Flexibility is a Smart Store Concept

Flexible retail concepts are springing up in the key fashion cities around the world including Paris, London and Milan. What’s driving this trend?

PARIS, France – To stay relevant, retailers need to evolve, but the question is how? What we are observing in the major fashion hubs is that the next generation of store interiors are being designed with flexibility in mind to sustain the dynamics of newness.

In New York City, when 10 Corso Como arrived this past autumn, it created an open and airy space where a customer can take in an art exhibit while shopping for a gift or purchasing the latest runway looks. The different areas in the store are defined with moveable racks, mannequins and modular furniture, and the whole store can change overnight depending on new products and collaborations.

In Milan, for their 50th anniversary, the Italian contemporary brand Aspesi opened a new flagship not designed as a traditional space: it can be customised with each new collection and feature different artistic installations, such as the one by Lorenzo Vitturi commissioned for the opening.

In Paris, last January, a store with a street vibe called The Next Door opened with a concept that mixes luxury and streetwear for men. The collections can be discovered through 3D projections and on digital walls that shoppers can touch to add items to their shopping cart. Pop-up spaces are used to display guest brands and customers can relax, read magazines and enjoy a snack in the store’s café.

Later this year, Paris will also welcome the Galeries Lafayette department store’s new retail concept on March 28^th. Located on avenue des Champs-Elysées, it will be the largest retail space on the famous Parisian avenue, a new breed mixing lifestyle concept store and event space, offering luxury and designer fashion along with food, books and music. This one-of-a-kind flexible approach to retail is an evolution for Galeries Lafayette, as it will offer neither shop-in-shops nor concessions.

In this retail landscape where retailers need to stay relevant, differentiating themselves through flexible environments is a smart practice. Creating a compelling shopping experience gives a more powerful voice and identity to any brand.

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