In 2016, Press Shop was looking to better address and meet evolving customer needs and expectations. The first step in this process was better understanding these.

They thus initially contracted Carré Associates, a brand agency also offering market research services, to conduct an in-depth customer study. This allowed the studio to highlight key shopper missions the retailer should focus on in its future implementations. The ambition was for this to serve as a base for a new store concept to be designed by Carré Associates’ retail design department, to be tested in a pilot location prior to a national roll-out.

The market research results were thus used as our retail design team’s creative brief. First, the study revealed that as far as the brand identity was concerned, although the Press Shop name was relatively well known customers lacked in brand awareness. The design scope should thus not only look at the store design but also integrate a brand repositioning and refresh. Secondly, in terms of the store experience, the insights showed that two concepts should be considered:

• « On the go » concept – focusing on «efficiency» and «specific need» shopping missions and incorporating the commute and proximity product universes.
• « Take time » concept – focusing on «qualitative moments» and «rupture» shopping missions and integrating the travel, medical and gifting product universes.

In a first instance, Press Shop asked us to further investigate and trial the “on the go” concept as it estimated that more of its locations would fit this format. We therefore designed a full concept book including all necessary guidelines and drawings for the furniture, finishes and signage to be implemented in a pilot store located in Brussels. Following the success of this one, Press Shop went on to roll out the concept nationally. As of 2026, it was still the design in use.

My role within the Carré Associates retail design team was as co-leader for the project. I collaborated closely with a colleague more versed in the graphic aspects of branding and retail design. Together we first liaised with our research department to collect insights and draft a sketch proposal for sign off with them.

We then split the work between us to deliver as comprehensive a concept book as possible. My colleague focused on the branding and interior signage of the scope, while I spent my time drafting all the furniture and display drawings and looking into the ff&e. Together, we supervised the work on the renderings and collated the final presentation.

I was further personally asked to draft the layout proposals of the first few stores of the roll-out.