From checkout
to check-in
And fashion brands aren’t the only ones to make
their way into hospitality: Muji is now topping
its flagships with hotel floors and Lexus offers
fine dining. Also entering the market are F&B
distributors like the Parisian deli Fauchon and
Scottish beer craft company Brewdog (‘Who
needs an alarm call when you can awake to the
aromas of brewing?’).
This issue is not just about the origin of
branded hospitality, but also presents its latest
manifestations. We provide an overview of
the dos and don’ts and pass on lessons from
pioneers. If done well a bar, restaurant or hotel
can be a valuable addition to the retail empire of
any brand that represents a lifestyle. Who knows,
retail might even transform into hospitality
someday...ROBERT THIEMANN
Editor in chiefCatching the attention of consumers is one of
the biggest challenges retailers face. After all,
the shop is now only one among many places
where transactions take place. But it does offer
people the opportunity to see, feel and to some
extent try out products. Shops are increasingly
becoming providers of experiences. Displays
are getting quirkier, scents and sound abound,
in-store events reach out to communities.
Retailers spare no trouble or expense to create
a memorable experience.
But how can you hold people’s attention
longer than the time it takes them to walk around
the shop? Better still, how can you turn attention
into brand loyalty? Or even more important, how
can you transform paying attention into paying
for purchases? An increasing number of consumer
brands is finding the answers to these questions
by entering the hospitality market.
Branded hotels are not a new concept. About
20 years ago, Diesel and Versace were the first
major fashion brands to open hotels. Brands such
as Baccarat, Bulgari and Camper followed. The
underlying idea is that instead of for 15 minutes,
these hotels immerse consumers in a branded
lifestyle ecosystem for at least 24 hours. They live
with a brand for an entire day. How impactful an
experience is that?
Although the brand hotel didn’t become
the go-to solution, brands are rediscovering the
power of hospitality now that retail is in danger
of being marginalized. They aren’t only opening
hotels, but also restaurants (Gucci’s Osteria
in Florence) and even patisseries (Pasticceria
Marchesi in Milan belongs to the Prada Group).
6 EDITORIAL