Elderly shoppers and the young are the two most prevalent developing markets for retailers. Environments must accommodate the needs of the elderly while still appealing to the youthful crowd. The concept of universal design is becoming the mainstream approach for all interiors whether the retailer caters specifically to customers with special needs or not. This changing approach to design impacts material choices, lighting levels, floor plane changes and surface materials. Having an open attitude towards this change, as change is inevitable, allows designers and retailers to create more successful environments that adapt to the coming future, are more enjoyable and therefore more likely to be long lasting.
Technology also brings more of our expertise to the general public.
As corporations strive to spend more wisely, they create a mission for their purchasers to be more knowledgeable of available products and services. The Internet offers itself as a resource for this knowledge and more individuals spend their own research energy on the computer. The technical information found on the computer can be considered valid but it is the experienced design professional that can apply the appropriate findings to the total package of the interior. It begins to water down design to a few simple steps resulting in the increase in sameness and the loss of signature design. Technology has its benefits that certainly outweigh the downside, but with this abundance of information available to the general public it becomes a greater priority for professional designers to educate their clients as to the importance of their expertise.