Sensorial Playground, Part IV

International Visual Competition First Place Winner
In-Store Apparel Presentation
"Roadster Life"
Submitted by: Restore Design, Bengaluru, India

Originally a digital native brand, Roadster (Bengaluru, India) has begun rolling out physical spaces in the past few years. This location in Bengaluru, India, created by design firm Restore (Bengaluru, India), is reportedly that country’s first RFID-enabled store with a guaranteed 30-seconds-or-less checkout process. Split into two zones – The Road and The Garage – its rock-filled gabion exterior and asphalt floor had to be installed overnight to avoid mall traffic.

“Who can miss the fact that you enter the store over a speed bump – asphalt with white stripes?” posits Federico Fraternale, Head of Design, Restore, about the attention to detail. “Who wouldn’t love the fitting rooms with the accelerator pedal to call for a [new] size, or the traffic lights used to signal a busy/free fitting room? There are innumerable details to delight, and therefore, something new to discover on every visit.”

The Road section includes faux crosswalks, dividing lines and roadworthy speed limit and stop signs, while The Garage, demarcated by a garage shutter, is abundant with apparel and accessories. Its temporary displays and mannequin scenes are all on brand, with one figure posed confidently atop a vintage motorcycle fixture.

“We decided to build the Roadster customer experience around ‘the road and the garage,’ literally and unequivocally,” says Fraternale. “We placed familiar objects in an unfamiliar setting. That’s always charming! And then we breathed the Roadster tone of voice into it – for example, the question ‘What the FAQ’ identifies the ‘customer enquiry pod.’ ”

The competition judges were instantly smitten with the space’s solid narrative. “This store is so pulled together, from a materiality standpoint, you feel like you’re on the road,” says Jim Kelly, Design Manager, Macy’s (Cincinnati), another 2019 competition judge. “It makes you want to go there.”

For Part I of the International Visual Competition coverage, please click here. 
For Part II of the International Visual Competition coverage, please click here.
For Part III of the International Visual Competition coverage, please click here.