Paper short abstract:

This research proposal discusses how the notion of design is used as argument and strategy within the retail industry in Swedish coastal areas. Within the retail sector, “design” has become something of a household word to indicate products’ originality, authenticity and creative value. When life style determines which goods are consumed, the notion of design has become a retail strategy.

Paper long abstract:

This research proposal discusses how a case study of retail businesses in Swedish coastal areas could be used to understand what happens when the logic of creativity meets the practice of retail. In the centre of attraction stand retailers characterized by a combination of traditional craftsmanship and a growing share of mass produced pieces under designer labels. The aim is to understand how the products are thought of and communicated, how this is related to places and consumers reactions to retailers' use of the design notion. The forthcoming paper aims to outline how design discourses within retail can be studied: how is design used as an argument and a strategy in retailing?

Design is one of today's buzz words, a simple Google search results in 360 million hits. The notion of design is used and presented in a variety of ways - design as career, as way to self realization or as status marker. Within the retail sector, "design" has become something of a household word to indicate products' originality, authenticity and/or creative value. Today a rising number of retailing concepts cooperate with acknowledged designers or celebrities who design collections that are sold through the retailers stores. The notion of design has consequently become a retail strategy in an economy where life style determines the goods consumed.