The urge to create an individualized shopping experience is a major trend around the world and consequently a new generation of independent shops has grown up. Mostly small, they set up against the odds and have to make an effort with their exteriors, interiors and branding to attract customers. Some are a triumph of ingenuity on a low budget, others are as glamorous as their big-name counterparts. The interiors and graphics are created by professional designers or by the owners themselves. This trend is now so widespread that the corporate retailers who sparked the reaction in the first place are getting in on the act, commissioning one-off outlets and short-term guerrilla stores to appeal to a more savvy, funky young clientele. One-Off is the first book to address this important retail trend. It covers food, home and lifestyle, fashion and accessories, random gems and pretenders and guerrilla stores.

Clare Dowdy is a freelance writer and journalist. She writes for Wallpaper*, The Financial Times, and other journals and is the author of Beyond Logos (2003).