Congratulations to the winners of INSTORE’s 2022 America’s Coolest Stores Contest!

Our six America’s Coolest and additional 10 Cool Stores — each of which will be featured in INSTORE issues through summer 2023 — represent the best in creativity and individuality.

A few interior design highlights that really stand out in this year’s six: Richter & Phillips Jewelers created a speakeasy-style lounge in an old bank vault in the basement. Just Desi’s pleated casework was inspired by wedding gowns. M.S. Rau made structural posts look like they were meant to be there all along. Pistachios has a gallery wall for exhibitions. Adornment + Theory has a library nook. Every detail of Fiat Lux is as an ode to joyful maximalism.

But the award covers much more than interior design.

Each year, judges with expertise in store design, retail operations, visual merchandising, marketing and branding evaluate stores in multiple categories: back story, interior, exterior, marketing, online presence, and what we here at INSTORE believe is the key to cool — individuality. As in past years, we divided the entries into two categories — Big Cool (six or more full-time employees) and Small Cool (five or fewer).

If you haven’t taken the time to enter yet, please consider it in January 2023. Retailers have told us that the entry process alone can be inspiring and motivating because it requires them to assess all aspects of their businesses. And if you entered and weren’t chosen this time, feel free to update your entry and try again.

Many thanks to all who took the time to enter this year.