What: The multibrand retailer is opening a department store at a Chongqing's historical site, with a focus on homegrown brands.

Why it is important: Retailers are shifting strategies in post-lockdown China. By carving out a space for culture and art, selling Gen Z-friendly streetwear, modestly priced fashionable homeware, candles and books, SND hopes to draw in a new cohort of shoppers.

SND, the multibrand fashion retailer in Chongqing is launching the Super Normal Department, one of its biggest stores since it opened nine years ago. The space includes three independent buildings and a courtyard garden, spanning 10,800 square feet. The space is minimal in design. Initially occupied by eateries and bars, Super Normal Department is part of Changjiahui Shopping Park, an outdoor shopping center known for attracting tourists.

Seventy percent of SND's clientele is young people who had experience studying abroad and have developed their own sense of style. They prefer European and Korean brands such as Marine Serre, Hyein Seo and Our Legacy. The other 30% are the new middle class who prefer local brands such as Eenk and Immi, which are trendy but also work-friendly.

Due to accelerated store openings, SND's sales doubled in 2021 year-over-year. The company now counts 12 stores in first- and second-tier cities, including Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guiyang and Sanya. SND also launched a Tmall store in 2018, which accounts for around 35 to 40% of sales. The company is also planning a new store in Shenzhen this August.

With a population of 32 million, Chongqing is the largest city in Southwest China.

SND ventures into department store format

SND ventures into department store format

What: Hyundai's Seongnam branch, an affluent and fast-growing satellite town of the sprawling capital Seoul, wants to attract savvy and young consumers thanks to its renewed U-PLEX space.

Why it is important: The configuration of the 4,065 sqm 4th floor section contributes to creating the vibe of a multi-brand store while it also allows to better define different brands.

Hyundai tapped local architecture practice Betwin Space to revamp U-PLEX, the section on the department store's fourth floor which is specifically dedicated to a Millennial and Generation Z demographic. The interior design concept is based on the notion of 'time collage' which aims to put together different elements of the past and present to create a new spatial experience that tickles the senses of the hyper savvy target demographic

Additionally, pattern sequences were created by pairing ceiling lighting with metal frames, and an island configuration was fused with the ceiling to create a distinct visual identity. A cross-shaped vertical bar is connected to the ceiling's pattern sequence, creating unity in the entire space. In order to heighten the sense of entering exciting new premises, a passage was created with the look and feel of a classic hotel lobby.

Hyundai's Seongnam store renewal

Hyundai's Seongnam store renewal ARTICLE

What: Harrods is opening a Moët & Chandon bar on the ground floor of its London department store.

Why it is important: Harrods continues to capitalize on luxurious food and beverage experiences with its most recent endeavour being a Moët & Chandon branded bar.

Located on the ground floor of the London department store, the exterior of the location is decorated in a gold bubble design to match the champagne. Inside and directly below the chandelier sits a 34-seat bar inspired by the shape of the terroir in which the prized Moët & Chandon grape vines grow. The bar top will be glass and beneath, the chalk terroir will be represented in the compressed and sustainable micro-paper surfaces crafted by hand to form a sculptural surface.

Subtly injected into the bar surface will be 'the kiss' replicating the Moët 'X' inspired by an old wax seal. It will be up-lit to halo the glow of the base of the bottle or glass served to each guest. Additional seating can be found lining the large windows which look out onto bustling Brompton Road.

Harrods opens Moët & Chandon bar

Harrods opens Moët & Chandon bar ARTICLE

What: Following the establishment of Asos and Nordstrom's joint venture, the duo has now revealed their first physical stores located in Los Angeles and New York City.

Why it is important: The partnership included a minority interest investment by Nordstrom in Asos-owned brands, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands. At the time, the two said the joint venture would aid in the growth of both the companies as well as bring Asos products to Nordstrom's e-commerce platform and select stores.

The stores include:

The Grove Nordstrom, LA

Nordstrom, New York City

Inside Asos x Nordstrom's first LA and NYC stores

Inside Asos x Nordstrom's first LA and NYC stores

What: The latest Flannels store that has just opened in Liverpool is "revolutionary" and "groundbreaking".

Why it is important: The seven-floor, 120,000 sq ft flagship brings a ground-breaking fashion, beauty and wellness experience to the North of England. Within the premises is a vast beauty hall, three restaurants, a bar, the world's first in-store Barry's Bootcamp, a made-to-measure "tweakments" destination courtesy of Dr. Esho, and a soon-to-be-unveiled roof terrace that promises uncompromised views of Liverpool.

The store also hosts an 18 Montrose concept space and streetwear and exclusive collaborations ranging from Rick Owens x Converse to Pharrell Williams x Adidas.

An expansive fashion line-up that includes an "unrivalled" Balenciaga edit, Loewe making its retail debut in the north of England, Christian Louboutin showcasing a curated edit, a regional debut for Rhude, as well as exclusive pop-up spaces with brands such as Burberry and Off-White, and LA-based Amiri.

Also featured are exclusive edits and limited-edition styles via New York's LaQuan Smith, 16Arlington, and new labels to its roster such as Jacquemus. Meanwhile Flannels "stalwarts" include Stone Island, CP Company, Casablanca, Fear of God and Represent.

