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New HEYDUDE Retail Concept Designed By Briggs Hillier
Launch: 2025
Location: Global Rollout
Scope: Discovery, Strategy, Concept Creation, Rollout Partner
Tags: Marketplace & Competitors, Customer Types & Behaviours, Design Objectives, Product Assortment, Layouts & Zoning, Customer Missions, Creative Direction, Initial Concepts, Developed Design, Design Refinement, Design Application, Toolkits & Guidelines
Following the success of our global retail concept for Crocs – now one of the most recognised footwear brands in the world – we have now created an evolving design blueprint for its sister brand, HEYDUDE™.
Known for its laid-back, crafted footwear, HEYDUDE recently rebranded to connect with new audiences worldwide. We are translating this sharper identity into a retail concept that defines the brand’s new global position – consistent across markets, yet adaptable to local needs.
The result is a commercially effective design blueprint, built to flex, built to scale, built to evolve as HEYDUDE continues to define its presence in physical retail to reach new audiences worldwide.
THE BRIEF
Representing more than a footwear brand, HEYDUDE is a lifestyle. Warm, inviting, light-hearted and fun. The new global concept needs to embody the soul of the brand while simultaneously delivering an experience that drives commercial performance.
To resonate globally, the blueprint spans two distinct store formats, each tailored to local shopping preferences. The first, a service-led model focused on curated displays, larger stock rooms, and hero product presentation. The second, a self-served model built for efficiency – high-density boxed product available directly on the shop floor, designed for quick trial and quick purchase.
Our role was to deliver a single, consistent brand experience across both formats. Easy to navigate. Easy to merchandise. Easy to shop. Scalable, robust, and ready for global rollout. Above all, an environment that creates a memorable journey for every HEYDUDE customer, wherever they are in the world.
DISCOVERY
We drew on multiple streams of research to ensure our strategy was firmly anchored in insight. Market reviews, operational analysis, customer journey mapping, and category need assessments were combined with a deep exploration of retail and lifestyle trends. To complement this, stakeholder interviews uncovered internal perspectives, brand ambitions, and long-term growth plans.
These insights shaped a design strategy that balances HEYDUDE’s laid-back personality with commercial performance and global scalability.
STRATEGY
Each format was designed with purpose and precision. Served stores emphasise service, hero products, and a broader SKU range, while self-served stores prioritise efficiency, high-density stock, and clear categorisation. Both integrate launch areas and seasonal campaigns seamlessly, ensuring the brand remains fresh and relevant at every visit.
Core component principles were defined around categories, product styles, and SKUs, with zoning and layouts crafted to guide the customer journey from entry to try-on to purchase. Every touchpoint was considered, each one designed to reinforce consistency and ease.
CONCEPT CREATION
This evolving concept draws directly from the HEYDUDE brand world, translating its laid-back, crafted spirit into a retail environment that feels both grounded and fresh. A palette of warm-toned grey, light pine, concrete finishes, and ocean blue accents flows across fixtures, furnishings, signage, and props.
Every detail is designed to express the personality of the brand. Stitched category signage, crafted ornaments displayed alongside new product drops, and playful in-store communications reference the craftsmanship behind HEYDUDE footwear, while creating a tactile, welcoming environment that invites exploration and discovery.
Functionality underpins the design. Fixtures are modular and adaptable – from stackable plinths and adjustable shelving to flexible display walls – supporting everything from seasonal stories to new product launches and varied SKU formats. Soft furnishings, including pouffes and upholstered seating, add a human-scale warmth that persuades a moment of pause.
In self-served stores, the concept prioritises efficiency and ease of navigation, allowing customers to access and try products directly on the floor. In served stores, the emphasis shifts to storytelling and hero product presentation, delivering a premium service-led experience without compromising operational effectiveness.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The first iteration of HEYDUDE’s retail concept launched in the United States earlier this year in Wrentham, Massachusetts, and Orlando, Florida.
The concept has continued to roll out globally, updated to reflect HEYDUDE’s rebrand, most recently opening at Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi – the first HEYDUDE store to open in the region. The store demonstrates scalability and impact, bringing HEYDUDE to life in a space that balances commercial effectiveness with brand expression.
Expect to see new expressions of HEYDUDE, rooted in its crafted, laid-back identity, as the brand continues to refine its presence across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond.
Having now delivered on this exciting project, we’re looking for our next challenge. If you’ve got a project in mind, please get in touch.
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