Member Article

Hull design business delivers flagship Harley-Davidson store

Muted lighting and comfortable spaces where bikers can watch their favourite machines being lovingly customised. It’s not the image most of us have of the high-pressure sales environment of the automotive industry.

But then Harley-Davidson’s new 900 sq m Reading dealership is hardly your typical showroom.

In fact, Hull-based retail design specialists Fresh Design International have deliberately gone ‘off road’ in coming up with new ideas for the US motorcycle giant’s new UK store.

Two years in development, the flagship outlet finds new and exciting ways to present the celebrated Harley-Davidson® brand, while focusing on customer experience, according to Simon Wardle, managing director of Fresh Design International.

“We wanted to find ways to make the retail environment expressive of the brand,” he said. “Harley-Davidson has always been associated with lifestyle choice – ideas of personal freedom and independence – and we wanted to capture that in the style of the place.

“So rather than it being cold and austere, it has subdued lighting to give it a club house feel. It gives customers somewhere to hang out and share a few stories.”

Developing the Reading store has showcased the full range of Fresh International’s expertise, from architectural concept design to interior, graphic and retail design.

The design provides a particular ‘wow’ factor in the form of a huge viewing window on the ‘backroom’ workshop, which allows customers to watch the store’s skilled technicians as they work on their beloved bikes.

Attention to customer experience means there is also added emphasis to the all-important Harley-Davidson accessories and clothing.

“The clothing department has a boutique feel, presenting a fashion statement more typical of a high street retailer than an average motorcycle store and reflects the dealer’s focus on retail opportunities,” said Simon.

Russell Dacre MBE, managing director of Reading Harley-Davidson® said: “We are very pleased with the input from the team at Fresh. The store design and layout has incorporated all of our needs at an operational level whilst creating a showroom that has real atmosphere. It it a very lively retail environment which our customers absolutely love.”

Fresh Design International have been working with Harley-Davidson for 10 years, helping the iconic brand to establish successful operations in more than 51 countries worldwide.

The Hull-based design company with offices in the city’s Old Town has clients such as Calvin Klein, Jane Norman and Peacocks, and is growing worldwide. It has offices in four other countries: Brazil, Japan, South Africa and the US, with others soon to be launched in Eastern Europe, North America and the Far East.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Louise Young .