On the beauty front, shoppers have the chance to experiment with products including Pat McGrath Labs, Kylie Cosmetics, Hermès, Gucci Beauty, Tom Ford, Chanel, and Patrick Ta. The beauty edit is bolstered by haute and cult fragrances by Creed, Le Labo, Frederick Malle, and By Killian, as well as skincare by Dermalogica and more.

With the opening of each of these experience-orientated flagships, we're doubling down on our commitment to 'new luxury', on our understanding of youth culture, and on the valued proposition we give to brands: access to untapped audiences."

Flannels "biggest investment yet"

Flannels "biggest investment yet"

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Boyner Cadde department store in Istanbul, Turkey. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Boyner exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit Printemps in Paris. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Printemps exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Inno department store in Brussels, Belgium. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Inno exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Attica department store in Athens, Greece. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Attica exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the NK department store in Stockholm, Sweden. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Nk exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Stockmann department store in Helsinki, Finland. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Stockmann exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the following dutch department stores: De Bijenkorf, Peek & Cloppenburg and Vanderveen. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Dutch department stores exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Pyrénées department store in Andorra. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Pyrénées exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the Steen & Strom department store in Oslo, Norway. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Steen & Strom exclusive article

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the following Italian department stores in Rome: La Rinascente and Coin Excelsior. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Italian department stores exclusive article

What: The Hyundai Department Store dips its toes into spatial personalization.

Why it is important: In a world where shopping has become increasingly informed by personal preferences – think algorithm-tailored suggestions – contemporary consumption behavior has become less compatible with generalist spaces. Knowing that different clientele will be more inclined to pay a visit to a particular section of the store, each floor has been crafted with a certain demographic – a form of personalization – to convince shoppers to pivot from their phones into the physical store.

By employing a theme of nature, the multilevel store's redesign attempts to have a universal appeal while also employing aspects of personalization in order to reach the desired demographics.

The three new floors of the Hyundai Department Store in Seoul are now centered around a biophilic atrium. A 12-m-long waterfall cascades from the edge of one of the top levels, creating an ambient soundscape and a zen-like atmosphere for guests to relax and socialize in. Inside, each level has been designed with a distinct yet cohesive theme each set to the overarching tune of nature, a familiar theme to people across groups. The overall character of the space is calm and organic, reflecting and emphasizing the more classic, sophisticated style of clothing and accessories on display to build a connection with the style preferences of the targeted demographic.

Hyundai in Seoul

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the following department stores in Dubai: Debenhams, Galeries Lafayette, Bloomingdales and others. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

Dubai department stores exclusive article

What: Brown Thomas' Dundrum department store is the first one to be opened by the Selfridges Group in 6 years.

Why it is important: The new store is all about services and experiences, including a multipurpose VIP apartment that can be booked by customers for private lessons and usage, in addition to the typical private shopping service.

Brown Thomas, a part of the Selfridges group, has opened a 6,200 sqm store in Dublin on 24th February and is the first shop to be opened by the group for the last 6 years.

The investment of €12m aims at presenting a luxury offer in the Dundrum shopping centre, in Dublin, and includes the usual suspects of international luxury. It also proposes sustainability features, such as rental (of pieces curated by the Brown Thomas team), repair services (Circular Fix, a service which offers to repair bags, sneakers, garments), second hand offer (where customers can also bring back their own pre-loved items and get a BT voucher in turn), and finally, "the Apartment" a space that can be privatized by customers for private shopping sessions, classes of any kind, and organised like an apartment.

Brown Thomas opens a new store in Dublin

Brown Thomas opens a new store in Dublin ARTICLE

What: The 5,500 sqm eight-storey store is a shopping destination for a young and forward demographic.

Why it is important: Dimas Gimeno Álvarez, the former president of El Corte Inglés, has created a concept store that's specifically geared towards savvy Millennials and Generation Z shoppers and blends brick-and-mortar retail with digital shopping.

The interior design, created by Barcelona-based multi-disciplinary studio External Reference, sees an abundance of striking photogenic settings that resonate well with the target demographics The. forward design theme, which actually sounds like a scientific experiment, is based on 'nature-related technology that evolves with the capabilities of humankind, aiming for an ecological balance'. The settings feature programmable lights which allows to continuously change the atmosphere and effortlessly integrates with displays and installations. Additionally, large-sized Italianate sculptures dipped in an electric pink hue and partially pixellated, dot the floor and serve as additional product displays.

The product offer includes branded shop-in-shops, archive space, streetwear, fashion and accessories, homeware collections, technology equipment, gaming devices, books, completed by two restaurants.

Wow's challenge is to profit from its risky venture. The project received €8 million in its last investment round and invested significantly on infrastructure and supply. What are the prospects in economic terms? "For the moment, we are going to ask for growth and to be close to positive Ebitda in the first year of operation," added Gimeno.

Wow concept store in Madrid

Wow concept store in Madrid ARTICLE

What: Shinsegae recently opened a new department store in Daejeon, a sizeable city and hi-tech hub in the middle of the country.

