The Dutch optics company Nexeye is planning expansion. The company recently announced plans to quickly grow to a portfolio of 1,000 stores. One of the most important growth pillars is the optician chain Eyes + more. The brand is opening a ‘Metropolitan Store’ in Cologne today. FashionUnited asked Björn Wecker, responsible for the German division of Eyes + more, a few questions.
Why is a metropolitan store important for Eyes + more’s strategy?
Eyes + more is one of the fastest growing retailers in Germany. We continually develop and refine our retail concept. We are not introducing anything completely new in Cologne. On the contrary: we are showing our concept in its full potential at a very visible and prominent location in the city.
The strength of the Eyes + more concept lies in its clear and distinctive retail approach. We focus heavily on fashionable frames and design, combined with a wide and frequently renewed collection. Open and accessible displays invite customers to explore, compare and try on different styles. This ensures a simple, interactive and pleasant shopping experience.
At the same time, the store environment plays an important role. Natural materials such as wood, combined with a light and neutral color palette, create a warm and inviting atmosphere in which the frames take center stage. This balance of design, accessibility and experience is what customers recognize and value.
The Metropolitan Store in Cologne builds on this proven concept and brings it to its full potential. We show the concept of Eyes + more in its most complete and expressive form.
The size allows us to show more than 1,700 frames, special sunglasses walls and, for the first time, a completely open presentation of all 38 lens variants. This makes what is normally technical and takes place behind the scenes tangible and easy to understand. With the addition of the ‘Club More Lounge’, the business goes beyond just the transaction and adds another dimension to the customer experience.
However, the core of the concept remains unchanged. It’s the same Eyes + more experience that customers already know and love – just on a larger scale and in a prominent urban location. In this sense, the Cologne Metropolitan Store is more than just an opening; it serves as a blueprint for how the brand can further expand its presence in major cities.
At the same time, consistency is crucial. We are not introducing a new, different concept. It’s the same Eyes + more experience that our customers know, just on a larger scale and in a prominent urban location. Seen in this way, the opening of the Cologne Metropolitan Store is more than just an opening. It is a blueprint for what a large-scale presence in big cities can look like in the future.
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Why Cologne?
Cologne and the surrounding region have traditionally been an area where we have been very successful, and our popularity here continues to grow.
If you want high visibility in Germany, you go to Schildergasse. It is one of the most popular shopping streets in the country with high visitor numbers, strong retail dynamics and a central role in Cologne’s urban life. For a concept based on accessibility and volume, such an environment is essential.
At the same time, the competition in the immediate area offered good opportunities for a modern, fashion-conscious optical range. In combination with the growing brand awareness of Eyes + more in the region, Cologne offered exactly the right conditions to introduce the Metropolitan Store format.
How is the Metropolitan Store different from regular Eyes + more branches?
Mainly because of the size and what it enables. With 240 square meters on two floors, the Cologne location is the largest Eyes + more branch in Europe. This space allows for more: more frames, more visibility for sunglasses and a completely new way to present lenses. For the first time, all 38 variants are visible, turning a previously invisible aspect of our product into something customers can actually discover.
The addition of the ‘Club More Lounge’ further changes the dynamic. It creates space for inspiration and interaction, not just for purchasing. And yet the core remains unchanged. The Metropolitan Store does not reinvent the concept of Eyes + more, but rather reinforces it.
Are further metropolitan stores planned and where?
Eyes + more is growing quickly, adding 75 new branches in Germany, Austria and Sweden this year alone, and the expansion continues. Within this development, a metropolitan store is the logical next step for large cities. It is a format that translates growth in presence and brand visibility in densely populated areas. Where and how often we will use it depends on local conditions. But Cologne is leading the way. If performance matches initial indications, the Metropolitan Store format will become a critical element of our presence in key urban markets.
This interview was conducted in writing.
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