By Marco Passoni
Luxury brand Moncler is flying high right now. The brand has been showcasing amazing innovation in recent months; it dropped its third Genius collaboration with JW Anderson and has also announced plans to expand the attention-grabbing range to include arts, music and sport as part of a more holistic brand experience for shoppers.
This sort of approach is something travel retail could really do with more of – and the good news is that Moncler agrees.
The brand has just opened its latest store in travel retail, at Frankfurt Airport, and it is a true showcase of how to tailor an authentic brand experience to an airport setting.
On approach, shoppers are greeted by a striking Moncler façade, with eye-catching screens bearing digital images which mark their move into a world created for them by the brand.
The interior is stylishly designed to create an engaging and open space for shoppers for browse at leisure or easily access the collections on show. The focus here is on discovery, with products and collections highlighted to engage shoppers.
We have talked a lot about ‘zero value’ and the importance of creating an authentic brand experience rather than pushing product in travel retail and Moncler, as they have showcased in their domestic stores, are leaders in this field. The collections are there for shoppers to discover or indulge themselves in a brand experience, creating memories rather than forcing quick sales.
The stylish interior design allows the striking collections to grab attention which makes navigating the store easy. This is especially important since the space is larger than it initially appears, allowing shoppers to fully immerse themselves in the Moncler experience while inside.
It is worth considering how this store differs from Moncler’s domestic outlets, with a more pared-back design aesthetic, tailored to the needs of an airport shopper on a tight schedule. But it also allows space for exploration by those with a little more time.
This is typical of the flexibility and dedication to brand experience which has underpinned Moncler’s recent success.
Collections are showcased for shoppers to discover or indulge themselves in a brand experience, creating memories rather than forcing quick sales
As the brand’s CEO & Chairman Remo Ruffini put it when discussing their recent results: “We head into our most important part of the year with confidence, underpinned by our strategy and the operational flexibility that has always made us stand out, together with a financial solidity and a clear vision oriented towards the continuous strengthening of the brands.”
The new Moncler store at Frankfurt Airport is an excellent example of strong collaboration to realise a brand vision that meets an operator’s needs in the wake of the pandemic. We at 2.0 & Partners are delighted to have worked alongside our colleagues and fellow stakeholders to help bring this experience to life as travel recovery continues.
