Real Goods Retail Store

PRAIRIE FISH designed “the greenest retail store in America”—a Real Goods retail facility in Los Gatos, California.

Real Goods—a California cataloger, e-tailer, and retailer of products that encourage the use of renewable energy and solar power—wanted their chain of retail stores to be a tangible, physical example of sustainable living principles, communicate their corporate mission, and promote and inspire an environmentally healthy and sustainable future.

Real Goods wanted to expand their brand beyond their traditional “solar tech” consumer to a customer base that is concerned about social and environmental issues. They wanted to provide a merchandising environment that was consistent with the products they were selling, and a venue for customers to communicate with other members of this growing environmentally aware community. And, most of all, they did not want a retail environment that looked “recycled.”

Because this Real Goods store doesn’t look recycled, it serves as an example to customers and other retailers that environmentally benign materials can be used in interior design and fixturing, with no detrimental effect to the desired aesthetic, while at the same time promoting a new, sustainable way of living.

PRAIRIE FISH considered the environmental impact in every aspect of this store, and designed it using more green materials than had ever been utilized in a retail space before. This resulted in a beautiful and effective retail environment.

This Real Goods store promotes sustainable living, both through the products they sell and the customer information they provide. Throughout the store, there are educational displays that describe the “green” materials that were used in the store’s construction. The store helps turn the act of shopping into a learning activity which helps customers gain an emerging knowledge of sustainable lifestyles. It gives customers a way to reinforce their environmental awareness and their commitment to helping heal the Earth.