US retailer Saks Fifth Avenue has opened a men's store in Barneys New York former location on Copley Place in Boston. The two-storey, 4275sqm space offers ready-to-wear, accessories and footwear. The store includes a Fifth Avenue Club for personal shopping and a made-to-measure program, a Saks by Appointment for private virtual and/or physical shopping sessions, and a Saks at Home for stylists to visit customers' homes. Around 30 new brands, key accessory products and a dedicated grooming section were added to the store features. Marc Metrick, president and chief executive officer, said: "Our men's business is booming. For the past several years, men's has been a growing category for us across all channels and we have seen a consistently positive customer response."

Saks has an agreement with Barneys' owner, Authentic Brands Group, to open an undisclosed number of shops-in-shop within its stores.

article: Saks Opens Stand-alone Men's Store in Boston

Saks opens men's store in Boston

La Réserve is a new 1500sqm space dedicated to outdoor and sportswear, located on the 4th floor of the Printemps de l'Homme (Men's building), answering the need for a functional fashion their identified well before confinement. The space is divided into 3 parts:

• L'Héritage (legacy): major casual and upper casual brands such as Barbour, Armor Lux, and Lacoste (belonging to MF Fashion, owner of Manor), some of them having granted exclusivity to Printemps
• L'Outdoor (expertise & performance): expert brands such as Woolrich, Patagonia or Aigle (also property of MF Fashion), and a bunch of exclusive and more confidential brands (NN07, Forêt …)
• La Chaussure (shoes & accessories): more than 35 specialist brands (running, hiking)

During lockdowns, social medias were filled with dreams of space and a return to nature. Now that the lockdown is over, with the perspective of either spending holidays in the French countryside or, for the most daring ones, buying a house outside the cities, it is expected that overall demand for outdoor experiences will increase even more, as well as the demand for technical yet trendy clothing and accessories.

This is the reason why, in this new section, Printemps opened the first department store boutique of the iconic French chain Au Vieux Campeur. Founded in 1941, well known among chic Parisians, it is famous for offering equipment for outdoor activities such as hiking, diving, camping, skiing with the appropriate dose of advice. Historically spread over several boutiques in the Latin Quarter, Parisians affectionately dub the stores The Village. With their dedicated 350sqm, they offer a lifestyle-oriented selection, including new categories they do not sell in their original boutiques, such as Denim, or exclusive items designed for Printemps. This completes their traditional assortment of very technical gear and accessories addressing expert and demanding customers.

Their strategy is to bring a new proposal to customers by relying on expertise and advice. However, this comes at the same time as brands such as Canada Goose who are upping the stakes in this expertise game, by allowing customers to literally experience in real conditions their products (as proposed in their Toronto store). It will be interesting to see how traffic converts into sales in this new Printemps space, and compare expertise with experience (for memory, the Canadian brand has also decided to limit shipments to departments stores to focus on its own stores).

La Réserve at Printemps

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann unveiled its new Lingerie department in March 2020, close to the Women's Contemporary section. The IADS member's flagship store is undergoing major refurbishment, and takes the opportunity of smartly repositioning the Lingerie department from the 4th floor, to propose a new experience for this category.

Lockdown in France led to a change of customers' preferences towards more casual and comfortable leisurewear. In lingerie terms, this means of course new tastes in terms of product offering, but also new expectations in terms of services and look & feel.

Engineered before this change, the 900sqm space, fitted with light wood furniture and white ceilings, is arranged like a cocoon, providing privacy while shopping for underwear. Next to it, the swimwear is presented in a white tiled space, a nod to the Parisian public pools.

In terms of offer, across the big lingerie names such as L'Agent Provocateur, Wolford or Princesse Tam-Tam, a special multi brand space is dedicated to lesser known, more confidential digitally native labels providing a sense of exclusivity while also surfing with on the intimacy those brands already enjoy with their existing customers thanks to their business model. Furthermore, they embrace growing trends which are beneficial to Galeries Lafayette in terms of image: Made in France or Made in Paris (Le Slip Français, Henriette H, Jolies Mômes), sustainability (Baserange).

Additional services are provided by the Kure Bazaar nail bar, proposing to customers a peaceful & refreshing pause during their shopping experience. This completes the feeling of a quietness, voluntarily contrasting with the rest of the bustling store.

