Big Boxes Go Uptown

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation's urban population increased more than 12 percent from 2000 to 2010, a trend that has captured the attention of large retailers. Big box stores already exist in some major cities, but more are on the way and coming to a downtown near you.

You may not recognize them at first. The new smaller boxes are different in both design and function. Rather than sprawling single-floor expanses, these urban versions have multiple floors and sometimes radically different layouts. Depending on available downtown space, existing codes, and other factors these smaller “big boxes” look nothing like their suburban siblings.

Retrofitting city buildings requires flexibility and a willingness to expand beyond prototypes. After all, stores might be taking over old retail space or something much different – a former bank, office space, or other vacant buildings not typically used for retail.

But there are advantages to shaking things up. This movement to dense urban cores redefines store interior design and creates some interesting challenges to solve. For instance, what kind of architectural touches and visual cues do you use to get shoppers to visit second and third floors? What lighting and window treatments are best? How do you incorporate underground parking, cart elevators, street level displays, and other features not usually associated with big boxes? Adapting to urban spaces requires an elevated level of creative design.

And then there’s the shopping experience. Working with limited space allows retailers to create a product mix specially tailored to a specific neighborhood’s demographics. Urban dwellers have different needs than suburban shoppers. Household essentials, toiletries, and especially groceries will replace larger items that require a vehicle to haul home. As big boxes continue to evolve the trick for retailers will be successfully meeting customers’ expectations while staying true to brand and design goals.

To learn more about design and branding strategies for urban big-box stores join Brian Fleener, vp of retail stores development for MulvannyG2 Architecture, and Eames Gilmore, architectural design manager for Target Corp., at IRDC on September 6th for their presentation, “Small Box, Big City: New Branding Strategies for Urban ‘Big’ Boxes.” For more on IRDC, visit irdconline.com