AXIS Celebrates 15 Years of Retail Display Innovation
A Milestone of Experience, Partnership, and Growth in Store Design and Point‑of‑Purchase Displays
How We Got Here: A Belief That Retail Could Be Better
When AXIS was founded in 2010, retail looked very different. Smartphones were still evolving. Omnichannel was a buzzword. Most programs were seasonal resets and static fixture sets. Retail environments were functional but uninspired. The store was often seen as the last stop in the brand journey, not the first moment of emotional connection.
But even then, we knew there was more to it.
We saw an opportunity to connect the dots between design and delivery. Between beauty and practicality. Between what brands wanted their customers to feel and what was actually showing up in stores. We knew there had to be a better way to serve brands. A better way to create meaningful, measurable, scalable retail experiences that don’t just “look good,” but perform, connect, and elevate the customer experience.
That belief became our business and we launched the world’s first Displagency™ (read more on that here).
“We built AXIS to challenge the idea that you have to choose between creativity and execution. We believe you can have both. That you should have both. And that belief has carried us through every project and each relationship over the years.”
The State of Retail in 2025
Retail today is more dynamic than ever. It’s part showroom, part brand theater, part logistics engine. It's digital and physical. Personalized and predictive. Experiential and transactional. It's a proving ground for brands to live out their values and a place where shoppers expect consistency, immediacy, and authenticity.
And while the industry has evolved, our purpose hasn't changed: Ask better questions, build better retail.
We’ve been invited into the rooms where real decisions are made. We’ve helped launch, reimagine, and expand retail ecosystems throughout the world - from flagships, dealer programs, and national rollouts to pop-ups, shop-in-shops, and exciting test store concepts. We've made displays smarter, brands bolder, and brick-and-mortar more human. View our work.
But we didn’t land here by accident. We got here by paying attention.
What’s Changed in Retail Since 2010
Speed to market matters more than ever.
Brands need solutions that launch quickly, scale smartly, and stay consistent. That’s made possible by proactive retail partners who can keep up without cutting corners.
The store is a hybrid space.
Physical retail is a stage for storytelling, a space for education, and a tool for loyalty. It must engage, immerse, and reflect the values of the brand inside it – while making the actual transaction process insanely easy. With thousands of options at their fingertips (i.e., mobile), stores have to strike the right balance between connecting to the online experience and delivering enough value to stand on their own. The experience must be integrated, but also independently worth the visit.
Data drives design.
Design isn’t just about how it looks. It’s about how it works. Increasingly, design decisions are informed by performance data, predictive analytics, and shopper behavior to create displays that engage, convert, and endure.
Sustainability is no longer optional.
From materials to manufacturing to delivery, a sustainable mindset must be integrated at every stage. Read more about our sustainability commitment.
Retail workers are brand advocates.
Programs must work not just for customers, but for the people on the floor making the sale. We design for them just as much as the end-user. See an example.
Looking Ahead - The Retail of the Future
Looking ahead, retail won’t get simpler. It will get smarter. More connected. More fluid. It will demand more integrated systems, more flexible thinking, and deeper design empathy. Here's where we’re investing now to stay relevant over the next 15 years:
AI-enabled teams, not AI-replaced ones
Automation is accelerating, but it doesn’t erase the need for human connection. As retail technology advances through real-time merchandising insights, predictive inventory, and localized decision-making, design becomes even more critical. Displays will need to be adaptable, educational, and intuitive for both shoppers and staff. Strategy and in-store execution must work together. The future belongs to retailers who know how to integrate intelligence without losing touch.
Quicker mass customization at scale
Flexible fixture kits that allow personalization by region, space, or shopper profile - at the speed of the next online trend.
Scalable, retail-ready systems
What works in one store should work in 50. Design with rollout, logistics, and training in mind.
More meaningful metrics
Performance isn’t just what’s sold. It’s what sparked. We’re helping brands measure dwell time, interaction, and brand lift (across channels) to understand how physical spaces drive emotional connection.
Greater retail equity
We’re designing environments that are intuitive, inclusive, and accessible by default, with a focus on experience-led design to educate, convert, and create moments of connection that people actually find useful.
Systematized sustainability
We prioritize low-impact materials, reconfigurable components, and smart supply chain decisions, without compromising on brand expression or performance.
The Constant? Our People.
The heart of AXIS isn’t a product. It’s the people.
Designers who think like strategists. Engineers who speak human. Project managers who lose sleep over someone else’s deadline. Fabricators who obsess over the details no one will ever see. Leaders who don’t just say yes, but ask why.
We’re still a small team by design. We stay hands-on. We stay agile. We stay affordable.
You’re not going to catch us in a big-city office sheltered by glass walls. Retail is in too great a state of flux for us to be anywhere but on the ground with our partners. Staying close to the work has earned us relationships we’re proud of.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve been honored to serve as:
Retail Design Agency of Record - FedEx Office
Store Design Agency of Record - Black Diamond Equipment
Key Retail Partner - Trek Bicycle, Hypertherm
Preferred Retail Vendor - View complete client list
“15 years later, I still believe the most valuable thing we offer is our perspective. We don’t just make displays. We help our partners make decisions that shape how people experience their brand in the world. That’s not a small thing. And we don’t take it lightly.”