As the largest global trade fair in its 50 year history, EuroShop 2017 offered over 113,000 visitors the chance to see, hear, feel, and touch innovation within the mega worlds of fixturing at the 2,368 supplier exhibits – from the mom-and-pop providers of the mundane, to the industry giants who supply everything from the most imaginative to the more practical. But as important, the show puts a human face on the industry people and suppliers who at their essence are creative. This presentation illustrates the Best of EuroShop selected by the JGA Creative Team.

2. EuroShop is:
•! The world’s leading fair for retail investment
•! A trend barometer and innovation platform
•! Clearly structured into four sectors
•! Aimed at clearly defined and subtly differentiated target groups
For a complete list of vendors and products shown at EuroShop 2014 please click here.
Don’t miss the next EuroShop conference in Düsseldorf, Germany scheduled for February 16-20, 2020!
5 - 9 March 2017

3. • Located in Düsseldorf,
Germany
• Held every three years
• Exhibits in 17 halls
• 2,226 exhibitors
• 57 countries
represented
• 109,000 visitors
from 110 countries

5. As the largest global trade fair in its 50 year history, EuroShop 2017 offered over
113,000 visitors the chance to see, hear, feel, and touch innovation within the mega
worlds of fixturing at the 2,368 supplier exhibits – from the mom-and-pop providers of
the mundane, to the industry giants who supply everything from the most imaginative
to the more practical. But as important, the show puts a human face on the industry
people and suppliers who at their essence are creative.
Here are a few general observations of this record-setting show:
• EuroShop is becoming more and more global from its European (German roots)
supplier base, but particularly related to its retailer base.
• There is an increasing focus on show participants who are in the “solutions” versus
“product” space. Companies are positioning themselves more as partners in store
design, project management, and procurement.
• The shift in trends, from 2014’s rustic and raw (reclaimed wood, internal gardens,
and eco-sensibility), is more likely to take the form of cyborg mannequins, futuristic
shapes and sleek forms and geometries.
• The shifting role of lighting continues to move front stage from back stage, with
architecture and material selection increasingly becoming the “servant,” chosen in
design to enhance the capabilities and nuance of lighting, versus merely illuminating
the architecture.
• The continuing growth of technologies that will make the independent customer
even more self-sufficient in our Circular Commerce world, via concepts that inform
and enhance a shopper’s knowledge.
• Of the visual and technological themes throughout the Expo, we’ve highlighted a few
that JGA saw as most prominent.
Trends from
EuroShop
2017

6. Big and Light
Playing with scale, shape, form, translucency and height to create a sense of dark-drama
to a bright-and-airy sensibility, many exhibits delivered an experience that was both big
and dramatic, yet light and airy. Where the “fabri-tecture” took advantage of translucent
and lightweight materials such as fabrics, acrylics, metal mesh, chain mail, and even water,
spaces were defined less through traditional architecture and more through “air scape.”
They effectively combined these attributes, carving out environments without limiting
access, the sense of flow or welcome.
Clearly, EuroShop in itself is an exhibit space. Its less defined and more-open approach
also seems highly appropriate for today’s changing retailer, whose need for flexibility,
modularity and the ability to do so on a moment’s notice - vis-à-vis the use of projections
on forms and light-changing effects offers inspiration for today’s new digital brands and
merchants.
Increasingly thinking of the retail space as a “showroom” can change the realities of the
traditional shopping mall environment with newfound attributes of flexibility and mobility.
This approach, a shopping mall “without walls,” whether it be a mall or a traditional
department store environment, acts as the host environment. These next generation
venues can find new life as a “permanent temporary” brand and retailer showcase.

13. Mixed Media
One theme hard to overlook was “juxtaposition.” It might be revealed as contrasting
the sentimental with the hard-edged, as we saw in many mannequin presentations
ranging from cyborg gods and goddesses to sentimental trolls with attitude; a mixture
of refined-and-rustic with denim-and-carbon fiber mixture on mannequins, to material
fusions with the ultra-luxe and the simple, all juxtaposed within physical environments
as part of the architectural finish package.
Within the food display environment, a combination of beautiful nature photography in
massively large scale was juxtaposed against a farmer’s market sensibility, taking this
Mixed Media beyond just materials and finishes.

