Revamping an Iconic Brand

The doors to the newly revamped PUMA on Carnaby Street opened on Friday, March 23rd. The PUMA brand embodies an active and healthy lifestyle. With a new active, innovative, and sustainable design to the retail environment. The store offers PUMA's performance lifestyle collections with cutting-edge technology to their customers. PUMA's strategy to revamp their stores to appeal to their customers in key markets (including Amsterdam, Munich, Barcelona and New York). Londoners will find some iconic London emblems given a PUMA twist.

The store is about 2,500 sq ft of open retail space showcasing the broad range of PUMA footwear displayed on their "catwalk" of shoes, from the iconic PUMA Suede to the PUMA Speed Cat.

Shopping is meant to be a fun experience. No one wants to have a boring shopping experience. The store has their own unique interactive features. The new PUMA Joypad is 32 synchronized digital touch screens, which allows customers to test their memory and reaction time on regularly updated games. Customers can challenge their friends to get the top score.

The changing rooms have a feature called the PUMA Peepshow. It is a red box that opens with a surprise video inside. "You never know who may be checking you out while you try on some new PUMA gear." Is that a phone ringing? Maybe you should answer it. Who's there? It's the PUMA "UnSmart Phone" and see who is on the other line. They could be calling to speak with you.

The ceiling tends to be the forgotten fifth wall. Not at the PUMA store. Look up and see the various floating images in their digital skylight. You could find yourself relaxing in the clouds or in the midst of a group of hungry sharks!

PUMA is making the shopping experience easier. There are iPads in the store to let their customers purchase products directly from PUMA's European e-commerce website. Now customers do not have to worry about not getting the color or size they want. Shopping directly through the website also lightens the customer's load. They will not be weighed down buy shopping bags. 

The Carnaby Street is a reflection of its surrounding location. From the "Mind the Gap" text on the front of the entrance ramps to the iconic red telephone boxes in the storefront facade. Customers will enjoy being in the midst of all that London has to offer.

"In line with PUMA's mission to become the most desirable and sustainable Sportlifestyle company, the new store, which was first opened in 2002, incorporates several sustainable features. Sustainable innovations include an efficient lighting concept mix resulting in reduced energy consumption, FSC certified wood and certified floor finishes guaranteeing the forest products used are from responsibly harvested and verified sources, and low-emission paint and adhesives. The structure of the existing walls [have] been left [untouched], reducing the amount of building material [waste]. These measures support PUMA's sustainability targets for 2015 and help protect our planet."

A Little Piece of Shoe Heaven

What girl doesn't love shoe shopping? The Frye Company has finally opened a flagship store. The Frye Company is the oldest continuously operating shoe company in the United States. The 148-year old brand is known for its quality and attention to detail in the boots and shoes they produce.

The company's rich history begun by pioneers and cowboys wearing Frye's footwear. Generations of American soldiers in the Civil War, the Spanish War, and World War II wore Frye boots. There is so much history behind the Frye Company.

Since the Frye Company as well as its leather footwear that has stood the test of time, the design of the store needed to reflect that. The design team at AvroKO showcased the timelessness of the brand by using suitably design fixtures and fittings. Inspiration of the flagship store was drawn from 20th-century workshops and toolboxes.

The design of the store is reminiscent of an industrial factory. The cash-wrap desk from vintage industrial drawers and blackened panels gives the space an aged timeless feel.Above the sales floor, locally fabricated brass pendant fixtures flank a ceiling installation of more than 400 leather straps, each fitted with a brass ring meant to recall Frye's War-era boots.

This is an unique store that was able to rack up enough LEED points to achieve Platinum certification for Frye. Rolling display cases were built from reclaimed American walnut. Flooring is reclaimed oak, oiled and stained. Original structural columns and brick walls remain, but there are some key additions: the HVAC system, low-energy lighting, and low-VOC finishes. Source Interior Design Magazine