognoscenti and keeps them coming back.

Elway’s, located in Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver and named for Denver Bronco’s quarterback John Elway, is a steakhouse that caters to an upscale business crowd.  Here the curved winewall highlights a refined interior that features multicolored light, soft wooden walls, blown-glass sculptures, and posh leather chairs.  The wine wall, focal point of the dining experience, helps position the restaurant as the select spot in Denver for business meetings, entertaining clients, and having a top-notch steak dinner while traveling.

                            Elway’s 

The Future of the Wine Wall

                 Brasserie, Manhattan, New York                                                          Ozone, Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong

Will wine walls serve as a suggestive selling or market positioning in restaurant design of the future, or will they be essentially part of the design package?  Will function win out over form?  There’s room for both in the world of creating the ideal customer experience.

By Sonja Mirsky LEED^® GA

On June 21, 2011 I attended the Third Annual Retail Owners & Managers Conference and Expo at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood, Colorado. This is Colorado’s largest gathering of retail owners and property managers representing more than 120 shopping centers across the Front Range of Colorado. The conference featured a number of industry leaders, real estate professionals, and retailers who spoke on a wide array of topics and provided updates on the retail, investment, and capital markets.

As someone in the architecture business, attending conferences like this keeps us up to date on commercial real estate trends, gives us additional insight into best management practices, and is great for helping us put deals together with developers all across Colorado.

The format of the conference was divided into panels of discussion in which anywhere from 5 to 10 experts would address the conference and respond to questions from the emcee and from the audience. The panel topics included: “Broker Panel/Retail Market Update”, “Investment and Capital Markets Update”, “Property Management Panel”, “Shopping Center Redesigns”, and “Owner and Developer Panel”.  The purpose of this blog is to use the greater Denver, Colorado area as a case study for the retail situation in the United States and use the topics addressed during certain panels to gain insight into what is currently working in this retail market and how that can be applied to the business of architecture.

Each of the conference panels both directly addressed the financial realities of 2011 and what patterns of behavior by developers, property managers, owners, contractors, and architects would be valuable to emulate. The current trends that impact the financial situation include reduced consumer spending, a change in consumer behavior, redefined retail concepts and channels, and technological advances. A prime example of each of these trends would be the movie rental industry. A few years ago Blockbuster was a wildly successful corporation with store locations all over the country. In 2011 many of the locations have been closed and consumers are ordering their videos online or at new rental boxes.

In order to have the most financial gain in a retail concept, the most vital action an owner should do is to investigate the following areas according to the “Owner and Developer Panel”:

1. Research the market for the product type you plan to sell,

2. Research the market potential in the specific region that you plan to open your retail concept in,

3. Investigate the competition and what their successes and failures have been,

4. Study the art of site selection, and in the end,

5. Create a plan, both business and design in nature, for the product and site you have selected.

Currently, the Metro Denver region continues to see solid summer retail numbers and property indicators show positive momentum according to data compiled by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. The first panel of the day addressed this current situation of rise and trends, the “Broker Panel/Retail Market Update”. While vacancies in Colorado’s property retail market have not yet returned to pre-recession levels, they continue to drift downwards. Denver’s current retail vacancy rate is 7.2% while Boulder’s is closer to 5-6%. What are Denver and Boulder doing differently than cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas, and Atlanta whose vacancy rates are between 10 and 14%? The most important aspects of retail to investigate are the trends. Despite the fact that luxury retailers may continue to struggle for some time, success will come to those who find continued growth in specific sectors.

