The NRF Convention kicked off Sunday with the DESiGN STUDiO Spotlight panel - The Power of Retail Design, moderated by Jayne O'Donnell from USA Today. The panel featured interviews with experts from industry leading branding and design firms, including Eric Gustavsen, Founding Partner at Graj + Gustavsen.

"Eric provided insight into the challenges presented by "truly building a brand from scratch" and the unique cultural dynamics that played a role in creating the Peter England PEOPLE (PEP) brand, a new vertically branded retail concept catering to India's burgeoning middle class. G + G was retained by Madura garments, a division of Aditya Birla Nuvo, to create a global retail brand, to conceptualize the brand identity, image, store design and positioning of Peter England PEOPLE. "Our goal was to leverage the brand equity of Peter England, a trusted menswear brand in India, building a more modern and fun retail experience catering to the entire family," said Eric Gustavsen.

In his interview, Eric spoke to the unique traits of the Indian consumer versus the U.S., noting that "with over 60% of the population in India under the age of 30, there is an innocence coupled with sophistication. In our focus groups, we found that people have a great love for India, the way that we love our country - they want to be Indian yet are very internationally focused."

Eric also discussed the "core personality of Indian consumers is driven by their family and friends and a desire to be down-to-earth." "What we did was to show them how cool it is to be that way."

G + G also added elements including a photo booth and custom T-shirt and denim bar to "make people feel like they are a part of the experience."

To read more about the Peter England PEOPLE project:

PEOPLE Press Release

PEOPLE on WGSN.com