Institute News

Summertime, yay! Shorts and sandals are here, more time at the beach, and World Cup season just concluded. Hope you're all able to make the most out of the season, it's a great time of year for special events, summer concerts, barbecues and picnics. We at the Retail Design Institute love it for all the outdoor shopping at open air markets and outdoor retail centers across Southern California.It's been a bit of a quiet year so far, event-wise (we had a few cancellations) but t

Discover the new Europe Chapter of the Retail Design Institute! Join us as we connect, innovate, and elevate retail design across Europe.

The PNW Retail Design Institute set sail for another memorable evening during our 4th Annual Summer Cruise, continuing one of our favorite summer traditions. Surrounded by beautiful waterfront views and the golden glow of a Seattle sunset, our design community came together to enjoy what summer is all about: good company, great conversations, and time to simply connect. Along the way, we explored a curated showcase of products, materials, and innovations from our industry par

Discover the vibrant new Colorado Chapter! Join us to connect, share knowledge, and support Colorado's retail community. Welcome to the New Colorado Chapter!

The World's Game, on Our Home Turf Over the past few weeks, Kansas City has found itself in a rare position: not just watching the World Cup from afar but participating in it as one of the handful of American cities selected to host. These past few weeks for me have served as a powerful indicator that the Heartland isn't relegated to the sidelines... we are, in fact, a major player in the game. For a region too often written off as "flyover country," getting this much primeti

Get ready for the Institute's 2026-2028 Board Elections! Nominate yourself or a fellow member for Chapter or International roles.

Last week we came together at Wunderground Coffee for an evening in celebration of Pride Month, creating space to explore how queer identity can shape more inclusive retail experiences and the spaces we design. Set in the warm and welcoming atmosphere of Wunderground, the event invited our community to connect, reflect, and engage in conversations that continue to move our industry forward. Our panelists, Jody Hall, K Kaczmarek, and Nomi Cooper, shared their perspectives on h

by Jessie Sanders, RDI, NCIDQ heartland@retaildesigninstitute.org The RDI Heartland Group stands outside the entrance to Atlas9 with guest presenter Randall Statler, Executive Creative Director at Dimensional Innovations. Photo Credit: Maximus Coric Walking into Atlas 9 last week felt a little like stepping back into my own childhood—if my childhood had included a few more interdimensional anomalies. One of my very first jobs was working concessions at the local dollar movie

Spring is here, and so is Spring Fashion. As we all get into the warmer weather and the wardrobe refresh, here are some recaps of the past couple of months since our last newsletter. April 30th we had our most recent event at the furniture showroom destination, SOCO and the OC Mix in Costa Mesa. Joybird hosted the Retail Design Institute and RCA and showed us how a furniture showroom can truly provide the perfect environment for hospitality. SOCO and the OC Mix is a unique sh

Event Recap: An Evening at Nespresso’s New York City Flagship