Issue #065

Welcome to your weekly dose of TooXToo, this week, with the retail cogs back in motion we pick four new openings to get excited about.  

Swarvoski, Paris, NYC & Milan  

After a year inside our homes a key theme for retailers is to seduce us all with immersion. Cabinet of curiosity style stores will draw us from our sofas and back to the excitement of retail.  

This offer from, Swarvoski comes as part of a wider brand transformation which looks to take customers on an exploration-led journey.  

The stores are designed to be a ‘feast for the senses’. Green, pink and yellow walls are covered with texture and compartments encouraging the customer to browse the store in a very different way.  

The Hyundai, Seoul  

Post-Covid our appetite for wholesomeness is particularly influential on a new breed of clean retail. Being better and feeling better is top of the agenda and biophilic spaces which amplify our wellbeing will win with customers.  

New Seoul department store The Hyundai for example has dedicated almost half of its space to a Sound Forest – an indoor park of 30 trees, flowering plants, grasses and a 39 ft waterfall eliciting relaxation and contemplation. 

Namaste!  

Selfridges, London  

The influence of eco also powers on – with many brands creating stores which are authentically designed for lower impact on the environment.  

Continuing with their commitment to eco-initiatives, Selfridges have recently unveiled 20 eco-themed windows. Inspired by 'the pleasure and optimism found in nature', the windows, predominantly made with recycled materials, mix outdoor pursuits such as camping with formal gardens – mazes and topiary.   

Inside, its rotating pop-up space, the Corner Shop is occupied by eco it-brand Pangaia’s laboratory-style pop up  

Eataly, London 

Combining hospitality and retail is another way in which brands and retailers are enticing us back into the outdoors.  

Exciting new addition to London’s financial district is Eataly which offers two floors of indoor and outdoor eating spaces, bars and kitchens for customers to share, try and buy.  

Within the space customers can take part in regular demos, guided tastings and cooking classes so you can take the taste of Italy home.  

Happy shopping!