This refreshing concept shop is the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Visitors will get first dibs on trying out different Carlsberg brews (which will change on a regular basis) exclusive only to the shop.

Walmart has closed several stores for deep cleaning in recent weeks and months, according to local news reports detailing closures of one to three days in different locations. In some, but not all, cases Walmart or municipalities confirmed positive COVID-19 tests as the reason for the closure and cleaning.

The coffee shop chain announced last week it will “increase convenience-led formats” in the U.S., including both drive-thru and curbside pickup options, over the next 18 month. As part of this, it is closing 400 North America locations, while adding a total of 300 net new stores in 2020.

Youtube video about Aether's use of containers for their retail store.

The Swedish fashion giant opened its first concept store for interior design and decoration in the Netherlands. The location is an ancient building whose history is charmingly linked to the Dutch Royal family, in particular to the current King.

The first vertical development at the former Ford Motor Cos. site in St. Paul will likely be a six-level building with 230 apartments above a grocery store.

The new locations bring the retailer to nine stores in Indianapolis, five in Knoxville, and a total of 134 retail locations across six states.

Alfalfa’s Local Market will open a new location and concept in Longmont, CO. The expansion makes use of an innovative concept and design.

Australia's Barbeques Galore is experimenting with a new physical store format in the midst of rightsizing the store network and considering the future and evolution of the brand’s retail experience.

The eyewear retailer's reopening strategy involves new technology that not only make shopping safer in a COVID-19 world but make shopping better for the world at large.

Caution tape. Painted circles. Plastic dividers. The most impactful coronavirus designs are coming from mostly nonprofessionals adapting urban space on the fly.

Don't miss this panel tomorrow on rebuilding local retail! I'm joining Paul Weinschenk, from the Peterson Companies, retail ops veteran & consultant Mark Hasting, & Michael Smith, from StreetSense. We're answering retailers questions on real estate, technology, operations, & retail design - where are they headed as stores re-open? What comes next in a post-pandemic world?

Kind of like eyes are the windows to the human soul; store windows are the eyes of the shop’s soul. The window displays share secrets that ads and promotions aren’t able to.

As the world re-emerges from stay-at-home mandates, ROI for any brick-and-mortar venture dollar will need to be justified more than ever.

Design and operational changes could also play a key role in encouraging the economy to begin moving again, with efforts by shopping centres to bring shoppers back to their attractions being commended by politicians who are keen to get commerce back on track.

Retailers are going to need to be able to adjust locally and build in more regionalization and differentiation; so, there can be no more one-lease-to-fit-them-all or one size stores. National footprints won’t be normalized.

Diversification of the American mall

New shopper behaviors will change how retail operates and exists. Right now, stores are focusing on redesigning their spaces for a more sanitary, streamlined, and contactless experience.

The world has changed. It matters where you put your feet. How are wayfinding and operational signage adapting to a post-COVID world of public venues?

Retail Minded’s Nicole Leinbach Reyhle lays a foundation for the uncertain road ahead

Industry experts share new ideas for forecourt design, store layouts and innovating the drive-thru.

We as an industry have reached an “evolve-or-die” moment. Countless retailers continue to file for bankruptcy and shutter stores. Yet even when faced with imminent peril based on huge gaps in consumer understanding and inefficient processes, very few retailers or brands have taken up the mantle to truly innovate.

Robots, fast-food chain kiosks, and more changes to self-serve food stations you'll see at your local store.

Social distancing, improved cleaning procedures, and amplified online ordering and delivery capabilities are examples of the measures being taken to implement infection control policies. To keep the country fueled after the COVID-19 curve flattens, we need to identify which of these measures should become lasting design changes in the long term.

Leah Berg's Experience with Grocery Pick Up

Martin Roberts, retail design trailblazer and founder of Martin Roberts Design passed away on May 29, 2020. He was a frequent contributor of insightful articles on retail home furnishings store design to Furniture World Magazine.