Looking for Design Inspiration in Germany
We’re opening an Oompa Toys store! Though we’re still in the early stages of getting things up and running, a summer opening looks likely. There’s so much to do. Demo, construction, permits, the list goes on. First and foremost in my mind is making the first Oompa store special.
Because so much of having a positive retail experience is tied directly to store design, I’ve been searching for interesting and inspiring store architecture, design and layout. On a recent trip to Germany I paid a visit to some friends at Haba, a company that continues to inspire me creatively and professionally, and went on to visit few stores that carry Haba products.
First stop, the mother of all German children’s stores (owned by Haba!), Jako-o.
The entrance to the Jako-o store in Erlangen, Germany. One side for adults, the other for smaller customers.
It’s not surprising that Jako-o (pronounced “yak-oo”) had the most inspiring design and layout. Despite offering a variety of other brands, the fixtures, lighting and layout brought everything together harmoniously.
Next top, Thalia.de, Borders’ German cousin.
The answer to displaying a variety of brands in a potentially chaotic environment seems to be summed up in one word: space. Leave ample space between fixtures and displays.
Next on the itinerary, the German version of Toys R Us + (the now defunct) Babies R Us, Rabattz/BabyOne.
The confusing signage and cluttered entrance was enough to tip me off to the product offering - lots of plastic. Even so, I went inside.
Near the entrance, two sad shelves of Haba - lit by flourescent lights and easily missed. Mental note: keep the shelves stocked and pay attention to lighting design!
Hope you enjoyed this mini jaunt through a few toy stores in Erlangen, Germany!
- Milanie
May 8th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I love the way shops are set up in europe. To my mind, there are two types.
First, the super, crisp and minimal look. The best way to sum it up is “Ikea”. It’s well lit and feels cool and new.
Second is the “Old toy shop”. I visited what I thought was a mid sized toy store in St. Gallen, Switzerland once and was blown away. Even thought the foot print wasn’t large (perhaps 1500 SF), it went up FOUR stories. To make it even neater, as you went up, the more advanced the toys got. The first floor was all baby stuff, while the top floor was remote control airplanes and train sets. It was a really great effect!
Good luck with the build out! BTW, if you haven’t heard of them, look up Outwater Plastics for store infrastructure. Cool lights, cabinets, etc.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Hi,
I run Fantasticals a European based online toy store, i often pop onto your site for some inspiration, you have a great site and stock some of the brands we do.
Judging on the number of emails we get from US customers (which we usually point to you as the shipping from the UK is too expensive) about European toys im sure that a store would go down a storm in the US.
I love the Jako-o store its so clean and easy to find what you need for such a big space. I also love the small boutique style stores that are not so ordered and creates a WOW everywhere you look. We visited the BAJO store in Krakow which was like this, but then i guess its hard to replicate this type of design on a large scale.
By the way you should check out our wooden push alongs in our wooden toys section we get a lot of requests for these from the US and Canada im sure they would go down well with oompa customers.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:11 am
I wish I lived in Madison (I assume that will be the location for the brick & mortar store)! I would live practically live there! Or work there, even better!!!