The magnetic book spine graphics adorn shelves that can be pulled out to display various types of merchandise.
For additional flexibility, the fabric is backlit with dimmable light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
“Based on what’s printed, the staff can change the lights’ colour temperature accordingly,” Najafi says.
Figure3’s original concept for the shop’s back wall was an interactive digital signage display, which would allow customers to browse through titles by swiping across a touch screen, much like a giant Apple iPad. While this proved too expensive for PRH’s budget, Najafi ensured the wall behind the backlit fabric graphic was hardwired to a media rack, so a video wall could be supported at some point in the future.
Designed for social media
Since the opening of the shop, PRH has indeed changed the graphics on a seasonal basis, as well as to highlight specific events and milestones, such as Canada 150, the 50th anniversary of its children’s imprint Tundra Books, the adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace as a TV series for CBC and the release of YouTube superstar Lilly Singh’s How To Be A Bawse.
“The specific setup depends on the author or the event,” says Anthony de Ridder, one of PRH’s in-house designers. “We can’t accommodate a big crowd here, but the shop works well as a staging backdrop for our social media posts. It’s very Instagrammable!”
That said, the store does welcome its share of customers in-person, including Penguin ‘superfans’ for whom it is a choice destination, professionals who work in the same office building—most of whom are with Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank—and visitors to the city staying in nearby hotels, who find few other options for book shopping nearby.
The giant book spines have been charged out for such milestones as Canada 150 and the 50th anniversary of Penguin’s children’s imprint, Tundra.
Photo courtesy Penguin Shop
“The shop helps us connect with our readers at a small, intimate scale,” says Maggie Finlayson, the shop’s customer experience (CX) specialist. “Whenever I update our merchandising arrangement, I find people notice and react to it. It’s a good way for us to test out new products and ideas.”
The mix of products also helps ensure the sustainability of the shop’s business model, from book sales that increase dramatically before Christmas to Penguin-branded umbrellas that sell out on rainy days.
Noticed around the world
As mentioned, the project has earned many accolades, including an Interior Design magazine Best of Year Award in the retail (bookstore) category for 2016, the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario’s (ARIDO’s) Project of the Year Award for 2017 and a Gold Award for Best In-Store Experience & Design at the 2017 GlobalShop trade show.
“Its impact has gone way beyond Canada’s borders,” says Najafi. “PRH is an international entity, with teams from New York to London that have been in awe of what the Toronto office has accomplished. They may end up extending this concept to their own showrooms or to new pop-up stores.”
With files from PRH Canada, Figure3 and Icon Digital Productions. For m ore information, visit www.figure3.com, www.penguinrandomhouse.ca, www.penguinshop.ca, and www.icondigital.com.