Is a cocoon experience enough? DNVBs see their brand claims emphasized only, without additional crosschannel experience. This contributes to renew the store offer assortment, but might disappoint existing customers who already enjoy a personalized relationship with such brands. Only time will tell if a beautifully refurbished and curated store is enough to convince customers who are longing for additional care and comfort while shopping offline.

La Lingerie at Galeries Lafayette, Paris

Le Bon Marché has boldly isolated its make-up offer from the skincare department by removing it from the ground floor, and opening a space dedicated to make-up and pigments on the 1st floor of "La Rotonde". Organized in traditional department stores counters, the space aims to allow the brands to offer new services such as personalisation and DIY.

Customers will be able to find a wide selection of brands, from the most established ones (Kure Bazaar, Nars which left their wide space on the ground floor, Bobbie Brown), to more confidential names.

Interestingly enough, there is no new experience and service proposed by the Bon Marché. Brands are creating innovations for themselves. For instance, at the By Terry counter, customers are invited to choose among the many different pigments to create their own personal palette, with the possibility to mix up to three pigments in one pod. Clients weigh their pigments and compress them; and then choose from a variety of coloured and patterned boxes to make the palette even more special.

While post-lockdown customers are searching for a new look after a make-up free confinement, or expressing a personal need for reassurance, it is surprising that Bon Marché decides to gather make up brands in a non-traditional space without an offer of exclusive service. While the concept might represent a change today, it will need to demonstrate its potential for a concept appropriate for tomorrow or the day after, rather than responding to the requirements of space management.

L'Atelier Maquillage at Le Bon Marché

The shoe area located on the third floor of Rinascente in Milan has been given a makeover, as part of a project involving the whole female area of the department store set to be completed by September 2020. The new shoe floor was unveiled for the first time in February, during Milan Fashion Week.

The multi-brand area has been given a new concept featuring minimalist lines, in the shade of light blue with the use of natural materials together with iron and glass. The new-ins also include the refurbishment of the luxury mono-brand corners.

RINASCENTE

Piazza Duomo

20121 Milan, Italy

New shoe floor at Rinascente

Saks Fifth Avenue is continuing its grand renovation and unveiled its new women shoe floor. Located on the eighth floor and now 2100 sqm, the women's shoe area at the New York flagship boasts 10 percent more selling space. While it might not be immediately apparent, the new shoe area is meant to evoke Central Park, with tree trunk tables — both abstract and representational — display fixtures that echo rock formations, and a series of poles that could be interpreted as trees with a little imagination, their leaf-shaped shelves holding shoes.

A restaurant at the front of the eighth floor was removed, and covered-up windows overlooking Fifth Avenue were opened, allowing sunlight to stream through. Hanging porcelain sculptures in floral shapes with gold metallic lusters glint in daylight.

Along the perimeter of the shoe floor, Saks' key partners — those with large established businesses — have been rewarded with shops-in-shop that break from the Central Park theme and feature each brand's aesthetic and house codes. The average price for the shoe floor is $500 to $700, and rises to several thousands of dollars for runway styles and highly embellished pairs decorated with Swarovski crystals, for example.

The center of the floor is devoted to a mix of designers that Saks hopes will provide a sense of discovery for consumers. Ten new collections, including Amina Muaddi, Alexandre Vauthier, By Far, Midnight 00, Staud and Cult Gaia have been added, and are interspersed with more established designers.

For instance, Christian Louboutin's shop features four wall panels made from the designer's signature red soles layered like the scales of a fish. Inspired by traditional French gardens, there's nothing classic about the shop. A teal custom ceramic fountain inspired by the Tethys cave buried in the Palace or Versailles, was created with the Atelier Jean Roger and assembled by an artisan from the atelier. Floral displays made from climbing aged brass vines and hand-painted decorations throughout the Louboutin shop-in-shop feature fantastical plants and exotic flowers. Other shops-in-shop include Bottega Veneta's first in the U.S. devoted to shoes; Celine, Dior; Fendi; Gianvito Rossi; Givenchy; Gucci; Louis Vuitton; Saint Laurent, and Valentino.

Saks is celebrating 10022-Shoe's renovation with a charitable campaign starting on 16 March, and benefiting New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and Bring Change to Mind. The campaign will honor uncommon heroes at each institution, who work to make the city a better place. The retailer will donate 1,000 pairs of shoes, distributed between the three organizations, and will hold a charitable shopping weekend when 10 percent of women's shoe sales will be donated to the groups.

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

5th Ave, New York,

NY 10022, United States

10022-Shoe at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City

Architecture firm OMA has completed the Galleria department store in Gwanggyo, South Korea, with a stone facade that has a multifaceted-glass passage cut into it.

