Learning through play
In 2001, the Early Learning Centre (ELC) appointed 20|20 to develop a new concept for its 230 stores.
Play has always occupied a central position in the ELC’s ethos. The brief given to 20|20 was to create an environment in which ‘play’ could be reinforced and the relationship between ELC and its customers expanded.
The aim was to provide an engaging, informative and interactive experience - a world apart from the traditional toyshop, where children have little opportunity to get a feel for how they work or what they do.
The 20|20 design solution is a first in retail. A store environment dedicated to play in which the centre-floor of the shop is entirely given over to assembled versions of the toys on offer around the perimeter. Parents have the chance to see how their children react to a specific toy before they make a decision about what to buy.
The store opened in October 2001 and proved an immediate winner with both parents and children. The format was rolled-out across the chain during 2002.
