First Look: Victorinox, maker of Swiss Army knife, opens immersive London flagship

Victorinox has opened a flagship in London featuring a new design concept that showcases the brand’s industrial and Swiss roots and allows customers to assemble and personalize their own Swiss Army Knife.

Located on Oxford Street, the inviting store is home to Victorinox’s full product assortment of travel gear, watches, pocket knives, kitchen knives and perfume, with a dedicated floor to the brand’s iconic — and 125-year-old — Swiss Army Knives, and cutlery.  Technology has been carefully integrated into the space to allow for an elevated and personalized shopping experience. (Dalziel& Pow is credited with the retail design, customer experience strategy, research & insights and communications design.)

Personalization stations allow customers to put together their own Swiss Army Knife and have it customized to their liking.  The brand's full assortment is displayed in a way that allow people to engage with and experience the products.

Victorinox’s industrial roots are emphasized with brushed steel used across key fixtures and fittings. The brand’s connection to its Swiss roots and nature is reflected in the design with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing natural light into the space. Natural birch wood played a key role in the design with reeded plywood wood paneling wrapping internal areas of the store and drawing shoppers upstairs.

The building exterior is fashioned with darker accents and the brand’s signature red hue, while interactive digital screens provide a playful element. Entering the space, shoppers are greeted with a range of Victorinox products and are drawn upstairs by a spiraling glass and stainless-steel staircase that leads up to the Swiss Army Knife showcase and personalization zone, with the shape reflecting the classic corkscrew design enhanced by mirrored ceiling over.

“I am thrilled with the new retail design,” said Carl Elsner, CEO, Victorinox. “It authentically reflects our positioning as a premium brand and provides our consumers with a unique brand experience.”