position here to capture that,” said Morin. Part of The Strand’s $60 million redevelopment, Concrete Lines neighbours the likes of Quicksilver’s new retail concept, Boardriders, and sells a range of skateboards, longboards, clothing, shoes, and accessories. The store design aligns with the edgy nature of skateboarding, with Morin telling Inside Retail PREMIUM the idea was to retain the warmth and boutique feeling of the old Tweed Heads store, but with a modern, industrial feel. “We wanted people to feel drawn to the shop. Modern and clean designs can often feel cold, whereas skateboarding is all about fun, freedom, and diversity. We wanted to make sure everybody from all ages would feel welcome,” she said. The store features a timber fitout with glass walls and a mural which wraps around the store’s street frontage and into the building. “Our designer, Aspect Architecture, came up with the idea of continuing the outside mural into the shop. The inside part of the mural is black and white in order to create a contrast with the colourful skateboard decks beside it. It is also as an homage to pro skater, Jay Adams, who recently passed away,” said Morin. The mural features a quote from the late Adams: ‘You don’t quit skating because you get old, you get old because you quit skating’. “The mural, the industrial design, the recycled timber, all those aspects contribute into creating an emotion.” Colourful skate decks are housed in custom built timber racks, and shoes are displayed in the store window from fishing line strung on industrial strength poles. “We wanted to showcase the shoes in the mall windows without obstructing the view into the shop. Being a specialised skate shop, we understand people who don’t skate might automatically omit our shop. By displaying the shoes in the windows, people can realise we’re not just about skateboarding.” This story first appeared in Inside Retail PREMIUM issue 2042. To subscribe, click here.