Nike has developed Nike Live, a new store concept that is inspired by, and built as, a hub for its local NikePlus members. The first one, Nike by Melrose, opened its doors at 8552 Melrose Avenue in West Los Angeles.


The new 4,557-sq.-ft, single-level, cross-category Nike store is powered by the insights and engagement of thousands of NikePlus members across five zip codes in Los Angeles. The data-driven and curated store is a uniquely curated home for NikePlus Members and the style, sport and speed-obsessed consumers of the city.

Research into the insights and behavior of NikePlus members in Los Angeles shows that they are running and style obsessed. Therefore, on top of providing a selection of nike.com best-sellers and essential Running, Training and Sportswear product, Nike by Melrose offers city-specific styles — all of which is determined by Nike digital commerce data (things like buying patterns, app usage and engagement) to serve local NikePlus members exactly what they want when they want it. That means new apparel, footwear and accessories — again, all specific to LA's needs regardless of Nike's broader seasonal priorities — will fill the store on a bi-weekly basis (a Nike first) and sometimes even exclusively.


The store operates like an experimental digital-meets-physical retail pilot and was created in support of Nike's efforts to unite digital and physical shopping experiences for its consumers, and to further personalize the NikePlus Member in-store journey.

The store features several services that blend digital and in-store experiences. For example, NikePlus members or customers can reserve a product online and have it placed inside an in-store digital locker. They could then visit the store, unlock the locker, try on the product and have the option to buy it. Another feature is called Nike Express Sessions where a customer can book a one-on-one 30-minute appointment with a Nike team member, who could provide advice on athletic wear, fitting and even let the customer try on shoes and test them out on the in-store treadmill.


Nike App at Retail, which made its debut in March, is central to the new concept shop. Through the app, loyalty members can reserve products for pickup at smart lockers, shop for products, scan bar codes to learn more about specific items and earn rewards.

Members shopping at the new Nike by Melrose store can also redeem special "unlocks" at a digital vending machine every two weeks, which dispenses an array of exclusive products (NikePlus Unlock Box).


The primary destination in the store, the Nike Sneaker Bar, offers a unique and fast shoe buying experience, with a mix of style-minded and performance footwear available. Once arriving at the centrally located Nike Sneaker Bar, consumers are greeted by a store athlete with elevated footwear training. The consumer can get any footwear questions answered on-the-spot, request their favorite shoe(s) and then after quickly receiving the pair, can try on and checkout.


The Dynamic Fit Zone has a lounge to relax in, rooms where Nike Experts can offer styling tips and a Nike Trial Zone (with a treadmill) to really put product to the test in. Bookable through the Nike App, Nike Express Sessions will also be hosted here to provide elevated one-to-one service to consumers in just thirty minutes.


Returns, exchanges or purchases are made easy with Curb Services at Nike By Melrose. Using Swoosh Text (an SMS messaging system between the shopper and the store), consumers can simply text the store, pull in, grab or return goods, and get going.

Other features:

• Swoosh Text: Consumers can enjoy a two-way conversation through SMS messaging with a 'store athlete,' enabling faster, better and more personalized service.
• Reserve: Using the Nike App, Members can reserve product to be held for them at the store. Consumers can shop the product they want in the Nike App and then complete their purchase with an in-store athlete.
• Retail Home: When entering Nike Live, Members will gain access to an array of new features and content via their Nike App homepage.


The Nike by Melrose exterior mural also has ties to Los Angeles as it was designed by artist and illustrator Bijou Karman, an LA native whose work reflects the unique mix of nostalgia and flora that comes along with the California landscape. With inspiration from the diversity of Angelenos and the style of the neighborhood, the Nike by Melrose store mural is a reimagined walk through a typical day in LA. The mural, titled "Sunsets on Melrose," showcases these characters shopping, taking part in sport, and experiencing local offerings in one incredible scene, all against the backdrop of a classic LA sunset.

full report "nike by melrose", los angeles

The jewellery giant has launched an interactive concept store in Covent Garden, London, which is designed to encourage creative interaction and self-expression, in a wide and super-sleek space. Dubbed Style Studio, this is a more accessible introduction to the brand for younger consumers.

