The Selfridges store on Oxford Street in London has become a landmark with its window displays a major factor in its appeal. Now, its sister store in Birmingham is aiming to emulate this distinguishing aspect, having installed curved glass displays at the main entrances from the Bullring shopping centre.
Measuring 3.5 metres tall by 8 metres wide, the displays – unlike their London counterparts – will be visible from 360 degrees and will feature the most exciting products, themes and events on offer within the store.
Their installation marks a pivotal moment in the store’s £20 million refurbishment programme which will also include a revamp of the Beauty Hall along with the introduction of a new Menswear section.
The futuristic curved window was designed by Ab Rogers Design and Mr Rogers, who is also head of interior design at The Royal College of Art, believes its installation will help in maximising the store’s presence within the Bullring.
He says; “We wanted to create a dramatic shop front announcing the entrance of Selfridges as a gateway to another world.
“The building is the icon of Birmingham and we felt it deserved an equally stunning entrance – we’ve created a supersized fishbowl, a 360 degree shop window that customers can walk around as their first experience of the store.
“Selfridges has always been famous for its incredible windows, which demonstrate the store’s creativity and show off its phenomenal merchandise: this is our 21st century version.”
In part, the extensive refurbishment programme was sparked by the need to remain ahead of the local competition. Although the store has been a city landmark for 11 years now, a new John Lewis department store is about to open virtually on its doorstep and its old rival Harvey Nichols is expanding its store as part of the redevelopment of the nearby Mailbox. Both retailers are strong enough to eat into Selfridges’ market share, meaning it must work hard to retain customer loyalty in the long term.
Yet competition from rival department stores is only part of the challenge facing Selfridges in the near future as a number of developments are set to open, including the much anticipated New Street Station retail scheme.
Together, they will see Birmingham’s shopping space almost double making it even more important to stand out from the crowd.
General manager at Selfridges Birmingham, Vicki Cain, believes the new window displays will certainly help to capture attention.
She says; “The arrival of the windows is a historic moment for us, as it presents a unique opportunity to captivate our customers before they even set foot in the store.
“Setting the standard for the rest of the store, our windows will create a visually dramatic entrance, elevating the shopping experience from the get-go.”
