Adidas’ new flagship store in London is a prime example of integrating the digital and physical experience in retail.
The 269,000 SF space spans across four floors, filled with the latest in digital innovations and adidas products. The store is described as the “HQ on the high street” because of its London-focused visuals throughout. Right as shoppers walk in, they are greeted with semi-transparent screens and a digital chandelier installation. Fitting rooms feature London athletes, and artwork fills each level from local artists and designers.
The space is designed to tell a story, filled with design elements and digital touchpoints to guide consumers through the store, test products and find the latest releases. The adidas app is used to help consumers enable real-time updates, such as booking appointments or requesting certain items.
The store’s fitting rooms use RFID mirror technology that detects exactly what shoppers are trying on and allows them to ask for additional sizes. An illuminated “Hype Wall’ is also displayed in the store, which features upcoming releases and limited-drop products. Consumers can scan QR codes for the item’s drop dates and add it directly to their calendars.
“When we conceptualized digital experiences, we looked at a multilayered approach, from inspirational installations to storytelling to convenience, integrated in a purposeful way,” said Victoria Schneyer, Director Retail Concepts at adidas.
For adidas, the blending of digital and physical has become a native feature in their brick-and-mortar footprint.
Lifestyle gaming brand, Razer has also hopped on the trend, opening a flagship in London. The space immerses customers in a digital-focused atmospheric environment, featuring a chroma-change lighting set-up against a dramatic black background with concrete textures and colors.
Razer’s 3,700 SF store spans across two floors and houses a wide range of Razer products in dedicated zones, such as headphones, keyboards and complete gaming systems. The main floor has an extensive gaming area, with wall-mounted screens to allow consumers to experience epic gameplay moments and live streams. There’s also a e-sports mini-arena in the basement level, geared to drive community-centric events and talks.
The London flagship is described as “a brutalist architectural monolith that has been injected with some 21st-century gaming energy to create a tribal experience destination.” It’s safe to say Razer provides the ultimate shopping experience for gamers.
Adidas and Razer are just two of the many retailers who have embraced the blending of physical and digital, enhancing their omnichannel presence for consumers. Consumers today are looking for technology to be at the forefront of their shopping experience, providing convenient options, while also crafting unique mixed-use approaches to drive a sense of community. It takes a lot of finetuning for retailers to provide the best of both worlds, but it’s certainly possible.
Source: Adidas Blends Digital & Physical – Design Retail, Game On – Design Retail
Photo Credit: Adidas Blends Digital & Physical – Design Retail
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About Adidas
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry with the core brands adidas and Reebok. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs 57,000 people across the globe and generated sales of around €22 billion in 2018.
About Razer
Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers.
The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.
Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops.
Razer’s software platform, with over 80 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher).
