Our recent trip to Kansas City, Missouri, for the annual International Retail Design Conference was another inspirational trip for the DUO. This vibrant city, known for its rich jazz heritage and mouthwatering barbecue, served as the perfect backdrop for networking, inspiration, and design exploration. From the stunning murals that grace the city’s walls to the shops in the historic Country Club Plaza, Kansas City is a delight of culture and creativity, and of course some very popular sports teams, that left us invigorated and brimming with new ideas for our retail ventures!
Retail inspiration was everywhere, and while we were on our walking tour, it left us feeling inspired, and maybe that was also due to the company we shared. We may be biased but our group of the fantastic four had some laughs and we made time for some shopping too. From luxury retail to some community centric spots, Made In KC was a shop that was pretty close to perfection, and was a merchandisers dream.
Marcella Au - BDP Quadrangle, Catherine Keywan - Senior Designer; Bergmeyer/Retail Design and The DUO.
Nike - we appreciated the back of house as part of the store, and the vibrant colours.
Swarovski- known for its mastery of crystal cutting each store unlocks new merchandise presentations through their backdrops of colour and material.
Capital One Cafe - leading the way in "the future of banking", these community focused branches are more than a place to talk about finances. Education is the focus and creating spaces for use by others is a great idea.
Nickel & Suede - a lovely shop with merchandising that allowed for the products to shine.
Made in KC - it is never easy balancing multiple brands under one roof, but these locations have strong layouts with some clear merchandise guidelines.
Conference sessions always spark new ideas and challenge the way that we look at topics. Some of our favourite sessions included the opening keynote Michael Hingson who spoke about the power of trust and teamwork. And the closing speaker Dr. Monte Selby spoke about this love for helping others learn about learning, leadership, songwriting, and being a creative problem solver. Valuable sessions such as Strategy to Storefront: Google's Approach to Sustainable Retail Design, and Sarah Quinlan's insights relating to the economy stood out. We also enjoyed hearing about how Walmart Beauty partnered with the art, fashion, and community non-profit, Interform, to create bespoke brand activations. This is something the DUO has been keeping top of mind as we support retailers locally.
Google Stores / Gensler / Henderson Engineers - Amazing insights about aligning store development strategy and corporate sustainability plans and the importance of material selection and product circularity.
Walmart Beauty & Interform - a great conversation surrounding a brand activation.
No trip is complete without researching the hot spots. One of our highly recommended stops if you find yourself in KC was The Savoy at 21c. An amazing small menu with the backdrop of an old building and capped off with an art gallery. The current exhibition The Future is Female, impressed us with the variety of medias showcased as we wandered the space.
The Savoy - a well thought out menu and a beautiful space was the perfect start to our time in KC.
Diane experiencing the exhibition which was multi-sensory and experiential.
No networking event is complete without a fun backdrop to allow for connections to continue, and mini golf and axe throwing was a fun way to wrap up the days spent in KC. Who knew that Diane would find a sport other than Curling! And it is clear that Karen will stick to golf. A big thank you to Henderson Engineers for hosting this closing event.
Blade & Timber - leading the way for our team with Axe Throwing, Diane was a quick queen of the sport and was able to teach others the perfect technique!
Sinkers Lounge - put some designers and creatives on the putting green and it turns into a photo shoot every time! The crew from Visual Elements (Jane/Des/Randy) clearly have been practicing! Marcella Au - BDP Quadrangle, Adam - NYC, Paco Underhill & Stephen Valdez - Hawaii, along with The DUO.
KC Chiefs - and no, we did not run into the other popular dynamic duo, Travis & Taylor, but we did see nods to sports and "Chief's Kingdom" at almost every turn. After all, sports and entertainment are having their moment in our economy!
As we reflect on our time in Kansas City, we’re grateful for the connections we made and the fresh perspectives we gained. The city’s blend of artistic expression and retail spaces reminded us of the importance of culture in shaping the shopping experience. We returned home not only with valuable insights from the conference but also with a newfound appreciation for Kansas City’s unique charm. We can’t wait to incorporate the inspiration we found into our work and share our experiences with fellow retailers—because sometimes, a little adventure is all you need to spark the next big idea.
Diane and Karen
The Retail Duo Inc. is a retail consulting agency that provides a concierge-style approach to our services. For more information, visit us on Instagram @theretailduo or at www.theretailduo.com.
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