The trends in the retail market in Denver and Boulder, Colorado currently show growth in the discount sector, expansions of grocery stores especially smaller scale specialty grocery stores, the decline of box stores, small retail boxes as the most in demand property types, store-within-a-store concepts, urban in-fill mixed use projects on the rise, and a continued growth of “necessity goods” retailers. Especially in Denver, urban and infill markets remain attractive for tenants and new mixed-use construction offers eye-catching entry opportunities. Most recently in Denver the closure of Ultimate Electronics and Borders and the opening of Ikea and H&M Clothing reflect these trends addressed by the panel and what has proven to be both flourishing and ineffective in Colorado. Ultimate Electronics could not stand up to its competition, and Borders was overtaken by the world of online purchasing. Ikea saw an opportunity in the furniture discount sector, and H&M capitalized on the market for well made clothing at cheaper price points and plans to inhabit an urban infill building in an existing shopping center downtown.

Larimer Square- Downtown, Denver, CO

Once you have researched the market potential of the product you plan to sell and what retail property types have been successful in the region in which you plan to open a business, it is time to put location at the top of your to-do list. Chances are you have heard the term “location, location, location” more than a few times. Will anyone know about your product unless you get them through the door?

Careful determination of new sites is critical, and according to the panel “Broker Panel/Retail Update”, these rules should be followed strictly:

1. Check your demographics,

2. Look your competitors in the eye, and,

3. Do you need professional help?

The panel of experts weighed in on the most in-demand locations in Denver and Boulder and stated that they are in Lower Downtown in the urban historic brick spaces, on South Broadway, in the Highlands neighborhood, Boulder’s Pearl Street, and Boulder’s 29^th Street Corridor. These areas attract people because of their lifestyle opportunities, their traffic patterns, their demographic, and proximity to competitors. Making use of a real estate professional, an assistant in writing a business plan, an architect, and a lawyer will ensure a greater chance of success as well.

Pearl Street- Boulder, CO

In the “Shopping Center Redesign – Small Fixes to Major Overhauls Panel”, the discussion turned to how development has evolved in the last few years. Why does a site change? It is important as a retail owner to understand that what may have worked 5 years ago, will not necessarily work today or 5 years from now. By using different shopping centers in the Metro Denver are such as the University Hills Mall, the Arvada Market Place, and the Streets at SouthGlenn as case studies for the redevelopment of retail hubs we can show how development has changed to help the growth of retail. Colorado takes pride in its preservation of historic structures, its sense of community, and its green lifestyle that involves a great number of pedestrians and bicyclists. For example, what used to be Southglenn Mall, the Streets at SouthGlenn is a regional, urban lifestyle destination that builds on the neighborhood’s character to create a community with shopping, dining, living and working experiences. In order to develop this area into a comfortable outdoor park, it was important to design an area that is as varied and vital as the adjacent city itself and as convenient and comfortable as the suburb it lies within. These redeveloped shopping centers in Colorado incorporated reorganized parking schemes, major bicycle routes, shaded walkways, private spaces for relaxing, eclectic and activated streets with festival, concerts, and other community events, and a diverse tenant mix.

16th Street Mall- Denver, CO

Albert Einstein once stated “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” As architects, it is vital to research trends in the markets in which your business is involved in. One of the most important architectural sectors of Davis Wince is retail which is exhibited through our work for DSW Shoe Warehouse, Abercrombie and Fitch, and the development of retail in the Stapleton community through Forest City. As a retail team of a shop owner, a realtor, an architect, a developer, and a property manager, the ultimate goal is to generate an end product of a retail store that embodies local culture and has universal appeal.

Streets at SouthGlenn

The first shots of the mobile tablet war were fired in April, 2010 when Apple launched the iPad. Since then, an impressive array of tablets have fueled new levels of on-the-go productivity for architects, engineers, project managers, and project owners. But how are professionals really using tablets in the field?

Apps are the word!

Eight months have passed since we posted our first blog discussing architectural apps for smart phones. Since then, a lot has changed in the rapidly expanding tablet and mobile-device world. The iPad 2 (iOS operating system) launched with cameras and a  faster dual-core processor. And a bevy of Android OS and Blackberry OS tablets have burst onto the scene, boasting Flash support and true multitasking, features iPad users will find conspicuously missing from their devices.

