For brands operating retail stores to stay competitive in the context of the rise of ecommerce, globalization and consumer’s quest for experiences, the design of store environments is one key element to deliver memorable, tangible brand experiences to customers. Architectural branding is an emerging literature stream at the intersection of consumer behavior, marketing management, and design (Raffelt, 2012), based on the assumption that a store concept should make effective use of materials and space to optimize the brand experience in a holistic manner (Quartier, 2017). However, factors such as globalization and increasingly international audiences challenge brands in conveying a consistent core brand identity across all touchpoints (Özsomer & Prussia, 2000). Thus, the question arises to what extent retailers should opt for “prototype designs”, which rigidly follow guidelines or to opt for a decentralized approach with potentially diverse brand image perceptions (Turley & Chebat, 2002). This paper gives first insights on how global retail brands can holistically configure their architectural branding in retail in order to reflect their brand identity in different target markets. From 23 in-depth expert interviews and 30 observations of five fashion and accessories brands across three geographic locations propositions emerged on how to achieve a compelling and target-group specific architectural branding in a glocal context. The studies have shown that to what extent a localization strategy is necessary depends on products/services sold, the brand positioning, the heritage of the brand and the local country culture of the subsidiary’s location. However, order not to overshadow and dilute the brand’s global core values, the extent of regional adaptation should be carefully considered.

• Sophie Schueller(University of St.Gallen, Switzerland)
• Alice Morath(University of St.Gallen, Switzerland)