Skoringen, Scandinavia

Skoringen, the largest Scandinavian shoe retailer with more than 200 stores in Denmark and Norway, wanted to infuse it mom-and-pop-styled shoe stores with a more fashionable and design-forward edge. So the company hired Riis Retail, whose client list includes Bang & Olufsen, Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, for some design direction.

“Our goal is to become the market leader with an exclusive design appeal,” says Claus Thrane, Skoringen’s ceo. “This new design will launch us even higher.”

The new prototype places more emphasis on individual shoes, instead of variety, so the store houses fewer and lower shelving units. Designers also reduced the storage space by 50 percent and created small room-type settings for a more personable shopping experience.

“Natural materials including wood and stone give a whole new depth to the shopping experience and mood,” says Ulrik Aspen, sales and marketing manager for Riis Retail (Kolding, Denmark), “which in turn will reflect on the image of the shoes themselves.”

Design: Riis Retail, Kolding, Denmark

Louise Hartvig, architect

Ulrik Aspen, sales and marketing manager

Audio/Visual: LCD A/S, Thyregod, Denmark

Ceilings: Buy Best Solution, Sonderborg, Denmark

Fixtures, Furniture, Props and decoratives: Riis Retail, Kolding, Denmark

Flooring, Wallcoverings and Materials: StoneCon, Svendborg, Denmark

Lighting: Lik, Vejle, Denmark

Signage/Graphics: Riis Retail, Kolding, Denmark and Skiltegaarden, Herning, Denmark.

General Contractor: Skoringen, Skødstrup, Denmark

Photography: Jens Peter Engedal Fotografi, Aarhus, Denmark