Back in September we profiled Oki Sato of Japanese design agency Nendo. He told us about the importance of using narratives within product design. Now the designer has lent his talents to the Beijing flagship of the Hong Kong-based sportswear retailer, Catalog.

The store is designed to be shopped like a catalogue, with every brand spot lit and given equal space and attention. Customers enter through a large lit window frame that is repeated within the space, guiding shoppers and drawing their attention to every product in sequence, with a particular focus on trainers.

As we mentioned in our article about the Israeli self-service store Zerim-Liftan, this is another example of how a bricks and mortar retailer can take advantage of being a physical space in the face of the threat from online sites. The curated store makes it easier and more enjoyable for the customer to shop, something we seek increasingly as we are bombarded with too much choice and information.