Author: Sonos
Document Type: Presentation
File Size:
Publication Date: 3 March 2026
From Event: Retail Marketing Conference 2026 on 4 March 2026
As in-store browsing continues to grow as a source of inspiration, the need for emotionally engaging retail experiences has never been greater. This presentation explores the challenge and opportunity of designing seamless in-store experiences when two powerful brands such as Sonos and Currys come together in a live student design brief as part of the POPAI Student Design Awards 2026.
At the heart of the brief lies a fundamental tension: brand-first thinking versus customer-first experience. Both Sonos and Currys bring strong identities, guidelines and commercial priorities. Individually, these frameworks protect brand value, but together they can create friction - competing colour palettes, messaging hierarchies and fixture rules that can lead to safe, compliant executions rather than inspiring and shopper-focused ones. While both brands may be “right,” the customer simply wants a great experience.
The opportunity sits in the overlap. Sonos contributes premium sound, ecosystem thinking and emotional connection to music; Currys contributes expertise, physical retail scale and the ability for shoppers to see, feel and try. Experience design becomes the shared language that unlocks value for both. By turning to students, the brief invites fresh, unburdened thinking - solutions that move beyond fixtures to create cohesive, human-centred experiences where brand boundaries fade and customer needs lead.
Key Takeaways
· Strong brand guidelines can unintentionally limit customer experience.
· The most powerful retail solutions live in the overlap between partners.
· Experience, not compliance, should be the primary design driver.
· Collaborative retail design must feel seamless, not negotiated.
Presented at the POPAI Retail Marketing Conference on 4th March 2026 by Gary Stevens, Senior Manager, Global Retail and Brand Experiences, SONOS.
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