We love Vendor Shops
Yes, yes.. another 'first project' post. There will be a few of these.
To the uninitiated.. what is a Vendor Shop? In the retail world, a vendor shop is a single vendor's space within a department store. Like Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, MAC, etc (this wasn't for any of these brands... again, an anonymous client). I've personally done hundreds of these in department stores all over the world. Hudson's Bay, Macy's, El Palacio de Hierro, Holt Renfrew, El Corte Inglés, Galleries Lafayette. This particular shop was located at a Bay store in suburban Toronto.
Why do we like Vendor Shops? Well for one they are indoors, so they're great for the winter months. Seriously though, they incorporate most of what we do drawing-wise (plans, RCP, elevations, sections, details). They also require a high degree of accuracy as new fixtures must fit perfectly on a backwall. Also, there is a investigative component to these jobs, where we speak with management about a wide array of design, delivery, and installation issues. We follow the actual path that fixtures will take to see where the tight spots might be. We look at the Receiving Area and gather data on truck restrictions and delivery issues. These may be fairly standard for suburban mall locations, but for older stores this information is critical. Some stores even have limited space for storage and use trailers parked in receiving bays for this purpose, so calling ahead is critical. We always try to iron every detail out so that time is not wasted on installation day.
Worry free design, delivery, and installation. Who doesn't love that?
