CHONGQING – ‘There is an enormous and
growing amount of multi-brand stores in
China, but not many survive for long,’ says
Will Zhang, founder of SND. An exception
to the rule, his brand has only grown bigger
since it launched under the wings of Zhang’s
fashion agency Chongqing Xing Jun Trading
Co. Ltd in 2014. And it has the retail environ-
ments to match. But what’s the secret of their
success? Zhang believes it lies in what they
offer, which he describes as ‘nonconformist,
avant-garde designs’. He explains that the
rapid growth of social media is affecting the
way Chinese people perceive fashion and
trends. ‘They are more willing to research
what suits their personal identity best. This
has a positive influence on our business as
customers have developed more interests in
getting to know niche and exclusive inde-
pendent designer brands. We have to keep
building on this image of uniqueness and
connect with customers through personal
services that recognize their individuality.’
Physical shops are an important tool for SND
to do so, which is why the retailer commis-
sioned Various Associates to design a futuris-
tic interior for their 288-m^2 SND Buyers Shop
in Chongqing, China.
The design firm’s cofounder Qianyi
Lin shares Zhang’s vision on the importance
of a physical shop and customer service in
the age of online shopping, especially in the
more high-end segment. To accommodate the
different price ranges SND has on offer, and
the variety in clientele that comes with that,
Various Associates divided the floor space of
the retail destination into zones and sepa-
rated the luxury brands from the daily wear.
Passers-by are drawn in by high, deep and
minimalistic window displays. Inside, a large
open space awaits with at its central axis an
architectural, semi-closed-off elongated cube.
‘The floor plan doesn’t follow a conventional
display model, which would remove as manybarriers as possible in favour of the custom-
er’s convenience. Instead, we took a different
approach to routing. With our layout, we
hope to make customers curious to explore
the unknown world inside the cube, where we
present haute couture and jewellery.’ To reach
this area, shoppers have to walk through the
corridors that surround the cube, passing the
outer ring of displays with casual wear on
their way. ‘Customers who want to buy more
luxury pieces can complete their selection in
a more intimate space, while those who want
to find the best value for money can pick the
clothes they like easily as well.’
Despite the focus on its offline pres-
ence, Zhang stresses that the online world is
equally important: web shops attract more
sales nationwide, helping SND to build more
awareness outside of Chongqing and to stay
competitive. – FK
various-associates.comSurrounding an elongated cube, which
is placed at the central axis of the store,
are corridors that guide visitors along the
outer ring of displays.114 SPACES