Developing a Destination


Thank you to Cushwake for the feature on Dairy Market & Dairy Central in Beyond Retail: Developing A Destination:

April 4, 2019  By James Ashby IV & Jonathan Koes

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Designing to Connect People

Beyond a retailer’s shopping experience, the retail center and physical store design can captivate consumers and further a community. Shopping centers should seek attractive and accessible designs. As social media becomes further intertwined with the Millennial and Gen Z shopping experience, design elements such as artistic wall murals, open kitchens, or vertical gardens can garner the attention of a visitor who soaks in a unique design feature, snaps a photo, and shares it on their social accounts – organic and free online advertising for the restaurant, retailer or shopping center.[5]

Common areas and shared spaces are creating opportunities for designers to implement urban design features and new technology to engage visitors. Comfortable seating, free-wifi, play areas, or dog parks can cater to families or working professionals. These amenities may lead to more sales, while also increasing the likelihood of patrons to visit the shopping center again. A retail space can provide much more than goods, they can be transformed into gathering spaces with a sense of authenticity. A retail development that does this incredibly well in the local Charlottesville market is Dairy Central, which will include one of the first food halls in Central Virginia. The market will be anchored by a local brewery and feature local and regional products and restaurants.

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