urban outfitters glasgow

For my honours project I'm designing a visual merchandising formula for Urban Outfitters. I'm trying to gather primary research and having exhausted the Liverpool branch and planned a trip to London for more research in February, I couldn't help but feel like I should take advantage of my pals north of the border. After sending a pleading text (as if she needed persuasion to shop) to a friend I managed to persuade her to visit the Glasgow branch of Urban Outfitters to get some sneaky pictures for me. She may have been grumbling about 'hipster emporiums' but I know she loved it really. 

As Urban Outfitters is a huge international brand their stores usually stick to a similar VM formula throughout the UK. They do the occasional artist collaboration but it doesn't seem to be rolled out through the whole country, which I understand; they can hardly force artists to travel the length of the country painting graphics onto store windows. 

I do like Urban Outfitters as a brand, I really love their values and the personalities that each store has but I've always found the Glasgow store a bit uninspiring. Even the Edinburgh branch (which is smaller) has exciting windows which change often enough. They have worked with artists and previously Noel Fielding (of The Mighty Boosh) did a window installation for them, so it can't be a Scottish thing. 

I just feel as though the Glasgow branch doesn't take advantage of the great culture they have on their doorstep. Glasgow has an amazing art, music and fashion sector, all of which Urban Outfitters class as their customers' main interests, but they remain unused. With brands beginning to offer amazing retail experiences to encourage trade during the recession and lure customers in rather than buying online, lacklustre stores just aren't cutting it any more. Basically Urban Outfitters Glasgow, up your game!