Burberry opens first social retail store
Burberry has chosen Chinese technology hub Shenzhen as the location for its first social retail store.
The company said the shop will blend the physical and social worlds in a digitally immersive retail experience to enable customers to interact with the brand and its product in new and exciting ways.
Marco Gobbetti, chief executive at Burberry, said: “Burberry has always been a brand of firsts, built on a belief that creativity has the power to open spaces. We test new ideas and push the boundaries of what’s possible. When it came to innovating around social and retail, China was the obvious place to go as home to some of the most digitally savvy luxury customers.”
Powered by Tencent technology, the shop takes interactions from social media and brings them into a physical retail environment. Through a dedicated WeChat mini programme, customers can access exclusive content and personalised experiences and share them with their communities. In addition, the store is made up of a series of spaces for customers to explore with all offering different interactive experience.
Burberry said the shop provides a unique space for the brand to test, learn and trial innovation that can be expanded to the rest of the Burberry network in China.
Gobbetti added: “Together with Tencent, we have pioneered a new concept that will redefine expectations of luxury retail. The first step in an exclusive partnership between our companies, Burberry’s social retail store in Shenzhen is a place of discovery that connects and rewards customers as they explore online and in store. It marks a shift in how we engage with our customers and we can’t wait to share this innovative experience with the world.”
Want to learn more about in-store digital innovation? Then register for our free Digital Retail Transformation Webinar series to be held on 9 and 10 September where you can watch live or view the recording.
