Creative space: design and the retail environment

Purpose – This paper sets out to explore the concept of creativity in the context of the retail store environment and the function of design in shaping this environment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a cross‐disciplinary approach to review theoretical approaches to creativity, and their relevance to the retail industry. It subsequently assesses types of retail spaces, and then moves on to compare the concept of retail design with product design and its implications for creativity and retailers. Findings – It demonstrates the complexity of creativity as a concept, and the opportunities to create retail spaces through design‐led approaches. It defines retail design and its engagement with stakeholders within and outside the organisation and its impact on organisational creativity. Research limitations/implications – As a review paper it covers a number of perspectives on creativity, design and store environments. However, these are not exhaustive, and invite further discussion and scoping for future research. Practical implications – The paper outlines ways to understand creativity in retailing, and provides guidance on how retailers can organize their organizations to engage with design projects. Originality/value – The paper uniquely examines concepts of creativity and proposes how they might be applied to retailing. It demonstrates how creativity pervades the industry, in terms of design and the use of designed spaces. It proposes new areas for research relating to the definition of creativity in the retail industry, and the role of creativity and retailing in cultural and social contexts.