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Feature Article, February 2005
The Complete Package
No longer the bulky, cumbersome carts of years past, today’s retail merchandising units are sleek, streamlined and more efficient than ever.
Katie Foxworth
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A smaller “mini” unit by T L Horton Design.
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It’s a given that, no matter what mall you find yourself in, you will see retail merchandising units (RMUs) dotting the common area landscape. No longer an afterthought, RMUs are now integral to any mall design. Even in open-air lifestyle centers, carts and kiosks are prevalent, although being outside does pose additional design challenges. Outdoor units call for more weather-resistant materials, more lockable storage and an innovative design to fend off the elements. Often, both outdoor and indoor RMUs feature smaller footprints but are able to hold — through more efficient design — more merchandise. It’s all part of the exciting evolution of a growing industry.
New Locations
With their attention to architectural detail and outdoor community feel, open-air lifestyle centers and town centers are undeniably the hottest trend in retail development. Retail merchandising units, which had only in the last decade or so gained widespread acceptance in traditional mall development, have been forced to adapt to the new outdoor lifestyle trend. It’s a challenge, to be sure, but one the industry is meeting in fine fashion.
“Exterior units are an expanding market with the development of the lifestyle centers,” says Rob J. McCoy, principal of Carrollton, Texas-based STAK Design, which designs carts and kiosks for major developers such as CBL & Associates, The Mills Corporation and General Growth. “Our units are engineered to control the environment around the unit by providing heaters or fans that withstand the elements for year-round business in all climates. Also, the units are able to be lit for nighttime as well as daytime use, adding a new appeal to the common area.”
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An architecturally detailed unit by T L Horton Design.
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According to Jay Altizer, senior director of strategy with Grapevine, Texas-based T L Horton Design, there are several key factors to consider when designing RMUs for open-air centers. Ideally, he says, requirements such as electrical and phone connections, walkway spacing and tether points for the RMUs should already be incorporated into the design of the center.
“Exterior RMUs must also be designed and built to withstand the demands of an outdoor retail environment,” Altizer adds. “Tenant selection and management must also be taken into account when designing exterior RMUs.”
Sharon Loeff, director of sales and design–common area units for Dallas-based Creations at Dallas, says demand for outdoor units is noticeably up from 12 months ago. “The demand for it is growing; outdoor structures are definitely on the rise,” she says. “We’ve doubled the amount of designs for that environment in the last year.”
Recently, Creations at Dallas did a large installation of outdoor units at Forest City’s 1.3 million-square-foot Victoria Gardens, which opened in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in October 2004. “It was a very different unit,” Loeff says. “We installed radiant heaters on it; we used a lot of wrought iron. They really look beautiful.”
New Materials
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An efficient, modern design by T L Horton.
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Part of making a cart or kiosk “beautiful” requires particular attention to aesthetic detail — something that developers and architects pride themselves on when it comes to creating main street-type lifestyle centers. Like the centers themselves, RMU programs have begun to reflect the smaller design elements that go into construction of the center. In this case, it really is the little things that count.
“There seem to be more architectural design elements: more unusual moldings, different types of exteriors like wrought iron, custom metal banding — a lot of which we had never done before and never really thought about,” Loeff says. “Now it’s becoming much more important, certainly with the outdoor units and especially in the lifestyle centers where they’re trying to make a statement with the units.”
Loeff adds that the units also serve to enhance the outdoor environment built by the lifestyle developer. “If a center has an old-fashioned downtown feel to it, the carts pick up on that.” At Victoria Gardens, the RMU program features cupolas atop the units to better reflect the center’s design.
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Outdoor units must incorporate different materials and design elements.
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Creations at Dallas builds all of its carts and kiosks out of metal-based materials, not the traditional wood seen on many RMUs. Metal, it has been found, seems to fare better than wood in an outdoor setting.
Jay Burkette, director of dealer development with Birmingham, Alabama-based Expo Displays, agrees. “Materials have to brave the elements a bit more,” he says. “Look for these units to be built more from metal and weather-resistant materials, versus the traditional wooden construction.”
It makes sense. While it exudes a comfortable furniture-like feel, wood is still bulky and not as easily transported. Sure, wood is arguably more beautiful, but metal is more flexible. It is more streamlined and compact, it can fold into tighter areas, it can even attach to railings. And, with advances in design, architects have begun to make metal more beautiful. From intricate Victorian wrought iron to modern stainless steel, the aesthetic appeal of metal now gives wood a good run for its money.
