Nike's House of Innovation, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris combines stunning merchandising
with immersive, unique experiences and ties it all together using the latest digital technologies.
Five great concept stores that show the future of retail
Concept stores, brand experiences and marketing pop-ups are the future of retail, not floor-to-ceiling merchandise. Here Nick Wraith selects five creative outlets that show us how life on the high street can look after the pandemic.
Concept stores are the future of bricks and mortar retail. Of course, retail professionals and industry commentators have been predicting this for years but the popularity of the concept store has gained even more momentum in recent months and they look set to be physical retail's saving grace once it is safe for shops to re-open.
Why? Because they can offer something that the high street's biggest nemesis (e-commerce) simply cannot: sensory experiences.
Concept stores enable brands to interact with their customers on a personal, emotional level and allow shoppers to test products for themselves before making a purchase.
They’re about discovery, experience and lifestyle rather than product.
But there are attributes and features of certain concept stores which make them stand out from the crowd.
All the best examples have a clearly defined theme, offer products that relate in some way to this concept and target a specific target market that will find the result inspirational.
Ultimately, the success of a concept store depends on how well a brand's visual merchandisers and interior designers can communicate the message to their audience using carefully-selected equipment and technologies.
Which retailers have executed this to the greatest effect? Here are the top five concept stores in the world right now…
By Nick Wraith
8 March 2021
Nike House of Innovation, Paris
Located on the Champs-Élysées in the heart of Paris, this is the third House of Innovation from Nike. It combines stunning merchandising with immersive, unique experiences and ties it all together using the latest digital technologies.
From floor to ceiling, this store is powered by renewable energy and uses sustainable materials throughout...both of which are features that
demonstrate Nike's commitment to eliminating its carbon footprint and
appeal to the ever-growing number of environmentally-conscious consumers.
Nike has used modular aluminium frameworks to create defined zones within the 2,200 square metre space for product-specific experience stations.
This allows its store assistants to offer meaningful, personalised interactions with shoppers and guide them into becoming repeat customers.
Asda Sustainability Store, Leeds, UK
Reducing, reusing and recycling is one of the hottest topics among consumers. Everywhere we turn, we’re expecting brands to demonstrate their commitment to reducing their impact on the environment and make it easier for us to do the same.
So, in opening a supermarket that is dedicated to sustainability, Asda has ticked a lot of boxes. It estimates that initiatives such as this store will be able
to save over 1 million pieces of plastic per year...all without raising prices for its customers.
This green concept doesn't end with groceries. The store offers a range of sustainable Asda George fashion lines and has partnered with brands such as Kellogg’s and Unilever to offer refill stations that enable shoppers to re-use their own containers for items such as cereals, detergent and beauty creams.
H&M Looop, Stockholm, Sweden
This is another green initiative from the global fashion retailer, H&M. It features the world's first in-store recycling system which turns old, unwanted garments into brand-new ones right in front of shoppers.
The Looop system knits new, one-of-a-kind garments from the fibres of shredded items brought into the store by customers. Impressive, especially considering H&M members can experience this tech for only 10 Euros.
KitKat Chocolatory, Sydney, Australia
Have a break, have a KitKat. We all know the slogan. But now, the experience of eating a KitKat has been taken to a whole new level in Sydney with the opening of a chocolate lab concept. In the ‘chocolatory’, customers are invited to design a custom KitKat from up to 30,000 possible flavour combinations.
The concept is built around the craftsmanship of KitKat and, by including hospitality dining, makes the experience longer and richer. Designed by Sydney-based McCartney Design, the chocolatory has been so popular that KitKat has had to introduce a timed ticketing system to manage footfall.
Box by Posti, Helsinki, Finland
Finland's national postal service, Posti, has launched a delivery and collection system to make the click-and-collect process sleeker than ever before.
Welcome to 'Box' – a fusion of e-commerce and physical retail. As well as giving shoppers the space to try on their purchases and providing facilities
facilities for repackaging unwanted items, Box incorporates areas for up-and-coming direct-to-consumer brands to sell their products. Royal Mail could definitely take a leaf or two out of Posti's book
So, what should we be taking away from these concept stores? It's these direct, sensory experiences that are the Achilles' heel of online shopping. Concept stores will be at the forefront of physical retail in the years to come as they’re best equipped to capitalise on this weakness.
As we come out of a global lockdown and shops are allowed to reopen their doors, customers will be craving face-to-face interactions with their favourite brands. Retailers who recognise this will be ones to thrive.
- Nick Wraith is managing director of Unibox, a Manchester-based supplier of lighting, light boxes and modular systems to retailers including Primark, Superdry, River Island, Clarks, Shuh, Kurt Gieger and Adidas.
- Be the first to get a Build Back Better Award! Lighting category now open.
