Nike, Forever 21, Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and Sephora are some retailers that Gen Zers prefer visiting in person to shop at, owing to their use of social media in interesting ways, a study by MG2 and Berns Communications Group found.
Gen Z’s spending power is growing. That’s why brands are focused on uncovering their behaviors and preferences across all channels. During this Retail Remix episode, Alicia Esposito chats with Melissa Gonzalez, Principal at MG2, to dig into some of the key findings and takeaways that design executives can apply.
The vibrant color scheme carries throughout the space, which was designed by MG2/The Lionesque Group to engage and inspire both long-time Sorel fans as well as new passers-by. The design also highlights Sorel’s Caribou silhouette. A 5’x10’ foot polar bear is painted on the store’s orange-painted exterior.
It had “a very New York bodega feel,” Melissa Gonzalez said of the store, whose showroom is just 950 square feet. “And we could take over the whole exterior, which was super important, so we really had a brand moment starting from the outside in.”
Footwear brand Sorel has collaborated with MG2 and The Lionesque Group on a Brooklyn-based pop-up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its. The anniversary celebration coincides with the release of a celebrity design collaboration with musician and actress Chloe Bailey.
We’re honored to see Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Gardens named in Retail Design Institute’s Class of 2022, representing the best of the best in retail stores and experiences.
New research from MG2 confirms that Gen Z is looking for curated visual merchandising experiences and for brand values to shine through in these physical environments, along with a focus on wellbeing and community connections.
The Lionesque Group was tapped to pilot redesigns at the Oceana base store in Virginia Beach, and then roll out changes across the system.
This is about pictures — a visual tour in and around the finished product, which 3,700-plus employees moved into over the summer.
Kizik, a hands-free footwear brand, based in Lindon, Utah, opened its first retail doors in Fashion Place Mall near Salt Lake City.
As consumers become more aware of the importance of sustainability and are more actively engaging in sustainable practices at home as well as investing in sustainable businesses, we examine how this increase in consumer awareness brings opportunities for brands and retailers to better understand consumer motivations and where they crave demystification, paving the way for a more thoughtful retail store experience that is in the service of facilitating change.
Our full deck is available for download at the bottom of this preview. Take me there now!
Consumers are becoming increasingly informed about the benefits of sustainability and are experimenting with sustainable products and practices more than ever before. From using LED light bulbs, to reusable shopping bags and bottles, to eating locally grown foods, consumers everywhere are engaging in sustainable practices even when they don’t realize they are. Even the smallest change has the ability to drive long term benefits, and the same can be said of the actions brands and retailers can take in stores.
In this survey, we investigate consumer awareness when it comes to the wide spectrum of sustainable initiatives available to them and how that awareness informs their motivations and prioritization when shopping in-store, facilitating opportunities for retailers to design store environments that are not only a place for procuring goods, but rather a place that drives education, enacts thoughtful and purposeful change and keeps sustainability and a sense of community at the core of all they do.
As consumers continue to embrace sustainable practices at home, they are looking to the brands they follow and admire to do the same in-store. Consumers view their relationships with brands like a partnership, wherein retailers are not only a provider of goods, but a provider of education and inspiration, serving as a real time resource into the products worth investing in, and the practices worth pursuing.
As they evolve and their awareness expands, consumers are also becoming more clear about their motivations and level of prioritization when it comes to sustainability in retail. We see this evidenced through their desire for signage in-store that conveys a brand’s commitment to positive change in the environment and surrounding communities, through their interest in modular fixtures as a waste reduction effort, through their interest in recycling receptacles in-store for repurposing products and materials, as well as wanting messaging that communicates tips and guidance for product care throughout the product’s lifespan.
Consumers want to feel good about the brands they invest in and more so than ever, they are wanting to know that their investment is in service of the greater good. Consumers are thinking beyond today, and when they look at the impact of their decisions upon the generation of tomorrow, they expect brands, retailers and developers to be right there with them, building a brighter future together.
The program recognizes female brand marketers, retailers, agency executives and solution providers for their achievements in influencing shoppers along the path to purchase.
We’re excited to be listed as number 47 in BD+C’s Top 130 Hospitality Facility Architecture Firms for 2023.
“But it’s hard to nail that correct ambiance,” says Joy Dayaw, associate, MG2 Design, Seattle. “The last thing you need is a silent restaurant, but you also need some soft surfaces so the noise isn’t so active.”
We’re excited to be listed on ENR’s Top 100 Green Design Firms.
“For wellness, it was interesting to see thoughtful fitting room experiences identified as a top priority, as opposed to more typical experiences you would associate with wellness such as biophilia, light and sound,” said Melissa Gonzalez, principal at MG2, in a statement to Tiara White of Ad Age.
We’re excited to be listed as number 8 in BD+C’s Top 140 Retail Sector Architecture and Architecture Engineering (AE) Firms for 2023.
As Gen Z has grown up and become independent consumers, we examine how this shift in mindset informs their preferences, expectations, and spending habits, highlighting where brands and retailers should focus their attention and investments to best resonate with this digitally fluent, omnipresent generation.
Our full deck is available for download at the bottom of this preview. Take me there now!
Gen Z is digital first however they seamlessly blend worlds, expecting brands to fluidly meet them online and offline because that is all they have known. By bridging online engagement with physical retail experiences that apply both purposeful and playful technologies in-store, brands and retailers can elevate the shopping experience while maintaining the convenience and efficiency Gen Z has come to expect. In this survey, we seek to better understand this generation and investigate their preferences and motivations for shopping in-store, enabling us to bring forward opportunities for future retail store design that incorporate experiences that not only resonate with the consumer’s values, but celebrate their individuality and desire to be a part of the brand story digitally and physically.
Gen Z consumers know what they want and they know what matters to them. They may be ever changing however their motivations are central to who they are. This generation values authenticity and transparency and knowing a brand’s story is only one part of what drives their sense of connectivity. They expect brands to meet them online and in-store with fluidity, and desire continuity as it relates to brand messaging and customer experience, regardless of the platform or environment. They value and seek out alternative brand experiences not only to feature on social media, but as a way to further educate themselves and immerse themselves in a brand’s world. Gen Z wants to be a part of the narrative and they want to engage with brands in unexpected ways.
We’re excited to be included among the top 25 in Building Design + Construction’s 2023 Top 175 Architecture Firms.
“There’s a mix of so much education that’s needed that cannot really be fulfilled online in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming and intimidating,” Melissa Gonzalez, principal of MG2 and founder of The Lionesque Group, a retail experiential design firm, told CNBC.
Kizik opened its first physical store this past May with help from MG2/The Lionesque Group.
While pop-ups were popular before the pandemic, they’ve “accelerated” due to people’s comfort with experimental stores or shoppable showrooms, according to Melissa Gonzalez, principal of MG2 and founder of The Lionesque Group, a retail experiential design firm.
Joining the Seattle Design Festival this year are Trevor Gunderson and the MG2 Summer Interns with The Garden of Ideas! In this Pop-Up Experience, the team asks you to question the Now in order to generate new ideas that can be incorporated into our shared spaces and places.
In anticipation, the Seattle Design Festival sat with the interns to learn more about what inspires them.
We’re excited to be listed in ENR’s Top 225 International Design Firms of 2023.
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