Trend

News, press coverage and other thoughts.

Dubai’s Influence as a Retail Hub

We’ve been fortunate to work with clients like Charlotte Tilbury, Myriam K, The Social Pup and Varsity in Dubai, Riyadh, Bahrain and Kuwait to bring some of our most ground-breaking concepts to life in a market where true innovation thrives. For us, the Middle East is often one of the most exciting places to work because of its constant redefinition of space design with cutting-edge concepts that blend retail and hospitality into immersive and sustainable experiences.

Shaping the Future of Indian Retail

India’s retail landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by a surge in experiential shopping, the influence of younger Gen Z consumers, the evolution of luxury retail, and the integration of technology. At Formroom, we’ve had the privilege of contributing to this evolution through our design of Azorte, the flagship store and first brand world for Reliance Retail. This project exemplifies the dynamic shifts in Indian retail and offers insights into the future of store design in the country.

The Rise of the Brand World

"A brand world is a cohesive universe where design, storytelling, content, and community converge to shape how people experience and emotionally connect with a brand." Chloe Gordon’s recent article for Dieline articulates the same philosophy we’ve built our approach on for the last 20 years: why tell people your brand story, when you can show them?

Annual Report: Trends for 2025

We've observed some fundamental shifts in retail and hospitality that we predict will continue well into this year. From a focus on niche interests to the growing popularity of human craft, customers are rebelling against mass-market approaches in favour of something distinctly more... personal.

“The IRL Effect”: The Rise of Surrealism in Retail Interiors

With the growing popularity of multi-sensory, experiential pop-ups and interior retails, a reoccurring theme we stand by is the celebration of play and absurdity. It is not news that traditional retail is on its way out. Amidst a challenging and uncertain future, we rely on our imagination and escapism more than ever. Providing an emotional... Read more »

Festival brand activations & pop-ups we’re loving in 2024

Festivals are an experiential marketing dream come true. They've become prime real estate for (all kinds) of brands to engage with their audience. Aside from festival brand activations being a great promotional tool for building all important 'real life' experiences with Gen-Z and beyond, they can also be seriously lucrative retail opportunities

Beauty Trends You Need to Know About in 2024

We explore some of the most influential trends shaping the beauty landscape in 2024, from online behaviours to physical retail.

When should brands use tech in retail?

Lots of brands want tech driven, digitally enhanced environments when it comes to their physical stores. But when does tech in retail really make sense? It’s easy to understand why – brands want to connect with digitally native consumer groups, and make their online and IRL presence feel cohesive – as well as position themselves... Read more »

2024: Trend Predictions

Cultural currency, niche aesthetics and a slice of humble pie. We take a stab at some of our bets for 2024 retail and design trends.

A Brief History of Peach: Peach Fuzz is Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2024

'Peach Fuzz' is Pantone's 2024 colour of the year. So, we thought it apt to take a little deep dive on 🍑's influence across visual culture.

2023 Design Trends

It's been another weird year. We take a look back at our take on 2023's biggest design & commercial trends.

The changing face of luxury retail: freedom, customer-centricity and no more queuing

Luxury retail strategies see brands continue to refocus their priorities on evolving customer expectations to stay in favour. There have also been some significant statistical shifts in the luxury market – Gen-Z are the fastest growing consumer group, and at least 1/3 of all luxury purchases are now made online. The old paradigm, (including queueing outside... Read more »