M&M’S World Orlando has been named 2006 Store of the Year in the 36th annual Institute of Store Planners/VM+SD International Store Design Competition. That award, and 23 other awards in various retail categories, were presented last night at the annual ISP/VM+SD gala in New York.
The 17,000-square-foot M&M’s store was designed by Chute Gerdeman (Columbus, Ohio). The space “creates a wonderful retail experience for shoppers,” noted one of the competition’s judges. “I’ve visited it three times, and each time I’ve witnessed how the environment connects with shoppers of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.” Another praised the space for making “a very strong and pervasive brand statement.”
The gala was hosted by VM+SD editor Steve Kaufman and Andrew McQuilkin, vp, design at FRCH Design Worldwide (Cincinnati), and president of ISP Intl.
Coverage of M&M’s World store, and the 16 other First Place winners in the competition, will appear in the February issue of VM+SD. Complete write-ups of all winners within the contest will also be posted VM+SD’s web site, www.vmsd.com.
Below are the First-Place winners and the design firms that entered them in the competition:
New or Completely Renovated Full-Line Department Store: Bloomingdale’s, San Francisco; RYA Design Consultancy, Dallas
New or Completely Renovated Specialty Department Store: Barneys New York, Boston; Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates, New York
New Shop Within an Existing Full-Line or Specialty Department Store: Brown Thomas & Co., Dublin, Ireland; burdifilek, Toronto
Specialty Store, Sales Area Under 1500 square feet (tie): Fornarina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Giorgio Borruso Design, Marina del Rey, Calif., and Motorola (Product) Red, Chicago; WalkerGroup, New York
Specialty Store, Sales Area 1500 to 3000 square feet: Fornarina, London; Giorgio Borruso Design, Marina del Rey, Calif.
Specialty Store, Sales Area 5000 to 10,000 square feet: Paradies Shops at the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta; TVS Interiors Inc., Atlanta
Big Box Retail: Bass Pro Shop, Denver; Bass Pro Shops Architects, Springfield, Mo.
Shopping Center Kiosk: Olay Brand Experience Counter, Cincinnati; Benchmark, Cincinnati
Specialty Food Court or Counter-Service Restaurant: Kentucky Fried Chicken, Louisville, Ky.; FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati
Sit-Down Restaurant: Mariposa Restaurant, Boca Raton, Fla.; Charles Sparks + Co., Westchester, Ill.
Specialty Food Shop: The Market by Longo’s, Toronto; Watt Intl. Inc., Toronto
Supermarket: Carnival Super Market, Dallas; api(+), Tampa, Fla.
Service Retailer: The Spa at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Pavlik Design Team, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Manufacturer’s Showroom: The Design Studio by Remington Homes, Markham, Ont.; Watt Intl. Inc., Toronto
Automotive Retail: Lexus of West Kendal, Miami; Pavlik Design Team, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.