German sports retailer Intersport Stähle’s store in Bad Dürrheim is an example of how a large store can be transformed by a makeover and the thoroughly impersonal made personal.
The two-storey, 15,070 sq ft shop reopened in April following a four-week renovation courtesy of shopfitter Schlegel, following a design by Nette + Hartmann. Visplay provided the merchandising system, which is punctuated by eye-catchers including coloured seating areas located near the shoe test track that remind the visitor about the mountaineering department.
The real showstopper, however, is the Indiana Jones-style rope bridge with oiled planks, which is suspended across the mid-shop, presenting the onlooker with a vision of a form of the great outdoors. There are also technical elements, with the highlight probably being the wind tunnel for testing windproof ski clothing.
In essence, this is shed retailing, but it is executed so that the sense of being in one of these somewhat anonymous structures is suspended. This is aided by the decision to paint the ceiling void black and to bring the bulk of the lighting down from on high, so it is closer to the merchandise.
An extended white ceiling baffle ensures your gaze is kept at stock level. Couple this with a soft wooden floor and a series of ‘green’ graphics scattered around the upper perimeter and this is an interesting space.
Now compare this with the experience you are likely to encounter when entering an edge-of-town sports superstore in this country and the quality of what has been done here becomes apparent.
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