look, for example, she can e-mail it to herself
to buy later. The carousel also reflects Shin-
zo’s state of mind. Instead of dressing head-
to-toe in one label, customers are encouraged
to pick different products from different
brands to create their own silhouettes.
Another display tries to get into the
head of a sneaker addict. A shoe housed
within a glass case is captured from every
angle by a macro lens mounted on a robotic
arm. The footage is streamed live onto
nearby screens.
MM: We also developed a museum
of classics. Here, 3D-printed sneakers are
fitted with an RFID chip. Placing a shoe on
the central shelf triggers a screen to play
that particular product’s story. Although this
display may rely on replicas, customers do
eventually get to touch actual merchandise
in another part of The Heritage Zone.How does the store marry online and
offline? FD: That was our starting point
for the interactive tech pieces. The experi-
ence begins in the first room, The Out-
door, where customers can collect their
web-store purchases. This process attracts
people to the physical environment.
MM: Drawing people to a bricks-
and-mortar store via online purchases isn’t
a new idea, but it’s uncommon in Paris.
It’s a good way of dealing with productreleases; the retailer basically asks cus-
tomers to ‘reserve’ their new sneakers in
advance. The screens in the first room are
transparent, making the content customiz-
able to a new release.What’s your definition of future-proof retail
design? MM: Rather than looking for a big
revolution, we focus on the steps we can take
to offer customers an explorative experience.
FD: It’s clear that more and more
people are buying online. We need to find
new ways to bring customers into stores
through physical experiences. Thanks to
Shinzo’s digital elements, the flagship’s look
and feel change every two weeks. It’s like a
theatre play: new scene, different actors.
MM: If merchandise alone is what
you’re after, you can simply browse a web-
site. But when you anticipate a new experi-
ence on your next visit to a physical store,
the attraction goes beyond the product. The
last room at Shinzo, The Temporary Zone,
is an event space for pop-ups and product
launches: content that will change con-
stantly. Shinzo’s various touch points make
it different to other stores – and make cus-
tomers want to come back. – TI
bonsoirparis.frConnecting Shinzo’s
various spaces, The
Corridor displays products
as if they were jewellery.
In The Lab (opposite),
customers can digitally
piece together an outfit,
which is then composed in
the real-life carousel.‘When you
anticipate a new
experience on
your next visit to
a physical store,
the attraction
goes beyond
the product’
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