The jewellery that Tiffany's is known for is here, but it concedes a considerable amount of floor space with a wide range of more everyday products at cheaper price points, from candles and plant pots to stationery.

Shoppers are also invited to personalise their jewellery with a #MakeItTiffany bar: alongside a standard engraving service, customers can sketch their own designs and have them etched onto their purchases to make them truly unique and special.

And the most striking demonstration of Tiffany's courting of younger customers is perhaps the vending machine, from which customers can get fragrances.

A major campaign was launched earlier this year starring Gen Z actress Elle Fanning, from which the video is displayed on a wall at the back.

13 James Street -Covent Garden

London, WC2E 8BT, United Kingdom

Tiffany & Co Style Studio in pictures

full report "tiffany & co style studio", london

The Museum of Ice Cream has returned to New York, the city where the Insta-worthy pop-up phenom began back in 2016. But this time, in lieu of a pool filled with sprinkles, the co-founders Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora are opening a Pint Shop, serving up the museum's own line of signature flavors and putting the focus on actual ice cream.

First thing to see at the Pint Shop are pints. Giant ones. Behind each of the three towering containers, you'll discover a new photo opportunity, including an interactive banana backdrop, a sprinkle pool life preserver swing, and a tub of (plastic) cherries you can take a quick dip and pic in.

The Pint Shop is complete with fun-packed ice cream installations and decorative aisles, but the real takeaway from the store is the company's original ice cream line. The team spent one year creating its line of seven pints. They are sourced with the highest quality ingredients. Each aisle is dedicated to one of the company's original ice cream flavors:

• Vanillionaire, a rich vanilla with wafer crumbs
• Nana Banana, a frozen take on bananas bread
• Cherrylicious, featuring bits of cookie
• Churro Churro, a cinnamon ice cream with bits of churro throughout
• Chocolate Crush, with flakes of Guittard milk chocolate
• Piñata, with bits of cotton candy, cake, and sprinkles
• MOIC's signature Sprinkle Pool flavour

The experience continues with The Pint Shop's tasting room, where you can go on an in-depth tasting experience in an interactive classroom. But it's not just the standard samples served on tiny spoons. First, the shop's flavor experts will lead you through a vanilla tasting, to highlight the base ingredient of most ice cream flavors, before moving on to the six newly-released ice creams.

459 W 14th Street - Meatpacking District, New York City

The Pint Shop in pictures

The pint shop website

PDF report "the pint shop - new york city"

Canadian retailer Roots opened its first-ever experiential gallery concept store in Boston.

Baptized the "Roots Legends brand activation center", the 3,250-square-foot gallery-style retail space offers a sensory shopping experience which allows customers to engage with the brand through sight, sound, touch, and feel.

The store is divided into five artfully curated vignettes that each showcase a different aspect of the brand's DNA, introducing customers to Roots heritage. [The Canadian sportswear brand sells apparel, footwear, leather goods and accessories.]

With a design that merges Roots outdoor origins and a modern edge, the vignettes highlight key product stories and includes the acclaimed Roots Original Salt & Pepper Sweats, the Cooper Beaver Collection, the Hand-crafted Leather Collection, the Seasonal Fleece Collection, and the Cabin Collection. The Installations will be regularly changed based on seasons and current collections and campaigns.

Experiences include a tunnel made of the fabrics used in Roots sweatpants, personalization of leather items in the "leather customization workshop," and a timeline of the company's history through different rooms.

Roots in pictures

full report on Roots sensory store in Boston

Swiss sporting goods retailer Intersport and Chinese internet giant Alibaba's Tmall unveiled a co-branded store in Beijing complete with interactive features to offer consumers in China a more engaging and informative shopping experience. Tmall has provided its new retail technology solutions to help sporting goods retailer Intersport transform its flagship store in China into a new retail sportswear megastore.