A quick search of the term “architect” in the iPad App Store returns 60 apps alone. To help wade through it all, we have highlighted seven tablet apps which our colleagues are recommending. Full disclosure: We’re all iPad users here at Davis Wince, and did our best to locate Android and Blackberry versions of each app. In some cases we were successful, but a few of the apps we discuss below are iPad exclusives.

Our “Top Seven” List.

1. Architect’s Formulator
   Available for the iPad and iPad 2, Architect’s Formulator contains over 200 frequently used architectural formulas. While there are too many to detail here, the list includes electrical, carpentry, plumbing, concrete, excavation, parking & sidewalk design, acoustics, reverberation, and beam loads formulas, to name just a few. This app currently scores 3 out of 5 stars in the iPad App Store, and will run you $9.99.
2. AutoCAD WS
   This app launched to mixed-but-largely-positive reviews on the iPad in September of 2010.  And anxious Android users were able to download from the Android Marketplace beginning April 20^th, 2011.  AutoCAD WS allows users to view, edit, and share DWG files and work with AutoCAD drawings with anyone, anywhere.  There is clearly a lot of buzz surrounding the AutoCAD WS app, with over five hundred app reviews in the iPad App Store, and an overall ranking of 3 out of 5 stars.  The app is free to download.
3. Buzzsaw
   Published by Autodesk, Inc., Buzzsaw is a cloud system which lets professionals securely access, edit, and upload project documents.  The app is available on the iOS and Android platforms, but be aware that there is a “catch.”  You must be a Buzzsaw cloud subscriber to make use of the app.  The app itself is free, but there is a charge for Buzzsaw cloud storage.  You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here. The Buzzsaw app currently has a 4 out of 5 star rating in the iPad App Store.
4. Architect Magazine
   Architect Magazinehas published a digital e-reader version of the industry magazine, currently available on the iOS only, sorry Blackberry and Android tablet users.  The app is free, and you may chose to download the digital file to your iPad, or view online without taking up memory.  There are a slew of e-reader platforms, and Architect Magazine uses Media Deck.  It is not as intuitive as iBooks, for example, but it allows for robust interactivity, including embedded hyperlinks.  The Architect Magazine app is currently rated at 3 out of 5 stars; however readers tend to upgrade and improve quickly.
5. LEED® Standards
   Also known as LEEDER Standards, this app was developed by Goede & Associates (again, iOS only), and is a quick reference guide for the most “relevant and popular” LEED® standards.  This app is currently not rated in the App Store, but for only $.99, it’s a low- risk app to explore and be the first to review.  Available at a higher price tag, Android users can download the hefty LEED® Practices, Certification, and Accreditation Handbook for $70 from the Android Marketplace.
6. Autocad iRef
   The Interactive Command Reference for AutoCAD 2011 is a free, comprehensive command reference guide for AutoCAD, and has launched to rave reviews in the iPad App store, rating at 4.5 out of 5 stars.  It stands to reason that a similar command reference guide will be available for the Android OS at some point, given Autodesk WS’s recent availability on the operating system, and iRef’s popularity.
7. Open Architecture
   Open Architecture (pictured at the top of this post) is our favorite iPad-only app, creatively speaking.  In a social-media, open-source world, Open Architecture is a forward-thinking app for the architecture industry.  Conceived to connect innovative, sustainable design projects from around the world, Open Architect allows users to explore and interact with ongoing projects from many service providers.  The app is free, and is rated at 4.75 out of 5 stars.

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Davis Wince strives to keep you up to date on the latest trends, technology, design, and innovations in the world of architecture.  We take a non-traditional approach to architecture, and provide holistic, profitable business solutions.  If you have any questions concerning the exciting new apps discussed here, please contact Jennifer Bobbitt at jbobbitt@daviswince.com.

by Ken Galloway

In the interactive digital age, it can appear that the Internet, smart phones, tablets, and social media are replacing the physical store as the preferred shopping medium. As we outlined in a previous blog post, online retail sales hit 7% in the U.S., and Forrester Research predicts that figure will hit 8% by 2014. It’s a sizable figure. But what this figure also tells us is that 93% of US retail sales are still transacted in retail venues. Retail stores are the backbone of the retail distribution channel.

