brief: watch retail design

Online retailer, Watchshop, have built an impressive reputation by selling branded watches through their web site, watchshop.com. They have created a destination site offering a wide choice of watches at great value including popular brands such as Rotary, Tissot, Accurist and Dreyfuss & Co.

Watchshop are continually looking for ways to build on their online success and offer more upmarket brands. This desire combined with a need for additional pack-up space has prompted them to make a move onto the high street. Their 'clicks and mortar' retail policy has two objectives, firstly to convince the watch brand owners that an account with Watchshop would give them access to high quality retail exposure and, secondly, to support their internet offer with a spectacular high street showroom stocking over 50 brands.

Our brief was to translate Watchshop's simple and direct business model into a fully functioning high street shop. We used our expertise in jewellery shop design to develop bespoke illuminated jewellery display cabinets. The store design features a cool mix of glossy blacks, crisp lights, glass and steel, all suggesting high quality, reliable technology.

Digital signage is used throughout the store and the media provided by the watch brand owners is presented on an array of plasma screens to bring an element of movement and excitement into the shop.

The shop is designed to encourage maximum support from the watch brand owners. Deep and well illuminated shelves enable them to make full use of branded display equipment and there is plenty of space to present brand logos.

The shop is a success on many levels. The retailer has established a strong high street presence and increased it's customer base. Watchshop has also widened its product range to include upmarket watch brands and in the process has become a leading retailer of brand name designer watches.

Visuals of the interior, exterior fascia and display case designs.