Retail inspiration: The latest store concepts from around the world

Retailers around the world are striving to improve the shopping experience. While one shop may pamper customers in-store with elements such as a lounge area, another could be looking to empower customers by promoting a 'do-it-yourself' motto through technology.

Several retailers, such as London-based multi-brand LN-CC, are fighting their way out of the coronavirus crisis and focusing on providing unique shopping experiences for their customers. For those looking for inspiration, FashionUnited presents a series of store concepts from around the world that have opened their doors from the second half of 2023 onwards.

Patagonia

Patagonia entered the Netherlands for the first time with the opening of a store on Amsterdam's Singelgracht. While the store looks to combine retail and community networking under one roof, the location itself is also special.

The shop is housed in the former Roxy club, a building that was once important for Amsterdam’s nightlife in the 1990s. Now, it will serve as a space for active social activities and workshops held by Patagonia. In a press release, Nina Hajikhanian, managing director of Patagonia, noted that the new Patagonia shop is "a declaration of love to the Dutch capital".

Hugo Boss

German label Hugo Boss opened ‘Boss House Bali’, a villa on the Indonesian island of Bali that has been transformed into a comprehensive retail experience. The villa, built by German architect Alexis Dornier, is designed to "showcase the Boss lifestyle 24 hours a day", according to a statement. A stay at the villa in Bali can be booked online.

A digital version of the villa can also be viewed on the brand's website and offers customers a new virtual opportunity to buy the fashion group's products. In the virtual ‘Boss House’, visitors can enter the villa and discover and purchase men's and women's collections as well as shoes, accessories and perfumes.

Sunspel

The British luxury brand Sunspel opened a new shop in sunny Los Angeles in the US in March of this year. The store concept is minimalist, with black and white posters plastered across the wall amid beige colours. The interior is dedicated to the US market and is "the ideal setting to showcase our timeless British luxury style", said CEO Raul Verdicchi.

Generation Love

New York-based Generation Love opened its first shop on Madison Avenue in New York City back in March. The store’s interior is inspired by the home of co-founder Roni Hirshberg. The colour palette is soft, with cream-coloured chairs, marble tables and warm lighting creating an inviting atmosphere. The store is located at 804 Madison Avenue, a popular shopping destination in the city where it can act as a hub for Generation Love's local and international customers.

Pearle

Fashion eyewear chain Pearle unveiled its first store that has gone under a redesign process in Den Bosch in the Netherlands. The space has a warm and calm appearance, which it achieves through the use of dark wood, various colour elements and natural materials. Pearle emphasised that Italian design has been implemented into the interior, referring to the combination of the brand’s parent company EssilorLuxottica and "familiar Pearle shop elements".

C&A

Select C&A shops in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, have been given a new "city format", making them more intimate and focused on a specific target group: women. "In these Amsterdam shops, there is more room for personal attention and customised service. Think personal shopping by appointment or personalised offers for our local members," said Stefanie Schneider, market lead for C&A Benelux, in a press release. The concept can be found in the shops on Ferdinand Bolstraat and Kinkerstraat in Amsterdam.

The Fashion Store

Belgian chain retailer The Fashion Store in Veerle is organised according to different "worlds", as the company previously outlined in a release. Among other things, the shop has a suit area, a seating area in the menswear department and a "curve corner" with fashion from its size 42 collections. The interior is decorated in black and white with gold accents.

Burberry

British fashion brand Burberry has opened a new shop in Paris, France, that seemingly reflects the label's new creative vision under the direction of Daniel Lee. The shop consists of two floors and features a number of eye-catching elements, including furniture that looks like sculptures and a mosaic floor.

Decathlon

French sports fashion retailer Decathlon is shifting its presence in pursuit of bringing a “community” together, among other things. This growth is also accompanied by a new look. FashionUnited visited the new shop concept in Paris, where you could hear rousing music amid the characteristic blue colour, refreshed with a slightly darker shade and the colour apple green.

The shop also features new technologies, such as "discovery stations" - service points where customers can place items and all product information is then displayed on a screen. Decathlon plans to roll out the new store concept in more than 1,700 shops worldwide.

LN-CC

For the first time since the pandemic, the LN-CC shop at 18-24 Shacklewell Lane in East London opened its doors to visitors. Together with British set designer Gary Card, the brand’s retail space was designed to house a selection of luxury fashion and streetwear. The multi-brand shop also showcases the work of up-and-coming talent and sustainable innovators. Music, home and lifestyle products are welcome.

"We are not afraid to mix high and low, underground and mainstream, the past and the future of fashion," said Cristian Musardo, CEO of LN-CC. "We want to be a platform for global brands looking for real partners that offer a unique retail environment while acting as a differentiated communication platform for the development, production and distribution of brand and product stories."

On Holding AG

Swiss sporting goods retailer On Holding AG continued its international expansion with the opening of a new shop in Portland, Oregon. The shop has a modular furnishing concept, whereby the furnishings can be easily dismantled, creating a playful look throughout the interior. The space is finished in silver and illuminated with various LED lights on the ceiling.

New Balance

Another pursuing a new direction is that of New Balance, which has set about placing “people” at the centre of its stores, not the product. As such, the brand's new store concept at Westfield Stratford City in London presents products with a story. Through visual storytelling, customers can get in touch with the manufacturers of the products.

"This shop represents a big step forward in the way we think about our retail environment, with a much tighter, more focused collection designed specifically for younger consumers," explained Ian Fitzpatrick, senior director of global brand strategy and Operations at New Balance, in a press release. "The space is not intended to tell all of our stories, but only those that are most relevant to our customer base - a change that reflects our intention to invite new audiences to discover the brand, perhaps for the first time."

Veritas

Womenswear brand Veritas, which has been a household name in Belgium for over 130 years, opened its doors in the Netherlands for the first time in May last year. The Dutch store concept aims to save money, hence its adoption of a ‘do-it-yourself’ mindset.

This is reflected in the shopping baskets available at the entrance, in the collections presented on a table where customers can help themselves and in the well-stocked, adjustable shelves. Three Dutch Veritas shops are located on the Markt in Den Bosch, in the Muntstraat in Maastricht and in the Eindstraat in Breda.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. Translation and edit by: Rachel Douglass.