Chess World press release on RetailBiz:
The only dedicated chess shop in Victoria, the new store is down the road from the old store/HQ. As well as running chess competitions, teaching chess classes and offering a library for chess aficionados this store had to incorporate a new Head Office and establish a serious physical retail presence for what had previously been a largely online business.
The total area is 108 sqm (front of house 70 sqm, back of house 38 sqm). The Designer’s vision for this concept store was to deliver an immersive space – a place in which visitors almost feel as though they are part of a game. Vinyl was laid to create a chess board pattern across the floor, walls and ceiling. A 3D fantasy trompe l’oeil mural (by a local artist) was applied to the back wall – hiding the office and back of house facilities with access through a hidden door.
Oversized fixtures were designed to continue the “fairytale” feeling of the store. Chess piece shaped furniture was selected specially to reinforce this experience. All the joinery was custom designed to maximize spatial efficiency and to accommodate the small scale of chess pieces versus the larger scale of the boards.
Most importantly for retail purposes, Forward Thinking Design maximized the use of wall space with custom designed angled shelving and tiered platforms to enhance product visibility. A customized ticketing system was also devised, making it easy for staff to change prices and product descriptions.
The Shopfitters, Classic Resources had a number of issues to deal with such as rising damp, deteriorated subfloor and leaking shop front which were all pinpointed and resolved.
The client has commented …. “We never imaged that our space could look this good. Everyone who walks in the door is impressed with the look and feel of the new shop. Most importantly everyone is spending more in store – which I’m attributing directly to the design”.
(David Cordover, Chess World).
“It is such a pleasure to work with a motivated, passionate and supportive client. David, the owner of Chess World, gave us a clear brief with a lot of creative freedom, trust and respect. His sales figures so far suggest that we’ve achieved his objectives and we’re certainly proud of the store’s impact”.
(Vanessa Cullen, Forward Thinking Design)
“The Chess world project was a great concept and the finished product was just great. The level of detail and specification we received from Vanessa at Forward Thinking Design, was of the highest level and her hands on approach was very refreshing. This project had a number of issues but they were addressed at the design stage – making the role of Classic Resources a lot easier. It was a pleasure to work with Forward Thinking Design and the staff were so warm and friendly.”
(Doug Mackintosh, Classic Resources)
Learning should be fun and with new, creative design, it has also become more profitable.
Check out link at RetailBiz: