Landscape Design Trends in Retail

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Today's retail owners are increasingly pushing the envelope of shopping-center design by bringing solutions such as innovative landscaping to the forefront of their developments, Lifescapes International's president Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs tells GlobeSt.com. The firm designs recently completed the landscape design for Robinsons Galleria, a multi-million-dollar, multi-story shopping destination located within a 380,485-square-meter mixed-use development in Cebu, Philippines. We spoke with Brinkerhoff-Jacobs about that project and landscape design as an integral component of a retail property.

GlobeSt.com: What trends are emerging in the retail sector that will impact the development and design of shopping centers?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Retail owners are constantly seeking creative ways to deliver immersive experiences at their centers that will increase length of stay and encourage repeat visits. Landscape design plays a critical role in invigorating and enhancing the overall guest experience, which in turn drives foot traffic and keeps visitors coming back time and time again.

When it comes to developing retail centers today, owners must think outside of the box in order to create engaging spaces that evoke a strong and authentic sense of place. The idea of “placemaking,” or creating an entertainment-driven destination to attract shoppers and make them stay, is a concept that is gaining traction among retail owners and developers who want to differentiate themselves from the competition and remain relevant in the era of e-commerce.

One way that retail owners are doing this is by transforming their centers into the ultimate destination where guests can shop, eat, gather, and socialize all in one place. At Robinsons Galleria in Cebu, Philippines, we transformed this mall into a retail destination by integrating a series of experiential design features such as a bubble wall with LED lighting, a 25-foot guitar-shaped flower sculpture, vine-covered columns and floral displays, among many others. These features help to deliver an engaging, immersive experience that shoppers and visitors won't get anywhere else, which in turn drives foot traffic and repeat visits, resulting in increased revenue for the owners and tenants.

GlobeSt.com: How are retail owners challenging the boundaries of landscape design when it comes to developing their shopping centers?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Today's retail owners are increasingly pushing the envelope of shopping center design by bringing innovative solutions such as innovative landscaping to the forefront of their developments.

Shoppers today are searching for interesting places where they can admire the “offering” of an experience, connect with their community and share quality-time with friends and family. Landscape design amenities help establish this sense of community, which in turn attracts shoppers, creating a comfortable environment that compels them to stay (and stay longer). This increased length of stay ultimately translates to higher overall revenue for retail owners.

For this particular project, the Philippines-based developer, Robinsons Land Corp., wanted to differentiate its shopping center from local competitors by creating the ultimate indoor paradise. Most of the area's retail centers feature very minimal landscaping, and until now, none were focused on value-added landscaped environments. This is the first retail development in the region that brings the landscaping entirely indoors, centered on the concept of creating an indoor paradise for shoppers to gather and seek relief from the intense heat and humidity outdoors.

Our strategy was to captivate the shopper from the moment they entered the mall, further adding to the experience-driven environment that, today, more and more consumers are craving. To do so, we designed extensive landscaping throughout the interior of the mall including the underground parking structure, which immediately gives guests the feeling of being transported to special destination. This approach, unique to Cebu, helps create a meaningful impression for visitors, which will ultimately lead to longer lengths of stay and repeat visits, benefitting the tenants and retail developers.

GlobeSt.com: In regions where weather conditions restrict extensive landscaping for shopping centers, how are retail owners compensating?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Weather conditions certainly have an impact on the landscape design of a retail center. As such, retail owners can collaborate with landscape architects to deliver engaging environments, while also working within the weather constraints at a site. This can include coming up with creative landscaping in areas with extreme heat, areas with extreme cold, water-restricted areas where drought-tolerant planting is preferred and areas along the coast that may be impacted by the salt air.

For example, at Robinsons Galleria, we incorporated a mix of artificial and real plants to create the appearance of lush gardens that flourish year round. Anything that is within the consumer's reach is living, and most everything else away from a person's ability to touch the plants is artificial. In doing so, we were able to lower maintenance costs on behalf of the owner, without sacrificing the overall beauty of the space. This strategy is also much more sustainable, reducing overall watering expenses for the retail owner.

Another example of a retail project we designed was Pacific City, a 191,000-square-foot retail center along the coast in Huntington Beach, CA. We incorporated hardy saltwater- and wind-resistant plants that could withstand the climate conditions of being located directly on the coast.

Overall, we will continue to see shopping-center owners' work in collaboration with landscape architects and other consultants to deliver all-encompassing experiential environments appropriate to the retail destination's weather conditions. By creating an indoor paradise, utilizing native plant materials that can withstand dramatic changes in temperature, or taking into account coastal environments, retail owners can successfully work within the weather constraints at their development sites.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about your recent Robinsons Galleria project in the Philippines?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Retail owners are constantly seeking creative ways to deliver immersive Robinsons Galleria is a mixed-use development that serves as the ultimate lifestyle destination for people in Cebu. It creates an environment where people can live/work/play all in one place. As retail continues to evolve, we will see more developers focus on delivering destination-driven experiences that place an emphasis on the landscape environment and increased social interaction. Part of our strategy at Robinsons Galleria was to create “pods” or mini-destinations within the shopping center to encourage social engagement. These features have elevated Robinsons Galleria to one of the busiest retail centers in the area with incredibly high traffic and repeat visits.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Today's retail owners are increasingly pushing the envelope of shopping-center design by bringing solutions such as innovative landscaping to the forefront of their developments, Lifescapes International's president Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs tells GlobeSt.com. The firm designs recently completed the landscape design for Robinsons Galleria, a multi-million-dollar, multi-story shopping destination located within a 380,485-square-meter mixed-use development in Cebu, Philippines. We spoke with Brinkerhoff-Jacobs about that project and landscape design as an integral component of a retail property.

GlobeSt.com: What trends are emerging in the retail sector that will impact the development and design of shopping centers?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Retail owners are constantly seeking creative ways to deliver immersive experiences at their centers that will increase length of stay and encourage repeat visits. Landscape design plays a critical role in invigorating and enhancing the overall guest experience, which in turn drives foot traffic and keeps visitors coming back time and time again.

When it comes to developing retail centers today, owners must think outside of the box in order to create engaging spaces that evoke a strong and authentic sense of place. The idea of “placemaking,” or creating an entertainment-driven destination to attract shoppers and make them stay, is a concept that is gaining traction among retail owners and developers who want to differentiate themselves from the competition and remain relevant in the era of e-commerce.

One way that retail owners are doing this is by transforming their centers into the ultimate destination where guests can shop, eat, gather, and socialize all in one place. At Robinsons Galleria in Cebu, Philippines, we transformed this mall into a retail destination by integrating a series of experiential design features such as a bubble wall with LED lighting, a 25-foot guitar-shaped flower sculpture, vine-covered columns and floral displays, among many others. These features help to deliver an engaging, immersive experience that shoppers and visitors won't get anywhere else, which in turn drives foot traffic and repeat visits, resulting in increased revenue for the owners and tenants.

GlobeSt.com: How are retail owners challenging the boundaries of landscape design when it comes to developing their shopping centers?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Today's retail owners are increasingly pushing the envelope of shopping center design by bringing innovative solutions such as innovative landscaping to the forefront of their developments.

Shoppers today are searching for interesting places where they can admire the “offering” of an experience, connect with their community and share quality-time with friends and family. Landscape design amenities help establish this sense of community, which in turn attracts shoppers, creating a comfortable environment that compels them to stay (and stay longer). This increased length of stay ultimately translates to higher overall revenue for retail owners.

For this particular project, the Philippines-based developer, Robinsons Land Corp., wanted to differentiate its shopping center from local competitors by creating the ultimate indoor paradise. Most of the area's retail centers feature very minimal landscaping, and until now, none were focused on value-added landscaped environments. This is the first retail development in the region that brings the landscaping entirely indoors, centered on the concept of creating an indoor paradise for shoppers to gather and seek relief from the intense heat and humidity outdoors.

Our strategy was to captivate the shopper from the moment they entered the mall, further adding to the experience-driven environment that, today, more and more consumers are craving. To do so, we designed extensive landscaping throughout the interior of the mall including the underground parking structure, which immediately gives guests the feeling of being transported to special destination. This approach, unique to Cebu, helps create a meaningful impression for visitors, which will ultimately lead to longer lengths of stay and repeat visits, benefitting the tenants and retail developers.

GlobeSt.com: In regions where weather conditions restrict extensive landscaping for shopping centers, how are retail owners compensating?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Weather conditions certainly have an impact on the landscape design of a retail center. As such, retail owners can collaborate with landscape architects to deliver engaging environments, while also working within the weather constraints at a site. This can include coming up with creative landscaping in areas with extreme heat, areas with extreme cold, water-restricted areas where drought-tolerant planting is preferred and areas along the coast that may be impacted by the salt air.

For example, at Robinsons Galleria, we incorporated a mix of artificial and real plants to create the appearance of lush gardens that flourish year round. Anything that is within the consumer's reach is living, and most everything else away from a person's ability to touch the plants is artificial. In doing so, we were able to lower maintenance costs on behalf of the owner, without sacrificing the overall beauty of the space. This strategy is also much more sustainable, reducing overall watering expenses for the retail owner.

Another example of a retail project we designed was Pacific City, a 191,000-square-foot retail center along the coast in Huntington Beach, CA. We incorporated hardy saltwater- and wind-resistant plants that could withstand the climate conditions of being located directly on the coast.

Overall, we will continue to see shopping-center owners' work in collaboration with landscape architects and other consultants to deliver all-encompassing experiential environments appropriate to the retail destination's weather conditions. By creating an indoor paradise, utilizing native plant materials that can withstand dramatic changes in temperature, or taking into account coastal environments, retail owners can successfully work within the weather constraints at their development sites.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about your recent Robinsons Galleria project in the Philippines?

Brinkerhoff-Jacobs: Retail owners are constantly seeking creative ways to deliver immersive Robinsons Galleria is a mixed-use development that serves as the ultimate lifestyle destination for people in Cebu. It creates an environment where people can live/work/play all in one place. As retail continues to evolve, we will see more developers focus on delivering destination-driven experiences that place an emphasis on the landscape environment and increased social interaction. Part of our strategy at Robinsons Galleria was to create “pods” or mini-destinations within the shopping center to encourage social engagement. These features have elevated Robinsons Galleria to one of the busiest retail centers in the area with incredibly high traffic and repeat visits.