Retail Settings - Burberry Flagship Stores

Within Fashion Marketing, the retail setting is perhaps the most powerful communication tool. Since fashion products are discretionary purchases, brands must go to great lengths to provide an enjoyable shopping experience, encourage the consumer to purchase and visit again.

In traditional stores, visual merchandising promotes the ‘image’ of a brand through carefully planned spaces and presentation of products. Retail spaces are often arranged to encourage customers to travel in certain directions. Furthermore, POS materials and in-store communication encourage consumers to notice or interact with the products. These elements are particularly useful in luring customers into buying additional products they didn’t know they wanted before they walked into the store.

Flagship stores, however, are the ultimate way to tell the story of a fashion brand. They’re often placed in London or tourist 'hotspots'. Since expense is no object, the retail space becomes a place where brand credentials can be illustrated down to every lavish detail.

The New York Burberry flagship, unveiled in Winter 2002 on 57^th Street, is a particular store that offers the consumer a ‘Brandscape’. Here, the consumer can gain a panoramic view of what the brand has to offer, spread over 24, 000 square feet and six separate floors.

The outer-building features a pattern made from marble stone and brown burnished metal, referencing the classic Burberry plaid. The warm colours represent traditional English materials such as oak and tan leather, distinctive in contrast to the many silver-coloured modernist buildings of New York.  Before entering the interior there is a ‘tunnel’ which offers a transition between American exterior and British interior.

Inside, the focal point of the interior is a grand staircase – a reinterpretation of those found in English country houses. A new and fresh heritage is tied into a traditional English décor of wood, polished metal tactile fabrics – each floor unique in its interpretation of British culture.

The large space is more an accommodating for Burberry to showcase their Prorsum and London collections. The selection represents the comprehensive range for men, women and children as well as accessories and fragrances.

The first floor presents ‘The Art of the Trench’ - an ‘Outerwear’ room which celebrates Burberrys iconic trench coat. Here, the consumer can have coats made-to-measure or repaired, all accommodated by the finest attentive service. Another floor includes an English Tea-room, which encapsulates British way-of-life. Upstairs, a penthouse includes a bar, game stations and a tailoring floor– a space for men to relax (or wait while their partners are shopping).

The store, at the time, was regarded as a significant milestone in Burberry’s growth strategy. However, in 2012, Burberry introduced a World Live flagship in London – a 44,000 square foot space beyond the innovative, which seamlessly merges the physical store and Burberry online.

121 Regent Street is a digitally enabled cultural space. Here, customers can not only celebrate British design and craftsmanship, but also truly immerse into the brand through multimedia content. On-screen technology uses radio-frequency identification that picks up products carrying microchips. This means that while shopping, customers are able to see additional information on their chosen product; from craftsmanship to catwalk looks.  To develop world-class service and encourage brand loyalty, sales assistants carry iPads to recover purchase history and customer preferences. In-store, a weekly program presents a showcase of music, theatre and art – allowing the visitor to become more involved in the Burberry lifestyle than ever before.

Take a look at the video below:

This futuristic flagship leads me to wonder, what does the future hold for luxury stores? How will luxury brands continue to re-invent their retail spaces, to stay ahead of the competition and appeal to their markets desires? One thing is for certain - competitors will have a tough lead to follow!

SOURCES & LINKS: 

Burberry NY Flagship:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/burberry-opens-flagship-store-in-new-york-57th-street-76542067.html

Burberry New York Flagship image:

http://www.stonepanels.com/images/Burberry-New-York-NY-limestone-04.jpg

London Flagship:

http://pursuitist.com/inside-burberrys-london-flagship-store/