Retail choice: Top Shop, Oxford Street

by Tim Jeffrey, Retail director F1rst Partnership, Marketing 16-Nov-05

Rest assured, not a penny more than necessary was spent on this refurbishment. It's not sophisticated or visually tricky and it doesn't make the big-image fashion statements that we have become accustomed to from this retail giant.

So what? After all, this is Top Shop, and if fashion lived and breathed,
this would be its heart.

From a customer's perspective this fashion Mecca guarantees the month's
'must-have' item at a reasonable price. The ground floor has a visually

eclectic mix of accessories that does for a fashionista what a

dispensary does for a hypochondriac.

The store design avoids structure and instead aims to create an
impression of constant change, employing colour, vinyl lettering, cheap
fixtures and kitsch displays. There are some excellent features
including walk-through market stalls for showcasing individual labels,
the Denim Room and a whole lounge dedicated to shoes.

The Cafe Bar in the basement provides a welcome break when it's not
crowded with staff. Let the customers sit down, please!

There is room for improvement, but this is Top Shop, the fast lane of
fashion, where you get high on the width, not hooked on the quality.

- Design: Zebra.