The Apple store was the first to teach us that front sales were no longer enough in the era where everything is smart and digital. “People must be able to touch, experiment”, says Patricia Urquiola now about the new store that designed for Swarovski in Milan , before a series of openings that mark a new course for the Austrian company in the retail field. It starts from Via Dante , just a few steps away from two other great new products such as Uniqlo and Starbucks, for what is considered a test to be repeated in the coming months in Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Tokyo, for a total of 100 new openings by the end of next year.
The goal is to create experience , involve those who enter and bring them closer to the accessories on sale. The display cases then disappear, in a strong sign of trust, and the exhibition becomes interactive, with drawers and small drawers that invite you to be opened. Screens are multiplying and a “fun wall” is making its debut where you can play with your own image and then share it in real time on social networks . But the real novelty is called Sparkle Bar , a sort of modern budoir that welcomes those who want to sit and try accessories, including mirrors with adjustable lighting and wireless charging stations for their smartphone.
Everything is designed to increase your stay in the store. Thus also interior design focuses on an atmosphere that becomes more welcoming and in a certain sense feminine. “We removed a bit of white and metal, creating a warmer, skin-colored shade , combined with the typical blue of the brand”, adds the Spanish-born designer who designed a space characterized by modularity as well as details, from the exhibitors-jewel on the corner that houses cards and ribbons for gift packages, to be chosen together with the staff. The way of buying changes and the way of selling changes: no more orders but stylists who give advice. For the rest, there is online shopping.
