Step inside L’Occitane’s new experiential store
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L’Occitane en Provence is looking to raise the bar on experiential retailing.
The French skincare, body care and fragrance brand has opened a new, experience-rich concept store, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, infused with digital elements.
Designed with L’Occitane’s signature natural accents and brand heritage in mind, the 1,870-sq.-ft. store boasts a contemporary palette inspired by authentic Provencal codes and materials. Products are displayed on minimalist structures between a series of distinctive customer touchpoints that include:
• A “rain-shower” sink where shoppers can try out products beneath a shower of water;
• A communal bench set beneath the canopy of a Mediterranean Olive tree;
• A tech-enhanced interactive skincare consultation; and
• A checkout area inspired by a French concierge desk.
The store has plenty of Instagrammable and interactive moments. Customers can pose for a photo on a bike amid a backdrop of a local French village. (Photos using the hashtag #loccitane555 are fed to a monitor near the village backdrop.) They can also indulge in a hand massage while taking a simulated hot air balloon ride over the Provence landscape via a virtual reality experience.
The space will feature a series of changing installations and seasonal campaigns inspired by the Provençal lifestyle, the brand’s environmental and philanthropic commitments, new product launches and more. Later this year, the store will be transformed into an immersive holiday experience.
“555 5th Avenue [the store’s address] is an immersive destination unlike any other, filled with endless discoveries of the spirit and beauty of Provence,” said Paul Blackburn, VP concept design, construction and merchandising, North America. “From eye-catching art form installations to integrated lifestyle products and enhanced fulfilment services, the ambiance and atmosphere will change throughout the life of the store with the goal to captivate the consumer’s attention, encourage engagement, and produce user-generated content for social media buzz.”
To adapt to differing consumer preferences across the world, L’Occitane has adopted a “glocal” approach, developing store experiences tailored to local clientele. Recent examples include new flagships in Brazil, China, London and Toronto, a unique concept store in Paris (86CHAMPS) in partnership with French pastry chef Pierre Hermé; a pop-up café in Singapore with Asian pastry chef Janice Wong; and L’OcciTruck, the brand’s first travelling shop experience which is currently touring North America.
The French skincare, body care and fragrance brand has opened a new, experience-rich concept store, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, infused with digital elements.
Designed with L’Occitane’s signature natural accents and brand heritage in mind, the 1,870-sq.-ft. store boasts a contemporary palette inspired by authentic Provencal codes and materials. Products are displayed on minimalist structures between a series of distinctive customer touchpoints that include:
• A “rain-shower” sink where shoppers can try out products beneath a shower of water;
• A communal bench set beneath the canopy of a Mediterranean Olive tree;
• A tech-enhanced interactive skincare consultation; and
• A checkout area inspired by a French concierge desk.
The store has plenty of Instagrammable and interactive moments. Customers can pose for a photo on a bike amid a backdrop of a local French village. (Photos using the hashtag #loccitane555 are fed to a monitor near the village backdrop.) They can also indulge in a hand massage while taking a simulated hot air balloon ride over the Provence landscape via a virtual reality experience.
The space will feature a series of changing installations and seasonal campaigns inspired by the Provençal lifestyle, the brand’s environmental and philanthropic commitments, new product launches and more. Later this year, the store will be transformed into an immersive holiday experience.
“555 5th Avenue [the store’s address] is an immersive destination unlike any other, filled with endless discoveries of the spirit and beauty of Provence,” said Paul Blackburn, VP concept design, construction and merchandising, North America. “From eye-catching art form installations to integrated lifestyle products and enhanced fulfilment services, the ambiance and atmosphere will change throughout the life of the store with the goal to captivate the consumer’s attention, encourage engagement, and produce user-generated content for social media buzz.”
To adapt to differing consumer preferences across the world, L’Occitane has adopted a “glocal” approach, developing store experiences tailored to local clientele. Recent examples include new flagships in Brazil, China, London and Toronto, a unique concept store in Paris (86CHAMPS) in partnership with French pastry chef Pierre Hermé; a pop-up café in Singapore with Asian pastry chef Janice Wong; and L’OcciTruck, the brand’s first travelling shop experience which is currently touring North America.