We’re really talking about consumer behavior. And while consumer research tools, available consumer information, and distribution options are evolving, the consumer decision-making process is not. It still follows the same Marketing 101 process – Need/want recognition—Identify product/service solutions— Evaluate product/service solutions— Make purchasing decision— Make the purchase— Evaluate the purchase.

It is the center of this process where multimedia technology is having the greatest impact. Consumers are going online for product information. A 2010 Nielson Company poll revealed that 40% of 27,000 survey respondents indicated that they would not consider making an electronics purchase without consulting online reviews. And compounding the issue is the reality that in-store customer service and verbal communication skills have become a lost art in many retail stores.

So what role will the retail store play in the purchasing decision now and in the future?

The customer-service dilemma

Retailers are adopting a multitude of interactive tech to drive customers into stores. Target has installed touch screen “Game Advisors” in many locations to help shoppers find video game merchandise. But how many times do motivated shoppers have trouble finding the product they’re looking for, or getting answers to their questions in-store?  The well- informed, responsive, articulate in-store sales person has become a rarity today – a sacrifice to pressures to achieve higher margins. There is a constant risk of customers’ leaving the store disappointed, just to head to their computers and never to return.

The basics still apply
The best defense against the in-store customer/sales staff communication gap is a strong visual communication program.  When these programs are combined with trained, caring, and motivated sales associates, as found in stores like Apple and Best Buy where sales associates help customers track down products they don’t carry, high sales performance is ALWAYS the result.  So how can the average retailer emulate the great product and personnel advantage that Apple and Best Buy enjoy? With store design that in itself helps locate and then communicate the advantages and benefits of the product.

Over the last three decades, I have had the privilege of participating in the evolution of store planning and design. As President of Retail Planning Associates (RPA), I was involved in developing the theory and language of retail planning, used widely during the boom decades of store design.  Mass-market retailers such as Walmart and Target, and specialty retailers alike all experienced massive growth as we worked together. The fundamental ingredients of success were based on strategic-driven retail design, gross-profit-driven space planning, improved customer circulation, merchandise presentation, better lighting design, and point-of-sales communications that convert an impulse into a purchasing decision.

This process has evolved to invite more customers to enter the store, inspire them to explore and engage the store in more depth, and inform them about the product at the point-of-sale.

Multichannel integration
Today’s customers, reliant on easy access to information, make use of multiple channels for each purchasing decision.  This, along with decreased personal communication skills among sales staff, makes the execution of a strategic in-store visual communication program essential, and goes far beyond graphics or signage.

We see the open-ended potential for in-store multi-channel integration like:

• Interactive touch screens with customer reviews right next to the product.
• Social media interaction, such as Sephora’s QR code shelf talkers which link customers to product demo’s on the retailer’s YouTube channel.
• Shelf talkers which prompt customers to “Like” products and recommend them on location-based social media platforms.
• Highly engaging, interactive in-store product demos; not just “free samples”. Think, Tom Hanks dancing on a giant piano at FAO Schwartz in the movie “Big”!

The store itself can be just as interactive and informational as Internet and social media exchange, and help turn shoppers into buyers at the point-of-sale.  We see a store environment that facilitates the same access to product information and alternatives, without letting the customer leave the store to potentially spend their money elsewhere.

Davis Wince, Ltd. has worked extensively in retail store and restaurant design. We are uniquely able to “bridge the gap” between strategic-driven store store design and architectural implementation. For more information on our work in retail store design, or to discuss a specific project, please contact Jennifer Bobbitt at jbobbitt@daviswince.com.

