A masculine signature

Male ID was conceptualized to cater to the male audience residing in tier-2 cities of Andhra Pradesh. The idea was to offer a premium shopping experience to the mass category consumers. The brand thus flaunts the concept with its signature logo- a moustache. The moustache blatantly expresses the nature of the store underlining the fact that it's a men's store. Also, it portrays a casual vibe for the store. A huge moustache made from nuts and bolts draws immediate attention upon entry into the store. It speaks of a rustic quality which the store wants to showcase. Thus, a masculine store with rustic elements, yet reflecting sophistication, is what the store is all about.

A minimalist approach was followed for the store front design. It chose to play low-key during the day with a simple facade with the ground floor sporting only display windows. The first floor flashes the Male ID logo on an opaque glass. The facade transforms at night with the lighting effects it adopts. The store front as well interior design is based on the likes suited to the target customer segment.

The store had the advantage of the space expanse it could use to create the desired experience. So it was maintained as spacious and open as possible to lay emphasis on the premium feel. White flooring and a ceiling height of 10.5 feet clearly spell out grandeur. Fixtures created from stainless steel contribute to an international look. With the casual tone of the merchandise offered at Male ID, the youth constitutes a major segment of the customer base. Given that, the store was designed to convey a boyish feel rather than a manly one. Thus, visual merchandising tactics sprawl all over the store to bring out this factor.




The ceiling height sure brings out the grand touch of the store. At the same time, it is utilized effectively to display trendy bottoms at the store. Mannequin bottoms are suspended from the ceiling and made to wear new bottoms' styles housed at the store. Also, the buttoned ceiling is created as an acknowledgment of signature men's clothing. The display stations put up in the store are a blend of wood and steel. Innovation flourishes in the design of all the displays. They do not follow the same design yet maintain the language set by the store. The wall displays exhibit unique characteristics as well. The combination of wood and steel in the store brings out the rawness of the store with a sophisticated texture. VM plays a huge role and is one of the important attraction factors at the store. The way the merchandise is displayed is quite unusual and draws eyes towards it. "VM is all about creating visual displays and arranging merchandise assortments within a store to improve the layout and presentation and to increase traffic and sales. We had to keep in mind the availability of the size, colour preferences, experience design, and other related factors.VM trends are constantly fluctuating because retail is always changing. The challenge for retailers is to react to the evolving needs and wants of their customers. Visual elements in a retail store have always been very important in attracting and keeping consumers,” says Madhu Pulipati, Eye Catch Interiors, who have curated the store from scratch. To assert the raw nature of the store, material like GI pipes, motorcycle chains and raw water valves were imbibed in the design features. These intricacies and the overall approach towards design, pointed out the store's sensitivity towards its target customers. What was priority on the design checklist was the kind of ambience that would sell to the customers, "The idea was to cater the audience which lives on desires to be raw and rough with a macho attitude. The desire to look strong and yet crude,” inputs Madhu.

The lighting of the store was quite an obvious choice. Stronger lights were used on product displays to lay emphasis on them and the pathways were minimally lit to ensure a complete experience. The light fixtures are more an aesthetic choice rather than functional. These printed light boxes cater to the casual nature.

The store interiors and VM stand as personification of the brand's message. It is curated to take its target customer i.e. the mass segment to a higher level of shopping experience than what they are used to. Male ID strongly believes in its motives and plans to spread to other tier-2 cities of Andhra Pradesh soon.