Signs and urban concepts

Urban concepts" are making their debut in France. Consumers can only rejoice, since the trend of the moment is towards local shops. How can you imagine a 20,000 m² IKEA, usually located on the outskirts of town, in the heart of the city? What technological devices will these brands use to satisfy their customers? This is the challenge of developing phygitalization, our mission at Retail VR.

IKEA follows the trend of urban concepts and sets up shop downtown

The suburban retail growth model is losing steam. A sign that times are changing is that more and more retailers are returning to downtown. IKEA's strategic shift is emblematic. The Swedish giant is adapting and launching its "urban concept" in the heart of Paris. Moving from 20,000 sq. m. in the suburbs to 5,000 sq. m. in the heart of Paris does not come without concessions, starting with the rent. IKEA is ready to pay about 4.5 million euros per year to set up shop at the Madeleine. Of course, IKEA is not the first to reinvest in the local area, Decathlon (City) and Darty have already taken the step.

Refocusing stores in city centers, a European trend

In Europe, however, this concept is not new. Indeed, as early as 2014, IKEA invested in city centers, such as in Germany (Hamburg) and more recently in London (Tottenham court road). European consumers can therefore expect to see brands whose initial concept is far removed from convenience stores returning to city centers. Germany, England, France, Denmark, Spain and Italy are all seeing the emergence of these new urban concepts... But tell me... How do IKEA and others manage to sell their products by reducing the size of their usual points of sale by four?

Technology, augmented and virtual reality: supporting the customer experience

The secret of these urban concepts lies partly in the innovation of technologies. Retail tech is at work. The elimination of cash registers and therefore of queues represents for these giants, a huge gain in space. Augmented reality or virtual reality now allow for range extensions previously unimaginable in a small retail outlet. As a result, only a piece of furniture on display would be enough to help the customer trigger a purchase. Interactive kiosks, often decried, are now entering the heart of the store. Fnac has recently launched its self-service store (one in La Défense and two in Bordeaux) likeAmazon go or 4 Casino.

The cell phone, the essential tool for the point of sale

The use of cell phones is now essential. Your smartphone acts as a checkout, a price comparator, a virtual catalog, you just have to scan the desired products and the payment, the product increase, the comparison, the identification of promotions is done almost automatically.

Retail VR, the toolbox of experiential technologies

Retail VR develops solutions designed to simplify in-store promotion of range extensions. We are convinced that the customer experience based on virtual and augmented reality technologies is one of the solutions that will enable these specialized superstores to establish themselves in city centers in the future. Imagine virtually bringing a piece of furniture or a decorative item into your home, simply by using a smartphone or tablet. Not even better! Imagine shopping in virtual reality, immersed in an experiential concept store, with the help of a virtual reality headset, and even going one step further by personalizing your purchase directly.Our mission is to fit 20,000 m² into 5,000 m², and to model 50,000 references industrially. We're working hard to develop these solutions. Want to know more about virtual reality? Download the free white paper "The contribution of 3D in retail".