Ken Galloway has over 35 years of retail design, planning, and consulting experience. He has worked with some of the worlds best known retailers to deliver branded retail store solutions, including Walmart, The Limited, Wendy’s International, NAPA Auto Parts, and Lowe’s. For more about Ken, visit his bio page on the Davis Wince, Ltd. website.

by Justin Metzler, LEED GA

An increasing majority of students are beginning to choose colleges and universities based on the institutions’ commitment to sustainability.  Offering outstanding academic programs, financial assistance, and state-of-the art facilities will always be among the most important points of competitive differentiation, but surveys show that a greater number will seek those schools that focus not only on sustainable building  practices, but on “green” operations as a whole.  The pool of prospective college students is expected to decrease year-over-year following 2009’s record graduating high school class, and colleges and universities will need to differentiate themselves in new ways.

Environmental Commitment

According to a survey of 8,200 students by The Princeton Review, 69% of 2011 college applicants say having information about a college’s commitment to environmental issues would contribute to their decision to apply to or attend the school.  This is up from 64% from a 2008 survey.  In addition, 23% of those students said such information would “very much” impact their decision to apply to or attend to that university.  In response, The Princeton Review has recently added a guide to 311 Green Colleges to their “Best Colleges” publication.

Meeting Millennials Demands (and Beyond)
In our previous blog post describing the millennial consumer, we explained that today’s college students are socially engaged, demand a deep personal connection with their brands, and have an unprecedented level of access to information. This means that students who have made a personal commitment to environmentalism will put colleges and universities under the sustainable microscope, assess how well their personal values align with the institution’s, and then share that information with their peers.

Students aren’t just passively participating in sustainable campus practices.  In many instances they are initiating them.  For example, student activists at the University of Tennessee have endorsed a proposal to impose an $8 annual fee per student to help the university reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Denison University’s Go Green, Big Red program is driven by extensive student involvement in sustainable events, practices, and educational programs, such as a campus bike share program, and “Water Wars,” a competition between residence halls to decrease water usage. And Arizona State has created on-campus gardens, tended by students and supplying the campus dining halls with fresh produce.

How Do Institutions Engage the Sustainable Student?

The long-term operational savings generated through green facility design and construction are well publicized.  An upfront sustainable systems investment of 2% will, on average, result in a life cycle savings of 20%.  What is equally as notable is that the adoption of green building practices will pay off  in promoting LEED facilities design to attract new students.

However, highlighting behind-the-scenes sustainable systems will not be enough to appeal to today’s (and tomorrow’s) experience-seeking, commitment-demanding student.  Green-minded students need to see, and more importantly participate in institutional sustainability.

High-visibility green engagement strategies can range anywhere from serving residence-hall meals of fresh food that has been locally produced, to the school’s powering university lawn mowers with fryer oil.  If students smell French fries across campus, they know that the familiar comfort-food smell has been brought to them by sustainable practices!

By planning and designing facilities not only to incorporate tried-and-true sustainable operational systems, but also feature visible and engaging sustainable elements that promote green student participation, colleges and universities can infuse sustainability into every student’s daily life.  Low-flow toilets, composting, and high-profile solar paneling immediately come to mind, in addition to new innovations that architectural firms and materials manufacturers are designing every day.

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Every Davis Wince, Ltd. project is green by design. Our eight LEED professionals incorporate sustainable practices and green systems into every phase of every project, focusing on maximizing return on first costs and supporting the needs of all user groups, including the student.  To discuss sustainability in higher education in more depth, or to review a sustainable campus project, please contact Jennifer Bobbitt at jbobbitt@daviswince.com.

by Buck Wince, AIA, LEED AP

In our blog posts, “Retail Healthcare Clinics: The Customer is in the Driver’s Seat”, and “On-site Retail Can Support Better Patient Care Outcomes”, we detailed two of the three ways which Davis Wince, Ltd. believes best-in-show retail principals are impacting the future of the healthcare. We close our “retail in healthcare” series by focusing on perhaps the most exciting of the three: the Medical Mall model.

