Stand out from the crowd, be brave and adventurous by creating something that is new, engaging and gives consumers a reason to visit a store rather than shop online.
Retail experiences will dominate our high streets if more engaging experiences for your consumer prevail- and they will want to come back for more!, whilst appealing to new audiences. We all remember and retain our best experiences, whether it’s a great piece of service or an emotive connection…consider engaging ways to develop your brand for the future.
Consumers are buying into not just a brands products but the brand experience and ‘stand out’ from the crowd. Byredo, Gentle Monster and Mulberry are 3 brands that are definitely doing something different…
Byredo
Byredo’s 5 storey London flagship on the corner of Beak St and Lexington St is the epitome of minimal cool. Refined material palette, elegant detailing and sense of space sets this store apart from the masses. The space feels very much like a gallery rather than a store, giving a sense of calm and escapism as soon as you enter. The staircase beautifully sweeps you up to the second floor where the introduction of quirky animal print sofas add a sense of playfulness to an otherwise sophisticated concept. With the second floor being set aside as a gallery come event space, Byredo are crossing the boundaries of what a traditional retail space used to be. I for one can’t wait to see what offerings the brand has in store in the future…
Gentle Monster
Refreshingly weird and quirky, Gentle Monsters boutique on Argyll St exudes an innovative and imaginative approach to design. This isn’t a store – this is a unique multi-sensory, martial arts extravaganza. The moving installations, large gong sounds and warrior aliens may not be for everyone, but it certainly livens up what has traditionally been a fairly mundane shopping experience of purchasing glasses. From the outset you’re taken on a sensory journey making you want more and more, you can’t help but explore behind every fixture, randomly placed wall and armoured alien. Love this store – not just because of the impeccable detailing and beautiful palette but also for bringing the fun back to London’s retail landscape!
Mulberry
Mulberry has abandoned its minimal past and pushed it boundaries with Faye Toogood’s flagship concept on Regent St. Everywhere you look is a new material, shape, style and form. At first glance it can all be a little confusing and overwhelming, especially compared to the calmness of Byredo, however the deeper into the space you go the more you realise the brilliance of Toogood’s eye. Each element precisely chosen to complement or juxtapose the other. You certainly see the concept of the British landscape at every turn.
Each store stands out with their own identity, personality and visionary outlook on what retail means to them – love them or hate them, they have set themselves apart from the crowd.
Be brave and do something new, do nothing and it definitely won’t open any doors especially the one on the high street or mall.