Named "Tmall x Intersport," the new futuristic megastore takes up 1,300 square meters over two storeys on the popular shopping area Qianmen Street -the main artery in a Beijing historical district. It follows a tech-driven retail model, which was pioneered by Alibaba in 2015 to capture the best of online and offline shopping experiences.

Entering the store, customers are welcomed by an array of state-of-the-art technologies and augmented reality-powered interactive game, such as:

- Interactive Window Displayand AR Engagement: Using motion-sensor cameras, the main window display at the store entrance can identify the gender and approximate age of a passerby and intuitively recommend appropriate products. The interface also displays a QR code that the customer can scan to order the recommended products on the spot through Intersport's Tmall store from their phone. Customers can also collect coupon by completing a fun AR basketball game in the store.

- AI-Shopping Assistant and Smart Shoe Mirror: A wall screen mirror will 'recommend' items to complement whatever a customer is trying on, offering personalized fashion advice. Using built-in cameras, a smart shoe mirror can detect which shoes a customer is trying on and will offer information about them, as well as recommending accessories.

- Smart Shelf and Cloud Shelf: Once a customer takes a shoe off a smart shelf, information about sizes, colors and function will pop up on an interactive wall screen. Through a cloud shelf, customers can also see and learn about products on Intersport's Tmall store that are not on display. This virtual space expands the available product assortment by four times that which is in the store.

- Virtual Shopping Bag and Delivery Services: By scanning QR code, customers can place the item in their virtual shopping bag and make purchase decisions on Tmall later, even after they have left the store. Customers can also shop in the store and request Tmall to deliver their goods to a designated address if they don't want to carry them. Within a 5 km radius, delivery can be made as quick as 2 hours.

The data intelligence collected in the store will also help Intersport to gain valuable consumer insights and continuously enhance its product range and services.

Tmall x Intersport in pictures

video of tmall x intersport in beijing

full report on tmall x intersport megastore

Dior has launched a stand-alone boutique in Paris dedicated entirely to its eyewear collections, a first for a couture house. The store carries the brand's full range of sunglasses, including a variety of vintage Dior glasses in multiple colours and their quintessential Diorsorealo glasses. The interior reflects a minimalist aesthetic with accents of calming gold tones and rounded edges complementing the eyewear on display, highlighting frame shapes and detail. A line of small leather goods composed of exclusively created cases is also available. Boxes that can hold one or six pairs of glasses have also been designed specifically for this new address.

Dior Eyewear in pictures

Canadian fast-casual chain Freshii launched in the UK and opened in London. Founded in 2005, it is already well established in other parts of the world, boasting an estate of over 350 stores across 18 countries through a franchise model.

Freshii's concept is straightforward: custom-made healthy food at an affordable price. Ordering is a four-step process in which customers choose a wrap, soup, salad, or bowl, then create their dish with hundreds of healthy options.

Freshii also offers services such as the Freshii Meal Box. "It is a meal plan service that eliminates shopping, chopping, cooking and cleaning […] Every box includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks." Customers can choose from a 1, 3, 5 or 30 day program tailored to suit their dietary mission: bulking up, slimming down, eating clean or gluten-free.

Having just opened its first UK store, Freshii is one of the few brands which has managed to keep with the frantic pace of the health and wellness industry.

"The menu was very different because 10 years ago what people wanted was salads, but now what people want are bowls, largely grain-based, and 10 years from now it'll be something different," Matthew Corrin, founder and CEO (pictured here), said. "The Freshii brand is not tied to one product offering. We're not trying to be the hippest coolest place in town. We're trying to become very much habitual in nature."

Corrin compares its business model to retailer Zara. "We look for local food concepts with lots of buzz, who've already defined the next food trend, and then what we do is bring that to the mass consumer every 70 days. We are the fast fashion of fast food. I don't think fast food is a dirty word."