Built in the town of Gwanggyo, south of the capital Seoul, the Galleria department store has been designed to be a landmark for the area's housing district.

The cube-shaped building is clad in tessellated triangles of stone. The mix of beige, brown and earthy colours is designed to make the building appear like a slab of rock or a cross-section of earth.

Breaking up the geometric shape of the 10-storey department store is a multifaceted-glass passage that is wrapped around the building, projecting from the facade.

According to the architecture studio, the multifaceted glass walkway will help to connect the building's retail functions with its leisure facilities.

A food market and deli are located in the building's basement, with eight retail floors above it. Along with stairs and lifts all of the floors are connected by the glass external loop. The department store's upper floors, which are also accessible from the passageway, contain leisure facilities.

The eighth floor contains bars and restaurants, the ninth and tenth a multi-screen cinema and the eleventh a space described as the "lounge and academy".

GALLERIA

Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu,

Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Galleria

Texas-based department store chain JC Penney has unveiled a brand-new store, a completely reimagined format just outside of Dallas in Hurst, Texas, that represents the Company's strategy to put the customer at the center of its business.  As a brand-defining store, it is experiential and a direct result of what today's shoppers want from a retailer. The store, opened in November 2019, is built around data and insights learned from more than a year of extensive customer research, and it showcases the comprehensive foundational and transformational changes that the Company is implementing as part of a holistic plan to rebuild and renew JCPenney.


From the moment customers walk through the doors, they will discover the assortment is thoughtfully built and organized around how they live their lives and the many different occasions in their day, week and year. Brands and products are curated for shopping enthusiasts and how they want to shop.

• All Day for casual work wear and weekend wear (with all women's and men's sizes in one area.)
• On Point for when customers want to be a bit more refined and polished
• Move for everything from low to high impact
• Chill for the stylish 5-to-9 time, and great lounge and sleepwear
• Shine for those special occasions


In addition, there are lounges scattered across the store and special service areas for shopping as well.

• All-You for fashion jewelry and accessories, Sephora, and the Salon & Spa
• The Barbery for a fresh cut, shave, and shoe shine
• Styling Rooms for women and men with innovative technology
• Movement Studio for health and wellness with instructor classes
• Shutterfly Picture Pop Selfie Studio for capturing family moments
• Pearl Cup Bistro or Pearl Cup Grab + Go for refuel or quick meals


Penney's partnered with Pinterest to help customers who are looking for a home refresh to find the inspiration they need through an in-store style explorer. After answering a few home décor preference questions, shoppers will be presented with a curated Pinterest Board featuring JCPenney home products that best meet their needs and match their style.

The store has also been piloting the Style on the Go Curbside Pickup. The service allows customers to get their online orders without having to leave their car and will be extending to other stores across the U.S.

PENNEY'S

located in North East Mall

1101 Melbourne Dr Ste 5000,

Hurst, TX 76053, United States

Penney's

Harrods has opened its new state-of-the-art Technology department, offering shoppers a unique retail experience in a 3000sqm space overhauled by architecture firm  Gensler. Designed to awaken the senses, the space provides visitors with a truly immersive and personalised shopping experience that brings together the very best in innovation and technology. The department has grown by nearly 80%, moving from the third to the fifth floor to occupy 11 rooms, making it one of the largest technology departments in the UK. Customers can explore dedicated zones across Vision, Computing, Audio, Imaging and Connectivity, shop for products from the world's best tech brands and enjoy revolutionary interactive experiences.

In the main shopping area, the floor has been divided into five distinctive experience-rich zones, connected by a central route that has been re-imagined as a catwalk for better product display and improved wayfinding. Stepping off the catwalk and into the rooms, the pace softens for a more intimate and personalised shopping experience. Driven by innovation, fashion and aesthetic, Harrods has included a range of exclusive pieces with a contemporary look and feel, without compromising on high performance and speed. The new department also sees the introduction of immersive shopping experiences, with a Masterclass Room for learning photography skills, designated listening rooms to try out the best turntables and headphones and viewing rooms to experience top-of-the-range TV and audio.

The contemporary, minimalist space takes inspiration from Harrods' heritage, blurring the boundaries between fashion and technology. The 1930s-inspired geometric floor pattern on the catwalk is echoed by a suspended illuminated ceiling. The suspended ceiling also helps to create a sense of space and height in the Grade II listed building. In contrast, the dark timber and brass used in the rooms, alongside the lighting and soft panel walls, were all selected to create a calming and intimate atmosphere.

