The retail industry’s creative professionals collaborative community
since 1961
WELCOME
We are the retail industry’s creative professionals. We were founded in 1961 to be a collaborative community where ideas, knowledge and passion would be shared at a local level and enable our members to fulfill the fast-paced planning and design needs of retail. Today, our membership includes architects, graphic designers, lighting designers, interior designers, store planners, visual merchandisers, resource designers, brand strategists, educators, trade partners, trade media and students of design.
NEWS AND EVENTS
Call for Entries: 49th International Design Competition Deadline is Now Closed. Finalists and Winners announced soon!
Deadline to enter the retail design industry’s premier competition is just weeks away! We’re searching for the best new retail spaces opened in 2019.
The Institute’s 49th International Design Competition celebrates outstanding and innovative retail spaces that encourage new techniques in planning, design, graphics, fixturing, lighting and visual merchandising.
Design firms and in-house retail design teams from around the globe are invited to submit projects covering all retail formats. (We’re unable to accept entries from general contractors, allied trades, fixture manufacturers, material suppliers or owners’ representatives.) The competition recognizes exceptional retail experiences ranging from full-line traditional department stores to specialty apparel stores and restaurants to kiosks and pop-up/pop-in shops.
Submissions must include up to 8 images for specialty stores and up to 12 images for department, large format and supermarkets. Each entry must include a 750-word narrative summary, plus captioned images. Please note: Entries may not include multiple locations representing a single retailer. Images (uploaded should be less than 5 megs, and in RBG color format (jpeg or png). Images are uploaded individually. This applies to photos and to floor plans. There is the option to add video — see registration for size and format details.
Eligible projects are those completed between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. The competition portal closes Monday, MARCH 2, 2020. Click here to be connected.
The “Class of 2019” (finalists for Best in Class award) will be announced soon. Finalists will be celebrated along with the Store of Year (Best in Class) winner and notified via email. Winning projects will also be published.
Need help or more information? Please contact Janet Groeber; [email protected]
L’Occitane en Provence, 555 Fifth Avenue, is 2018 Store of the Year!
L’Occitane en Provence at 555 Fifth Avenue, New York City, is the Retail Design Institute’s 2018 Store of the Year. The reveal came at the Institute’s 48th Awards Gala, held May 22, 2019 in New York City, among nearly 200 attendees from the retail design industry.
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Retail Design Legion of Honor Inducts Paul Lechleiter
Paul Lechleiter is the latest practitioner to be inducted into the Retail Design Legion of Honor. Lechleiter, who has logged more than 35 years in the retail design industry, is chief creative officer of FRCH NELSON, Cincinnati. As FRCH NELSON’s creative visionary, Lechleiter’s role is hands-on involvement in day-to-day creative output, providing creative leadership for a variety of client relationships….
James Farnell Named Fellow of the Institute
Farnell joined the Institute in 2009 as a Professional member through the Southern California Chapter and later serving as its President August 2011 through October 2014. He was named Professional Member of the Year in 2013 for his work on behalf Southern California. Farnell has consistently upheld the mission and values of the Institute, representing the interests of all Institute’s membership from student to professionals and trade partners…
Announcing the Mark V. Looper Award for Design Collaboration
There’s a new award being offered in time for the 2018 Student Design Competition already underway.
“We’ve added the ‘Mark V. Looper Award for Design Collaboration,’ because Mark was a champion of collaboration,” notes Andrew McQuilkin, FRDI, chairman of the Student Design Competition.” Throughout his career, McQuilkin explains, “Mark invited and inspired individuals to work together. So the Institute feels strongly about using this opportunity to recognize those who do at the earliest stages in their design profession.”
The Institute’s International Executive Board approved the recognition in January and determined the award would go to the Student Group winner — in Mark’s memory. The Student Design Prize Fund is currently funded with proceeds from the International Design Competition entry fees and the Awards Gala ticket sales. Now, anyone can contribute to the Looper award.
Boston Retail Guide: Beantown Stores Deserving a Visit
The Boston Retail Guide is an annual listing of of new and notable Boston merchants. This listing of shops to visit includes retailers on Newbury Street and shops at Prudential Center / Copley Place. Click here to visit the news posting.
Click the link below to download and read this listing in PDF format.
JOB POSTINGS
Below are a few of the most recent job postings. Full listings are available to members here.
Store Planner - As a Store Planner, your work will help define physical, digital, and human elements in our Stores and non-retail facilities. With guidance and general direction, you'll develop project documentation to support H-E-B business strategies. Continue Reading