19. Mad Men
Modern
Gotta love those Italians! They do retro in a way like no other! Be it lighting fixtures that
bring together mixed materials of leathers, rubbed brasses, hand blown glass and
crystal lenses; large mega-scaled slabs of porcelains, marbles, alabasters; and accent
furniture with elegant elongated proportions and polished brass -- they create what we
would classify as mid-century American to timeless Mad Men Modern.
An inherent drama and elegance is achieved with highly edited details, not shy on
luxurious use of materials, with a well-ordered complexity and geometry and a light
hand that allows the scale and complexity never to be overwhelming.

24. Movement
Movement, whether real or implied, was effectively achieved throughout the Expo.
“Movement” may become an essential element of consumer engagement, given the
“training” by mobile devices, laptops; not to mention the tendency of the YouTube and
Snapchat generation to follow what’s in motion. Movement is achieved with inclusion
of digital screens whether LED or LCD, taking on the form of everything -- with
elements integrated into fixtures, surfaces, floors, walls, ceilings, and as well, on a more
analog basis using LED embedded panels through suspension and physical movement
“frozen in time.”
We discovered that a number of suppliers showcased their products through an
“explosion” of color and shape. Exhibitor Kinetic Lights mesmerized Expo visitors
through the elegance and simplicity of their display. This mesmerization was so
effective that by the second day “injuries” required the exhibitor to cable off the display
areas, filled with literally hundreds of refined lifts and motors organized into preset
visual patterns. With the changing of corresponding color and brightness, through to
just the mixture of objects, tennis balls and shoes, the exhibit captured attention as a
“virtual scrim” at all times during the show.

33. Chameleon
Chameleon became a trend where movement was less obvious, harder to measure, but
part of a longer sense of renew-and-refresh, rather than being just eye-catching. Think
passage of light during the day, be it the projected, with a “natural” shifting of lighting
direction from up-light to down-light, from back-to-front, with intensity, and even color
creating a virtual sunrise/sunset.
Lighting again became the star of this year’s EuroShop with ever increasing versatility.
Its integration is not part of a “third party” element, but rather in close and important
partnership with a 2-D and 3-D building blocks of fixtures, visuals, and architecture.
Even merchandising fixturing is getting in on the Chameleon trend with SmartPixels
showing a series of projection mapping ideas, allowing you to show a large range of
product by revamping the image with various images and logos on a neutrally finished
“host” 3D form.

37. Upside Down
While not exactly a trend, it was interesting to see the number of exhibitors who chose
to try to attract attention and achieve interest by essentially taking everyday objects:
plants, Christmas trees, furniture, and even whole booths –playing with reality and
expectations by inverting or camouflaging the displays. While in doing this, they caught
your eye at the risk of slipping into gimmick-versus-concept.

39. Peekaboo
A number of booths had moving and changing layers that provided a level of “reveal
and conceal” with interesting effects of separating visitor from product and friend-
from-friend. Many of these effects were animated through highly effective use of
lighting (thank you, LED!) that created a “Pepper’s ghost” effect playing with the
intensity and focus of light. It included computer-generated lights that not only turn
on-and-off, but also move on free program command to highlight a series of objects
while casting others in either shadow or less focal lighting. Extensive use of large scale
dramatic images, often involving nature, social situations, or beautiful urban and
interior settings on a 2-D basis warmed and texturized the space and architecture.

47. Molecular
This idea of breaking down, bringing into close view, and looking the world at a
“granular” level created a sense of repetition, rhythm and order we defined as
molecular.
This idea of natural order, geometry and pattern exploded into a big and dominant
scale, was a theme throughout many of the exhibitors’ structures and shapes. This was
achieved through extrusions, 3-D printing, water and laser jet cutting, infusing a
multitude of surfaces from metal, woods, stones, and new synthetic and engineered
materials with geometric patterns, as well as organic and curvaceous forms.