Harrods new Technology department

London department store Harrods has unveiled its new Interiors department. Reinvigorated with a fabric library, personalisation services and Harrods' own in-house design studio, the new interiors department combines all home accessories and furniture offerings onto a single floor. Designed by Virgile + Partners, the new department evokes a residential quality as it guides shoppers through a range of vignettes dedicated kitchens, bedrooms and more. There is a section dedicated to home fragrances, a new Halcyon Gallery features artworks, and an interactive space hosts demonstrations of a selection of product ranges. There is also In Luxury Linens where customers can custom-design and monogram their own fabrics. At the heart of the department is Harrods Interior Design, an interior and architecture design studio, which offers a range of expert design services, from styling advice to complete refurbishment options.

Located on the third floor, the space is lined with subtly toned marble floors along with patterns of herringbone, chevron and basket weaves. The open layout comprises 25 interconnected room scenes that highlight the diversity of products featured through the department.

Harrods new Interiors department

Galeries Lafayette flagship store on boulevard Haussmann in Paris is undergoing refurbishment.

The Women Fashion Sport department, previously located on the 4th floor, has moved to the 3rd floor, among Women apparel.

full report: women fashion sport - galeries lafayette, paris

Lingerie, also previously located on the 4th floor, is to join the 2nd floor in a few weeks.

Galeries Lafayette

Opened in December 2019, SKP-S is a one-of-a-kind environment, an incubator for global brands and their followers to immerse themselves and experiment with their future selves. Designed by London-based architecture firm Sybarite, the 19,000 sqm space is to be navigated through a purposefully ever-changing landscape. On each floor, a different perspective and exclusive identity is to be interpreted.

In a bold move, Sybarite has teamed up with Gentle Monster, the Seoul-based eyewear brand known for its bold and highly evocative retail design, to create premises fit for today's generation of digital-savvy shoppers. The Gentle Monster creates numerous theatrical settings based on the theme Digital-Analog Future and the assumption that in the distant future technical leaps will allow mankind to blur the boundaries between human and digital realms, and as such, new forms of evolution.

The entire project is anchored by the continuously evolving Art Experiment Space on the ground floor which opened with a first edition entitled Future Farm, featuring the development of digital science and technology through a setting in which machines have taken over the planet, and information and artificial intelligence manipulates human memories. AI replicants create a virtual reality inside the space where the border between dreams and reality fades, clones of robotic sheep breathe, move, and sound identical to their original sources.


On the ground floor, there is also a cosmetics shop which examines the unprecedented aesthetic trends of Mars. The skincare zone displays objects and plants representing the beauty of the Red Planet and the bar and salon offer new experiences through a rotation of settings.


One floor up, Xu Zhen's sculptures and Daniel Rozin's kinetic penguins interact within the artificial landscape of the future. The select shop examines Martian history and sees Future Martians evolve with new DNA, but nostalgic for earthly origins, they work to rediscover their past. A model of the spacecraft that transported the first settlers to Mars stands at the entrance as a symbol. The floor's spatial design and objects explore the history of Martians' lives, wars, and power, featuring a women's and men's zone, a so-called soft corner, and a fashion accessories zone filled with items from fashion's upper echelon. The first floor houses top tier luxury brands and their alter egos.


On the second floor, iconic and cult streetwear brands stand alongside emerging talents. The colour and material palette is light – industrial in feel with terrazzo of varying shades, polished concrete ceiling coves and backlit glass vitrines.


The third floor features a shoe retail space depicting Mars Rediscovery a.k.a. the future after the future in which a new species of digitalised humans examines their history through past media and relics of the first settlement on Mars. The floor is divided into several zones, each featuring a specific style. Gentle Monster's very own store can be found here as well, and the design is inspired by a new humankind travelling through a wormhole between Mars and Earth. Last but not least, there's Nudake a.k.a. Mars Café where shoppers can recharge in between power shopping sprees in a matching environment.


In the basement, find many inspired food offers from fine dining experiences to restaurants and street food; all in an industrial feel with terrazzo flooring, concrete walls and exposed ceiling.


SKP-S - more pictures 

SKP-S

86 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

French department store Printemps has opened a new fashion space in its Haussmann flagship in September 2019. Dubbed Le Market, the new space offers branded women's ready-to-wear and accessories that embrace all the latest trends. Spread over 300sqm on the 4th floor, it features 32 exclusive brands spotted on Instagram and a curated selection of items catering to Millennials. Designed like an inclusive and unique fashion incubator, the disruptive, instagrammable space looks like a concept store inside the store.

