USA

The Background
In 1992, Pompei A.D. was commissioned by Anthropologie to develop the initial concept for the brand’s environments and has subsequently designed 92 Anthropologie stores throughout the United States. These projects are the result of a longstanding, close collaboration between Pompei A.D., Anthropologie’s creative team and a nation-wide network of artist and artisan subcontractors for fixturing and architectural finishes. The Client
An innovator of lifestyle merchandising, Anthropologie offers customers a distinct mix of apparel, accessories, home furnishings, garden décor, and gifts in a richly-textured, high-touch store environment. Anthropologie’s target customers are educated women, ages 20 to 45, who appreciate craftsmanship and cultural diversity.

The Concept
The stores are located on upscale streets, in specialty retail centers and enclosed malls. Each project is site-specific and requires the development of a design that responds to the regional climate, architectural context and customer profiles. The heritage and personality of the local community is manifested in the materials and finishes appropriate to the brand.

The Design
The stores incorporate rich, sensual and engaging environments that integrate elements of the local architecture in a contextual manner so that no two stores are exactly alike. The store environment thus strengthens the customer’s identification with the brand while maintaining an underlying identity. Pompei A.D.’s designs reject the usual brand choice of sheetrock and dropped ceilings in favor of more creative solutions. Merchandise is integrated into a variety of creative vignettes and displays designed to offer the customer an entire look at a distinct lifestyle. The artful visual merchandising provides connections between the store design, the merchandise and the customer, creating an individualized and tailored shopping experience for each customer.

Aside from the store’s rich palette of finish materials developed by Pompei A.D. (usually 60 or more compared to the six to eight used in most retail stores), Anthropologie is famed for the informal layout Pompei A.D. devised. This layout includes a sculptural “arcade” of vignettes, unique floor fixtures, and furniture, and creatively designed fitting areas and service counters. The informal layout gives each store the flexibility to customize its setup in order for the Anthropologie shopper to explore its “flea-market” treasures.

Anthropologie’s storefronts are another distinct design element. Custom-made in metal or wood and glass, they break the mold of conventional mass-produced storefront systems, giving each store a unique look and setting the brand apart from others. Their original character prepares the visitor for the experience inside.

The Result
Strong word of mouth through community is key to the stores’ success, and Pompei A.D’s designs provide a venue for that community to express themselves. Customers browse and revel in the ambiance, exploring the stores and product offerings: the average stay is one and a quarter hours, and can extend to several hours, leading to increased sales. Among the numerous press the Anthropologie stores have gotten, in 2002 Polly LaBarre in Fast Company observed that Pompei A.D. “has created a shopping experience unlike almost anything else in retail today.”