Why it is important: Situated right next to Expo Park, the so-called Shinsegae Daejeon Art & Science department store is a multi-story department store that indulges shoppers with a new retail concept that blends retail with culture, art, and science, but also comes with a branded 171-room hotel which occupies several floors of the soaring Expo Tower.

The company tapped New York City-based architecture and design practice Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates to design the store's ground and first floors. Measuring a whopping total of 120,000 sq. ft. (11,148 sqm.), the premises feature a 'modern Italian villa' design theme.

The retail concept's art and science bit comes in the form of The Art Space 193, a 193-metre-high observatory which also features artist Ólafur Elíasson's colourful installation The Living Observatory, in addition to Shinsegae Nexperium, a science museum focusing on robots, biotechnology, and space, and Daejeon Expo Aquarium, a media art combined aquarium, featuring a 4,200-ton tank filled with approx. 20,000 fish of 250 different species.

Shinsegae's in Daejeon

Shinsegae's in Daejeon ARTICLE

What:  A close look at a fashion giant and a digital pioneer.

Why it is important: The brand embodiment through a virtual influencer has created a close proximity between the retailer and its customers (also fuelled with the super-app ecosystem) which helped to navigate through the Covid-19 crisis and consider expansion abroad.

Magazine Luiza was founded in Brazil 65 years ago, and has become a national giant in fashion retail. They have 1,300 physical stores across the country selling a mixture of international brands and private labels, and are also present digitally with "Lu", a virtual influencer with 25m followers on Instagram.

The strategy pursued with Lu has evolved with time: launched in 2003, it was initially a virtual sales associate for the online channel (which was launched in 1991), but now she has evolved into a character that is known by customers, is mentioned in the annual report and is even features on Vogue's cover.

The company posted a total turnover of $7.7 bn in 2020, 59% more than in 2019, thanks to its e-commerce advance and capabilities, as well as the possibility to use the store fleet to fulfil orders. Marketplace has been launched in 2018 and already includes 120,000 sellers. The whole ecosystem is made available to customers via its super-app, which includes 30mn active users.

Cosmetics is the next category that the retailer is looking at.

Inside Magazine Luiza, the Brazilian fashion giant

Inside Magazine Luiza, the Brazilian fashion giant ARTICLE

What: The department store targets younger generations with SKP-S, short for SKP Select, a retail concept that specifically caters to the fast-evolving preferences of these young savvy shoppers.

Why it is important: The influence and buying power of Millennial and Generation Z shoppers in China is quite a phenomenon that has only just started. It's not only shaping the local luxury market, already the biggest in the world, but also retail design. Being digital natives, the two demographics have developed sophisticated sensibilities that aren't easily triggered.

Following the launch of SKP-S in the Chinese capital, the retail concept has recently been introduced in Xi'an on the multi-storey premises of the SKP department store in the historic heart of the city. Occupying the entire fourth floor with a total surface of 20,000 sqm. (215,278 sq.ft.), the interior design of the SKP-S store has been created by Sybarite, a leading design practice based in London. Similar to its sister establishment in Beijing, the design is themed 'humans colonising Mars', while here, it's all about 'the origin of the world and return to Earth', albeit with a Chinese twist, resulting once again in a series of futuristic settings.

The overall design evokes a futuristic shopping adventure, but it's undoubtedly the 60-metre (197 ft.) hexagon-shaped time tunnel that embodies this sensation best, connecting shoppers to ten branded spaces of top luxury fashion brand and popular sports labels, such as Prada, Fila, Rick Owens, sacai, Jil Sander and Descente. The store offers a curated mix of about 80 brands from home and abroad, while a dedicated SKP Select Beauty section presents 60 exclusive skin care, makeup, fragrance brands. In order to keep the store's in-the-know clientele mesmerised, a rotation of pop-up stores and other events are held on the premises.

SKP-S' Xi'an opening

SKP-S' Xi'an opening ARTICLE

The IADS had the opportunity to visit the following department stores in NYC: Macy's, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and others. You can view the full photo report below, and read the exclusive article!

Check out the collection of pictures here

NYC department stores exclusive article

What: Being a mature consumer market with continuously evolving sensibilities, especially the youngest of shoppers, the department store has seen a major revamp to keep abreast.

Why it is important: The expansive 2,966 sqm. (31,926 sq.ft.) ground floor, now aptly called Future Land, has been redesigned to create a distinctive and elevated shopping experience which fuses shopping with art, nature, and modern lifestyle.

Lotte tapped lauded Seoul-based interior design practice Betwin Space to create a fitting setting, resulting in a modern and welcoming environment that incites exploration and adventure through non-typical forms and an eclectic palette of materials and colours.

Lotte's renewed ground floor sees a sizeable section with counters of leading cosmetics brands from home and abroad, including DONGINBI, Christian Dior, Sulwhasoo and Elizabeth Arden, women's apparel, accessories, a Swarovski counter, a flower and gardening shop, and two casual restaurant concepts where to recharge in between shopping sprees.

Lotte's renewal in Busan

Lotte's renewal in Busan ARTICLE