Created by a panel of industry experts to create something entirely fresh and new at Glee, the Retail lab @ Glee is set to the be the key focal point of the 2017 show, and will be the exhibition’s interactive hub full of inspiration and the latest trend information.

Unlike any previous features at Glee, the Retail Lab will be future facing, providing visiting retailers with a long-term vision for their retail environments.

Focussing on consumer engagement, market insight and effective access to future facing trend information, the Retail Lab @ Glee will be located at the very heart of the show.  Combining interactive content, guided tours, and self-learning material, visitors will be able to arm themselves with content that not just inspires but will also drive them to action new retailing ideas within their own stores. The aim of all of this being to help retailers to grow both their offering and business, whilst also targeting new customers.

Split into four sections, the area will focus on four key consumer themes as identified by the Retail Lab’s Creative Director, Romeo Sommers, and world-leading trend experts, WGSN. These themes will be: Well-being, Family, Community, and ‘Re-wilding’.

Why has it been developed?

The Retail Lab @ Glee has been created to offer something that looks to the future of garden retailing, focussing on trends that are within touching distance; trends that will directly affect consumer spending habits in the near future.

As consumer spending habits continue to change, and become increasingly influenced by aspects such as environment, economics, and social consciousness, the role of garden retailers and the way they interact and appeal to their core markets is also changing. The Retail Lab @ Glee recognises that these changes are taking place, and is here to cut through the noise.

What will retailers and suppliers get out of visiting the Retail Lab?

The Retail Lab @ Glee will enable retailers to retail effectively, ensuring the longevity of their existing customer base, whilst also engaging with new consumers for a profitable future. From inspirational ideas regarding retail spaces, to new merchandising ideas, the Retail Lab @ Glee will be unlike anything ever before seen at the show.

What shape will it take?

Designed by Retail Lab’s Creative Director, Romeo Sommers, and made a reality by Robin of Moore Consulting, the Retail Lab will form a real hub area at Glee 2017. The ‘Lab’ will be divided into four unique sections, that will work as stand-alone inspiration hubs, or together as a visual journey through the store of the future. Guided tours, info points, interactive content, and TV screens will also be supported by the onsite Retail Lab team who will walk retailers through the area, answering questions as they go.

The HTA, associate partners of the Retail Lab @ Glee, will also have its own inspirational dedicated area, providing a networking and educational hub at the show.

Glee’s seminar theatre – in partnership with Inside Retail - will complete the offering, bringing a daily schedule of top industry speakers together to tackle those big issues affecting the garden retail industry today.

The Retail Lab @ Glee branding – more than just a logo

Like all aspects of Glee 2017, the Retail Lab has been issued with its own branding identity. The icon itself takes inspiration from the Fibonacci Sequence. It represents the team of specialists working together to help you take advantage of new developments in garden centre retailing. specifically, the Golden Section which occurs throughout nature, and has a three-fold meaning:

• It represents growth, evolution, progression and trust
• A scientific solution with organics origins
• A natural mix of specific elements that create a perfect balance.

The four carefully selected colours represent the Retail Lab’s four themes: Family, Community, Re-Wilding and Well-being