RETAIL DESIGN: WHEN SPACE TELLS THE BRAND’S STORY

Retail as a narrative device

We design retail spaces that don’t sell products, they tell brand stories. Every store is a precise narrative device: a sequence of environments, materials, lights and routes that we build specifically to translate corporate values into physical experience.

Strong, tangible, memorable.

This conviction has guided every project we have undertaken for twenty years. Retail is for us the most powerful point of contact between a brand and its consumer, the only place where everything happens simultaneously, where perception, emotion, decision, purchase and memory merge into a single moment.

VANDA Designers designs this point of contact with a precise obsession: spatial harmony as a strategic tool. Because it is from harmony, the kind that emerges from deep brand analysis and translates into total coherence between every element of the space, that conversion, memory and loyalty derive.

Our method: brand first, space second

Twenty years of projects for the world’s greatest international brands have taught us that there is no universal formula for retail design. Every brand has its unique story, every space has a precise vocation, every market has its own rules.

For this reason, before drawing a single line, we listen, analyse and develop brand strategy. We study corporate DNA, the behaviour of the target consumer, the local competitive context. Only then do we begin our concept, with the precision of a tailor cutting bespoke.

The result is a retail space that resembles no other, unique because it was conceived for exactly that brand, in that context, for that customer.

Retail design for international brands

Our experience comes from collaborations with iconic brands at a global level.

In fashion and sportswear, we have designed for Nike spaces that celebrate performance and innovation from flagship stores to shop-in-shops in Italian department stores. For Adidas, stores that blend sporting heritage and urban culture. For North Sails we translated the world of sailing into retail experience. For AW Lab we built an urban sneaker destination that reflects street culture.

In sport retail, the SportScheck Dortmund project is one of our most ambitious: 2,000 sqm across three floors where each level has its own chromatic and material identity, with women at the centre of the ground floor and the energy of football in the basement. For Cisalfa we developed scalable retail solutions across multiple locations, maintaining brand coherence across different formats and sites.

In the automotive sector, the Mercedes me Store in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan was the first in Italy, a space where real and virtual merge across five experiential areas that redefine the concept of the classic showroom, enveloping, surprising, convincing and bringing the brand closer to the consumer.

In gaming, the GameStop flagship in Milan was the first in the world to redefine the gaming retail experience, transforming a traditional format into a cultural destination for gamers and beyond, drawn in by three levels of “physical” play.

In Spain, we have designed for Pocca, Bluebol, Maison 44, Lavandería and Mariamare in Burgos, bringing the same design rigour to cultural and commercial contexts that differ from the Italian ones.

How a retail design project with VANDA works

Every project unfolds across four phases.

The first is brand analysis and strategy. We never begin with a moodboard or a visual reference. We begin with questions: who is this brand? What does it want to communicate? Who is it speaking to? What are its strengths and its vulnerabilities? Deep brand analysis is the foundation of everything that follows.

The second is concept and spatial storytelling. We translate strategy into a coherent spatial narrative. Every area of the store has a precise function in the customer journey: from the entrance that communicates identity, to the product zone that generates desire, to the service areas that build trust.

The third is design and development. We design every element: layout, materials, lighting, integrated technologies, custom furniture. We do not use catalogue solutions for key elements, every store is designed from scratch.

The fourth is realisation and control. We manage the entire construction process respecting timelines and budgets, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and international suppliers. We follow the site until the last day.

Types of intervention

We design flagship stores, iconic spaces that represent the apex of the brand experience, such as the Mercedes me Store or the GameStop flagship Milan. We design concept stores with innovative formats that redefine the rules of traditional retail. We develop shop-in-shop solutions for brands operating within department stores or multi-brand spaces. And we work on retail chains, developing replicable and scalable concepts for store networks.

A retail design studio in Italy and Spain

From our offices in Piacenza and Burgos, we follow projects across Europe. We bring Italian design excellence to every market in which we operate, adapting our approach to local cultural contexts without ever losing the design coherence that distinguishes every VANDA project.

If you are looking for a retail design studio capable of taking your brand beyond the physical space, of transforming every square metre into a moment of brand experience, we are the right partner.

Frequently asked questions about retail design

How long does a retail design project take? Timescales vary significantly depending on the complexity of the project. A shop-in-shop can be developed and realised in eight to twelve weeks. A mid-sized concept store typically requires three to six months between design and construction. A complex flagship can take from six months to a year. We always work with a precise timeline shared with the client from the outset.

Do you work on small retail spaces as well as large flagships? We work on projects of all scales, from multi-brand corners to major flagships. What does not change is the quality of the approach, every project receives the same strategic and design attention, regardless of size.

Do you also develop retail branding beyond space design? Yes. We can develop or strengthen the retail visual identity,  naming, visual identity, in-store communication materials, packaging. We create total coherence between the physical identity of the space and the communicative identity of the brand.

Do you operate only in Italy and Spain? Our offices are in Piacenza and Burgos. We operate primarily in Italy and Spain, with regular projects in other European countries. We evaluate each international opportunity based on complexity and compatibility with our working method.

How is your fee structured? We work on both design fees and structured agreements for clients with store networks. The best way to discuss fee structure is an exploratory call in which we understand the specific needs of the project.

Start your retail design project with VANDA

Opening a new store and need a concept that sets you clearly apart from the competition? Looking to renovate an existing point of sale with a strategic and innovative approach? Do you have a store network and need a partner to develop or evolve your concept?

VANDA Designers brings twenty years of experience in retail design for international brands to your project.

Contact us