The Container Store, a Coppell-based retailer for storage and organization products, unveiled what its calling its Next Generation store in Dallas. Complete with a new architectural design, merchandising strategy, and multiple digital resources, the store, located at the Dallas flagship off of Northwest Highway, has been restructured to include more technological upgrades and interactivity.
These improvements are a response to consumer research fielded by strategic design and architectural firm FRCH Design Worldwide along with digital innovation agency MJD.
“I think before, we made our customer work a bit too hard,” The Container Store CEO Melissa Reiff said. “Convenience and time is so important to all of us right now so we hope we created an environment where it’s really easy for [customers] to say, ‘I’ve got this project—I want that, [and] I want that.’”
Spanning 24,500 square feet, the store has 18 digital screens, some of which are touchscreens, that provide tips, design inspiration, and on-the-spot customizing. Lowered ceilings, enhanced lighting, and new floors were installed. Shelving also was reorganized into closets, kitchen, office, and storage sections. The Next Generation store serves as a test-and-learn store, which could impact future plans for existing store remodels and future store types. Currently, there are no solidified plans for rollout.
“Our purpose as a brand is to help our customers accomplish their projects, maximize their space, and make the most of their home,” Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Collins said in a release. “In order to help them achieve those goals, you’ll see a focus across all of our channels on making it easier to find the solutions they want and need.”
The Custom Closet Studio acts as the focal point of the store, complete with a new seating area and interactive screens to peruse varying price points, finishes, and designs.
The Organization Studio, another new addition, is a digital service only available at the Next Generation Store. The studio allows customers to upload a photo or video of an “organizational challenge” online and set an in-store appointment to meet with a store Organization Expert, who will provide personalized and time-sensitive solutions.
“It’s Apple’s Genius Bar meets Pinterest in a Container Store brand-appropriate way,” said Val Richardson, vice president of real estate.
Throughout the store, there are also small- to large-sized projects, all reorganized in The Container Store’s collective effort to streamline the shopping process.
“We have all age groups, all income levels, and all ethnicities,” Richardson said. “We want to make sure we’re relevant to them and having the support to shop the way they want to shop. So this is giving us multiple tools to do that.”
