Canadian Retailer Indigo Expands Cultural Department Store Concept with First US Flagship

By: Robert Diamond Nov. 13, 2018

Store design by award-winning Burdifilek reflects transformation from bookstore to a cultural department store for booklovers

TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -Indigo (TSX:IDG), the world's first cultural department store, officially opened its firstUnited Stateslocation at The Mall atShort HillsinNew Jersey, designed by award-winning and globally recognized design firmBurdifilek. Representing a significant design evolution for the Canadian retailer, the expansive 30,000 square foot New Jersey flagship introduces the Indigo brand to U.S. consumers, and articulates a new idea in retailing: a cultural department store that brings together books, ideas and people into beautifully designed spaces.

Building from Indigo's vision, Burdifilek developed a forward-thinking design that reinvents the retail experience, encourages exploration within the store, and positions the company as a cultural and market leader. The new design language reflects the iconic Indigo brand, creating an inviting space in which to shop, linger, socialize and discover.

"Indigo has been on an incredible journey over the past few years,"said Diego Burdi, Creative Director and Co-Founder at Burdifilek. "The new concept store at Short Hills is the culmination of a creative and considered design process, one that fully captures and realizes the notion of a cultural department store for booklovers."

Warm, spacious and inviting, the design concept centers books at the heart and soul of the experience, yet compartmentalizes the store into several core categories including Wellness, Joy of the Table, A Room of Her Own, Home Beautiful, IndigoKids and IndigoBaby. To accommodate this new approach, an open floorplan was divided into zones, each with its own focal point and sensibility. These zones or "rooms" serve to elevate the store experience, creating unconventional configurations where books are freely interwoven with gifts, toys, and other carefully curated merchandise. This spatial planning and programming aims to reshape the way customers explore, creating an enriched environment that brings Indigo's vision and mission to life.

Incorporating a distinct design language developed by Burdifilek, key elements connect Indigo Short Hills to the brand's stores around the continent. Freestanding fixtures, including accent tables, bookshelves, and unique merchandising elevations, were custom-designed by Burdifilek, while a palette of soothing neutrals and bright accents forms a beautiful backdrop for the store's merchandise and reinforces the Indigo brand identity.

"Retail innovation requires great partnerships and a deep understanding of space planning and contemporary design principles. With their knowledge of consumer engagement and a sophistication drawn from years of global retail design innovation, Burdifilek has been an integral part of our recipe for success," said Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo.

About Indigo

Indigo is the world's first Cultural Department Store a physical and digital meeting place inspired by and filled with books, music, art, ideas, and beautifully designed lifestyle products. Indigo believes in real books, in living life fully and generously, in being kind to each other and that stories big and little connect us.

About Burdifilek

Burdifilek is an award-winning international interior design studio that transforms spaces to inspire possibility and purpose through design. Founded by Diego Burdi and Paul Filek in 1993, the firm puts creative intelligence, cultural relevance, and flawless execution at the forefront of retail, hospitality and development projects to create unexpected and expressive interiors for world-class brands around the globe. Visit www.burdifilek.com.

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