Another Day, Another Department Store

The days when you could open a department store that would have shoppers stopping in their tracks surely must be over. Who in their right mind would spend millions to create something that others do pretty well already?

For an answer, look no further than Birmingham, England. In the space of two months, it will be the recipient of two new department stores, both of which will be sufficiently large to merit national coverage. And it’s not as if this is a location that’s short of retailers to which the department store label might be applied. There’s a branch of Selfridges, which takes the form of a hubcap-studded golf ball. There’s an outpost of national chain, House of Fraser (a bit like Nordstrom, in your neck of the woods), and mid-market operation, Debenhams, also has a substantial foothold in the market.  

Yet recently, luxury retailer Harvey Nichols spent a tidy sum on completely renovating the interior of its Birmingham store, expanding its footprint by about 50 percent and creating a glittery homage to fashion and in-store technology. This surely deserves to be praised as something new. And if that isn’t enough: Next month, John Lewis – the department store of choice for the English middle classes – opens the doors of its first full-line store in five years, right in the middle of the city.

When complete, this location will be shiny and chromed on the outside and filled with curved floors, making it a destination as much for its form as for the contents it will be trying to sell.

Anything else that’s new under the department store sun? You bet. Jump on the next plane to Birmingham (yes, it does have an airport) and take a look at the sector’s newest, and in some ways, most interesting developments. It will be worth your while.

John Ryan is a journalist covering the retail sector, a role he has fulfilled for more than a decade. As well as being the European Editor of VMSD magazine, he writes for a broad range of publications in the U.K., the U.S. and Germany with a focus on in-store marketing, display and layout, as well as the business of store architecture and design. In a previous life, he was a buyer for C&A based in London and then Dusseldorf. He lives and works in London.

Don't miss John's session (“London’s Evolving Retail Scene: From the High Street to the Edgy East“) at IRDC this year, Sept. 9-11 in Austin, Texas! For more information about IRDC, visit IRDConline.com.