Inside On Portland: an Immersive Footwear Retail Experience
Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, are some of the biggest retail experience hubs on the West Coast. Our principal designer packed her bags and went on a Retail Tour of the most iconic stores to see what makes these retail experiences successful. This article will explore On Portland and what makes it a well-designed and unforgettable footwear experience.
On Portland: The Basics
On is a Swiss running brand that started as a former athlete’s dream to create a better running shoe experience. On was officially incorporated in 2010 and quickly grew in popularity among athletes. As of the On Portland opening in February 2024, On has 32 stores globally, with plans to open at least 15 more by the end of the year. The 3,400-square-foot store in Northwest Portland is On’s largest retail space in the U.S. and showcases the latest footwear and apparel.
On Portland: An Unforgettable Retail Footwear Experience
From a consistent brand palette integrated throughout the entire space to huge custom displays that scream exceptional quality, On Portland creates an unforgettable experience for anyone shopping for footwear. Below are the most notable design elements from this retail location.
Attention-Grabbing Exterior Presence
Street appeal is all about grasping attention and instilling curiosity, which this retail space does especially well. An illuminated digital sign announced the store's physical location from across the street, and easy-to-read blade signage alerted people approaching on foot from either side.
Once directly in front of the store, the designers instilled curiosity by creating minimal branding on the windows leaving users' interest peaked and wanting more. The use of minimal window displays enhanced the user experience inside the store since the graphics were double-facing and allowed plenty of natural light to enter the store.
Expansive Space Planning
On’s brand is all about comfort, and this location boasts the same story through its space planning. Each product has ample room on the sales floor, allowing customers a comfortable shopping experience and moments of rest in between moments of engagement. Highly customized elements, such as built-in benches and ramping, complement the architecture and help guide the user through the space.
Engaging Custom Displays and Story-telling Elements
Custom displays are often used in retail design to wow the consumer and create new opportunities to present products. Each display is crafted with high-quality materials and finishes to help reinforce that On products are top-of-the-line.
On’s origin story display is particularly note-worthy as it is an interactive display consisting of a dial that illuminates the display when turned, practically begging the customer to engage with it. This clever design creates movement inside the store and a strong sense of belonging.
The entry-facing side of the display serves as a branding opportunity with illuminated signage with transparency to showcase back-stocked out-of-the-box footwear.
As users walk around the display, they can view each product in detail.
This interactive display practically begs the customer to engage with it.
The Cloudtech display showcases the unique technology in an easy-to-understand way without asking the customer to read in-depth information.
Outside the entrance, a sandwich board shares information about the local On Run Club. This establishes On in the community and creates a welcoming environment.
Final Thoughts about On Portland
The most pleasantly surprising element of this store design was how easy it was for the sales staff to access backstock, especially from the floating footwear display in the center of the space. The designers included concealed drawers that had full-size runs of each colorway. Not only did the hidden drawers act as a visual treat for anyone watching, but this approach was very customer-centric as the sales associates didn’t have to leave the floor to pull different sizes for customers.
One opportunity we thought was missed in the space was the promotion of their community engagement. We loved the sandwich board on the sidewalk of local running events but were disappointed when we didn’t see more of the community woven throughout the store.
Overall On Portland is an incredible example of a well-designed footwear experience and we enjoyed seeing how the designers brought this store to life through custom fabrication, story-telling elements, and extensive space planning.
More Retail Tours
If you enjoyed reading this retail tour of On Portland, we have more for you! Visit the links below to read about the other iconic stores our principal designer has visited!
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