Medical Malls: “One-Stop Shopping” for Healthcare and More

The increasing instance of health insurance companies restricting payments to hospitals was one of the original forces that led to the creation of medical malls nearly 20 years ago.  The idea of offering a group of outpatient services together under one roof was seen as a way to take some of the pressure off of hospitals having to serve a wide variety of medical needs while patients are hospitalized. But what services are appropriate for this model?

The Healthcare “Shopping Mix”

Today, there are over 50 medical malls located throughout the United States.  They vary in execution, but the retail shopping center formula of providing a convenient group of products and services in one location has translated well to the healthcare industry.
One of the earliest American medical malls was created in 1995 in Jackson, Mississippi, on the site of Jackson’s first shopping mall.  When the mall failed, Dr. Aaron Shirley, a midtown resident and former project director for Mississippi’s largest community health center, had a vision to convert the defunct mall into a state-of-the-art medical facility that would provide quality health care to local residents.

The Jackson Medical Mall, 850,000 sq. ft. in size, now houses the Hinds County Health Department Clinic, as well as numerous University of Mississippi Medical Center specialty clinics, including cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, and oncology, and the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program.  In the spirit of a true shopping mall, the facility also includes grocers, restaurants, beauty salons, shoe stores, and a credit union.

In 2009, Vanderbilt University renovated the One Hundred Oaks Mall and moved specialty clinics into 440,000 square feet on the ground floor. Upon check-in, patients are given a pager similar to those used in restaurants, allowing them to explore retail and restaurant venues located on the second and third floors. The clinics offer over 20 specialty practices, ranging from Imaging and Bariatric Surgery, to Pediatric Care, Allergy Clinics, and OBG/YN, as well as a bevy of convenient shopping.

Hospitals Win/Patients Win

By choosing the medical mall “retail” format, hospitals can renovate an existing shopping center site or area adjacent to the hospital building with new equipment and without expensive and disruptive remodeling of the hospital.  The new facility can offer ambulatory care and diagnostics at one location in proximity to the hospital, and allow for a more flexible suite of healthcare services.

For patients, clustering medical services means the possibility of getting several medical treatments in one trip and less time in the hospital because more services can be performed on an outpatient basis.  An added benefit is that patients can do some shopping when they come in for medical treatment!

Physician / Investor-Established Medical Malls

In 1998, a group of 30 doctors who leased space at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center built the new 85,000-square-foot facility, Patients First Health Care, in Washington, Missouri.  Their incentive was not only to be able to offer a combination of services to patients in one location, but also to provide larger offices to physicians who previously worked in the crowded St. John’s Mercy Medical Center.

The physician/investor-initiated medical malls tend to be smaller in size than hospital-financed malls and to be located near retail centers.  The owners of physician/investor-initiated medical malls benefit from limited overhead, easy access for patients and physicians, increased patient referral base, and more control through ownership.

More Important (and feasible) Than Ever Before.

By offering a convenient and efficient alternative to emergency rooms and in-patient care for medical treatment, the mall concept can play a role in lowering healthcare costs and potentially slow the rise of health insurance premiums. The number of “out-of-pocket” patients is growing steadily, and could potentially become the healthcare norm. The Medical Mall model offers hospitals, private practitioners & specialists, and developers alike new market in which to better care for their patients.

As healthcare providers plan for the next 5, 10, and 20 years, it is critically important that they look to new strategic partners who have the experience and passion of serving a consumer-minded patient constituency.

Davis Wince, Ltd. has extensive experience partnering with healthcare providers and national retailers. To discus the medical mall model in more depth, or to review potential projects, please contact Jennifer Bobbitt at jbobbitt@daviswince.com

by Frank White

The on-campus retail game is changing. In our last blog post,“The Collegiate Consumer: Millennials Take Over,” we outlined the impact of Generation Y on the traditional College Store.  College students today are older (less than half are 18-21), with more disposable income (four times more than their parents had), and more retail savvy.  This situation presents just as many challenges as opportunities to the institutions of higher learning and retail brands serving them.  What are the implications for retailers and institutions of higher learning?

