What sets Globetrotter apart with the RE:THINK Store compared to other retailers? RE:THINK prioritizes the reuse of existing materials in the redesign of the store and aims for nearly 100% recycling.
The next step for the design team was to develop the customer journey and storytelling for the store. Always in focus: emotionally involving the customer, educating, inspiring, convincing and turning them into ambassadors for more sustainability while also developing a contemporary and operationally functioning retail concept.
The store that Globetrotter chose to implement this pioneering project is a former CONRADS Store. With the departure of the electronics store, the actual work for the design team and shop fitting began. The designers encountered a wild mix of old wire baskets, carpets, light elements, shelves, all waiting to be analyzed, captured, and arranged into a new creative patchwork of recycled materials. Perforated sheets, old wooden floors, and USB plates were repurposed as decorative elements and for product presentation. In the end, almost 100% of the materials for ceiling, wall, and floor design as well as product presentation were sourced from recycled old stocks. Only 2 to 3 percent of the items were newly purchased due to technical requirements. Globetrotter’s goal of achieving (almost) complete reuse of remaining and former shop-fitting elements was fulfilled with the RE:THINK store.
Upon entering the new store in Bonn, customers can consciously feel like they are part of an experiment: can store design be rethought? Must a piece of furniture, a board, a cable that has once served its purpose be discarded? Can’t we make something new out of it? Can we say goodbye to linear thinking and enter a circular economy? Customers are amazed when even the last screw is reused to make something beautiful, useful, and sustainable.
The location of the RE:THINK store in Bonn is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of a shopping center and can be reached by an elevator from the ground floor and via the parking garage. Divided into two floors, the RE:THINK offers brand shops and full-price items on the first floor, while outlet items and second-hand goods can be found on the second floor. The mixing of full-price and outlet/second-hand items is unique and gives the customer the full choice.
Customers will notice the familiar yet new Globetrotter logo on the exterior facade of the shopping center: the brand name “Globetrott:re” features a twisted “re”. The message is that everything is being turned upside down and rethought. At the same time, the reordering of the letters is a tribute to the company’s own sustainability efforts. Following the signage to the store, customers will see the first upcycled wire baskets from the former CONRADS in the stairwell, painted in green and yellow colors and transformed into decorative elements. In the entrance area, a focus wall provides curious customers with initial information about the store’s concept. The headline greets visitors in a striking manner: “Welcome to the first RE:THINK STORE in Germany!” There is also a 3-meter tall bear, Globetrotter’s mascot, prominently placed in the entrance area. Naturally, it is made up of old materials in a patchwork style. Large showcases provide information on the repurposing of the store.
Good ideas need good lighting: in the store, new technology and a few new lights supplement the existing lighting. All furniture in the RE:THINK store comes from existing Globetrotter locations and is reused here. Even the brand shops adhere to the idea of reuse and upcycling, supplying used furniture from other locations. The changing rooms are made from patchwork materials such as old advertising banners and curtains. Even the mini touchpoints are sustainably designed, with comments on the origin of the materials, such as printed information on former truck tarps, waiting to be discovered throughout the store.
The RE:THINK Store concept also focuses on sustainability in its services: customers can purchase or rent new and used items, such as rarely used child carriers. There is a second-hand purchase station, and the repair workshop, complete with an old workbench, allows customers to repair, waterproof, sew, engrave, or customize items to suit their needs. A club hut for community events and lectures completes the offering. At the exit of the store, a generous cash register area awaits for check-out, and the click-and-collect and service station are located directly next to it.
Volker Katschinski, the responsible creative director at dan pearlman, says of the collaboration with Globetrotter: “With more than 20 years of experience in retail design, the Globetrotter store is the first store in my career that thinks sustainability to its conclusion in a radical and consistent way. From old to new, with almost 100% recycling and upcycling. This project has so much power for the further development of the entire retail industry towards more sustainability. I am delighted to have been able to pioneer for Globetrotter and combine a genuine experience with thoughtful services and sustainable design. The new Globetrotter store deserves the RE:THINK label rightfully.”
