Sky-High Retail for Grounded Shoppers
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APEX Insight: An airline ticket is no longer required to experience the highlights of the airport shopping experience. Retail outlets have captured the magic of air travel and, through clever designs, are sharing it with shoppers. Innovative interiors and themed details fuse the luxury of travel with high-end goods, allowing for a world-class shopping experience – without a passport.
The Bond Between Bags and Air Travel
Luxury luggage brand Rimowa opened its London flagship store earlier this month. The terminal-style design of the Bond Street concept shop mimics the industrial feel of an airplane cargo-hold. Showcasing the same material as the original Rimowa suitcase is a recreation of an early all-metal German aircraft, designed in 1919.
From Conveyor Belts to Waist Belts
In the wake of its airport-themed fashion show last October, Chanel opened a pop-up retail shop in Singapore this spring where flight attendant mannequins set the scene for conveyor belt displays showcasing Chanel’s Airline collection.
A Clear Connection
Women’s fashion label, The Clearport, offers a sky-high retail experience at its recently opened New Jersey store. The space includes airport-security style lines leading up to cashiers and arrivals and departures screens showcasing the latest passing trends. Shoppers are invited to fill up gray bins with their selections before heading to the fitting room.
Number One Travel Boutique
Flight 001, a travel accessories boutique that claims to satisfy the international traveler’s every need, boasts curved walls, glowing lights and warm walnut paneling to imitate the Boeing 747 cabin design. According to testimonials posted on Flight 001’s website, even Martha Stewart approves of the design, saying, “I love this store; it looks like an airplane.”
When Shopping Mimics Hopping onto a Flight
The exterior of Bangkok’s 45,000 m² Terminal 21 mall resembles a modern airport, and, inside, display boards modeled after flight information screens lead to information desks staffed with “flight attendants.” A network of escalators transports retail adventurers to over 600 stores – disguised as locations from around the world, from Turkish souks to London’s Carnaby Street – taking the shopping experience to a whole new level.
