A similar kind of homogenization has taken hold in retail-earlier this year, Grub Street coined the term “shoppy shops” to describe the small businesses that all look the same and sell the same expensive, trendy brands of consumer packaged goods in every major city.
Writer Kyle Chayka dubbed this design intention “AirSpace” for the Verge in 2016, describing the process of digital platforms making aesthetics globally accessible, resulting in every local artisanal coffee shop appearing like any other of its kind across the country. Chances are you’ve noticed it: Almost every franchise that is still christening new stores now designs them to look like a cross between a New Age-y mobile-order pickup vector and a bare-bones modern apothecary, stripped of everything except neat rows of locked-up merchandise. Walking into your favorite fast-food or fast-casual spot only to find that it has been given a futuristic face-lift has sadly become a common experience.
