The evolution of the retail box

I toured the Equinox box park in Chicago's West Loop today.  In advance of the coming Equinox hotel, the developers are hosting a rotating array of small retail shops in repurposed shipping containers.  The venue will remain until construction the on the hotel beings in late 2018.

Now, I love the fresh look and spontaneous feel of this and hope that urban planners everywhere recognize that retail, even temporary, can bring new excitement and focus to what would otherwise be an empty lot. 

I was fortunate enough to visit Boxpark in east London earlier this year and got to see this concept writ large!  I loved the integration of food, shops and entertainment combined with seriously usable public spaces.  It is retail that gives up a little (like square footage as each "shop" is the size of a shipping container) to be part of a larger social experiment.  Here is a shot...

Perhaps we're seeing a welcome return to a more organic, lees engineered and fresh approach to delighting shoppers.  This experience was fresh, fun and created a focal point in the neighborhood that wasn't dominated by a major retail brand - I loved it.  And they will start serving beer on-site starting July 7, 2018.  

See you there.

[Cm] July 2018