Display & Design Ideas - February 2009 - (Page 4)

4 news watch retail scene Urban Outfitters launches We The Free W ith an impressive stable of successful concepts already under its belt, Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters Inc. is at it again. The company’s brands, which range from its namesake Urban Outfitters label to Terrain and Anthropologie, receive a cult-like following, due in part to their unique in-store environments. In October, Urban Outfitters decided to transform another one of its popular brands—Free People—by spinning off a new retail concept, and debuting its first “We The Free” store in Brooklyn, N.Y. Encouraged by the success of the We The Free collection’s launch in select Free People stores a little more than a year ago, Urban Outfitters decided to roll out the new concept, which has also recently opened outposts in Chicago and Los Angeles. According to the company, We The Free is a vintage-inspired collection for the “customer who loves workwear, military and sport details…designed by and for folks who identify with the creativity and history that We The Free embodies.” We The Free stores are modest in size, measuring between 500 sq. ft. and 800 sq. ft., where clothing is displayed on the walls like artwork. The gallery-like feel is designed to appeal to today’s modern female shoppers in their 20s and early 30s. With unique merchandise and creative store design, it’s easy to see why Urban Outfitters continues to see success across its concepts. —Jessie Bove, Managing Editor We The Free, a new retail concept from Urban Outfitters, debuted in Brooklyn, N.Y. California enacts energy mandates for 2009 alifornia kicked off the new year on Jan. 1, 2009, with a new energy law going into effect as part of the state’s participation in the Federal Energy Star program. The law, which requires the owners of all non-residential properties to make the energy consumption of their buildings available to tenants, lenders and prospective buyers, also aims to reward energy-friendly buildings with a green stamp of approval. Under the new law, known officially as AB 1103, the state will begin compiling a database of information C on the energy use of all non-residential buildings. “The benchmarking process will require one year’s worth of utility data provided by the various utility companies, as well as building-specific information, such as weekly operating hours, number of personal computers, and the percentage of gross floor area that is either air conditioned or heated,” explains Joe Derhake, an environmental engineer and principal with Los Angeles-based Partner Engineering and Science Inc. “This information will then be provided to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star Portfolio Manager, who will benchmark the data under its Energy Star Standards.” In 2010, once the benchmarking data is compiled, building owners will be required to disclose the data and ratings (Energy Star rates buildings on a scale from 1 to 100 against other buildings within its class). Buildings within the top 25 percent will be eligible to be recognized as an EPA Energy Star Building and can use the “Energy Star Label.” “Tenants and buyers are continuing to seek green office environments, and lenders have made large public commitments to provide green lending, but have struggled to find objective underwriting standards to use to determine which assets are in fact green,” Derhake says. “The data that will be created in 2009 will provide lenders, buyers and tenants with a clear and objective tool to measure the energy efficiency of buildings.” —Jessie Bove, Managing Editor www.ddimagazine.com February 2009 Photos: Courtesy of Free People http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Display & Design Ideas - February 2009

Display & Design Ideas - February 2009
From the Editor
Contents
News Watch
Book Report
Editor's Choice
Cover Story: Channel Focus: Toy Retail
Zu + Elements
Zonik
Weathering the Storm: Part 1
Right Light
Product Spotlight
GlobalShop Preview
GlobalShop Products
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

Display & Design Ideas - February 2009