Awarded the 2018 SBIA Shop Fit Out Of the Year, Stormriders Tamworth is part of the Wilson Retail stable sitting alongside its sister stores Saltwater Wine and Red Herring.  Headed up by Industry Pioneer Anthony ‘Macka’ Wilson, this Shop Fit was an evolution of the Stormriders handwriting and a rebrand from their original Saltwater Wine store in Tamworth to a Stormriders store.

Dan Ealges, Director of ProSpace, a creative studio specialising in Interior Architecture and SBIA Shop Fit Out Of the Year Judge sat down with Macka and asked him a few questions about what goes into an award winning shop fit out.

Have you completed a shop fit out in the last 18 months?  Take a read, and enter now!

Anthony ‘Macka’ Wilson

Dan: Its been a few months now since you took out the top gong for Shop Fit Out of the year, how’s has winning this one shaped the last 6 months? What have the take aways been?

Macka:  It’s always nice for the team to be recognised for their effort and hard work. Particularly when you’re being measured against stores from global brands as was the case.

Dan: You’ve been through a few fit outs over your time – what made this one different?

Macka:  haha yeah we’ve done a couple over the years! This one is really an evolution of the Stormriders handwriting, it’s by no means a radicle departure from what we have been doing.

We constantly look at each element of the fit out and the way the stores come together. We figure out what needs changing or evolving and program that into subsequent fit outs.

Award Winning Shop Fit Out | Stormriders Tamworth

Dan: Thinking about the time since you opened the store – how has the performance of the store been?

Macka: It’s been great. This was actually a rebrand and refit from our original  Saltwater Wine store in Tamworth to a Stormriders store. It was the last piece in the puzzle of a repositioning and realignment of the business after we started Stormriders in 2010.

There was obviously some risk moving away from 10 years of Saltwater Wine but the Stormriders offer and value proposition has been really well accepted.

Dan: How have the staff been working in the new space vs other stores you have?

Macka: We took over the store next door to make the space bigger.  It’s a much more usable space, we can merch brands and categories the way we want them to look and gives space for products to breathe.

Dan:  What in your view makes Multi Branded Retail special…?

Macka: ahh what a question, where to start! I don’t have any experience and knowledge about vertical or company owned retail so let’s just talk about independent retail. I think a good independent retailer can be really connected and really understand their community and consumer.

A great independent retailer will curate a really strong and appropriate selection of brands and products for their community.

Dan: Any final words of advice to others thinking of jumping into a renovation of their store, or opening a new one?

Macka: I think it’s important to keep evolving and changing the value proposition and experience. Easier said than done, that obviously takes time and money. The key is to be as well planned as possible and as cost affective as possible.

Nominations are open for the 2019 Shop Fit Out of the Year Awards.  Have you done a Shop Fit Out in the last 18 months? You should Nominate, download the nomination form here