Fat Face – Denim

FatFace asked SmithBrewer to help turn their Exeter store into a warmer, more tactile destination. Working alongside design agency The Box, the goal was to deliver a new Key Concept Space and Denim Destination that elevate product stories, improve customer flow and give greater focus to hero categories through natural materials, layered textures, flexible merchandising and brand led displays.

Our role was to translate The Box’s creative intent into an engineered kit of parts that could be manufactured, delivered and installed on time and within budget.

We needed to protect the richness of the concept while hitting a competitive cost point and an ambitious programme. The Key Concept Space originally specified bespoke timber framing, and the Denim Destination introduced technically demanding details such as recycled denim bricks and flexible cubby storage.

The timeline allowed only two weeks for technical development, two weeks for manufacture and two days on site, so every decision had to be quick, coordinated and fully controlled from drawing to installation.

We treated the project as a rapid technical development and delivery exercise. For the Key Concept Space we reworked the timber intent into a cost efficient steel framework that still delivered warmth and created a robust base for flexible merchandising and future adaptation.

In the Denim Destination we made the display cubes universal so they could move between the perimeter wall and mid floor units, giving the store team freedom to reconfigure the space. We retained the recycled denim bricks and developed them into a signature feature that reinforces brand relevance and adds tactile interest.

The finished installation delivers a strong and inviting destination that stays true to the original vision while meeting strict commercial and programme targets. Through focused value engineering we converted an ambitious idea into a practical, flexible and cost controlled retail scheme that improves the in store experience and gives FatFace a distinctive point of difference.