Dustin Watson was featured in the June 2018 issue of Shopping Center Business, where he discusses the pros and cons of shipping container retail and their potential for creating more engaging retail experiences. Currently on the boards at inPLACE Design is Popbox a shipping container retail and entertainment project.
Ship Shape – Shipping container retail is hot, but don’t jump in without exploring the positives and negatives.
“The interest for inventive up-cycling, the desire for an industrial aesthetic, the youthful appeal, and the instantaneous nature of shipping container projects grab the public’s attention and consequently attract customers.”
Repurposed shipping containers have been used for decades as habitable spaces. Containers have been used for residential, hotels, trade show booths, emergency structures, and even swimming pools and the trend has made its way to retail. Whether it is a global retailer such as Puma or Nike looking for a mobile point of access for their customers or a full-fledged “shopping center” of shipping containers they have many advantages. They offer an attitude that attracts a younger audience that can drive your brand through their social media channels. The containers themselves are cheap, easily transportable, and quite durable. They are often presented as being environmentally friendly and much cheaper than traditional construction.
A collection of containers can create a placemaking experience for an under performing retail center providing the center an opportunity to build new experiences. A container “village” on a vacant lot or an underutilized parking lot (which are predicted to increase with the rise in car sharing and the advent of driverless cars) becomes a way to drive traffic to your center while providing a fresh idea targeting those customers looking for a more interesting experience. Creating a special space for events is a great way to add buzz and promote the center. All this feed the bottom line where the developer sees increased foot traffic and rising revenue.
Read the full article here – page 50
inPLACE Design is an architecture, planning, and design firm with the experience and capabilities to create extraordinary, engaging, and inspiring placemaking in cities, towns and suburbs both nationally and internationally. We are dedicated to design excellence and innovative design strategies that are environmentally responsible and sustainable.
