AV technologies are transforming the retail experience. It is now an expectation that brands go the extra mile in creating engaging, immersive and memorable environments for customers. The key to a successful audio system in a retail space is to balance all these objectives with the need for discreet, unobtrusive sound that does not interfere with the shopping experience.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite retail projects we’ve been involved with around the world.
Browns Luxury Boutique, London
The Challenge
Browns Luxury Boutique sits within a Grade II listed building thoughtfully restored and reimagined by revered Milan-based architects, Dimorestudio. Browns Fashion offers an unrivalled, tactile in-person experience that flies in the face of the currently obsessive trend for instant online click-and-ship gratification. Blending exceptional service with creativity and technology. The brief was unambiguously clear: “We want the best sound quality possible – and we don’t want to see it.” The speakers could not be installed onto any of the walls or ceilings due to the building’s listed status, which also restricted the size and shape.
The Solution
To fulfil such a restrictive brief this led to only one possible contender. AV Integrator AT&C approached K-array’s exclusive UK distributor 2BHeard. Every one of the 26 individually Extron-controlled zones, including the changing rooms, enjoys the same high level of sound quality from Browns’ own specially curated playlists, produced by the 22 Lyzard-KZ1XP mini point source and 72 Lyzard-KZ14 ultra-miniature line array loudspeakers. These are supplemented by 17 Truffle-KTR24 compact subwoofers and 19 Rumble-KU44 compact subwoofers.
By far the biggest challenge was striking the right balance between sound coverage and the designers’ aesthetic expectations. K-array’s physically minimalist profiles and the readily available choice of standard cabinet finishes made this an easy task, with the polished silver treatment allowing the speakers to disappear into the starkly modern décor, and in many cases be completely invisible. A few are finished in black, while in one area, white finished line arrays are fully integrated into the surrounding white ceiling light fixtures.
Happy Customer
“The system sounds great. From our perspective as audio purists there have been trade-offs – in certain areas larger, more visible speakers could have given us slightly better coverage, but we stuck to the brief and the client is delighted with the end result. When you walk around the store and hear sweet music all the way through, it’s so satisfying considering that the surfaces are hard and audio-unfriendly. The small KZ14 line arrays gave us the ability to produce good coverage in very wide spaces, and that’s what made this project work – you just can’t use another brand. The client is really happy. Nobody expected that we’d be able to produce audio of this quality without the hardware being visible, and they didn’t think the tiny K-array speakers could do the job.”
Alan Smith - Business Development Manager, AT&C
“In terms of aesthetics and answering the brief for our new flagship Browns Brook Street, AT&C successfully delivered. We are also incredibly impressed with the audio quality and ease of use as well as the delivery of a flexible events sound system that allows for on and off-site DJ set up.”
Spokesperson at Browns Boutique
City Walk, Dubai
The Challenge
In true Dubai style, an elaborate installation was required at City Walk Dubai, an urban living concept with a unique mix of innovative retail and upscale gourmet outlets.
Clients for the outdoor retail complex were in need of high-performance speakers that combined sleek, compact design with professional sound for a particular display, making K-array the perfect choice for the application where aesthetics weighed as much as the sound performance. Simulating an enchanted forest, the entrance to the children’s level at the mall contains a display lined with fabricated hollow tree structures where the client intended to replicate the sounds of birds tweeting and autumn breeze blowing without affecting the creative setup.
The Solution
Procom Middle East, K-array’s exclusive distributor for the Middle East, supplied Redwood Technologies with 18 white Tornado-KT2 loudspeakers that are compact 2” ceiling mounted, point sources providing also the DSP parameters for the application. The mini, ultra-discreet speakers blend perfectly into the design providing high quality audio without obstructing the overall display design.
Happy Customer
“The installation of more conventional ceiling speakers was simply not possible. Anything surface mounted would have ruined the natural feeling of the space. With the discrete and compact form factor of the K-array Tornado, we were able to meet and exceed the client's expectations providing them a solution that also sounds great!”
Nathan Williams - Director at Redwood Technologies
Procom Showroom, Dubai
The Challenge
Procom, distributor of K-array group products in the Middle East, required an interactive multi-room demo space at its headquarters in Dubai. Situated in Dubai Investment Park, they wanted to create an accessible space that would allow clients full access to a range of cutting-edge K-array, KGEAR & KSCAPE equipment in a setup that mimics real-world environments.
The Solution
An extensive range of products from the K-array family was deployed across multiple environments including a demo room, meeting room, reception area, and training centre to showcase K-array solutions across applications as varied as live entertainment, corporate installations and hospitality & retail.
Products here include K-array’s ultra-flat Vyper line array elements and 2" point source Tornado speakers plus a range of subwoofers, as well as KGEAR’s GCF wall-mounted & ceiling speakers and GA Amplifiers. KSCAPE’s signature RAIL product is installed in various forms across the Procom facility. RAIL combines high-end lighting and aesthetics with professional-quality audio in a format that is ideal for offices and meeting rooms as well as retail and residential spaces.
The Procom demo room caters for all tastes, featuring some of K-array’s most prestigious and powerful loudspeaker series alongside a full KGEAR installation range. K-array’s top-of-the-line touring system, Firenze-KH7 demonstrates the best of live performance sound from the K-array catalogue, whilst the Mugello-KH3 represents another powerful offering from the Concert Series. Column line-array solutions on show at Procom include K-array’s Python, Kobra and Kayman series, the latter of which is the loudest column loudspeaker in their collection, ideal for environments where aesthetics and/or preserving sight lines are critical.
Sub-bass demonstrations are covered by the passive and active Thunder series, with monitoring for live music performances provided by the Turtle-KRM33, a low-profile wedge loudspeaker. Finally, the Anakonda series, K-array’s unique multi-form solution, continues to challenge perceptions of what is possible in audio installation, thanks to its fully-flexible 2-metre-long body. On the other hand, KGEAR products, including GC and GW series in-ceiling and in-wall speakers and GF82 column speakers, matched with GA series amplifiers, highlight the capabilities of the KGEAR brand for commercial applications.
Happy Customer
“The ability for clients and distribution partners to demo a combination of products and experience a full K-array system is invaluable for helping users to feel confident with the systems. Furthermore, prospective clients can compare models, encouraging purchasing decisions from a place of knowledge. We're proud of what we have created and are confident that our business - and our clients’ business - will benefit considerably as a result. Everyone wins.”
Rami Harfouch, Procom General Manager