The latest shopfitting trends

As sure as death and taxes, changing shopfitting design trends are an inevitability. This is great news for designers and architects, as that gives them more opportunities to get creative and earn money for their work. Whether we’re talking about cafes, restaurants, hotels, or other commercial areas, there are a number of new trends cropping up on the regular. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most recent ones.

Retail

A prevalent trend this year has been shopfitters raising roofs and ceilings in order to create a better atmosphere and add a sense of freedom for the customers. More technology is also steadily being implemented, with electronic displays and tablets becoming more and more commonplace. All this combined is designed to give the customer a feeling of freedom and being in control of their shopping. This approach also helps free up floor space, making the area much more efficient.

Offices

There are few areas in the industry that see as much trend fluctuation as offices do. Offices are now designed much more with employees in mind, with flexible office spaces that facilitate social interaction. becoming the norm. Collaboration is the big driving factor behind most of the projects, so it’s important that the interior allows the employees to choose when they want to work together and when they’d rather work alone. The decor has become very vibrant and creative to stimulate the employees even more than before. Multi-coloured walls, eye-catching murals, bold patterns, graphic print, fancy furniture, and many other pieces of furniture and structural elements are implemented in order to ensure that the office space is anything but boring, dull, and mundane.

Cafes/restaurants

As they see quite a lot of traffic, the interior trends for restaurants and cafes change quite frequently. In the past, rich dining environments were the norm, but this has changed quite significantly. Today, it’s the slightly dishevelled, recycled look that has become much more widespread. Many restaurants go for a much more organic and natural feel, so that the client feels at home. Extra seating and communal tables are also more commonly found, apparently encouraging more social interaction, though it’s always a good idea to keep a couple smaller tables who people who’d rather keep things private. The general trend is that restaurants and cages are becoming more open, natural, with a greater emphasis on the comfort of the customers.

Hotels

Hotels have always been quite versatile in terms of what trends they utilise for their interiors, but 2017 has been a particularly varied year for hotel shopfitting. Smart technology is now very commonplace, all in place in order to provide the customer with the most comfortable experience possible. In an industry that thrives on personalised services, this comes across as no surprise. The areas within hotels – rooms, lobbies, etc. – are all becoming more spacious, giving them a grand and elegant feel. More hotels are now being designed to fit a theme, much like cafes and restaurants.

Supermarkets

Unlike most other shops, the shopfitting trends for supermarkets change very slowly. The same basic principles that have been around for years seem to still be prevalent, though there have been several changes in 2017 happening. Retail channels are getting blurred, and as a result, large supermarket chains that offer a variety of products all in one place will become a more desirable option. Green living, nature, and wellness are big themes upcoming for supermarkets, giving way to spacious layouts, creative interior designs, unique shelving solutions, and a much more personalised experience to keep the customers happy. While this might not be as prominent at this point, as this trend is still relatively new, it’s only a matter of time until supermarket shopfitters fully embrace it.