- Simone Preuss
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The Esprit Holdings Ltd. has introduced its new store concept with a
new store in Beijing that was opened last week. The company wants to put
the customer at the heart of the shopping experience, combining California
cool and a progressive point of view expressed with bold graphics, bright
colors and the Memphis Group style championed by designer Ettore
Sottsass.
The presentation is clean and open, bringing the focus back to the
product. Esprit has recently reduced the number of options in stores by 25
to 30 percent to allow key pieces and product themes to stand out. “These
open areas encourage exploration and give space to create stories around
the collections,” said the brand in a statement on Friday.
One of the main elements of the new store concept is the façade with the
iconic Esprit logo covering the full length of the store. Inside, tiled
backdrops merge together as a visual horizontal line throughout the entire
store radiate calm and support the modern graphic image. Collection
highlights are specially positioned in coloured acrylic panels, which are
placed against the walls.
Another major change is a re-imagined cash desk that has been moved to
the middle of the selling space to maximize the interaction between sales
staff and customers. “This forms a social hub that invites customers to
stay, converse and relax and further experience the Esprit brand,” hopes
the brand.
“Our new store in Beijing is a showcase for the Esprit brand. With
surprising and functional design details, and bright and social spaces, we
think this is a great expression of the spirit of Esprit,” said Anders
Kristiansen, Esprit Group CEO, in the statement.
Elements of the new store concept are now being tested and tried at the
Beijing store and it is planned to selectively roll them out to other
Esprit stores. After several low fiscal years, the company is now focusing
on the Chinese market and its wholesale channel to achieve a turnaround and
profitability. As Kristiansen revealed earlier, Esprit wants to open 220
stores in China by 2023 and 78 in the rest of Asia.
Photos: Esprit