Le Market at Printemps

Dallas-based Neighborhood Goods is referred to as a "new type of department store" by the retailer itself. The company reimagines the brick-and-mortar shopping experience for the digital age, with the idea to give both digitally native startups and established companies a space to introduce their products to customers. The brands can be flexible in terms of how much space they use, how they use it, and how long they stay. The carefully curated ever-rotating assortment offer brands and products specifically for each neighborhood, giving a new exclusive choice to customers each time they come back into the store.

The first store opened in November 2018 in Texas and they now have three locations:

7300 Windrose Ave, Suite A130, Plano, Texas

Chelsea Market: 75 9th Ave., Suite 1A55, New York, New York

South Congress Ave. in Austin, Texas

Neighborhood Goods website

Neighborhood Goods

See below a review of all refurbishments undergone by several Palacio de Hierro stores in 2020. It includes improvements at Palacio: Perisur, Santa Fé, Gudalajara, Polanco, Centro, Villahermosa, Cancun, Centro Coyoacan, Satélite, MTY, and bank GNP Taxqueña.

And get a glimpse at projects and redesigned due to be unveiled in 2021.

EL PALacio de hierro - remodels 2020

John Lewis has revamped its Oxford Street flagship's menswear department. The 1860sqm space has been completely made-over by John Lewis's in-house retail design team, "reflecting a modern, calming aesthetic". The redesign included two "completely transformed own-brands" (John Lewis & Partners and Kin) and the new experiential flagship experience for Oxford Street.


The new department includes a VIP area called The Speak Easy, a clubhouse space that, in line with its name, is accessible via a concealed doorway hidden behind some display shelves. It features comfortable seating and a bar. It's described as "the world's smallest clubhouse" and customers can book what the retailer has dubbed the Ultimate Menswear Experience, a two-hour personal styling session. During the session, the firm's Style Advisors can advise on everything from tailoring to weekend-wear. The session does not only focus on fashion but also includes grooming products and fragrance.  The grooming-focused VIP customer could also book services such a brow shaping, a facial or manicures within The Speak Easy space.


On the shop floor, the company has demystifyed the menswear shopping experience and hosts a team of dedicated, approachable 'Walk and Talk' Style Advisors, with advice hints and tips. For a more focused session, customers can also take advantage of an appointment-based styling service in the menswear styling room.

To enhance men's shopping experience, John Lewis is re-imagining fitting rooms, introducing a luxurious, masculine aesthetic and a new Walk-In Wardrobe concept" -a collection of modern changing rooms where the focus is getting the customer what they need — quickly. Partners within this space will be able to make suggestions on potential looks and trends and source pieces instantly – introducing new ideas and possibilities.

The open-plan retail floor itself features clean lines, carefully curated product edits and dedicated dwell areas for customers, making for a more comfortable and easier shopping experience. There are also digital screens that offer a dynamic platform for collections to be brought to life alongside updates on services.

The revamped department also includes a 93sqm event space called The Pitch that will host workshops and other happenings.

Womenswear

Menswear

Accessories

Harrods has just opened its latest International Designer Room 2 on the second floor with a focus that's all about the brands. The 170 sqm ultra-luxe space was designed by David Collins Studio as a place to shop for fun rather than necessity. Previously located on the lower ground floor, this Designer Room houses "unique and forward-thinking brands" with 12 dedicated boutiques for labels.

The look is very contemporary with plenty stainless steel, white-veined black marble, and leather-lined changing rooms. Two pop-up areas will feature monthly installations from big names as well as emerging labels. The pop-ups will also play host to exclusives such as November's debut of new Beats Headphones. New scent launches, watches and other tech accessories are likely to be a big feature of the spaces too, given their importance to men's sales overall.

The new area continues the luxe concept established with last year's Superbrands opening and the launch of International Designer Room 1 last February. the International Designer Room 3 will be revealed later this year with new brands. Following that, Shoes & Accessories, Luxury and Contemporary and the Designer Casuals and Outdoor departments will migrate to their new Second Floor home.

The whole project is set to complete in 2020 by when the Second Floor will be a one-stop shop for all things menswear, including personal-shopping services, tailoring and bespoke areas alongside dedicated pop-up spaces, two restaurants and a barber.