Store gallery: Pandora opens ‘warm, welcoming and playful’ new concept store on Oxford Street

When asked to describe the store in three words, Pandora UK and Ireland marketing director Sarah Chenery said “warm, welcoming and playful” and added that it feels more feminine than ever before.

Speaking to Retail Week during a tour of the 1,300 sq ft store, Chenery said the new store reflects Pandora’s bid to engage with its old and new customers and encourage authenticity when it comes to ways of styling their jewellery.

Chenery said: “What we really wanted to do was look at the way customers shop and design the store with them in mind. Rather than just showcasing what we have to offer, we wanted to make the experience more intuitive.

“It gave the brand an opportunity to express itself a bit more. Instead of it being a fairly clinical, clean and ordered space, it is more playful and warmer. There are now circular units and the walls are used to express things and identify styling or engraving and other themes that are important to customers.”

With a wide selection of pieces on offer to be engraved, Pandora also wants to expand the opportunities for personalisation in its future collections.

“It is nice to have somewhere to come in this crazy world that is a physical location where you can actually enjoy shopping”

Sarah Chenery, Pandora

Chenery said: “I think the importance of personalisation has always been there. Pandora has always been doing that through our vast range of charms, which has really been our personalisation point of view, but adding in engraving allows us to take it to the next level and make it even more special and intimate as a gift.

“Everyone might have the same charm but the inscription will be different, which makes it so cherished. We are a really core gifting brand so being able to do that adds an extra layer.

“Hopefully, in the store, customers will now find it easier to see what is new and to see what else we do because one of our other key focuses is to open us up as a full jewellery house.

“Obviously, our charms and bracelets are the core of our brand and will always remain so, but we have beautiful modern classics, the diamond category and so much more to discover.

“I’m hoping our loyal customers will enjoy the new environment to play with the brand but also discover some of the newer things that we will have.”

Chenery told Retail Week about the importance of paying homage to the city of London in the store.

“It is always nice to celebrate where you are and to connect yourself to a community, including having fashion illustrator Sarah Smart create the beautiful sketch [of iconic London landmarks] in-store.

“It gives people the chance to play and take a memory away. The in-store phonebox is really a celebration of our charms and we have chosen the London charms because we do expect tourists to visit and I also think it is great for Londoners and people taking day trips to add to their journey.

“One of the key things is the Elizabeth Line, we’ve got people coming from east and east into the city, which makes it more accessible. That natural increase in traffic from a wider area is an obvious, strategic reason to be here. I see the area as a development area so it is nice to be part of that.”

Looking forward, Chenery said the brand is always evolving as it eyes new locations and opportunities.

“Our dynamic is to never stand still and although the concept will remain, how the brand presents itself in it will probably adjust as we get new collections and new stories to tell. What I love about this store is that it is not so prescriptive; people can just come and enjoy and experience it. 

“This concept will continue to be rolled out when a store needs refitting or we have a new opportunity. Hand in hand with that, the marketing campaign and the brand positioning will again try to echo the experience in the store. 

“We want to be accessible, we want people to be able to participate with us, and trying on jewellery is still so important. Customers coming in and chatting with our store teams is also important, especially the loyalty from some of our core customers.

“It is nice to have somewhere to come in this crazy world that is a physical location where you can actually enjoy shopping.”