ddp design fair

I'm not an expert on the design industry, but having worked as a buyer in department stores for many years, I can tell you that the word design means a lot more in retail than it did when I started. I think that 10 years ago, if you were buying furnishings for newlyweds in a department store, you were almost always choosing a brand based on a recommendation from your mom or a friend who had gotten married first, so you were shopping within a narrow set of options, and the associated sales tended to be concentrated around those brands. But as time has gone on, people have become more and more likely to choose a brand or a product assortment based on their own preferences, and the idea of mega-trend, wedding-specific brands is becoming less and less common. And we're seeing this across all product categories, not just newlyweds. How has the meaning of brand and design changed in the face of increasingly diversified and personalized customer choices?

 I think people who used to be looking for a brand that was recognizable to others are now looking for a brand that expresses them and the design and story of the brand and the product are the most important criteria for that choice. Customers who find a design that fits their lifestyle and values, and a brand story that resonates with them, become passionate advocates for the brand and its products. In response to this change in customer behavior, the interior design of branded stores that once looked similar have been transformed into spaces that showcase the brand's concept and story, becoming an important marketing element.

Previously, department stores were a place with “100 things” and their central concept was products, but now it seems that they should be a space with various designs and stories that can express the “100 lifestyles” of customers.