Prenatal, the Mothercare of southern Europe, has unveiled a new look for its stores with a format created by design consultancy 20/20. This store, in the Milanese commuter town of Assago, opened in late November and is aimed at positioning the retailer as more affordable, with increased product densities and the ambition to be a “total service provider”.
In practice, this means the Assago branch of this 450-strong chain boasts everything from a “New Together” area - a space intended to allow mothers to share information and where children can play, to an eco-looking space age pod bearing the legend “futura mamma”, where expectant mothers can buy clothing. The children’s play area turns into a 40-seat cinema for in-store events.
A strong emphasis has been placed on natural materials, principally wood, replacing the somewhat neutral and functional style of the existing stores. And there is the equivalent of a male crèche, with an area in which fathers are made to feel welcome with sports magazines and a “racetrack” for pushchairs.
The design company says that two mindsets have been involved in the creation of this interior: “celebration”, centred on spontaneity, and “serious parenting”, which translates as information and control, apparently.
Perhaps more importantly, this store and the three others - two more in Italy and one in Barcelona - that have been given the treatment are a big departure for the retailer. This may be about greater affordability, but it is also about creating a store format that moves beyond practical and into the realms of the aesthetic.
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