What 5 Star Plus Retail Design does

5 Star Plus Retail Design GmbH is a privately held, Vienna-headquartered commercial interior architecture and retail design firm founded in 2012. The company delivers branded design and architecture solutions to international retail brands, hospitality and restaurant groups, exhibition/event organizers, and government trade organizations. Its service portfolio spans ten integrated offerings—Store Design, Restaurant Design, Office Design, Store Identity Design, Exhibition Stand Design, Event Design, Pop-up Store Design, Graphic Design, Virtual Retail Experience Design, and Marketing—delivered from concept development through technical design, production monitoring, and construction supervision.

The firm maintains wholly owned operating subsidiaries in Beijing and Hong Kong, regional operations in Shanghai, and a partner office in Riyadh, with demonstrated project reach across six continents (Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, North America, Latin America, Africa—specifically including Australia, Seychelles, and Mauritius alongside named engagements in China, Germany, the UK, France, Switzerland, the US, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia). A multidisciplinary team of approximately 20 named professionals—architects, designers, marketing specialists, and retail consultants—supports cross-market retail localization between Europe and Asia, with multilingual capability in English, Chinese, Spanish, German, Russian, and Persian. Differentiated design methodologies include two-suite story-driven customer journey design, visual display and merchandising strategy, and integrated country-branding approaches that combine exhibition, store, event, graphic, and retail design disciplines.

5 Star Plus operates as a B2B professional services firm on a quote-based, multi-year project engagement model with pricing tied to scope, complexity, and geography. Revenue is generated entirely through project-based professional service fees (no product or recurring-license stream). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, augmented by thought-leadership content (monthly newsletter via kit.com, blog, podcasts including "The Future of Retailing"), social channels (LinkedIn, WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest), and active industry-event participation such as EuroShop Düsseldorf 2026 and Retailization Day Salzburg 2026. Marquee client engagements include pop-up showroom design for Begg x Co at China Fashion Week, the House of UK flagship event in Shanghai for the UK Department for Business and Trade (hosting 400–500 distinguished guests including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer), restaurant design for Hu Restaurant Group, and office design for Melchers China.

Name

5 Star Plus Retail Design

Legal name

5 Star Plus Retail Design GmbH

Website

https://5starplusdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

5 Star Plus Retail Design is a Vienna-headquartered commercial interior architecture firm founded in 2012 that delivers store, restaurant, exhibition, event, pop-up, and country-branding design services to international luxury retail brands, hospitality groups, and government trade organizations across Europe, China, the Middle East, and select global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Interior Architecture & Retail Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131), Graphic Design Services (541430)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Retail interior design
• Commercial architecture services
• Store design consultancy
• Exhibition stand design
• Brand experience design

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design Services: Comprehensive design services for retail stores, restaurants, franchise chains, pop-up stores, exhibition stands, country pavilions, events, and branded environments. Revenue generated through project-based professional service engagements including concept design, design development, technical design, and production monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

5 Star Plus Retail Design is a B2B professional design firm that provides commercial interior architecture and retail design services for international brands. Its offerings include store design, restaurant design, office design, store identity design, exhibition stand design, event design, pop-up store design, graphic design, virtual retail experience design, and retail marketing. The firm delivers projects end-to-end from concept and strategy through technical design, production monitoring, and construction supervision across Europe, China, Asia, the Middle East, and other global markets.

Product overview

5 Star Plus Retail Design operates as a full-service retail design agency offering a unified portfolio of commercial interior architecture and design services. The company provides Store Design, Restaurant Design, Office Design, Store Identity Design, Exhibition Stand Design, Event Design, Pop-up Store Design, Graphic Design, Virtual Retail Experience Design, and Marketing services as integrated offerings. These services work together as a comprehensive solution for brands seeking branded retail environments, from initial concept through execution, across global markets in Europe, China, Asia, Australia, the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Store Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful delivery of flagship country branding event (House of UK) in Shanghai hosting 400-500 distinguished guests including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Melchers ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for delivering retail design and office design projects in China. Melchers China is a long-standing partner for various design projects including office design in Beijing.
• Department for Business and Trade (UK)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for UK national branding initiatives including House of UK flagship event in Shanghai, exhibition stand designs across multiple Chinese cities (Hainan, Hangzhou, Chengdu), and trade promotion events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sheridan&Co: UK retail and brand experience design agency delivering store design, visual merchandising, and pop-up concepts for global retail and lifestyle brands. Comparable size and client mix to 5 Star Plus.
• RDAI: Paris-based retail architecture and design firm focused on luxury, fashion, and premium retail concepts. Highly comparable niche positioning serving European luxury brands expanding internationally.
• Shook Kelley: US retail and brand environment design firm specializing in customer experience strategy, store design, and branded environments for global retailers and restaurants.
• HMKM: London-based retail design agency focused on store design, visual merchandising, and brand experience for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle retailers. Similar boutique scale and client profile.
• Design International: London-headquartered retail architecture and design firm specializing in luxury, fashion, and hospitality environments globally. Closest like-for-like peer given shared focus on premium retail store design for international brands.

Broad incumbents

• GHD | FITCH: Global brand experience and retail design firm with deep luxury and FMCG retail credentials. Competes for the same flagship store, visual identity, and in-store experience briefs as 5 Star Plus.
• CallisonRTKL (Arcadis): Now part of Arcadis, CallisonRTKL is a global architecture practice with a substantial retail and brand experience group serving luxury and lifestyle clients worldwide.
• Landor & Fitch: WPP-owned branding and retail experience firm combining brand strategy, identity, and spatial design. Adjacent competitor for integrated brand-and-retail engagements with luxury and lifestyle clients.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a sizable retail practice serving many of the same luxury and premium brands. Competes for flagship store and brand environment commissions but operates at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency with strong event, exhibition, and experiential retail credentials. Overlaps with 5 Star Plus's exhibition, event, and pop-up design practices, particularly for flagship brand activations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/5starplusretaildesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5-star-plus-retail-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/5starplusretaildesign
• Pinterestpinterest.com/5starplusdesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 5 Star Plus Retail Design