Art and Science of Retail Design Align with the Combination of ChaseDesign and JGA

Retail design is converging into a series of methodologies, from high-end aesthetics and brand development to transactional concentration and category building. The profession is moving toward a blend of research-driven and creative-centered design that strives for improved performance at the store level. And, given the growth of omnichannel strategies and digital commerce, retail design needs to incorporate operational functionality and behavior-based creative with artistic innovation to build more drama and passion at the store.

To take advantage of these trends, ChaseDesign, the category growth design agency, is integrating JGA, a leading Branded Environmental Design firm, into its team to create the first ever end-to-end brand forward, category-led environmental design firm. This truly enables the blending of the art and science of retail design in one firm. JGA focuses on building innovative retail and branded locations within a “shopping as an emotional exercise” framework. ChaseDesign is widely known for its Shopper Based Design approach, which studies and defines how retailers best merchandize product at the shelf, category & department levels, , inclusive of a retailer’s physical and digital interface. Both ChaseDesign and JGA build their solutions through the lens of driving sales, profits and customer engagement.

“We’re combining two teams that address design opportunities in a very different but complimentarily way - one from the bottom up and the other from top down - to offer the first full end-to-end environmental design service. The resulting agency has award-winning talent with full environmental design capabilities,” said Joe Lampertius, President, ChaseDesign.

“Ken Nisch and the JGA team have worked on some of the most impressive retail projects of the past several decades, including Shinola, World of Hershey’s Las Vegas, Reliance Group in India, El Palacio De Hierro in Mexico, Calares, DXL, Signet and Paradies Group. They have an impeccable reputation and we’re pleased to join forces with them.”

JGA began 52 years ago as Jon Greenberg & Associates, a retail architecture firm in the metro Detroit area, and is recognized for creating upscale progressive projects in the specialty retailing space. Ken Nisch, who joined JGA more than 35 years ago and is now chairman, expanded the agency by building branded retail environments all over the world.

“For JGA, this union provides the perfect partner, complementing our branded environments practice within our core retail expertise while providing us resources and expertise across the broader world of retail, covering research, product packaging, digital and point of purchase. It also helps us extend our portfolio to include innovation centers, institutional, corporate settings and more. My colleagues and I couldn’t be happier to become part of ChaseDesign and McCann/IPG,” said Nisch, who will remain chairman of JGA, sit on the leadership team of ChaseDesign and report to Lampertius.

ChaseDesign and JGA will continue to operate as separate firms to meet the needs of clients, but this integration of companies will now provide a platform for closer partnership and collaboration on new opportunities.

About ChaseDesign

ChaseDesign is a category growth design firm that translates how and why people buy to create more persuasive branded & retail experiences as a catalyst for incremental growth both online and in-store. Capabilities span research, strategy, retail experience design, full prototyping, and end-to-end activation. ChaseDesign is part of McCann, with offices in NYC, Syracuse & Cincinnati. Learn more at www.chasedesign.net or follow us on LinkedIn.

About JGA

JGA is a global leader in developing branded environments and retail experiences. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, JGA delivers innovative design solutions from concept to implementation and has achieved recognition as an innovator of award-winning retail design and retail brand strategies for some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Hershey’s, Sleep Number, Sundance, Blue Nile, H&M and Whole Foods Market. Learn more at www.jga.com or follow us on LinkedIn.