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Destination dressing room

By Jonathan Openshaw 22 : 12 : 2016 China : Explorium Retail : Destination Retail

China – Architectural design studio X+Living has created a destination bricks-and-mortar offer for e-commerce brand Tmall.com.

The store combines the convenience of e-commerce browsing with the experience of physical retail
The design is split into four zones that reflect the mood of the brands featured in them

JOOOS Fitting Room by X+Living, China. Photography by Shao Feng

E-commerce may be the major commercial driver for many brands today, but bricks-and-mortar retail is far from disappearing in the digital age. Although online retail is efficient at shifting units, nothing can replace physical stores for brand-building and the consumer experience. It is against this backdrop that brands such as Farfetch have invested in luxury retailer Browns, and Rent The Runway recently opened its first stand-alone store.

This is the same logic behind X+Living's latest retail concept in Hangzhou, China. Featuring the top 100 brands from e-commerce site Tmall.com, the store is described as a ‘dressing room’, reflecting the fact that all brands can be experienced online first. Shoppers can browse the website on interactive digital screens at the entrance, or browse a selection of top brands through four themed zones in-store. Each zone also has a rest area, a make-up area and a selfie area, closing the loop between phsyical and digital retail.

The Big Picture

For more on how retailers are creating bricks-and-mortar experiences that connect consumers with their brand, see our Destination Retail market report, parts one and two.