Three designer stores for new Cotswolds Designer Outlet

rpa:group has helped deliver new Crew Clothing, Ben Sherman and Saltrock stores within the highly anticipated Cotswolds Designer Outlet, which has just opened near Tewkesbury, just off the M5.

The multimillion-pound development is home to a curated line-up of 52 brands, across leading fashion, athleisure and outdoor favourites, as well as lifestyle and homeware retailers and dining eateries. The look and feel of the site is a tasteful blend of traditional Cotswolds architecture, uplifted with contemporary features, to create a modern take on Cotswold villages, which fits in perfectly with the local area.

With extensive experience in delivering retail environments, rpa:group was tasked with providing architecture and design services for the new Crew Clothing, Ben Sherman and Saltrock stores, which have a product offering and clientele that is perfectly matched for this location.

Comments Carmela Brewer, Senior Architectural Technician at rpa:group, who was significantly involved in the delivery of the stores, “The Crew and Ben Sherman stores are situated next to one another, with both having a striking double-height space at the front, which has been fully utilised to convey their individuality.

Crew has an impactful slat wall finish with a large-scale logo signage. The slat walls are repeated throughout the space to make the environment warmer and more inviting. The interior is a light and airy space that boasts fun, playful pops of colour that convey the brand’s inspirations, routed in British sporting and yachting traditions. The cash desk is cloaked in thick bold stripes and softened by an oak countertop, with a wrapping desk that is encapsulated by its niched backdrop, and is fully clad in vertical slats, with illuminated logo signage.

The Ben Sherman space by contrast, uses their brand timeline to influence how clients are welcomed into the store. The whole space is reflective of the brand’s updated retro & mod style aesthetic, from the consistent stripe round the perimeter; gently guiding the customer further into the bright store, to the exposed brickwork accents, that ground the space and provide the backdrop to the cash desk. This feature, paired with the iconic illuminated target logo, creates a focal point from all areas of the store

Saltrock was a Whitebox fit-out, and its character was effectively portrayed through the use of reclaimed wood in various finishes. “Saltrock are passionate about living life in the moment and reconnecting with the outdoors, and the playful, laid-back aesthetic of the store conveys the surfer ethos, to ensure that customers are inspired, regardless of whether they are living inland or by the coast,” explains Carmela.

Carmela concludes, “All three stores have such a unique and strong identity, despite all being launched at once, in the same location, for the very first time. Our collaboration on this with Future City Group, has been instrumental in ensuring the smooth and prompt delivery of these projects, whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality.”