Optical retailer Clearly has added more brick to clicks with a shop in inner city Auckland designed by architects RCG.

RCG aimed for a state of the art design that aligned the physical store with Clearly’s online brand, says design director John Lenihan.

“Clearly has an impressive digital sales model, with an efficient, seamless and profitable online retail presence,” he says. “Our aim was to fully integrate the brand’s physical touch point in the brand experience, and create a dynamic environment where consumers, products and information are free to engage.”

The store design includes a product display wall which imitates the convex shape of an eye, a customer service board made from American oak and dimmers and programmable LED lights in the display. Modular, wall mounted light-boxes with prongs to hold products are seen in most optical retailers and look clinical, Lenihan says.

“We reconsidered the aesthetic experience, while still harnessing key functional aspects of traditional display systems, namely the ability to backlight, showcase and allow ease of access to products.”

Clearly (formerly ClearlyContacts.co.nz) has been operating online in New Zealand for five years and opened its first physical store in April.

Managing director of Clearly, Geoff Henshaw, says: “Our model has been working successfully in New Zealand for the past five years – in fact, the brand is the fastest growing online optical retailer in the region. Building on this success, we decided it was time to take our operation here to the next level.”

The building project had a five week time frame; first securing the store site at 175 Queen Street, then the design phase, followed by a three week store fit-out.

RCG is a finalist in the Interior Awards for the store design. The winner will be announced on June 26.