Downsizing , refocusing, and rebranding.

Downsizing. It’s not a bad word. No one failed. Students’ consumer habits have simply evolved. Partially because Gen Y is the most technology-savvy generation of consumers. Online sales hit 7% of total U.S. retail sales in 2010, and Forrester Research predicts that number will reach 8% by 2014. The Gen Y college student is leading the online retail charge, fueled by their need for immediacy and personal brand connection.

As a result of declining in-store sales, retailers are downsizing to gain more productivity per square foot. If you Google “smaller stores”, you will see numerous examples of store footprint reduction from every retail sector, including Best Buy, Old Navy, Target, and Walmart.  While college stores have traditionally been tight on space, new shopping alternatives and digital media channels are now leaving many with too much space and consequently too much overhead. One major University Store, for example, consolidated from three levels to two and leased out the liberated space.

Borders, while closing hundreds of stores, is planning to open additional Borders Express pop-up stores of around 2,500 sq. ft. in the old locations.  This is real cherry picking. The 2,500-sq.ft. format is the approximate size of the original B. Dalton and other small bookstores that have been successful in neighborhood locations, strip malls, and more recently in airports.

The college store must reposition itself to take advantage of these changes. The first step will be to trade larger, secondary location space for smaller, high-traffic locations. This can be a win-win for both parties, in the right situation. Smaller stores will have lower operating costs, but with higher design & operational standards. This is an excellent opportunity to invest in creating a a more engaging store environment for the Gen Y consumer.

Brands on Campus
Major retailers are creating new forms of merchandise distribution, ranging from Best Buy’s consumer electronic vending machines, to smaller retail concepts such as Walmart’s 3,500 square foot “On-Campus” storefront, which recently opened on the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville. These new concepts are mainstreaming the idea of on-campus branded retail, and offering academic institutions new profit centers and ways to competitively serve their students.

Consider that the largest collegiate class in history began coursework in 2009. And according to Alloy Media + Marketing, this class is shelling out an unprecedented $361 in discretionary spending every month, primarily on eating out, automotive products (for men), apparel (for women), personal care products, and entertainment/electronics.

Using the University of Arkansas’ 17,000 undergraduate students as an example, this means that Walmart On Campus has positioned itself to gain a significant share of the student body’s $6.1 million monthly discretionary wallet. The fact that food, grocery, and dine-out enjoys the highest piece of the discretionary spending pie means that there is a significant opportunity for restaurant brands to set up shop on-campus as well.

The Pop-up Solution?

Since the term “pop-up shop” was coined by trendwatching.com in 2004, this experiential retailing concept has become increasingly popular. Known retail entities and emerging retail concepts, such as Pursuit, a pop-up men’s suit retailer founded by a recent grad student, are turning their eye toward the collegiate consumer, and fulfilling consumer needs that have previously gone unsatisfied. Pursuit, for instance, saw an opportunity to provide graduating students and intern candidates with professional attire. They feel the current alternatives for outfitting students are “either pricey and pretentious, or boring and outdated”. Pursuit pops-up on campus temporarily, and uses Facebook & Twitter as its primary marketing channels. This is how Len Riggio began Barnes & Noble – A young guy with an idea.

Creating a space tailored to the pop-up retail concept would allow College Stores to flexibly serve their customers based on seasonal needs. If strategically scheduled, this flex space can have great benefits to the operation and help the store adapt to current and future opportunities.

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Davis Wince, Ltd. has worked extensively in higher education and retail design. We are uniquely able to provide solutions that help academic institutions better serve their students, and connect retailers with the collegiate market. Contact Frank White at fwhite@daviswince.com with questions or to discuss partnership opportunities.