ABC, Beirut

Interior design for Beirut’s leading department store.

ABC is Lebanon’s oldest department store; a name that remains engraved in the hearts and minds of the Lebanese shopper. For over 80 years, ABC has provided customers with quality merchandise, professional service and a vibrant and eclectic shopping environment. Located in the heart of Beirut, ABC was the first retailer to provide fixed prices in a country where bargaining was a tradition, first to employ women on its sales force, the first company to advertise in Lebanon, and first department store to open its doors in the Middle East. 

 
BNK_6073.JPG

Winner of Best Retail Design Project, INDEX Awards 2018

All images courtesy of Idepconsult

All images courtesy of Idepconsult

csabc1000x6503-w1000h650.png
ABC feature void view 01 VISUAL.jpg

94% positive customer
feedback on the redesign
of ABC Achrafieh

Customer comments:

“This is how a department store should look."

“The decoration is great and there’s more space which makes it more comfortable to move around.”

“The new design keeps me coming back.”

The concept celebrates ABC’s heritage, referencing the innovation of Lebanese architecture and design and the inherent sense of style of its people. The store design DNA is based on energy and theatre – a vibrant mix of glamour, elegance and sophistication with an urban edge. The material palette combines glamorous materials with edgier ones, juxtaposing brass against concrete and decorative details against slick contemporary forms. 

RM-126_cropJPG.JPG

Our design concept takes inspiration from the distinctive personality of Beirut and from ABC’s rich history of customer service and innovation. The city of Beirut has been described as a city of contrasts; “beautiful and ugly, pockmarked and damaged, and glamorous and exciting.”

The premium, bold and contemporary design aesthetic features clean sight lines, unique focal points and stand out materials. A key design feature is a statement pattern floor that anchors each level in-store, referencing traditional Lebanese tiles with a thoroughly contemporary approach.

Working closely with ABC, we reviewed the overall store layout and department adjacencies to create a much more compelling proposition for the long-term future of the store, and enabling growth in key areas such as Beauty and Accessories. We reviewed the brand mix, layout, flow, adjacencies and circulation, and created brand guidelines to set the standard and control the branded concessions in-store.

The new in-store identity is personal to ABC, differentiating the department store brand from the products it sells and reemphasising that it is a destination brand in its own right. ABC hosts a regular series of outstanding in-store events and buzzing activities, making it Lebanon's brightest example of retail entertainment.

ABC Achrafieh 13.JPG

"Feedback has been very positive. Sales have increased thanks to the new layout and revised adjacencies, and all floors are trading well. The new design is much more in line with the store positioning, and the overall mood and feel with the choice of colours and material is more consistent with ABC’s brand positioning and identity." 

-Tania Ezzedine
Head of Real Estate, ABC