10th August 2012
FITCH create the next-generation charity shop for Barnardo’s
Children’s charity Barnardo’s appointed leading global design consultancy FITCH to create a compelling look and feel for a brand new retail concept – a high-fashion charity store to rival the biggest high-street names.
Moving away from the ‘traditional’ charity shop concept, the new store sources and stocks sought-after fashion pieces that have been donated to the charity from around the UK and presents them in a way that will appeal to discerning shoppers more accustomed to sophisticated high-street brands. The FITCH-designed fashion super store was opened on 9thAugust by British fashionista and Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts. The new Barnardo’s store is located in Denton Retail Park, Manchester, where it competes with famous fashion retailers such as H&M, River Island and NewLook.
FITCH designed a visual language for the new store that presents the children’s charity as curators of style. Stylish but playful in-store photography depicts fashionable adults but – adding a touch of Barnardo’s personality – with children hijacking the photoshoot. The hand-drawn typographic style used for the new ‘discovered by Barnardo’s’ range conveys the feeling that the brand can be trusted to hand-pick pre-loved pieces, while the congenial tone of voice encourages shoppers to discover and curate their own wardrobes with Barnardo’s fashion staples and hidden gems.
FITCH borrowed from our 40 years’ experience in designing pioneering retail concepts to deliver a focused, relevant and sensitive brand expression for Barnardo’s. Also donating their time to this pro bono project were Sam Robinson and Charlie Hanson who, art-directed by FITCH, contributed the photography and typographic illustrations respectively. “We wanted to change the perception that charity shops are full of out-dated clothes,” said Ed Bolton, Design Director at FITCH. “The fashion-shoot images and eye-catching visual language put this store in the same league as high-street fashion brands.”
Laura Grant, Retail & Trading Marketing & Media Manager at Barnardo’s, said, “We are delighted with the results and enjoyed working with FITCH. This was a totally new store concept for us, so it was fantastic to draw on their branding expertise to create an enjoyable shopping journey through our new store that visitors will enjoy. The fact that this was done on a pro bono basis was the icing on thecake, as this has saved vital funds which will be used for Barnardo’s work.”
Lucy Unger, Managing Director at FITCH, added, “We are really pleased to have partnered with Barnardo’s on this ground-breaking retail concept. The new visual language at the Denton store should be the perfect backdrop for the fashion-conscious shopper – looking great without breaking the bank and all in such a good cause”.