three distinct stories: Geometrics, comprising angular models in soft greys and monochrome

Principally for the purpose of promotion to the consumer press, the new products have been arranged into three distinct stories: Geometrics, comprising angular models in soft greys and monochrome, broken up with splashes of intense citric accent colours; Super Natural, which blends moody gothic metallics and black finishes with furs and animal skins; and Pop Shop, a dazzling neon psychedelic collection of stand-out accessories. ekonglong meeting desk

These three looks sit fairly comfortably alongside the retailer’s best-selling furniture and upholstery mainstays.
The mix is eclectic, but, as anyone who has visited more than one dwell store may have noticed, each boasts a degree of individuality, contrary to the mainstream branding mindset that espouses identikit outlets. There’s a world of difference between the modern, Westfield-based centres and the Guildford store, a former Grade II Listed cinema.

As co-founder and marketing chief Shaun Galligan puts it: “Brand guidelines are good, but they can make you blinkered – if, on the other hand, you don’t have them, you’ll adapt and take the brand in new directions. This approach will work, as long as it’s what your customers want!”
dwell’s most successful store launch was at the opening of Westfield Stratford City in late 2011 – which it followed with new outlets in Leeds, Cardiff and Guildford this year. “These store types are very different,” says Mike Haines, sales director of dwell since December, and the man responsible for running – and opening – its stores.

"Guildford’s is a cinema turned into a retail space – it’s like walking around an old house – whereas the store in Cardiff’s St David’s is much more traditional. We feel that we can make the dwell brand work in those different spaces, and what we create in each environment is a very different shopping experience. We don’t have a set layout plan – it’s more of a journey through the store – which increases the dwell time, no pun intended.

“The ones that have worked best are, predictably, high street locations in major cities – as well as the Westfield centres. They tend to be located alongside like brands – not necessarily furniture, but lifestyle stores in general. In fact, the closure of Habitat, which, at the time, probably represented the closest cross-over with dwell in terms of offering, actually hit us pretty hard – all of a sudden we were surrounded by empty stores!”