Der erste Flagshipstore des Omnichannel-Optikers nach 50 erfolgreichen stationären Läden präsentiert sich als die "Mister Spex Boutique", die als Herzstück der Kooperation mit Luxusmarken und neuen unabhängigen Luxuslabels fungiert, um Kunden zu begeistern.
The first flagship store of the omnichannel retailer Mister Spex SE opened in December 2022 in Cologne’s best premium location on Schildergasse. On two floors and a total of 400 square meters, the brand presents the well-known range of over 50 stationary stores on the ground floor in the store concept developed by Dan Pearlman. On the first floor, the flagship store also has an innovation in store for fans of the brand with the first “Mister Spex Boutique”. The “Mister Spex Boutique” is the heart of Mister Spex’s cooperation with luxury brands and new luxury independent labels. Customers are attracted from afar by the LED media wall, which is placed over two floors on the exterior facade of the flagship store in a prominent location on Schildergasse, which features the brand’s current campaigns.
The store concept for the first Mister Spex flagship store in Cologne is based on a further development of the store concept developed by dan pearlman in 2016 for the launch of the brand in stationary retail. The proven concept is based on a well-thought-out integration of store formats of different sizes with the brand’s proven online processes. The success of the brand’s expansion in stationary retail is largely based on the intelligent customer journey, which has incorporated existing online offers and services into the architectural design of the store and facade. During the process of planning the store concept, dan pearlman’s experienced team dealt intensively with the topic of „buying glasses“. Since then, the concept has been significantly developed and optimized in collaboration with Mister Spex and most recently supplemented by the innovation of the first Mister Spex boutique. When answering the question of how online processes can be transferred offline to brick-and-mortar retail, the customer was always the focus of creative development. In the flagship store, too, the customer is welcomed by a transparent room layout with clear structures. Oak wood combined with matt sand beige and aluminum gray as well as anthracite accents support the open room effect, creating a modern atmosphere. The brand logo, a stylized pair of glasses, is integrated into the spatial concept and can be found on the central back wall of the product presentation in the store. The brand’s iconographic supersign can be found in all Mister Spex stores, including in Cologne. New in the Cologne flagship store is the “Trendwall”, which shows the latest trends in eyewear and accessories and opens up a lifestyle world. Also new is a “Virtual Try On” screen on which you can try out the variety of the range of the entire Mister Spex online product world. It is also possible to actually check the selected glasses models at any time, as newly designed oval and round mirrors, which are reminiscent of eyeglass lenses, are clearly arranged throughout the store.
In the flagship store, a staircase leads from the ground floor to the second floor. The back wall of the staircase is a new highlight of the store, as hundreds of glasses in the colors of the rainbow are displayed on the wall and form the perfect background for “grammable moments” that can then be shared by influencers and customers on social media. The rainbow gradient in the colors of the glasses presented is a reminiscence of the cosmopolitan and diverse Cologne and, as a photo point, also represents the open attitude of the company Mister Spex SE. The brand names of the Mister Spex brand collaborations are also placed within this feature wall, which customers will find with their products on the upper floor in the Mister Spex boutique. Once there, the premium world of Mister Spex cooperation partners awaits customers. Classic luxury brands such as Gucci, Botega Veneta etc. are complemented by new luxury independent labels such as Mykita. In the Mister Spex boutique, the brand’s own branding is discreetly receded in favor of optimal presentation of the premium brands. In the Mister Spex boutique, the trend wall is specifically aimed at a premium brand using a vertical LED wall. In front of it, a horizontal LED screen acts as a horizontal presentation platform. The topic of comprehensive customer advice has always been a top priority at Mister Spex. The large counter centrally located on the upper floor invites you to linger. Not only does the consultation take place here, you can also relax with a coffee and finally even pay for your new glasses. The counter creates a relaxed atmosphere and, with its curved shapes and the Corian material in the color smoke (beige), is more reminiscent of a bar than a sales counter. If you prefer something a little quieter, you can also retreat to the lounge island with a sofa and armchairs from Verpan designed by Verner Panton with a fabric from Kvadrat, designed by designer Raf Simons.
In the Mister Spex Boutique, the store concept also plays with the contrasts of light oak, black powdered steel and satin aluminum. A virtual “Try On” is made possible by iPads that are integrated into the back walls of the product presentation. Another digital highlight are the “Electronic Shelf Labels”, which not only display the price, but are also linked directly to the Mister Spex website via a QR code, so that the customer can remember the model of glasses and order them later from home.
Volker Katschinski, responsible creative director at dan pearlman, says about the collaboration with Mister Spex: “After over 50 stores opened nationally and internationally, the Cologne flagship store is a real highlight of the Mister Spex omnichannel story. In particular, the gigantic selection of luxury and independent label glasses on a separate floor makes this store a beacon for the entire optician industry. This project contains everything that a store designer can only dream of: great brands and products, the latest technologies, real experiences and a sophisticated customer journey with sophisticated design.”
Thanks to the Mister Spex SE team, especially Laura Wolke, Retail Expansion Manager, Tobias Eulenpesch, Category Manager Luxury, and Nira-Maria Wecke, Expansion Coordinator,
for the fruitful cooperation. Volker Katschinski, creative director, Andrea Jacob, senior architect, Anna Steinig, architect, and Sandra Kittler, senior project manager, worked on the project in the dan pearlman team. Thanks to the Stapelbroek team for implementing the shop fitting.
