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Former GRID2 President Martin Roberts Founds New Retail Store Design Firm

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Retail design veteran Martin Roberts, founder of New York City based GRID2, has opened a virtual office at MRobertsDesign.com, providing retail design and creative services to the home furnishings industry.
 
Roberts opened GRID2 in 1991, employing an award-winning staff of brand strategists, retail planners, art directors, graphics and web designers. The firm was last located in the Union Square area of Manhattan. With partners Aka Ma and Betty Chow, GRID2 serviced multiple retail channels, including fashion apparel, drug and convenience stores, insurance services and more. High profile clients included Barnes & Noble, Borders, Cartier and TUMI.
 
Roberts, who has specialized in the home furnishings segment and completed retail, showroom and branding projects with industry leaders such as Haverty’s, Thomasville, American Leather and Weekends Only, will apply his expertise in this latest venture with a virtual staff of former GRID2 employees.
 
“The home industries have always been a focus in my work and reflect a true interest of mine, along with many years of experience,” says Roberts, who began his career with British based Conran Shop and whose own furniture designs are sold nationwide and through niche retailer Design Within Reach. “With many of our staff already working from alternate locations, the decision to work virtually makes sense for the times.”
 
Offline, a 1300 square foot office featuring multiple work stations can accommodate on-site collaboration with staff.
 
Roberts’ current projects include a second retail location for Discovery Furniture, headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, featuring a 35,000 square foot three-store format. Designs for two mixed-use retail concepts on the island of Barbados are underway, a result of Roberts’ work with the lifestyle retailer Dwellings, also located there. Additionally, a two-level, 75,000 square foot warehouse styled furniture store in Denver, Colorado will require renovation of a former Home Depot Home Expo, the building’s former occupant. The new WOW! store will feature a DIY resource center for consumers and is expected to compete with a neighboring IKEA when it opens later this year.
 
For additional information, http://mrobertsdesign.com/intro1.html