design:retail - June 2017 - 38

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hen Shinsegae, South Korea's largest retail operator, hired Columbus, Ohio-based
global design agency Chute Gerdeman, the
company's clear project goal set the design
bar high: deliver a specialty toy store "unlike
any other in the world."
As the company looked to add an entirely new
brand and retail category to its portfolio, Shinsegae wanted to far exceed the competition by providing a highly
engaging retail experience that creates emotional connections on a global level. And the Chute Gerdeman team
did just that. They created Toy Kingdom, an experiential
toy store that, upon opening, exceeded expectations and
customer satisfaction with a performance at 200 percent
of the forecasted sales.

The intent was to get products
out of the box and create
moments that embrace the
spirit of play.

↑ The Wacky Track
→ is a key point of
interaction within
the store where
remote control
toys can be "test
driven" on an
overhead track.

JUNE 2017

DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

"There is a lot of competition in the toy market in
South Korea," explains Jay Highland, chief creative officer for Chute Gerdeman. "The typical household has
one child who is indulged by many family members who
want to give them everything their heart desires."
Chute Gerdeman needed to connect with those hearts
and create an experience that customers would fall in
love with. The team looked outside of the product at
experiences, like Universal Studios and The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter, which center on engaging the
child (and adults, too).
"We looked at countless experiences and how to
engage and deliver that magical experience simply,"
Highland says. "We did a deep dive into strategy to
think about store visits and why people would come
to Toy Kingdom. The store had to provide a feeling, a
connection, something that captures them and keeps
them coming back and exploring."
GLOBALSHOP.ORG

The final concept is about "play in the everyday," so
every element is focused on play. And this playful experience begins at the entrance, where colorful light balloons
pour from the ceiling and spill into the mall. Kid-sized
tunnels with interactive flooring immediately engage
children, beckoning them to begin their unforgettable
journey. This kids-only entry point creates a connection
between the child and the characters of Toy Kingdom.
"Toy Kingdom is a vibrant, playful world that ignites
the imagination of guests and wins the hearts of children," describes Mary Lynn Waite, creative director,
brand communications at Chute Gerdeman. "Its story is
presented through a group of friends (imagined characters) that have different personalities and forms, but live
together in Toy Kingdom."
The design team took great care in crafting the story
for each character. And each character's interests relate
to the four primary product categories-imagination
toys, ride-on toys, building toys and smart toys.
"Each zone within the store has a supporting interactive element where kids can play and escape
with the brand," Waite says. "These key experiential
touchpoints-six in total-combine physical, analog and
digital elements that reinforce the immersive and transportive quality of the space." At every turn, there are
things to do, tunnels to go through and cranks to turn,
keeping them moving to the next exciting thing. These
zones also provide photo opportunities that encourage
word-of-mouth marketing via social media.
"The layout is meandering on purpose," Highland
says. "We did everything to avoid a racetrack circulation
plan. We wanted to encourage a sense of discovery. From
a floor swirl color maze and ceiling directional elements
to balloon lights and key product/brand zones, the navigation is literally in the floor plan." A large air duct in
the middle of the space, while posing a challenge, really
made the team get more creative, and supported their
meandering layout.
Distinct play areas-connected to each character and a
type of play-serve as larger-than-life beacons on the perimeter of the store. The intent was to get products out of

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