And the Retail Design Institute’s Store of the Year is….

A legendary automaker took top honors in the Retail Design Institute’s annual store design competition.

Cadillac House in Shanghai, China, is the RDI’s 2019 Store of the Year. The 46,000-sq.-ft., three-level space was also the recipient of three Innovation Awards from RDI, with one each for Architecture, Customer Experience and Digital Integration.

Cadillac House combines elements of a classic car showroom with the interactivity of an educational exhibit, according to Claudia Cerchiara, RDI’s international chairman and chair of its awards committee.

“The space combines education with aspiration and brand elements “that  communicate the space as clearly Cadillac,” Cerchiara explained.

Cadillac worked with Gensler design teams in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Shanghai to create an immersive visitor experience that personifies the brand and would appeal to  China’s emerging creative class. 

The annual competition attracted submissions from retail teams across the globe. Countries represented include: USA, U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Projects eligible to enter were those opened in the 2019 calendar year.

As Store of the Year, Cadillac House, Shanghai, joined the following winning projects that make up the Institute’s “Class of 2019” - projects representing the “best of the best” stores that opened last year. The full class is listed below.

Alaska Lounge, Seattle, Design: Graham Baba Architects, Seattle (Innovation Award for Customer Experience and Innovation Award for Materiality) 

ALDI, Shanghai, Design: Landini Associates, Sydney. 

Birkenstock, Venice, Calif., Design: TPG Architecture, New York City. 

Fido, Montreal, Design: CallisonRTKL, New York City.

Forty Five Ten, New York City, Design: 5G Studio Collaborative, Dallas (Innovation Award for Fixturing, Innovation Award for Artistic Expression)

Innisfree, Seoul, Design: Mapos Architects, D.P.C., New York City. 

Longo's, Toronto, Design: Ampersand Studio Inc., Toronto (Innovation Award for Environmental Graphic Design) 

McDonald's, New York City; Design: Landini Associates, Sydney (Innovation Award for Branding; Innovation Award for Digital Integration)

Maitri, Pittsburgh; Design: High Road Design Studio, Tempe, Ariz.  

Molton Brown, Dartford, U.K.; Design: Dalziel & Pow (Innovation Award for Fixturing; Innovation Award for Customer Experience; Innovation Award for Visual Merchandising) 

Nestlé KitKat Chocolatory, Sao Paulo; Design: FITCH, London (Innovation Award for Digital Integration)

Nordstrom, New York City; Design: Nordstrom Store Design, Seattle, in collaboration with James Carpenter & CallisonRTKL (Innovation Award for Concept | Programming and Innovation Award for Storefront Façade)

Psycho Bunny, Miami; Design: Ædifica, Montreal; (Innovation Award for Visual Merchandising) 

SSG Food Market, Seoul; Design: Landini Associates, Sydne (Innovation Award for Store Planning and Innovation Award for Environmental Graphic Design. 

Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City (Levels 1, 2 and Cellar);  Design: Gensler and Saks Store Planning  & Design, New York City; Innovation Award for Digital Integration)

Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City (women's shoe salon); Design: Highland Associates and Saks Store Planning & Design, New York City. 

Sarah & Sebastian, Sydney; Design: Landini Associates, Sydney (Innovation Award for Lighting Design)

Specs, Del Mar, Calif.; Design: Retail Habitats, San Diego. 

Timberland, London, Design: Dalziel & Pow, London. 

Time Out Market Chicago, Chicago; Design: Chipman Design Architecture, Des Plaines, Ill.; (Innovation Award for Adaptive Reuse)

Whole Foods Market, Seattle; Design: D L English Design Inc., Pasadena, Calif. ( Innovation Award for Localization)

XYZ Storage, Toronto; Design: Ampersand Studio Inc., Toronto (Innovation Award for Customer Experience)