Retail design has never been more exciting with traditional interior design features being joined by digital sensorial experiences. This new way of discovering timepieces says goodbye to the often intimidating “over the counter” experience in favour of a 360-degree brand adventure.
Dual Nationality
Panerai has always benefited from having two bases, with its watchmaking technology and know-how being based in Switzerland and all its design and research taking place in its home country of Italy. This dual nationality has helped the creation of a brand-new boutique design that combines the best of both worlds.
Modularità Expressiva
The new boutique identity is being inaugurated in Panerai’s flagship store on Geneva’s prestigious Rue du Rhône. Called Modularità Expressiva, the new concept store welcomes guests with its large iconic luminous green [[clock]] in the entrance, before catching their eye with a huge video wall with timepieces impressively projected and magnified. Television screens and touchscreen monitors are also available to display details about the watches.
Breaking Barriers between Customers and Watches
The watches themselves are displayed in glassless showcases so that the customer can touch and feel the timepieces to get a real sense of what they are like. For centuries, watches have been hidden in counters, under glass, and kept under lock and key, but now the customer can browse the store and touch the timepieces without having to solicit a salesperson. This freedom allows even the more timid consumer to really discover the products.
To reinforce this experiential interaction, underneath the staircase leading to the second floor is a corner dedicated to the Laboratorio di Idee. “This wall with portholes allows customers to touch and see Panerai’s philosophy of creating and developing new materials and movements in a transformative and sustainable way,” shares the brand’s Creative Director Alvaro Maggini.
The Second Floor
Climbing the stairs, the customer is greeted with a totally modular space that has been crafted with sustainable materials. The welcoming atmosphere is created with beautiful furniture, iconic design pieces, Italian literature and design books on the modular shelves, and of course, some of the most prestigious high [[complications]] and special editions Panerai has to offer. The beauty of this space is that the modular nature of its design allows it to be rapidly changed into a large open space for an elegant dining room or for press and client events.
Coffee or Negroni?
Other features include a dual-function space that serves as both a café and drinks bar, with several containers holding different coffee bean blends from around the world and numerous aperitifs. This area also includes an interactive rotating shelf where customers can play and discover their favourite strap and case combinations. There is also a library and a 1956 Vespa for true Dolce Vita style. Digital animations are also available on the second floor with a periscope through which customers can discover Panerai stories.
All these physical and digital boutique features put the customer at the centre of the Panerai world. No longer will consumers hesitate to push the door to enter, and their visit will be an experience in itself, where they can return time and time again as they research and reflect on their purchase. This new creative concept will soon be adopted throughout Panerai’s boutiques for watch lovers the world over to discover.
