EuroShop Retail Trade Fair

26th March 2014

This week we have a guest blogger in the form of Hanna, our work experience student, reporting from the EuroShop retail trade fair in Dusseldorf:

Hello!  My name is Hanna Krug, I’m 19 years old and I’m currently doing work experience at Barber Design…

Euroshop in Dusseldorf

On the 20th of February, I visited  ‘Euroshop’ which is the world’s leading trade fair for retail investment. The sheer range of exhibits surprised me –  from visual marketing and merchandising ideas to retail technology. The displays which most caught my attention were the shopfitting, retail design architecture and EuroConcept store design lighting section as these are the areas of retail design that I am most fascinated by and I saw some really exciting innovations here.

Euroshop display

I liked  ‘EuroConcept’, because I’m really interested in current store design trends and architectural concepts and it included ideas and new retail concepts which I had never seen before. The fair offered a great variety of exhibits. I liked the unexpected mix of materials and styles, such as the ‘Knoblauch’ stand which mixed rustic timber with modern furniture and colours.

Display units on display at Euroshop

There were lots of great ideas on offer, ranging from cutting edge to traditional, from simple to colourful, with very clever touches like this seating furniture with a table which is shaped like a human hand.

Giant hand at Euroshop in Dusseldorf

Several exhibitors presented very clever modular shelf systems, constructed from timber or plastic which could be tailored to meet individual needs. I particularly liked the interesting and simple look of units like these Riis retail and Humka clothing display systems.

Humka modular display units at Euroshop

Riis aim is to help stores to to create rooms that tell stories for an authentic customer experience. The Riis ethos is based on the premise  that successful store design is one more than just the ‘wow factor’ or  trying to  impressing the visitor. It should also be functional and inviting, for both employees and customers – creating both a great space to shop and to work in.  Their shelving systems are able to withstand everyday wear and tear, providing a robust and practical solution for most retail needs.

Nud Lighting at Euroshop

These lamps by ‘NUD collection’ (pictured above and below) feature old style light bulbs, held by a coloured cable, which make successful use of pops of bright colour in natural backgrounds.

Lighting at Euroshop

I really liked the LED light balls which came from the ceiling or illuminated waterfalls which showed messages or slogans. The ‘Lumiblade experience’ from Philips was also a very interesting innovation. It used many little mirrors coming in different distances from the ceiling to create a wavy surface. These mirrors moved and were lit up like optic fibre, which had a great effect.

Philips Lumiblade Lighting at Euroshop

Hanna came back to the Barber with lots of great ideas and inspiration from the trade fair and recommends it as well worth a visit next time it is on – although sadly you will have to wait until 2017 for the next EuroShop event… by which time Hanna might have her own trade stand on display.