The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a place I visit at least twice a month. I have thus passed this Longchamp location hundreds of times, yet it hardly stood out before.
But oh my, has this changed!
Take a look at the attached photos for the result of their most recent renovation.
Wouldn’t you agree it’s simply stunning?
Two treatments stand out for me:
- How the space has been opened up, offering a complete view on the full extent of the store including its mezzanine. This visibility on the entire store from the outside is nothing less than enticing!
- The use of that bright green color. Longchamp is not the first, or only, retailer to use a strong hue to stand out and distinguish itself. Hermès is a master at using its distinctive orange to create striking physical retail experiences. And recently we’ve seen all types of retailers, luxury and other, make use of bright yellows (Marc Jacobs, solebox), reds (Louis Vuitton, Diesel, H&M), blues (Burberry, adidas) and much more! Longchamp is thus not doing anything new… but it is doing things RIGHT! I have seen beautifully inspirational pictures of this new modern green design in Milan, Cologne and most recently Shanghai. However, it’s one thing to see images online, and a whole other to experience it in person!
The amazing sales staff kindly detailed the concept’s intent to me: to reflect a Parisian apartment. As far as I’m concerned, they totally nailed it. This is pure modern elegance!
Other elements I found particularly strong:
- the use of mostly white walls to highlight products, combined with bright green accents to make the space itself stand out
- the beautifully crafted VM
- the way the service operates: no “traditional” cash desk here, but more casual and varied interaction options – eg: a sofa area and two work desks with high stools
- the mix of traditional and modern design features not only in the architecture but also the furniture and VM, all reflecting the elegance associated with luxury brands
- the great lighting scheme
Overall, I feel this refresh is a massive success:
- It’s got brand relevance.
- It’s definitely appealing to Longchamp’s existing customer base, but will surely also attract a new generation.
- The product offer is amazingly well highlighted.
- The design perfectly supports the multiple requirements of a more fluid approach to service.
- The space itself has been carefully curated to trigger interest and engrain the whole experience in the visitor’s memory.
All aspects of the “formula” for creating a valuable in-store experience as found through my doctoral research are thus checked!
Bravo Longchamp team!
