Fresh founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roythberg were determined to develop an entirely new retail concept for the LVMH luxury brand to reflect the company’s core values and engage its customer base. Mapos was chosen to lead this retailing reinvention and were assigned the task of creating an environment where customers not only shopped Fresh, but experienced it. “We wanted to animate the core values of the brand visually and texturally, like tradition, storytelling, innovation, and sensorial experiences,” explained Lev. The initial task was to develop the new concept for their flagship New York Union Square store, and then implement globally, starting in Asia, then in the UK, and other US locations.
Mapos, operating from a culturally-centric perspective, began by analyzing the psychographics of Fresh’s key customer base: the indulger. With this customer in mind, they began an integrative design process with full participation from the founders and key Fresh team members, aimed at developing visceral experiences to engage customers on a sensual and emotional level. Intensive weekly marathon meetings fueled the team to create four distinct experiences that inspired the overall design of the store and embodied the core values of the brand: a Bakery, to promote the artisanal and sensorial nature of the brand; a Kitchen, to promote community and hospitality with its customers; a Library, to promote tradition and knowledge within the company; an Alchemist’s Lab, to promote the brand’s research and innovation.
Mapos integrated these four stories through a series of interactive customer experiences:
A flexible Kitchen Table placed in the center of the space acts a three-dimensional blog, inviting customers to touch and interact with Fresh’s most talked about products.
An innovative Fragrance Bar utilizing actual laboratory vessels that gives indulgers the opportunity to customize their very own signature scents.
An Experience Bar based on the intimate makeup tables of the 19th century allowing customers to receive a complete ritual from skin care to makeup.
A complete Gift Bar showcasing the brand’s complementary artisanal packaging as well as gifting ideas for every budget.
A Communal Washbasin sourced from England allowing customers to gather and experience the brand’s skin care lines firsthand in a sensational, invigorating environment.
An interactive Story Wall visually displaying new products and communicating the brand’s story and core values to customers using newly created film and video footage. Made up of Christie Microtiles and iPads, cutting edge technology is seamlessly integrated into the fixture design.
A custom Chandelier inspired by modern alchemy and made up of glass molecule-like bubbles emphasizing Fresh’s leadership in science and innovation.
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