Kale Retail Design

Kale Group, the client, is one of the biggest establishments
of the world in the tile and bathroom products sector. A new strategy for Kale’s over 400 local and international shops has been built by Demirden with a construction of high quality design, technology and organization. Kale’s new store chain concept is sustainable and the sample of an up to date flexible structured design.

The Kale retail concept is a sustainable ‘system design’. Inside the first flagship store of 1200 square meter space of use,
there are 5 different brands and over 100 products displayed
in perfect harmony with each other making the journey easy
for the customer. It gives the customer the best experience to evaluate, compare and pick the products they like. Balance is
a very strong and important word in this concept.

The space is treated as a retail gallery. The main facade element does not block the store, indeed allows customers to see glimpses of what’s inside on display. The facade is a strong element of the corporate identity of the store, differentiating itself from a distance.

The store impresses its customers right away as they encounter the main, strong aisle where their journey starts. The two main aisles allure the customers inside and towards the end, creating the feeling of curiosity and the will to see, reach what is inside.

One of the main problems of bathroom products stores is the difficulty to change in time. Usually stores need to go under long term constructions. The system solves the problem with modular exhibition elements that are modified and easily changed as the store and the products inside change in time. The sanitary displays hung on the glass wall can easily be moved, replaced, added. Likely, the new product displays located at the entrance are a solution to easy, fast distribution and assembly of the new products to hundreds of stores at the same time.

The series of products displayed on the main aisles (sanitaryware on the left and ceramic tiles on the technical corridor on the right) support the products displayed inside bathroom spaces in terms of alternatives. These spaces are also supported by the workstations located close by, with alternative tile options inside and a special pad to work on while comparing and matching the products.

The projects is interpreted by architects, industrial designers and graphic designers all within the same team, working on the project simultaneously, creating unified solutions. A special leaflet system is designed. Each bathroom space has small leaflets of the products displayed inside. The customers collect the leaflets of the items they are interested in, instead of carrying a large catalogue with information they are not interested in.

This sustainable system can easily be adapted to different types of architectural spaces without losing its essence. The strategy for the perception is the same for each new store. They are built to create an aesthetic inside the building’s own architectural structure. The mission is to continue to bring the new cases of system design to life with this new store chain concept.

Project: Kale
Year: 2011
Location: Fulya-Etiler/İstanbul
Space: 1600 m²
Scope: Retail Design Strategy, Concept Development, Graphic Design, Implementation
Photography: Engin Yıldız