The store without selling staff: Conran's design for De Bijenkorf at Arnhem

Bijenkorf have long been regarded as pioneers in department store management, not only in their native Holland but in Europe generally. When they decided to create a new concept in department store selling in Arnhem—what one might call “upmarket self‐service”, they approached the British design firm of Conran Associates to help them with store layout, design of fixtures and of graphics. The brief was to design an ambience in which selling staff have been replaced by “hostesses”, and in which much of the selling operation is essentially self‐service.