The Euroshop show in review

There’s more to merchandise systems than meets the eye, as Callum Lumsden discovers at top retail trade fair Euroshop in Dusseldorf, Germany. Here he outlines his top picks of the display ranges on show at this year’s exhibition

EUROSHOP in Dusseldorf is the world’s definitive retail trade show, taking place every three years and showcasing the best in retail design. This year’s triennial was full of new, attention-grabbing ideas to entice retailers, specifiers and interior designers alike.

There are always some great exhibition stands from the merchandise system manufacturers, and many of the stands in Hall 12 were outstanding. My vote for the greatest products go to Vizona and Alu, for two entirely different reasons.

For cool, assured and confident style, Vizona and its sister company Visplay have produced some beautifully detailed products. The shelving and display range shown at Euroshop clips into virtually invisible slots versatile enough to hold the cabinets and hanging system – an elegant solution that can display a myriad of products, according to the designer’s vision. What I admire about Vizona is its recognition that designers want to interpret merchandise display systems to suit their client’s brands. This product is open to interpretation in a variety of ways, giving it a great deal of scope and opportunity.

The Alu team from Italy, on the other hand, has consistently made a name for itself with powerful style statements. Unmistakably quirky and beautifully made, Alu’s new ranges will complement any product with real visual impact.

From the Oyster pole system with bicycle seats and cabinets, and the displays for graphics and visual merchandising, the design team from Alu has excelled itself. I particularly admired the Ribbon system, which uses a series of rubber modules (similar to a thin tank track) that incorporates plug-in attachments for poles and shelves. Not content with this innovation, the design team has also produced a series of refined accessories such as oversized clamp clips and – on the Oyster range – a series of drop-down graphic displays.

Another contender was the Pevnick Waterfall Display, which stopped everyone in their tracks. Quite simply, this is a waterfall system, which displays graphics on the water as it streams down from 6m up. Patterns, logos and messages are ‘cut’ into the water and the sculptural effect is extremely spectacular.

My final candidate for special attention was an American import from Interlam called Art Diffusion: decorative panels made from off-cuts from an aluminium factor. These sculpted panels in distinctive colours and patterns were outstanding, and will add a point of difference to any designer’s material selection palette.

Callum Lumsden is creative director at London design consultancy Small Back Room