Clutter Buster

When you think of a “pawn shop,” visual organization and uncluttered displays don’t typically come to mind. But Burnsville, Minn.-based PawnWorks strove to go beyond the crowded atmosphere associated with the retail sector when it designed its first store.

Pawnbroking has existed since the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, and as early as 5th Century B.C. in China. And if you’ve never been inside a pawn shop, you at least recognize their ubiquity – and growing interest – due to a slew of reality TV shows focusing on their (often dramatized) daily operations. 

When Greg Daniel, owner, PawnWorks, purchased a line of pawn stores in 2007, along with a partner and institutional investment firm, he became fascinated with the retail model – one that relies on a constant flow of wide-ranging products, from diamonds to electronics. Not long after the chain was sold, he started to conceive the idea for a new line of contemporary pawn stores – and PawnWorks was born. 

“Relative to other retail experiences, pawn is way behind. There’s a substantial amount of room for improvement,” Daniel says. “And there’s a negative perception of [the pawn] industry out there and part of what I’m trying to achieve [with PawnWorks] is to prove people wrong. They don’t understand the value, the experience … I wanted to build a store that explicitly spoke that message.”

To overcome negative stereotypes sometimes associated with pawn shops, and present that “open, honest and friendly” environment Daniel desired, PawnWorks’ design had to serve a boundless demographic and support an uncluttered presentation.

Shea Inc. (Minneapolis), the firm that also helped Daniel conceive PawnWorks’ name, branding and logo, stepped in on the design side, along with several other companies, to achieve his vision.

Visual organization was a challenge for Shea, which recognized PawnWorks’ fluctuating inventory. This hurdle was tackled by creating a series of organized displays throughout the store, wherein rotating product is sorted into its respective categories. Modified slatwall behind the counters are labeled by category and house items ranging from tools to guitars.

“They get in a lot of product,” says Cori Kuechenmeister, design director, Shea. “[We had to be] extremely cognizant of where we [displayed] merchandise and how those areas would keep the store orderly and provide visual breaks, so it’s not [just] product lining the entire store.”

A whimsical graphic, designed by Minneapolis-based Very Inc., greets visitors upon entry, depicting products being pulled by balloons into a cloud-filled sky. Inside, systemized displays guide customers to counters, which use interchangeable graphics to communicate which stations are open for checkout, payment or loans. The fixtures mostly comprise galvanized steel, anodized silver and glass, while a partial drop ceiling stops short of the sales floor, contributing to the open aesthetic.

“In pawn, people are really trusting you to care for their valuable items [as collateral on loans], and we [conduct] fair transactions,” Daniel says. “I wanted people to know there aren’t any secrets here, we’re not hiding anything – everything we’re doing is trying to reinforce that concept, whether it’s subliminal or straightforward.”

PROJECT SUPPLIERS
Retailer
PawnWorks, Burnsville, Minn.

Design
Shea Inc., Minneapolis

Ceilings
Armstrong, Lancaster, Pa.

Fixtures
Discount Showcases, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Allen Display, Midlothian, Va.
Displays To Go, Bristol, R.I.
Uline, Hudson, Wis.
Megawall, Comstock Park, Mich.
The Video Store Shopper, Simi Valley, Calif.

Lighting
Juno Lighting Group, Des Plaines, Ill.
WAC Lighting Co., New York
D’ac Lighting, Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Metalux/Cooper Lighting, Cleveland
YLighting, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Signage/Graphics
Shea Inc., Minneapolis
Very Inc., Minneapolis

Materials/Wallcoverings
Mannington, Salem, N.J.
Johnsonite, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Sherwin Williams, Cleveland
Benjamin Moore, Montvale, N.J.

General Contractor
The Crew

Photography: Travis Anderson, Minneapolis