Swiss running brand On opened its first UK store on Friday, which is also its largest to date, on Regent Street in London.
The three-storey flagship covers 860 square meters and complements the locations in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Zurich. It’s part of the brand’s strategy to expand its B2C reach.
On’s co-founder David Allemann hosted the innovative, high-tech and interactive space where the brand’s science-based and design-led approach to footwear and apparel is evident throughout. There are revolving ‘stages’ with robots showcasing the Science Museum’s sneakers, latest apparel collection and an interactive display for the Cyclon sustainability subscription service. Also, there are no tills to be seen.
“In our salesrooms, we prioritize interaction over transaction,” explains Allemann. “Most of our transactions take place on our website and we use our stores as a platform to speak to our community and interact directly with our audience.”
He adds: “We want to make sure that when customers come into our stores, they not only have a shopping experience, but also interact. In this London store we have set up stages where we offer actions such as a launch and science museum style interactions. We want to bring our product closer to customers in an entertaining way.”
On opens flagship store in London
The UK flagship is on the corner of Regent Street and New Burlington Street. It features wide, large windows that let light flood into the spacious and minimalistic space. The first circular, chromed ‘stage’, where customers are greeted, consists of a robotic arm presenting On’s range of running shoes under the slogan “Meet your next running shoe”.
The robot goes through the individual models and reveals details about the cushioning, the running feeling and the weight. There is also a QR code that can be used to access more information about each shoe, including the models Cloudgo, Cloudflow and Cloudmonster with additional cushioning.
Elsewhere on the ground floor, referred to by the brand as the ‘Explore’ area, is an exhibit dedicated to On’s focus on sustainability, featuring the ‘shoe you never own’, the 100 per cent recyclable high-performance Cloudneo running shoe , which is made from bio-based resources and is only available by subscription. The initiative named Cyclone costs a contribution of 25 British pounds (about 28 euros) per month and allows subscribers: to return their used pair of sneakers and get a replacement for them. These shoes are then crushed into pellets that are used to create new shoe parts. The initiative is an innovative circulation system for sports shoes.
To demonstrate the cycle, the castor beans and castor oil used to make the striking white Cloudneo are displayed on stage alongside the shredded components under ‘Run. Repeat. Recycle’ exhibited.
The final stage, which can be lowered and whose walls can be moved, focuses on apparel — a growth area for the brand that Allemann says sells 20 to 25 percent better in-store than on the website because “customers like to touch “. On also brings its apparel, ranging from leggings to lightweight jackets, tops, sports bras and parkas, to life by setting up mannequins in running poses.
On> We also tried to recreate the shopping experience
The first floor houses the shopping portion of the store, where customers are greeted by floor-to-ceiling shelves of clothing highlighting the brand’s running, trials and move activewear and sports bras. The London store carries On’s full range of women’s and men’s clothing and shoes. It is the first time that the full range is available in London.
On the other side of the floor is a ‘magic wall’ for athletic shoes, displaying all models in different colors in a floor-to-ceiling display case.
“Downstairs is the area where customers can discover something, up here you can shop and try out more,” explains Allemann. “But we also tried to re-create the shopping experience by maximizing interactions. In a normal sporting goods store, someone will ask you your size and then disappear into the storeroom for ten minutes, where you can try the model on immediately.”
“We want our consultants to maximize their time with our clients. Instead of spending their time in the stock room looking for sizes, we want them to help you find the right shoe and explain the features to you.”
The scientific explanation continues on the first floor, where the award-winning, ultra-light Zero running jacket is on display, weighing just 61 grams. Interested parties can convince themselves of the lightness of the jacket by pressing a button and filling the jacket with air so that it begins to float.
Another display demonstrates how cushioning and shoe soles are tested during On’s product development.
Customers can also have their walking style analyzed by walking across a section of the floor equipped with hidden gait cycle analysis technology. She provides three shoe recommendations based on customers’ style and gait, using data from thousands of typical running profiles.
The last part of the store focuses on the community. In addition to a pop-up bar, the basement offers a multifunctional room for discussions, workouts and events. The brand will host weekly running meet-ups and has an event planned around the London Marathon.
When asked why On chose London as their next location, Allemann says: “London was a focus for us as we see intense community growth here. In Q3 we doubled the community in the UK and our strategy for retail locations is to go where our communities are.”
This article was similarly published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