As anyone who has clicked the “add to cart” button from their bed in the middle of the night can attest, a brick-and-mortar store is no longer an essential part of the retail business model. But that doesn’t mean in-person shopping is dead—and with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic passed, people find themselves craving a human touch, “a chance to interact with their tribe and to be inspired,” says Jonathan Knodell, senior design director at Big Red Rooster/JLL.
Knodell, a CCAD alum whose retail design projects have included a flagship store for The Rolling Stones in London’s trendy Soho neighborhood, presented the lecture “How Immersive Experiences Can Bring the Magic Back to Brick and Mortar Retail” as a part of Columbus College of Art & Design’s speaker series CCAD Knows Retail. He says retailers who want to maintain a physical shopping experience have the opportunity to reinvent in-store experiences. “I think it’s pushing us toward what can really be seen as a retail renaissance,” Knodell says.
Industry thought leaders like Knodell play a key role in CCAD’s Master of Professional Studies in Retail Design degree. This flexible, accredited program is designed to fit working professionals’ needs, with classes taught online in the evenings. It’s a perfect program for retail designers, entrepreneurs, visual merchandisers, design strategists, omnichannel specialists, environmental branders, and other retail professionals who are looking to move their careers—and the industry—forward.
And wherever you hail from, you’ll discover that CCAD is the place for retail design learning, thanks to our 140-plus-year history of educating creative thinkers and our location in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. After all, our hometown boasts one of the country’s top concentrations of retail headquarters (think companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, DSW, and Express), which gives us unparalleled access to industry leaders who provide our students with professional guidance, mentorship, and employment opportunities.
Retail is at a crossroads. Take your career in the right direction with CCAD.
Learn more—and request details on scholarship support of up to $11,000 for fall 2023 MPS enrollees—at https://www.ccad.edu/mpsretail
Source: Fashionista.com