50. Borrowed Time
Particularly in the finishes area, stone, wood, metal and fiber, unlike the ubiquitous use
of Edison bulbs at the last EuroShop, were prevalent at EuroShop 2017. The “next
generation” approach was the layering of legacy-and-found, creating a refined sense of
a store, often with cultural and geographic inferences of exotic places and times. Still
suggesting a reclaimed repurposed sensibility, but with a more modern, refined, and
subtle nuance.

55. Bend & Stretch
The sense of “plastic” as a sensibility versus just simply a material was evident
throughout the show. Multiple mediums, resins, fabrics, woods and acrylics took on
contour and lightness. Often using light to emphasize the curve, via sources internally
or externally positioned, adds to the luminance of products. Shapes were infused with
a “kinetic” energy, ready to spring, pounce and move on at a moment’s notice.

62. Fauxtography
The image from bunnies to produce, forest to skyline, were liberally used. Enormous
scale, many exhibiting a high “Equotient” (emotional), and internal illumination,
created a personal and in many cases evocative sensibility. The use of stretch
fabrics to create large-scale environments often complimented and played off the
real product associated near or next to it, albeit in a monumental form. This creation
of virtual space bringing the outdoors in became immersive, be it architectural or
natural.

66. Glow
As in EuroShop 2014, light and lighting were the heroes. From the most basic props,
risers and display pieces to architectural monuments, lighting was integrated within
objects, versus relying on ambient and exterior positioned illumination. The further
liberal use of digital screens, etc. (which in reality are just a sophisticated application of
LED lighting technology), extend the nature of glow to elements that were highly
changeable and programmable. The reduction or elimination in many cases of ambient
lighting surrounding displays further heightened the internal drama of the integrated
illumination.

73. Imposters
Imposters take the familiar, the iconic, and the obvious, and twist and turn them into
new products. With the use of unorthodox and unexpected materials, a break and
violation of “good taste” and expected scale challenge you to examine, touch and look
at close range to investigate the rouse.
Natural “living” materials in a preserved state, exotic, crafted and carved surfaces
produced with high-tech manufacturing, lovingly “carved,” “stitched” and “crafted”
artifacts, yet made from polyester, plaster and plastic.
Imposters provide a bit of humor and whimsy, and even a hint of alchemy (is it or isn’t it
gold?) in a world of convention and blandness.

78. Outline
In the world of adult coloring books, CGI and even Sketch-Up, many products, booths
and displays used thin, dramatic and often gravity-defying elements to “outline” and
define their experiential offer. Ranging from thin LED powered frames, geometric
lighting fixtures and frame-like metal fixture and display pieces, these “blueprint”
skeleton wall outlines were substituted for the opaque and architectural, creating open
and flowing, yet defining spaces.

84. Integration
Be it in light or digital, a number of innovative integrated solutions, versus the less
intentional multi-vendor “cobbled” solutions, were evident at the show. Thoughtfully
engineered to deal with issues such as power, flexibility and full modularity; lighting, digital,
presentation and fixture components worked in unity, creating solution-based concepts.

89. The Human
Factor
As the show came to a close, a number of industry, vendor, and association events
provided the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers, clients, and thought leaders.
It became clear that in many cases, a most important element of EuroShop and the
people who came together was the human creative exchange that took place. In our
day-to-day isolation and separation, it can often be challenging to create that type of
interaction. EuroShop’s power lies in the creative exchange that transcends many of
our differences, offering new platforms essential to building bridges, opening dialogue
and creating “what’s next” in our industry; particularly within the creative spirit that is
at the heart of our humanity.

90. For more information on our EuroShop adventure,
please contact us at info@jga.com
Visit us at www.jga.com
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