There’s a whole lot of design, creativity and development going on in the retail arena against a back drop of business highs and lows, cultural changes and financial chaos. Everything from the introduction of a pop up cinema in Selfridges, The White Company modern concept store and the latest news that House of Fraser are setting up click and collect through Caffe Nero coffee shops. You can’t fault the energy going into energising the High Street experience.
Here’s a snap shot:
PICTURE PERFECT SELFRIDGES
Hot on the heels of their summer ‘design your own Magnum ice cream’ zone, Selfridges have swapped ice cream for popcorn. In early September Selfridges launched the World’s first department store cinema in its iconic Oxford Street store. Teaming with an independent cinema group the cinema will screen classic and contemporary films as well as showing selective new releases in advance of the official launch date. A truly new reason to visit, the cinema is planned to be in situ until Spring 2015.
THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT FOR THE WHITE COMPANY
Norwich is the new home for The White Company’s debut, stunning, modern and revitalised shopping experience. Being dubbed an Apartment store it’s super striking, sleek frontage is brilliant white and provides real retail standout for their product ranges. Hi tech touches include strategically placed small white projectors to throw images and words on key merchandise. It’s a nice touch of new thinking in a town with a solid history.
A CONVENIENT COFFEE WITH HOUSE OF FRASER
Next month HoF customers will be able to pick up cashmeres with their cappuccinos as the retailer links up with Caffe Nero to create a new click and collect, experiential concept store in Cambridge. It’s all happening in the East. The ground floor will look and feel like a Caffe Nero style coffee shop with tablet devices for customers to shop online whilst enjoying a coffee. The first floor will be a HoF front of house with till points for customer collections, product displays, fitting rooms, terminals to buy and mannequins with beacon technology to personalise the customer experience further. It might be a time saver for some but is just as likely to be a meeting place too.
So how do retailers ensure these concepts stick and how much customer research has been undertaken to sense check that these ideas match with real customer demand? Time will tell. The exciting thing is that the High Street is re-energising…..
Get in touch, for some fresh ideas to invigorate your business.
Research: taken from Retail Week, press and Selfridges store
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