Using design as a strategic function: The role of design in the 1980s Available to Purchase

For too long design in the retail context has tended to be a superficial adjunct, concerning itself with decoration and colour style. Now it is evolving as a strategic weapon which can help the retailer meet the pressures of competition and improve profitability. In this special feature Bryan Brown describes some of the work AID has carried out recently: the new Food Hall at Bentalls in Kingston, in which AID co‐operated with Bentalls' management to create a new, upmarket selling image; the organisation of Debenhams' selling message into four clear themes; and finding a distinctive identity for a Belgian hypermarket chain.