‘The store of the future’: Inside Tommy Hilfiger’s Amsterdam store

Tommy Hilfiger, like many fashion brands, is looking to shift its focus to an omnichannel strategy, combining online and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences to best cater to its ever-evolving customers’ needs. With floor-to-ceiling interactive monitors, personalised embroidery stations and even a cafe, it’s safe to say that the US label’s revamped Amsterdam store is a perfect example of this new strategy.

While the official opening of the store is set for 13 December, FashionUnited was invited to take a sneak peek at the store that promises to be ‘the shop of the future’.

Spanning over 300-square-meters, the store - situated on Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat, Amsterdam’s glitzy luxury shopping street - looks to combine Tommy’s proud American heritage with a contemporary and slick twist, with the boasting modern finishes and a bright, airy aesthetic.

Illuminated white lacquered wall panels juxtapose rustic oak flooring. Furnishings rendered in high-gloss white wood, with accents in polished stainless steel, walnut wood and glass.

Screens, glorious screens. The new store is decked out with a selection of ‘Digital Endless Aisles’ - monitors which allow customers to access the brand’s entire online collection. The monitors also allow customers to find different looks as seen on models on Instagram, on billboards or other advertisements and find each item in the look.

“It’s about bridging that gap between online and offline, and making the shopping experience as easy as possible,” said Mark, the shop manager. “People still want to be able to feel the material and see the products in person. That’s always important, so where we can we always want to encourage customers to come into the store.

“For example with suits, we’ll offer an appointment for the customer to come in and try it on. We’ll make sure the dressing room is prepared for them with fitting shoes and a shirt. So for us it’s really about taking that extra step and building on the customer relationship.”

The store features Tommy Hilfiger’s Fall 2018 collection, a tailored section, as well as menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories, and the first TommyXLewis collaborative collection.

The renovated space also features a People’s Place - a social setting for visitors - also featured in its London store - with “digital tables” that allow customers to browse the brand’s online collections over a coffee.

Shoppers can also customise their own clothes at the new TommyXYou embroidery station - a section of the store that allows customers to add a personal touch to their newly-bought items.

Photo credit: Miguel Jimenez