…as Fitch cashes in on Nordic market

Finland’s largest non-food department store chain Anttila has brought in Fitch to design new retail interiors for its 31 department stores and stand-alone furnishing as well as its decoration outlets.

Fitch is first designing prototype concepts for testing next spring in an existing department store in Kuopio, central Finland.

Won by Fitch in a paid creative pitch against a number of undisclosed rivals, the project includes designing new environments to be rolled out to Anttila’s stores. The interiors range in size from 3000m2 to 75 000m2.

Fitch is aiming for a “visually inspiring” solution with clear departmental identities, says a consultancy spokeswoman. The redesigned stores will include new signage and point-of-sale graphics and introduce CD-ROM technology.

Anttila’s director of department store operations Aimo Salmi says: “Current competition is demanding that we strengthen our clothing offers and make our departments more friendly and informative.”

The project does not include redesigning either the Anttila identity or the shop facias.