A friend of mine sent me these pictures from his recent vacation to London. I was so amazed that I wanted to jump on the next Concord out to Heathrow…oh right. So, that not being an option, the next best thing was to share them with you.
In terms of customer experience design, those companies that have been most successful in creating a remarkable retail experience are those that have started with a deep understanding of how their customers interact with the brand. And, the retail experience enhances that.
When Apple entered the retail world, I read countless blogs predicting their fast failure in that channel. “What does Apple know about retail?”. If the benchmarks where KMart, Borders & Circuit City, they didn’t know squat. What they did know (and “know” is an understatement) is their brand image and how their customers wanted to interact with the brand. They created a retail experience that delivered on that brand promise. And redefined the retail experience in the process.
There are a lot of companies making single serve coffee machines and “pods”. Nespresso is not one of them. Nespresso is a lifestyle. Nespresso means sitting on your deck overlooking the Pacific as the sun sets; relaxing, relishing the moment. All five senses engaged. The smell of the ocean. The sound of the sea birds and the crashing waves. The taste of the salt air. The sight of the golden sky. The touch of the cool breeze on your skin.
In their new flagship store on Regent Street, I think Nespresso captured that. Don’t you? I can’t wait for this store to come State-side!
(disclaimer: this post is not a paid endorsement of or by Nespresso)