The UK rollout is being spearheaded by POD co-founder Kate Skerritt.

While the food on offer at Freshii doesn't look that different from other chains – salads, wraps, bowl food, soups, burritos and a breakfast offering – Skerritt says it is the approach to preparation and ingredients that makes it stand out. There is a keen focus on vegan and vegetarian meals on the menu, but targeting the flexitarian lifestyle is key. Protein is king, while there isn't much room for simple carbs. London's Freshii is the first to introduce breakfast into the global chain. This includes a water-based porridge with seasonal fruit, picked up daily from the market to ensure it is fresh.

When it comes to flexitarians (semi-vegetarians), Freshii is open to experimenting with meats, but understands the power of the plant. Many of the salads are vegan and vegetarian friendly, with pots of protein such as chicken kept separately for customers to purchase and add to their bowls.

Following the theme that food is medicine, Skerritt also wants the chain to concentrate on a different health issue each month. For example, one month it's brain awareness and mental health, while in the future it could be heart health, immune boosting, allergies and skin protection.

Freshii

PDF report "Freshii launches in UK"

full report

The news of fan-favorite Colette concept-store closing in Paris in December 2017 came as a shock to everyone, and word spread far beyond the fashion industry.

Less than a month after the closure, two ex Colette collaborators opened a new concept store dedicated to streetwear: Nous.

Italian fashion house Gucci has opened a restaurant in Florence, Italy. The 50-seat restaurant is nestled inside the experiential museum-retail concept Gucci Garden, the label's new exhibition space in Florence.

Gucci Osteria is run by three-Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura who serves up high-end dishes. They include Parmigiano Reggiano tortellini, Peruvian-inspired tostadas, pork belly buns, and a mushroom risotto —priced between 20 to 30 euros.

The Gucci all-day restaurant is sited inside the 14th century Palazzo della Mercanzia building, overlooking the city's most famous square, Piazza della Signoria.

Gucci Osteria in pictures

pdf report

The Wedding Gallery in pictures

full report

A permanent wedding wonderland has opened on London's Marylebone Road, billed as the world's first department store dedicated only to selling wedding-related products and services. From epic flowers displays to tasty-looking wedding cakes, crafty favours, stationery ideas, jewellery, dresses, accessories, lingerie and decorations, this is a one-stop luxury shop for all your wedding needs.

Primark in pictures

see video

Retailer Primark has transformed its entire Oxford Street East branch into a real-life retail version of Hogwarts that is magical. The entire flagship is devoted to the retailer's "Harry Potter" collection. Aside from the pretty amazing merchandise, the store is decorated with floating Hogwarts letters, fairy lights and images of the school shown on the walls. Just walking into the store is an experience of its own. But the best part is all of the things for sale. From clothes and jewelry to stuffed animals, towels, mugs and even HP glasses, you're pretty much guaranteed to find something you have to have.

Tottenham Court Road/Oxford Street

14 – 28 Oxford Street & 3 Tottenham Court Road, London W1D 1AU

full report

In the opening scene of movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, Holly Golightly, dressed in a black evening gown, pearls, and sunglasses, eats a croissant and sips a coffee in front of the store's Fifth Avenue windows. But if she had only waited 56 years, she could've gone inside and ordered a cappuccino.

Indeed, Tiffany's has opened a restaurant on the fourth floor of its 5th avenue store, the Blue Box Café.

The coffee shop is part of a wholly renovated space that showcases a luxury home and accessories collection, the first major project from Reed Krakoff, who became the company's chief artistic officer in January.

Riley Rose in pictures

Full report

Forever 21 has just opened a new stand-alone beauty store in Glendale, California: Riley Rose. The new concept targets especially the Millennials and focuses solely on beauty and lifestyle items.

full report

adidas Originals has opened the doors to its newest and largest flagship, located in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The space is designed to "generate a localized, community-centric experience that pays homage to the pulse of the city's streets."

Asics in pictures

full report

Nutella Cafe in picutres 

full report