“Aesthetic appeal is key as malls are redeveloping at a more rapid pace and design innovation and consistency is a priority for branding,” notes Bob Riley, president and CEO of DSA/Phototech, which has designed and produced RMUs for Forest City, Simon, Madison Marquette, Glimcher and Westfield. “We have seen a trend toward combining different elements such as wood, brushed aluminum, laminates and stone. These elements are consistent with the architectural elements in the retail environment.”
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STAK Design’s program at General Growth’s Jordan Creek Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
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Some of the centers DSA/Phototech has recently been involved with include Jordan Creek Center in Des Moines, Iowa; Westshore Plaza in Tampa, Florida; St. John’s Center in Jacksonville, Florida; Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, California; Bay Street in Emeryville, California; and Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, Connecticut. The company has also designed units for retailers such as Levi Strauss, Brighton Collectibles, Quicksilver, Sunglass Hut, Walt Disney Imagineering, Billabong and Barnes & Noble.
Riley adds that, when it comes to open-air centers, design features and materials must take into account weather- and wind-proofing, UV exposure and a heightened need for security.
“Security devices for RMUs are a growing concern both here in the U.S. and in Europe,” Altizer says. “Devices such as security roll-down shutters and alarm systems are being used to increase security for RMUs.”
New Designs
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A STAK Design unit at The Gallery in Baltimore.
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Last year, the catchphrase describing the ideal RMU was “like a piece of furniture.” True, the goal remains to fuse function and creativity with the mall environment in an aesthetically pleasing way. But this year, it’s not only a piece of furniture developers want — it’s a piece of furniture that has disappearing, minimalist elements. The result? The advent of more streamlined, compact and efficient units. Developers regard bulky overhead structures as cluttered and unnecessary (not to mention blocking retailers’ sight lines); they’d rather see minimal overhead structures, which are technically there for lighting and security purposes only. More cutting-edge designs are also highly sought after. And with these new designs come changes in footprint sizes. Quite often, this means smaller units — or a more creative space in which to install the unit.
The sight line issue is key, says Erin Knoettgen-Nap, design manager at T L Horton Design. “Successful RMUs strike a balance between being large enough to make the retailer’s statement and being arranged to meet the requirements of the inline retailer,” she says. “The tops of the RMUs are kept to a reasonable height — low enough not to interfere with inline retail signage but high enough to provide adequate lighting and signage for the RMU tenant.”
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STAK Design’s unit for Woodscore.com at Jordan Creek Center, Des Moines, Iowa.
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RMU design has learned to adapt in creative ways in order to fit into whatever space is available. “We have seen a growth in requests for units that fit against railings or walls and smaller modular RMUs to fit this need,” says Knoettgen-Nap.
Like T L Horton Design, Creations at Dallas also has smaller prototype structures, as well as railing units. In 2004, the company introduced a new three-sided rail unit that actually encloses entirely with glass doors. During fourth quarter 2004, Creations introduced a very small unit designed to come in and out of storage for weekend use and special events.
“It’s a smaller structure for really quick use,” Loeff says. “It goes through doors; it’s really tiny. We imagine we’re going to see a lot more of them this year.”
The environment in which the unit is installed is the most important design concept, according to STAK Design’s McCoy. “Balance is necessary as we make the units reflect the quality and environment through architectural details, while at the same time maintaining a balance of merchandising and operational concerns,” he says.
McCoy says STAK Design tries to add value to the common area by creating improved merchandise displays that enhance the shopping center. All this is done, he says, while keeping in mind the sight line restrictions. To that end, STAK limits the height of merchandising areas/zones to 5 feet 6 inches, which protects the visibility of the inline retailers. “By being sensitive to the needs of the inline retailer,” McCoy says, “this helps developers to grow their programs.”
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A STAK Design unit at St. Louis Galleria.
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STAK Design has also begun designing units with more modular components, which makes them more merchantable for the various tenants to display their products. “We are constantly improving the display and merchandising options of our units, to make them easier and more attractive for the merchants to display and improve the overall visual appeal of the common area, as well as driving sales,” McCoy says.
Recently, STAK Design was awarded the grand opening for CBL & Associates’ Imperial Valley Mall project next month. STAK also will be designing and manufacturing 24 custom exterior units for the more than 1 million-square-foot La Cantera project. Other mall developers working with STAK Design include General Growth and The Mills Corporation.
©2005 France Publications, Inc. Duplication or reproduction of this article not permitted without authorization from France Publications, Inc. For information on reprints of this article contact Barbara Sherer at (630) 554-6054.
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