In pictures: New stores that brought the wow factor in lockdown year

JD Sports, Times Square, New York

Sportswear titan JD Sports opened a multistorey flagship store on New York’s iconic Times Square in October in a bid to boost its reputation Stateside.

The 18,000 sq ft store is  the most expensive shop the sportswear retailer has ever built.

It has a host of features to elevate the shopping experience, including a DJ booth above the entrance of the shop as a permanent fixture, as well as a sneaker conveyor belt on the ground floor where shoppers can collect their online orders.

Apple, Singapore

Apple launched its awe-inspiring Singaporean flagship in Marina Bay, its first store to sit directly on water.

The store is an all-glass dome structure constructed with 114 pieces of glass, which offers shoppers a 360-degree view of the Singapore skyline.

It has a host of unique features, including the brand’s first underwater boardroom and an oculus at the top of the store structure that was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. 

Asda’s sustainability store, Leeds

Grocery giant Asda opened a pilot ‘sustainability store’ in Middleton, Leeds, which includes product refill options, loose and unwrapped produce and a pledge that “customers will not pay more for greener options”.

Asda worked with big-name FMCG brands such as PG Tips, Vimto, Kellogg’s, Radox and Persil to create the store, which opened in October, and hopes to replicate the initiative in more branches next year.

The shop includes 15 “huge” refill stations for products such as Kellogg’s cereals, Lavazza coffee beans, own-brand rice and pasta and 53 fresh produce lines sold loose and unwrapped.

Asda has also removed outer plastic wrapping from products such as Heinz canned multipacks.

There are recycling facilities for items difficult to recycle at kerbside collections and the retailer has installed its first reverse vending machine.

The Asda store also showcases sustainable George fashion products, such as items made from recycled polyester, and has struck a partnership with vintage clothing wholesaler Preloved to sell branded apparel.

Amazon Fresh, Los Angeles

Amazon opened the doors of its first Fresh supermarket in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, during the summer. The online giant said it was a “new grocery store designed from the ground up to offer a seamless shopping experience, whether customers are shopping in store or online”.

The store has checkout-less options including a Dash Cart trolley, which uses computer-vision algorithms and sensors so customers can simply sign in using an app or QR code and their purchases are automatically totted up as they are placed in the trolley.

Customers can also access their Alexa shopping lists in store and Echo Show devices will answer questions such as “Where can I find the hot sauce?”

Nike’s House of Innovation, Paris

Nike opened its first European House of Innovation format in Paris in July. 

The store is the third such format in the world after its New York and Shanghai outposts.

The House of Innovation store uses technology to create immersive experiences, such as a parkour simulation for kids. 

Nike has focused on offering ‘hyper-localised’ products that are exclusive to its Paris store, as well as product collaborations with local artists including Arthur Teboul and Marc Armand. 

Primark, Trafford Centre, Manchester

Primark opened its new Trafford Centre store in June on the day ‘non-essential’ shops were allowed to reopen after the first lockdown.

Originally set for March, the opening was delayed by the pandemic, but the value fashion chain vowed to return “with a bang”.

The Trafford Centre store hosts a beauty studio, a cafe and a ‘Custom Lab’ where shoppers can personalise items including T-shirts and tote bags.

Burberry and Tencent, Shenzhen, China

Burberry and Chinese technology giant Tencent have collaborated on a new concept store in China, which has been dubbed a ‘social retail’ experience.

Burberry combine the physical and social media worlds by creating a way for customers to interact with the brand and its products on- and offline.

Using a dedicated WeChat mini-programme, customers can unlock exclusive content and personalised experiences and share them with their communities.

Shoppers can use WeChat to access features such as store tours and product information or to book in-store appointments, event tickets and tables at the in-store cafe.

The more a customer engages with the brand, the more rewards they can receive, including exclusive cafe menu items and content.

The 5,800 sq foot store has 10 rooms with features including an interactive store window, QR codes on all products for customers to discover more information and three bookable fitting room, each with their own decor and playlist.

Every area of the store is designed to have its own personality and offer a different interactive experience, drawing on famous Burberry elements such as the trenchcoat, the monogram and the animal kingdom.

Burberry plans to use the space to test and learn from new innovations, which could then be rolled out to other Burberry stores.

Adidas Originals, London

Adidas’ new Originals shop, opened on London’s Carnaby Street in October, was designed with its destination keenly in mind, with one-off installations commissioned by local artists, specially designed neon signs from Walthamstow institution God’s Own Junkyard and a 3D-printed trainer sculpture. 

The store spans two floors but, at just 790 sq ft, is not a large-scale retail emporium, making sure it blends well into its Carnaby Street setting.

It features a Spezial-branded pool table and Pioneer vintage speaker set and DJ booth, and also sells exclusive lines and sought-after capsule collections, such as Kanye West Yeezy and Beyoncé’s Ivy Park.

Adidas has also filled the store with nods to its heritage as a brand, including a display case of sneakers that have been signed by artists such as Missy Elliott and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

H Beauty, Essex

Harrods opened its first standalone beauty concept, H Beauty, at Intu Lakeside in Essex in October. 

The 23,000 sq ft store is dedicated entirely to premium health, beauty and skincare brands, and blends household names such as Chanel and Dior with more modern market disruptors such as Huda Beauty and Uoma.

H Beauty offers experiential retail and services, giving customers the chance to try the latest brands and beauty technology, such as at-home LED light-therapy system The Light Salon.

Its ‘Skincare Station’ offers customers facials with the best brands in the business, while magic mirrors can also be used to try out make-up in lieu of sampling under Covid-19 restrictions.

Customers can also make use of the Champagne bar, offering cocktails and pastries, to add to the luxurious experience. 

H&M, Stockholm