THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIO: MARC O’POLO LAUNCHES NEW STORE CONCEPT

STEPHANSKIRCHEN, MARCH 2021. With its latest store opening in Munich, Marc O’Polo presents its new store concept, THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIO. An important step in the strategic development of the brand, the new concept underlines Marc O’Polo’s position as a sustainable, leading modern casual lifestyle brand in the global premium segment. The concept embodies the modernity of the brand with Scandinavian roots and presents the collection luxuriously, with a new generosity and a deliberate straightforwardness. The design comes from London-based FITCH, a leading brand and retail consultancy, which won the pitch at an international level. The retail concept was installed for the first time in a 180 m2 space inside the Pasing Arcaden by our longstanding partner, shop-fitting experts Knoblauch.

THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIO conveys the values of simplicity, naturalness, innovation, personality, timelessness and Scandinavian design and underlines the modernity of the premium casual brand. The luxury approach is expressed in the new generosity and value of the interior. With reduced shapes and colours, Scandinavian design offers the perfect, understated staging for our products. The ‘hero’ panels with large LED screens signal innovation and inspiration.

Clean and contemporary: Off-white dominates the colour scheme, creating a particularly inviting and modern brightness within the interior. Marc O’Polo signature grey ensures brand recognition and provides colour accent in the fitting rooms and via the carpets and integrated resupply cubes under the tables. Elements in black, including racks, monitor frames, lights, chairs and the hospitality table, emphasise the modernity of the look.

High-quality, light-coloured woods convey naturalness and warmth. Tables are of chestnut, while whitewashed oak is used for the parquet flooring, pedestals, product racks and reverse sides of the hero panels. The back wall of the display window, which presents selected products as highlights inside the store, is made with recycled material and has an off-white limestone look. Polished racks, screen frames and light fixtures in black steel add a modern touch. Select shelving in grey-tinted glass creates a luxurious lightness, while the coffee-and-checkout table is eye-catching in black wood. Plants have been carefully selected and placed to enhance the store concept, which is clean and bright, without distracting elements.

The product presentation, like the interior design elements, is deliberately reduced, tidy and luxurious. Windows are modern and elegant, with high-quality, full-body mannequins. Open and inviting, they offer a view into the store. In the centre are long rectilinear tables for displaying merchandise. The innovative hero panels provide additional customer orientation and storytelling: On the front side, LED displays—individually controllable from the headquarters—present campaigns, capsules, etc., on a large scale; on the back side, the panels serve as clever product carriers. Racks at a new hanging height of 1.8m run along the walls of the entire store, further enhancing the atmosphere of quality and luxury. Mirrors, shelves and flexible merchandise supports can be individually configured and offer maximum versatility. Garments, whether hanging or arranged on tables and counters, arrangements, are presented in just three sizes for a reduced look and a more generous sense of space.
Shoes, accessories and belts are presented with the collection to match the overall look, and are accentuated by subtle presentation displays. Specialised furniture such as the denim tables for women and men and product holders for bodywear, legwear and eyewear complete the store concept.

Along with mirrors with rounded corners, the LED lights break up the straight lines with their curved, organic shape. They are complemented by LED spotlights and floodlights. Reminiscent of a showroom, the Coffee Concept in the centre of the store invites one to linger. Coffee, drinks and cinnamon buns are served on MARC O’POLO Home tableware while purchases are paid for and packed, all in an understated and pleasant atmosphere.

THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIO replaces the previous store concept from 2011. The new concept is also the basis for the corresponding shop-in-shop concept, which was developed in parallel. Complementary furniture and interior elements, including a new back wall in MARC O’POLO signature grey and an innovative module that perfectly presents looks and outfits, were developed and tailor-made to meet the individual needs of wholesalers. The roll-out of THE SCANDINAVIAN STUDIO is in full swing and includes new store and shop-in-shop openings as well as conversions of selected existing stores and shop-in-shops, both in Germany and internationally. Prior to the store opening in the Pasing Arcaden, the first sample area was introduced in Breuninger at the end of last year.