DOUGLAS FLAGSHIP
FRANKFURT, GERMANY
RETAIL STRATEGY RETAIL CONCEPT RETAIL DESIGN (SPATIAL + FIXTURE) DESIGN INTENT
ESTABLISH DOUGLAS AS A TRUSTED CURATOR OF BEAUTY AND LIFESTYLE BRANDS AND EXPERIENCES IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET.
Douglas is a leading European beauty, fragrance and skincare chain based in Germany and with 2,400 locations in 21 countries throughout Europe.
After many years of a broad and unfocused approach to retail, we rethought the entire customer experience from the ground up, resulting in a completely new vision for Douglas that established it as a trusted curator of brands and experiences.
In the previous store design, the Douglas brand was muddled and lacked authority. The brands on the floor competed so “loudly” for attention that the shopping experience was confusing and unfocused.
The overall store layout and haphazard fixture design created a disjointed customer journey and a frustrating and cacophonous experience.
To help establish Douglas as a beauty expert, it was important to imbue a sense of style and intention to the environment. To do so, we developed a rich material palette and a modern architectural form factor. We applied this identity throughout the space and interjected oversized visuals from their new campaign by famed photographer Peter Lindbergh. This created a more holistic and inspiring experience for shoppers and a clearer backdrop to discover brands, both of which underscored the role of Douglas as a master curator.
While maintaining a consistent feel was important, we also used material and color changes to create destinations within the space for various subcategories. Products were split into ‘worlds’ of interest, such as ‘Natural’, ‘Lab’ and Korean cosmetics, and the subtle changes in style helped give the impression of having walked into a distinct ‘world’ of beauty.
Essential to the new Douglas concept is the focus on the shopper experience and bringing them as close to the brands as possible. Throughout the store are integrated moments where shoppers can interact with services like spa rooms, make-up schools, a hair salon and more.
“People are shopping beauty and grooming products very differently, they seek unbiased endorsement, trial and experimentation in order to make purchasing decisions, and the modern retail space needs to reflect that in order to drive engagement and retain loyalty. Our Frankfurt store has been redesigned with this in mind, with a very experience-led and immersive journey that allows new brands to be profiled and promoted without undermining existing, established and well-loved brands.”
TINA MUELLER, CEO DOUGLAS
