Shopping as an Experience
Are stores losing relevance due to online retailing? Not necessarily, because those who shop in town also want to touch, try on and test products, be inspired – and: experience something. This is made possible by retailers with innovative concepts. Nuts Factory, Vorwerk and Wacom, for example. VIVID editor Dominik Deden stopped by in person.
Anyone walking past the glazed façade of the KII commercial and office building ensemble, also known as Kö-Bogen II, is likely to stop in front of the Nuts Factory. That’s because of the oversized cog wheels that turn high above the entrance – accompanied by haunting cracking sounds that can already be heard from outside. They are part of the concept that combines “factory” and fantasy worlds: “We have nuts, dried fruits and sweets from all over the world. Many different flavours, scents and colours come together here. That alone has something imaginative, which we want to reinforce with the design of the store”, explains managing director Argyrios Tserlidis, who drew inspiration from visits to Disneyland and other theme parks.
The magical world of the Nuts Factory features nuts, dried fruits and sweets from all over the world.
he first Nuts Factory shop outside Greece, where there have already been shops in Thessaloniki and Athens for a few years, is thematically based on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Willy Wonka, in the story the manufacturer of fancy sweets, laughs from a large screen, a futuristic popcorn machine diligently produces a constant supply. Right next to it, hundreds of fresh almonds fall out of large containers and are roasted on site. The Nuts Factory creates a small fantastical world on around 200 square metres, which, according to store manager Petros Miskos, attracts not only children and fans of sweets, but also nutrition-conscious customers who stock up on energy bars made from nuts and dried fruit.
Perhaps a little less magical, but more like being in your very own four walls – the Vorwerk Store exudes a cosy atmosphere in its location in Flinger Straße near the old town. Its design creates this homely feel deliberately. Vorwerk Stores only opened throughout Germany in recent years. There, customers can extensively test the various products from Thermomix, Kobold and the Temial tea machine in a recreated domestic space with kitchen and living room: “We want people to experience something with us and learn how our products make life easier for them in their own homes”, explains Katja Rick, Visual Merchandising Manager at Vorwerk.
Like being in your own living room: the Vorwerk store in Düsseldorf’s old town.
This works because visitors can use the appliances in the store as if they were in real everyday situations. The Better Mop from Kobold vacuums and mops on different hard floors at the same time. At the “dirt bar”, various attachments can be used to remove dust or sand from surfaces, for example. And an integrated window pane can be cleaned by the Kobold window cleaner. “We combine the real world with the product world and thus create a real brand experience which truly engages visitors. We also notice this in the amount of time people spend in the store”, is how Store Manager Sandra Grazikowske describes the idea behind the new concept, which was realised in the Düsseldorf store almost 1.5 years ago. Part of it is a large kitchenette where the Thermomix takes centre stage. In the future, cooking shows are also planned here with the support of the well-known kitchen appliance. The store concept is continuously being developed in order to be able to react dynamically to new developments and challenges.
“We are sure that these facilities without a classic sales area will be needed in the future in order to create opportunities for brand experiences.”
The new meeting place for creative people in the Media Harbour: the Wacom Experience Center.
From Düsseldorf’s city centre, we head to the Media Harbour. Wacom opened an Experience Centre here a few weeks ago. Wacom is known worldwide primarily as a manufacturer of graphics tablets, which are used for example by creative people in their work. Anyone who wants to acquire a new tablet can try it out extensively at the Wacom Experience Centre, however, not buy it: “In legal terms, the Media Harbour does not offer any retail space. But that’s not a problem for us, because we want to create a real brand experience here and engage with our main target groups, the creative community and drivers of the digital transformation,” explains Stefan Kirmse, Senior Vice President Brand & Corporate Communication Wacom Europe GmbH. The concept: In a cosy atmosphere at the front of the store – there is a bar and lounge – the products can be tested more expansively than at an electronics retailer. In addition, there is plenty of space and state-of-the-art technology for collaboration at the back, for example in the form of workshops with artists and creative people. The centre’s highlight is a cinema, where the Düsseldorf Animated Film Festival 2021 took place at the end of September. A space for podcast productions will also soon be ready.
The Düsseldorf location is modelled on the Wacom Experience Center Portland, which was established several years ago and has become one of the hot spots for the creative scene there. Stefan Kirmse is pleased with the number of visitors after the opening in the Media Harbour, but admits that in Germany the somewhat different experience concept still needs a little time and some persuasion: “We do occasionally observe that some people look in from outside, but then don’t dare to come in. But that will also change. We are sure that these facilities without a classic sales area will be needed in the future in order to create opportunities for brand experiences.”
This should not only appeal to creative people, but also to teachers, among others. Due to the pandemic, digital teaching has developed faster than expected, but there is still a need to catch up. Workshops at the Wacom Experience Center aim to further increase teachers’ awareness of how to use tablets and other hardware. •
Words Dominik Deden
Pictures iStock, Nuts Factory, Vorwerk SE & Co. KG, Wacom Europe GmbH / Michael Marczok