Hotels have been curating a personalized guest experience for years. Now retailers are following suit with more hospitality-inspired designs. To find out more about how hospitality and retail are colliding, we sat down with a Jackson Thilenius, principal at Retail Design Collaborative. Thilenius has worked on designs for Marriott and Hyatt to smaller boutique brands including Red Lion Hotels and Pacifica Hotels, and now he is seeing hotel design inform retail. Here, he tells us why the two asset classes are colliding, the trends shaping the industries and what his clients are requesting.

GlobeSt.com: Why are hospitality and retail colliding today?

Jackson Thilenius: Everything is colliding today! Retail in particular has been aggressively adopting hospitality standards to provide a more personalized experience to its customers. Taking cues from the hospitality industry, the retail sector is discovering that there is real value behind curating an authentic experience for their customers. If people enter a store, they crave a more personalized, interactive experience that represents their individuality. While online shopping has decimated many traditional retail models, the curated retail experience is definitely on the rise. We have enjoyed exploring with our clients what those experiences entail, and our designs are taking us to places we never could have anticipated. The maker-space is growing, and I believe the commodification of authenticity as it relates to unique interactions will dominate the future of retail and hospitality.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the trends shaping both of these industries?

Thilenius: The three biggest trends we've seen in both industries are: Local Representation, Flexibility of Environment, and Hybridization of Services. In their attempts to differentiate and create unique experiences, both industries are choosing to align themselves with local talent. By displaying locally sourced products, or using neighborhood artists to create atmosphere, retailers and hoteliers are finding ways to showcase their commitment to community engagement. Flexibility of Environment is almost commonplace now, but this design trend still dominates the conversations we have around programming. Our clients are constantly seeking new ways to exhibit a variety of services, products, and amenities in ways that allow fluidity of purpose. They don't want to be restricted by the space. As they continue to develop strategies that hybridize products and/or their service offerings, we are tasked with being inventive and revolutionary in our design approach. The exploration of transformative environments, and the original design elements we create as a result, can often help to define the actual brand identity.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the design characteristics that you have been implementing for clients to enhance connectivity and social interaction?

Thilenius: The removal of traditional barriers seems to be the primary design characteristic associated with both industries. Boundaries are being blurred to help promote connectivity between the guest and the host. Hotel concierges have come out from behind their check-in podiums, and retail merchants have removed the registers and cash-wraps. Both industries now understand that a curated experience guided by an ambassador of the brand feels more personalized and unique. There will always be a place for automation and traditional transactional practices. Nothing can replace the blissful unpredictability of socially interacting with fellow human beings. The mistakes, nuances, and subtle gestures that take place in a typical cordial exchange bring humanity to the transaction. As a result, these imperfections help to ground us in something sincere and familiar. It's in our DNA as social beings to seek memorable experiences and personalized interactions are the best way to ensure that happens.

GlobeSt.com: What are your clients requesting today, and what are their concerns?

Thilenius: Put simply, they are seeking differentiation within their competitive set. It's not enough to create a unique “look” anymore. Our clients are very sophisticated and understand that great design employs the tailored integration of human interactivity with unique form. They also insist on efficiency of purpose and scrutinize their labor models. As a result, we are constantly developing ways to reduce redundancies within the space, and highlight instead the opportunities associated with combining service offerings. Savvy retailers also understand that the journey to enjoying a shopping experience extends well outside the physical store and that people crave something unique and meaningful from the actual transaction. We work with our clients to define ways to integrate technology and branding with our holistic design approach, which focuses on continuity. We believe that spaces should tell a story and that the user experience should feel seamless, memorable, and inspired.

GlobeSt.com: What is your outlook for the design of hospitality and retail over the next five years?

Thilenius: With new products, processes, and technological advances coming out every day, there is plenty of room within these sectors to stretch the envelope and be creative. It's such an exciting time, and the convergence of new technologies within the construction and design industries has allowed us to create environments and interactions that weren't even possible five years ago. I believe we are in the middle of a design revolution, and it's thrilling to be in a position to empower our clients with the freedom that ingenuity allows. Manufacturers continue to offer more customization as a result of the growing demands to differentiate and soon the only limit to what is possible is our own imagination. I'm certain these two industries will continue to merge and that we'll see more hotels specific to the products they sell and/or represent. They will offer personalized shopping as a destination, rooms dedicated to pop-ups, and 3D printed food options. Likewise, I believe you'll see more retail environments offering spa treatments, concierge services, nap rooms, and F&B options. The world's first farm-to-table apothecary hotel? Hey, today anything is possible and that's extraordinary!

Instant Insights /

Hotel Design Is Influencing Retailers

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