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Preview: Sort by Serendipity

By Daniela Walker 18 : 07 : 2016 Revelation Brands : Libreria : Discovery

Europe – Brands are creating new sorting systems that foster discovery over obvious organisation.

Old taxonomies are being replaced by more emotional methods of categorisation
Sort by Serendipity encourages mind-wandering over products on demand

Dessú, Paris/London

Dessú, Paris/London

Libreria by Second Home, London. Photography by Iwan Baan

Black Rock, London

Retailers can often be set in their ways when it comes to how their products are merchandised. Booksellers organise books by genre and author; bars organise hard liquor by category and provenance.

But some are choosing to thwart consumer expectations by creating new ways of categorising products that encourage discovery and education. Bookstore Libreria in London, for instance, organises its books by themes such as the sky and the sea.

‘This is not about being an on-demand service, and not about serving an instrumental need,’ says Sally Davies, director of Libreria. ‘Instead, this is about providing a space that enables you to get an overview of the intellectual landscape and immerse yourself in the experience of being in the store.’

The Big Picture

For more examples of retailers and brands moving away from prescriptive taxonomy, read our latest microtrend, Sort by Serendipity.

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