The Yard Creative works on Clinton Cards retail designs

The Yard Creative was appointed by Clinton Cards around a month ago, according to creative director Steve James-Royle. He says the consultancy approached Clinton Cards in December, prior to the company launching a pitch for a rebrand.

James-Royle says that The Yard Creative was shortlisted alongside Branded in the rebrand pitch, before losing out to the Loewyowned consultancy, which was appointed to rebrand Clinton Cards in May (www.designweek. co.uk, 25 May). The Yard Creative was then appointed to work on retail designs across Clinton Cards’ entire estate, which comprises 652 stores.

James-Royle says, ’We’re working hand in hand with Branded. They’re putting the front-end stuff together at the moment and the relationship is quite a natural one.’ James-Royle says, ’Clinton Cards is at the point where it is very open about what the store of the future could be.

It wants to firmly establish itself as leader in the sector and create a bit of theatre – making the stores a bit more of a destination.’ He says the new retail designs aim to improve customer experience, staff efficiency and revenues.

The Yard Creative is currently carrying out a research stage, which involves workshops with the client, ethnographic research and members of the consultancy donning Clinton Cards uniforms and working in the shops. James-Royle says, ’We went to about ten stores around the country and stacked shelves and worked on stock-taking.’

Using its research, the consultancy will create a concept design, which will be developed in a technical stage, before being trialled in a store and then going under review prior to potential roll-out across the entire Clinton Cards estate. James-Royle says the aim is for the trial store to launch at the beginning of next year.

Branded says the redesigned Clinton Cards branding is set to launch before the end of this year. Julia Howe, consultant at Branded, told Design Week in May that all elements of the brand were under review and that ’nothing had been ruled out’.