TELUS Mobility

TELUS Mobility required a new store concept to reflect the company's growth in the ever-changing marketplace of mobile technology and its expanded offerings and services.

When burdifilek started designing stores for the brand six years ago, there were six handsets to choose from, says Paul Filek, the design firm's managing partner.

“Today there are 24 handsets plus other personal electronic devices,” says Filek. “This new flagship store at the Scarborough Town Centre (near Toronto) had to incorporate all of these handsets and also make the shopping experience user-friendly. Even though the merchandise is technology-driven, we didn't want the environment to have that feel.”

According to Filek, there is a fashion element to consider in today's wireless technology, and the firm responded by designing the “handset runway,” a feature fixture in the center of the store displaying all the available handsets on a single illuminated platform.

To obtain technical information about each handset, shoppers can move to perimeter pods where phones are broken down by brand. Each pod features six handsets and an accessories cabinet.

“The idea was to draw people into the store with the fashion table of handsets,” says Filek. “And after they saw the whole lineup, they'd break away to the perimeter and decide what handset they'd like to buy.”

In the middle of the store, two activation tables with telephones, flat-screen monitors and Internet access are available so customers can find out more about the TELUS brand or activate their phones.

And finally, the company's existing branding campaign served as the inspiration for the bright green and purple color palette. Designers maintained the brand's “nature meets technology” concept and created a sophisticated palette with images of leaves and trees to express the evolution of that idea.

Client: TELUS Mobility, Scarborough, Ont.
Bruce Herscovici, vp, corporate store
Joey Goodbaum, director, retail initiative
Lisa Doucet, senior director, marketing and communications
Marc Jamieson, manager, marketing and merchandising
Jim McCormick, manager, property managing

Design: burdifilek, Toronto
Diego Burdi, design director
Paul Filek, managing partner
Mariko Nakagawa, designer
Mauro Lobo-Pires, CAD technologist
Indrajit Motala, senior designer
Alison Priestman

General Contractor: Claridge Contracting, Maple, Ont.

Engineer: Tom A. Fekete Ltd., Willowdale, Ont.

Fixturing: ISPA Woodworking Ltd., Mississauga, Ont.

Metal Displays: ALU, New York

Porcelain Tile Flooring: Crossville, Mississauga, Ont.

VCT Flooring in storage area: Amtico Intl., Atlanta

Lighting: Cooper Lighting, Mississauga, Ont.
by Litemore, Toronto
Xenon by TPL Marketing, Toronto
Artemide, Toronto
Delta Light by Mille Luce, Toronto

Laminates: Abet Laminati, Toronto
Formica, Etobicoke, Ont.

Signage: Sunset Neon, Burlington, Ont.

Wallpaper: Cactus Imaging Centre, Toronto

Acrylic: Cyro Industries, Toronto

Acrylic Fabricator: Top Quality Plastics, Mississauga, Ont.

Hardware: , Archdale, N.C.
Amstel, Woodbridge, Ont.

Photography: Ben Rahn, A-Frame Inc., Toronto