Mexico’s most prestigious retailer, El Palacio de Hierro’s new two-story 215,000 square foot flagship store in Villahermosa, displays the luxurious and service-oriented shopping experience expected at the retailer. The interior design of the store includes all of the architectural features and display fixtures in each of the 32 departments. Every department features its own centerpiece and concept and is connected by a series of portals. Although each department is different from the next, they maintain continuity through a consistency in scale and design, creating a journey of discovery for the customer. The atrium, which includes escalators and a large scale video tower, forms the heart of the ground floor (Planta Baja) and is surrounded by a collection of elliptical-shaped department’s for women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories. The first floor (Primer Nivel) features men’s fashions, technology and other departments, which radiate out from a large elliptical center, which showcases the Home/Furniture departments. In terms of visual merchandising, strategically placed center focals are utilized, which are visible through the connecting portals, along with layered merchandising presentations at the portal which purposefully draw customers from one room to the next. The design, which lacks traditional aisles, is designed to encourage shoppers to flow fluidly throughout the store. Designers selected finishes and materials, including marble, porcelain tile and bleached wood that reflect and display Villahermosa’s equidistance to Mexico City and Cancun. A vast collection of display and merchandising components were created to fit the flagship, including: steel and glass “lily pad” tables and suspended glass shelves with monitor display archways in the shoe department. In addition, in support of local artists, artisans and fabricators, almost all of the architectural elements and custom retail display fixtures were produced by Mexican firms.
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