In 2024 HemingwayDesign completed a brand and visual identity refresh for charity retailer and proud pioneer of second-hand clothing, Traid. As part of the retail refresh, we were tasked with updating Traid’s Shepherd’s Bush store (first in line for refurbishment of their 12 London stores) to reflect the new brand identity and values, as well as improving the customer experience, and increasing the amount of stock on display on the shop floor.
To align with Traid’s manifesto of reducing waste and prolonging the lifespan of items, a fundamental objective of the refurb was to reuse and repurpose existing fixtures and fittings within the store where possible.
To achieve this, our approach has been to retain much of the existing scaffold display furniture and consolidate transformation to key locations, through a more refined and uncluttered approach to visual merchandising, brand messaging, and call to actions to maximise impact in these areas.
To the rear of the store, an existing timber stud wall painted in the vibrant brand pink creates a focal backdrop that draws people into and through the store. This is paired with a bespoke Unistrut shelving system finished in Traid’s signature bright green, designed to improve and increase visual merchandising of shoes, bags and accessories. Decorative pine joinery, including a cash desk with accessible counter and generously proportioned fitting rooms, compliment and counterbalance the more expressive green and pink.
At the front of the shop, a new ‘curated’ rail – using scaffold tubing relocated from elsewhere in the store – provides an opportunity for staff to select and display their favourite second-hand items that arrive in store each week. Opposite, the bespoke Traid green Unistrut shelving system is repeated to optimise the display of childrenswear. Here, space is also reserved to accommodate Traid’s programme of in-store events and workshops.
Working with London based designer-maker specialising in reimagining ‘waste’ materials, James Shaw, we salvaged textiles considered unsaleable – due to their poor quality and condition – from Traid’s sorting warehouse, to create feature pendant lighting, furniture, and accessories for the store. James undertook a research period experimenting with different techniques to use this material before finally alighting on a method of shredding back to a fibre which can be combined with a plant based binder to make new objects. Changing room handles and feature window pendants have been fabricated from this technique. Whilst new feature linear pendants above the cash desk combine James’ signature extruded post-consumer plastic methods with the new shredded textile waste technique developed for the project.
Continuing the re-use theme, we collaborated with designer Charlie Boyden to transform fit-out offcuts, and materials salvaged from the strip out (previous cash desk and changing rooms) into new book shelving and visual merchandising display plinths.
Externally, Traid’s signature green offers a striking colour block interruption to the neighbouring store fascia’s. Fly posters flank the 25th Anniversary window and a digital screen brings animation to the street.
Photography:
French + Tye (Images 1-7, 12-6)
Mykola Romanovsky (Image 8)
James Shaw (Images 9-11)