This is not a store. This is a home. In London Sonia Rykiel welcomes you in a red-painted Parisian salon, one that you may have dreamt of but never had a chance to visit before. Everything in this boutique recreates a very special atmosphere, one that belongs to the DNA of the Rykiel brand. Sonia stands for France; Rykiel conveys a certain image that customers want to attach to themselves.
Rykiel is not a passe-partout brand. It’s a very expressive brand that you wear to tell something. This difference is echied in the very color of the store; why would paint a store in red if not to vividly stand out ?
Also interesting are the books on the shelves. Any other store would have put fake books; why bother. It’s only decoration, isn’t it ? Not here. The books are part of the Rykiel brand image. Therefore all the books are real, all written in French and all from famous French authors that remind us of the French literature legacy.
Isn’t it fascinating how much you can tell of a brand by just looking at a a retail store design ? Let’s admit it however. Not all brands are so refined in their marketing as Sonia Rykiel. But keep in mind that most details can’t really be understood at first sight; yet they will unconsciously be taken into consideration by customers and visitors alike. That’s the beauty of marketing. You build an image and reinforce it through details in all your touchpoints.
Have you ever thought of how your brand image is reflected in all your touch points ? That’s part of the customer experience. If you’d like to think abut it more deeply, just drop us a note. We’ll be happy to help and will first look at your customer journey before advising you on store design, packaging and service quality.
Tags: customer experience, differentiation strategy, retail