Retail Therapy. A critique on the disorientating and exploitative experience of retail space in New Zealand - a physical manifestation of consumerism. Fighting against expansive big box stores and disconnected experiences in retail, this thesis offers a stepping stone towards a better retail future in Aotearoa.
This thesis critiques the disorientating and exploitative experience of retail space in New Zealand - a physical manifestation of consumerism. Drawing from a six-year immersion in the retail industry, I have come to observe and scrutinise both the negative and positive facets of this world. Online shopping alongside expansive big box stores filled with cheap products creates an uncomfortable and disconnected experience.
The thread arts hanging are from a small side project. They are based on experiences in various locations during our 2023 Architecture Study tour. These are part of a series of six, all of which were used to influence the way in which I designed my project.
The outcome of this design research is not a store. Retail Therapy is a place to experience products in an honest environment, where the people presenting them to the customer can be trusted, and quality is guaranteed. It is a method of introducing a new type of retail to anyone who may be hesitant towards change and people who struggle in the current environment.
